Mind, Body and Soul

What do you focus more on? Strengths or weaknesses? Do you feel more like Popeye or Olive Oyl? I'm just kidding. I am talking more about your inner gifts and talents, not the size of your muscles! :)

I try to focus on my strengths rather than my weaknesses. Easier said than done, eh? We need to be earnest in our judgment of our gifts and talents. In reality, we ought to know our strengths. We ought to know our weaknesses too, after all not a one of us are perfect, even if you think you are! ;) We should not think more highly of ourselves than we ought. We should not put ourselves down either.

Often we have a strange fascination with our weaknesses instead of seeing the good in ourselves. Perhaps we pay more attention to our weaknesses because we are insecure about them. Or maybe our weaknesses are always cropping up in life and it makes us feel like a failure (which by the way we are NOT). Sometimes we focus on our weaknesses by accepting opportunities for which we are not prepared, e.g., teaching others how to swim, when we are drowning ourselves. :(

No two of us are exactly alike. None of us has every gift and ability. Our responsibility is to exercise the gifts we have, not the ones we wish we had. We need to embrace who we are, not what we aren’t and never will be.

Each of us is unique and bring different gifts and combinations of personalities and strengths and weaknesses to the table. Be yourself, not who you think other want you to be or what you think you are supposed to be.

When it comes to making decisions about your life and the direction it should take, focus on your strengths, not on your weaknesses. Know yourself. Know what you do well, and embrace it. Don’t be fearful or anxious. Go with it and thrive.

Honor the person God made you to be and live as integrated, whole and honest as possible.