Strength

Strength is an interesting concept.  There is physical strength, and there is mental strength.  What’s so interesting about it is both types of strength are built in the same way.  Through repetition.  Through strain, that causes damage, followed by rest and rebuild, followed by strain, which causes damage.  And the cycle repeats.

There’s an old saying, whatever doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.  I believe in that wholeheartedly.  From my experience, not only does it make you stronger, it provides a foundation for the next time something like that happens.  It hardens you a little bit.  You know you got through this last time and you know you’re set up for success because of what you were able to endure before.

In battle, it is said the soldiers fall back to their highest level of training.  It is the same in life, in business, in whatever it is you’re facing.  By going through something, you can make it through something else and the most important thing is you’re stronger than you think.  People have been in terrible situations, and endured.  I’m sure you’ve had hard times that you’ve had to get through, and you endured.  You are here today, you will be here tomorrow.  You will endure.

One of the things about being strong, is you have to learn to use the appropriate amount of force.  Too much, and you could break things.  Too little, and no difference is made at all.  So with experience, you will come to know how much force you have to use in any given situation.

The problem with this strength is you may assume others are as strong as you, but they aren’t.  Others are as capable as you, but they aren’t.  Others can endure what you can, but they can’t.  You are your own rock.

At the same time, if you have tremendous strength, you should be someone else’s rock.  You can not take on what they are facing, but you can be their support, their foundation.  This benefits you both.  You help them through whatever they were facing, and the shared experience helps you endure even more in your own life.  By seeing the strength in others, and the weakness in others, you can learn different coping techniques when you face your own challenges. 

By being someone else’s rock, you become even stronger.