My client was talking to me about how much his weight loss has changed his life; raving about how much faster his karate kicks were and just how much stronger he felt in the gym. Smiling from ear to ear, eyes as big as the latest full moon glowing, shedding light around it, he was in another world. But all too often we doubt that happiness only to revert back to the comfort and familiarity of fear, discomfort, and “this isn’t me.” In the blink of an eye, I saw the cloud cast a shadow, dimming the light, and he whispered, “but I still feel weak.” He went on to explain how being smaller, in his mind, meant being weaker. I proceeded to listen, nodding my head, all the while just hiding a smirk as I picked my words wisely in response. When he was finished I asked him very calmly, “so what is weakness to you?” and to follow that, I asked “and what is strength?”
Silence.
Intense rumination.
He smirked…..”you got me there. I will have to get back to you on that.”
I smiled. Now my goal was not to trip him up or to make him feel like he didn’t know the answer. I simply wanted to challenge his contradictory statements by asking him to define these words in order to see if his testimonial matched his true definition of these two antonyms. I was pretty sure it didn’t but, I wanted him to conclude that himself to see how inaccurately he had been describing himself.
Now if we ask ourselves these two questions, what comes to mind for you? What is strength and what is weakness? For me, both strengths and weaknesses can be mental, physical, emotional, or spiritual. Strength is a powerful word with much force behind it, much positive, and much triumph. There is a good connotation with the word, whereas few people want to discuss weaknesses. Weaknesses are where we are frail, vulnerable, and places where we need work. Admitting to having weaknesses is uncomfortable, as it acknowledges a need for growth and a need for change, but simply put, it is just coming to terms with something that has yet to be worked on. Thinking about your weaknesses can prove just how strong you are, and, you never know, some of those weaknesses can become your greatest strengths.
SEROTONING 