Phase 1 Day 7: What are your strengths? 

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Day 7 and still going strong! Well done!

Today we’ll be looking at our current strengths.

This always seems harder than anticipated. If you’ve ever tried to write your own bio for something, you know what I mean. Even just writing a resume can be difficult for a lot of people. 

It’s fascinating to me that self loathing is more acceptable than self love. People can run themselves down ad nauseam but if they try to pat themselves on the back they’ll have no problem finding someone eager to take them down a notch. 

Modesty is one thing but the inability to see one’s own strengths is not healthy. 

On the flip side, it’s not that much better to be in love with one’s strengths. People like to look good and we sometimes use our accomplishments as shields to hopefully convince people that we’re awesome... or worthy of love. 

I believe that the trick is accepting ourselves as we are, weaknesses, blocks and strengths alike. 

Recognizing our intrinsic worth is extremely important. 

We are not great for any reason other than the fact that we’re great. 

What I think people have to do is separate that conventional “I’m great because...” and replace it with “I’m great, and...”. 

Yes, I want people to feel good about themselves AND I want it to be authentic. 

If you’re financially wealthy, are you any less worthy a human being if you lose it all? 

If you’re a decorated athlete and you break your leg, or lose it, are you any less valuable? 

If you have never received any accolades or external markers of success, are you any less human? 

I’m saying no. 

...and yet, we reach. We aspire, we dream of greatness and of doing great things. We WANT to accomplish. For many of us, that’s why we’re here. We DO think that it’s better to achieve than not to. 

The nuance is that your accomplishments are not you. 

From a place where we accept that we just ARE okay as we are, I believe that we can truly build to greatness. It also builds empathy for others as we start to see the greatness in them as well. This is essentially the meaning of the word “Namaste” actually. “I recognize the divine greatness in you”. 

Now that that’s out of the way, what are your strengths? 

What are you proud of? What is it that you’d like to build on moving forward? What IS working? 

Once again what we’re looking for is as unbiased a view of yourself as possible. Don’t puff up and don’t hold back... what’re your strengths? 

Challenge of the day:

-List your strengths in each area. .