Strength in Weakness???

Yesterday my DD had to write a few lines about her greater strength and gretest weakness. She asked me,what is mine,though I know what it was, I was a little perplexed to give her an answer. Well my strength and weakness both are my determination and never say die attitude. . Then I told both my children that your weakness could become your greatest strength, if you know how to use it. To substantiate on that I told them the real story I read long back...I think many of you would have read this..but this is synopsis.. for those who have not read it...

It is the story of an 10 year old boy who decided to learn judo,despite the fact that he lost his left arm in an car accident.
The boy began lessons with an old Japanese judo master.the master teaches only one move, on asking the master tells the boy, this one move is what you will need to know. the boy keeps practicing. the master then takes the boy to a match where the boy wins two matches, and the third proves very difficult. but he wins it by using his one move. the new champion asks the master, how did i win the match with just one single move. the master tell him, that you learnt the most difficult move of judo. and the only defence for that move is for your opponent to grab the left arm. So the boy's biggest weakness had become his strength.
Sometimes your greatest strength may lie in your weakness itself. The blind man whose hearing seems superhuman.

Richard Branson could not have reached greatness without his disability. His dyslexia made it impossible for him to cope unless he made things simple and easy to understand. that is what helped him build his great empire.

Cisco CEO John Chambers was also dyslexic, so he relies on memorized speeches and interacting personally with people as much as possible.

Arnold schwaneggar and his friend started an brick laying business in US, it was a loss,They then used thier accent and foreignness, and reinvented their business as "Austrian Bricklaying", making thier weakness as strength.

Our Great singer, Usha Uthup, says her male throaty voice was her weakness, which she then cultivated into her strength. Today we are all fans of her voice.

Recognizing your weakness or identifying your struggle is the first step in equipping yourself. God has given it to every man equally. No one has it more than the other; the difference lies in those decide to make it in life and would not just give up until they make weapons of strength out of their weaknesses.
Lot of people say identify, your strength and work on it. I would go a step ahead and say identify your weakness, and work on it.. (because your weakness is what your opponents searches for at the first instance.)

Recognizing and discovering the weakness of your life is never a waste of time. It can save you and your near ones. And knowing your weakness makes you confident to conquer it...
Be it family relationships, or businesses, looking at your weakness and converting them to strengths are fruitful in the long run. Teaching our children to recognise and accept their weakness and to cultivate strength is helping in building a stronger character.

Excellent post Shanthi.

There is strength in being weak. Being weak we tend to be a bit humble. This humility will help us to scale heights. But Modesty is a rare commodity.

I was suffering from stammering till the age of 14. it was difficult to start a sentence. So I used to remain silent by mere shyness. i had few friends. But that made me READ. Unfortunately I am able to read only serious books.

iam considered one of the best librarians-a goodreference librarian-

But after the age of 15 this problem of mine disappeared. Now even my husband can,t believe I had this defect. I have no problem talking to anyone. May be God's Grace. kanaka

There is strength in being weak. Being weak we tend to be a bit humble. This humility will help us to scale heights. But Modesty is a rare commodity.

I was suffering from stammering till the age of 14. it was difficult to start a sentence. So I used to remain silent by mere shyness. i had few friends. But that made me READ. Unfortunately I am able to read only serious books.

iam considered one of the best librarians-a good reference librarian-

But after the age of 15 this problem of mine disappeared. Now even my husband can,t believe I had this defect. I have no problem talking to anyone. May be God's Grace. kanaka

Hello Shanthi
What a wonderful write up. The last 2 paras you have spoken it all and the wonderful examples that you have given superb..............
I believe that life is a learning experience and being able to recognize our own strengths and weaknesses can help us become better individuals in anything we choose to do, whether it is positive abilities and skills that can help achieve our goals or negative personal areas that need improvement. Knowing ourself and what we can do, can help us recognize and overcome our weaknesses.........
Beautiful one.................

Hi Shanti,

Am amazing post.

Infact, I copied the main contents of it and forwarded to a few of my collegues in office to read and enjoy.

Keep adding.

Anu

hi shanthi,

a very good topic.

first of all i need to analyze what is my weakness and strength. if i am really able to find my weakness, i shall try my best to make it as my strength.

identifying our weakness and strength is a must.

Mohana,

thank you.

Originally Posted by mohana

Excellent post Shanthi.

Originally Posted by kanaka

There is strength in being weak. Being weak we tend to be a bit humble. This humility will help us to scale heights. But Modesty is a rare commodity.

I was suffering from stammering till the age of 14. it was difficult to start a sentence. So I used to remain silent by mere shyness. i had few friends. But that made me READ. Unfortunately I am able to read only serious books.

iam considered one of the best librarians-a good reference librarian-

But after the age of 15 this problem of mine disappeared. Now even my husband can,t believe I had this defect. I have no problem talking to anyone. May be God's Grace. kanaka

Hey kanaka,

Believe me, you come across as a very confident, principled person not a shyness.

Maybe reading books changed your attitude to a more positive one.
Great to know a good reference librarian...me being a book worm it is really an advantage...

I feel God blesses the one who wants to try and tries..not the one who thinks it is the end of the world...

thanks for stepping in..

Shanti,

Very lovely post. Yes, one should first identify ur weakness first so we can improve in life. enjoyed reading ur post.