3 Critical Reasons to Focus On Your Strengths
About 4 minutes to read
We have all done it; lost our perspective when facing a problem or been in deep shit. You almost can’t see the forest for the trees, your attention consumed by the problem facing you, and you default into negative thinking.
You will know that being in a negative headspace really is unpleasant. The problem seems to grow, the perspective becomes grimmer and eventually we can find ourselves in a space of negative overwhelm.
Sadly, many of us focus on the negative before the positive. We pick away at the problem the same way a dog would lick its wounds or a kid would pick their scab. We all know very well what this accomplishes. Nothing it only makes the problem worse.
I know for myself that when I am focused on the problem, whatever it may be, I enter a zone of temporary insanity. My thoughts seem to run into empty, dark, and lonely places that are harder to exit, like a downward spiral. In this space, the energy I create is very heavy and burdensome and far removed from an energetic space filled with joy and ease.
The truth is the problem is not to blame, neither is the depth of shit I might find myself in. I am responsible for my state of being for two specific reasons. The first is I have not controlled my mind. Great wisdom teaches us that we are what we think so if our experience of a moment, hour, day, or year is dreadful, many times it has begun in our thoughts. The second is I have forgotten to remember my strengths.
We all have one basic common strength, that being resilience, that ability to bounce back. We often believe we are so fragile and that a problem, tragedy, or trauma will cause us to break, but the whole of human history is a dramatic tale of human overcoming, it is what we were born to do.
The ability to bounce back after having being wounded, shifted, remoulded and transformed is not founded in weakness but rather in great strength. This is what we often forget when we allow negative thoughts to overwhelm us when facing a challenge. We forget to remember how incredibly strong we are.
Why should we focus on our strengths, you may be asking?
Reminds you of who you are
When we focus on our strengths, we most likely become conscious once again, of the positive things we have achieved in our lives. When your achievements come to mind filling you with positive energy, you can build on your self-esteem by acknowledging what you have accomplished. To focus on your strengths reminds you of the truth of who you are, and that is a capable, talented, resilient individual who is able to weather life’s storms.
Enables you to take risks
When you focus on your strengths and remind yourself of who you are, you are also able to take risks. Life is risk and often when faced with a problem we become fearful of the unknown. In our fear, we become immobile often too scared to take the next step and this leads us into weakness. When we focus on our strengths we know what we are capable of and can build on our success stories, we become more willing to take that risk, become mobile and step out into the unknown.
Allows you to reclaim ownership of your life
When you do not focus on your strengths, you are quite literally on the back foot and easily destabilised. Your attention is not where it would serve you best and you gift your inherent inner power to the situation, you lose ownership of your life. Most likely, you identify so strongly with the problem, trauma or tragedy that you feel this is you and you are it. This is not the case. Exclusive focus on problems does not provide the empowerment and hope needed to bounce back from a problem.
Think of your problem
Take a moment to consider a problem that you might be facing right now. On a scale of 1 -10 how much focus on your strengths have you given relating directly to the issue. Ask yourself which of your strengths will help you right now. Take a moment to consider this. You might feel that you are creative but you don’t need a creative strength in your current situation. Is this true? Can you use your creativity in a different way to help yourself? Think of how you can apply your strengths in unique ways.
Your strengths are yours
Remember your strengths are yours; they do not belong to anyone else. Yes, we may have strengths in common but in your unique life circumstances and wisdom, only you can combine your strengths in an exceptional manner to move your life forward.
Therefore remember who you are, put on your super(wo)man undies and get out there and take that risk, make it happen and own your life because nobody else can do that but you!
Let me know what your strengths are and how you focus on them; I would love to hear from you. Sign up for my weekly blog posts if you have enjoyed this article.
