strengths

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An outstretched hand

There’s nothing wrong with being weak sometimes. We all need help. 

The Bible talks about how God is our strength when we are weak. 

The Bible also talks about bearing one another’s burdens and helping each other carry them to the Lord. 

I’m not the best at allowing others to see me down. We’ve talked about this many times, but here’s something new I’m learning:

An element of building trust in a relationship is to ask for help.  

Do you know that it’s hard for others to trust you when you won’t ask for help?

Dr. Brene Brown talks about this in her lecture on The Anatomy of Trust (It’s a free class she offers at  courageworks.com). 

Slap away an extended hand too many times and you’ll find yourself all alone. 

One of my goals in 2016 is to get better at asking for and accepting help. 

I know that the Lone Ranger mentality is glorified in western culture, but it’s a myth. 

You can’t go it alone. 

 

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Character friction

Coming face to face  with your character flaws stinks, especially when someone is giving you a compliment.

In the last few weeks, I have been praised for my patience and self-discipline…

I wish that it were true.

I wish that I could easily accept the compliment.

But all I see are the many, many times that I lose my temper or decide to eat a doughnut when I need to eat a salad.

What are you supposed to do with that information?

It challenges me.

On the one hand, I appreciate the positive affirmation. Truly I do. People pay attention when you’re headed down the right path.

On the other hand, I know there’s still a lot of road ahead of me. I have not arrived.

This friction is natural. The rub is real. (I can go on and on with friction clichés, but I’ll stop now. You’re welcome.)

In life, this struggle is the ultimate checks and balances system.

Remember several posts ago when I talked about the voices that scream out your flaws?

They are constantly reminding you of all the reasons you’ll never measure up.

But agreeing with their cries will not help you. Trust me. I spent many years covering my ears and running for cover.

That’s no way to live.

Knowing your areas of strengths and weaknesses is important.

You can’t be too boastful about your strengths or too ashamed about your weaknesses.

Stay focused on where you are headed in life. Keep moving in that direction.

Work on your strengths and weaknesses accordingly.

Maybe this isn’t a struggle for you.

Maybe you’re thinking, “Duh, Audra, everyone knows that!”

But I can get stuck in the rut of introspection and miss out on the fun of the journey.

I want to loosen up a little and have some fun. Want to join me?