30 Days of Gratitude: Day 22

The feeling when you realize your own strength

They say there is strength in numbers. At what point do we take a moment and realize our own strength? When do we become an independent person who is grateful for our strength while also knowing we need a team of people for support?

It is easy, especially in the holidays, to feel stuck in life. If you go to a large family Thanksgiving or even a friendsgiving, you might feel overwhelmed or even defeated by the success of others' stories. Instead of comparing yourself to others, focus on identifying your strengths. When you take the time to identify your strengths, you can channel them to achieve new success and overcome obstacles.

When you think about your past success, what led you there? What factors about you made it possible to achieve the outcome? What energized you to reach for success? Do you have a fighter spirit, unwilling to fail and stay down? Failure in life is just the First Attempt In Learning. Failing, learning from it, and pressing on is a demonstration of strength, not weakness. Are you a great communicator? Do you have a caring and compassionate heart? Do you like helping others succeed, and if so, how do you do that? You may want to apply those same tactics to yourself!

When you have identified your strengths, you can use them to overcome obstacles. Have you been a mediator for friends or other family members? Maybe you can use those skills to strengthen your relationships with your significant other, parents, family, friends, and co-workers. By focusing on your strength, you are not dismissing your weakness. Too often, folks get caught up in the idea of knowing their strength and working on improving their weaknesses. Wanting to improve your weaknesses can be great; however, research shows that focusing on your strengths produces better outcomes.

Be grateful for your strengths, as they will improve your clarity and confidence. You can help eliminate doubt, or at least fight it off. Finding and appreciating your strengths opens you to self-discovery, helping you remember your passions, values, and interests.

Before the late Whiteny Houston passed away, she recorded a song. I still listen to this when I feel defeated:

"Lost touch with my soul. I had nowhere to turn, I had nowhere to go. Lost sight of my dream. Thought it would be the end of me. I thought I'd never make it through. I had no hope to hold on to. I thought I would break I didn't know my own strength. And I crashed down, and I tumbled, but I did not crumble. I got through all the pain. I didn't know my own strength. Survived my darkest hour, my faith kept me alive. I picked myself back up, hold my head up high. I was not built to break. I didn't know my own strength."

Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."