This is a guest post did I for the blog A Peek Into My Paradise. I’ve decided to no longer define who I am by Strengths and Weaknesses. Here’s Webster’s definition of weak:
I have spent years defining what I have perceived to be my Strengths and Weaknesses. There are areas that I wish to improve, but when I assessed my skills and qualities I had a hard time finding weaknesses. Here’s why:
- I have raised a daughter as single mother and sent her through college.
- Helping to raise 2 grandchildren
- I’m managing a home
- I clean my home
- I prepare the meals
- I’m a laundress.
- I work outside out the home 40 hours per week.
- Budgeting my income and paying the bills happens everyday.
- I grow and preserve my own vegetables.
- I maintain the outside of my home with the exception of mowing the grass ( I have lawn service). But, I can pay for it, ha!
- I’ve negotiated the deal and purchased my own vehicles since I was 18.
I could continue my list, but you get my drift. Weak, how can I be weak. It takes strength and endurance to do all of the above on a regular basis. Now I do have a few things that I have a hard time passing up like chocolate, coffee, and chips. These just happen to be things that I like to indulge in, they don’t make me who I am. Life beats us down enough, why contribute to the negativity by placing unflattering labels on yourself.
I have accepted that I am a work in progress and ever evolving. Because I don’t always meet my goals or I’m not perfect doesn’t mean that I lack strength. There are many factors that contribute to how much I can accomplish and what I accomplish. I have found that if I set goals and continuously working toward them, it reduces the stress that I place on myself. I think as women we try to accomplish too much and often end up with the weight of the world on our shoulders. When we can no longer bear the weight we see ourselves as weak or society sees us as weak.
Because I’m not as physically strong as a man doesn’t mean that I’m weak. That’s just the way I was made. The majority of the time, I don’t want to open the jar, hammer a stake in the ground, change a dirty tire or haul heavy items. I simply don’t want to break a nail, have back pain or prove how manly I am, ha. Now don’t get me wrong, I can hammer, change a tire, shovel the driveway, and haul heavy items. I’ve been single for many years. I can get it done.
I have found that setting priorities has helped me meet my ever changing goals. Nothing is more important to me than my family, so whatever goals I set they come after my family. If I don’t achieve them during the year, I continue to work on them the following year.
I’m adding weak to the list of items that I’ve tossed because I will never wear or use it again. Join me ladies, you’ll find that you will have a ton lifted off your shoulders and you will feel much better. Replace the word Weaknesses on your list with Things I Wish To Improve!