Too often, we see our faults and all the negative things about ourselves.
What a damn shame, right?
If you’re like me, you might have fallen into the habit of noticing the stuff you didn’t do, the stuff you should do, or the stuff you’re not good at.
That’s a lot of negative stuff. You should. You didn’t. You’re not.
What about the good stuff?
You can’t be ALL bad. There’s just NO way.
If we’re always using misdirected blinders, we’re less likely to realize all the things that are part of our awesomeness! (Yes, you are awesome in many ways!)
If you look at what you think are your faults, or what other people think are your faults, you might be surprised to discover some of your strengths.
Here’s an example with me.
A few weeks ago, I was thinking about how I’d decided to take a break from blogging every week during the summer.
The voice in my head was saying…
“You committed to writing weekly blog posts. AS usual, you’re a great starter but a lousy finisher.”
Is that true? Do I start things and not follow through and finish them?
When I reflected on the answer to this question, I had a mini-revelation.
I may not always finish what I start, but who says that’s a bad thing? Other people? Society?
What if being a starter is a strength? What if the fact that I dive eagerly into new things is something powerful about me?
Here are my gifts around starting and not finishing.
- It’s easy for me to create ideas. In fact, I’ve fantasized about having an Idea Store.
- I find it easy to brainstorm and piggy-back off others’ ideas, helping me to create even more ideas.
- My ability to come up with ideas makes me a good problem solver. I can look at a situation and think of many possible solutions.
- I’ve learned to listen to my body and what it’s telling me. When I get fired up about an idea, I know it’s a good fit for me. When my body is tense and wants to avoid something, I pay attention and ask what I’m doing.
- My passion or excitement for an idea motivates me to take action and try things.
- When I try new things or move in a new direction, I’m comfortable with the risk.
- Because I listen to my body, take risks and try new things, I’m able to grow as a person and follow my heart. I can learn more about what works for me and what doesn’t, and I can find out more about what I like and who I truly am.
When I look at this list, I’m pretty impressed with myself. Not in an arrogant way, but in a self-loving way.
A person who has trouble getting started with things, on the other hand, but who’s strong at following through and finishing, might see that list as their faults.
But what about the finisher’s strengths?
As a strong finisher, you might stick to a timeline, be a master of goals, to-do lists and deadlines and complete projects consistently. You might feel accomplished because of all the things that show your follow-through. So what if you’re not a great starter?
We all have different strengths, and lacking in one area just means we’re stronger in another area.
It’s fine with me not being a great finisher because I’m proud of being a good starter. I wouldn’t give up any of the awesome things on my starter strengths list because all those traits are part of me.
So, what about you?
Do you focus on what you’re not good at?
From this day on, my wish for you is that you start to spot your own gifts and be proud of them. Those gifts are what make you you.
Live your true life,
