Outside the Frame: Strengths and Weaknesses

Guys, somewhere in March I should have blogged. At least once.

But, alas, I didn’t.

And that means I dropped the ball on a lot of things, including my Outside the Frame link-up. I literally had no idea what I was supposed to be doing, and I just recently woke up from the fog and realized how many thing I had completely failed to do during that month. It was rough. But I think I’m back.

Today’s prompt for Outside the Frame is supposed to be Easter Reflections. Which doesn’t make any sense because Easter was a month ago. So I’m throwing it back to one of the prompts that I missed, and posting today about some of my strengths and weaknesses!

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Somewhere between the ages of 18-20, I had a lightbulb moment. I realized that for almost everybody I know, their greatest strengths are also their greatest weaknesses.

Those who are awesome, natural leaders often have the tendency to trample on the quiet ones.

Those who are passionate and outspoken often struggle with anger or resentment.

Those who are quiet and reserved often internalize emotions in an unhealthy way.

Those who are emotional and sympathetic, and able to relate to people so well are frequently sensitive to a fault.

 

That last sentence describes me perfectly.

I’d say that my greatest strength is being able to relate to almost anybody on a personal level. Listening, sympathizing, encouraging. I’m a people person and I love making people feel special. I think it’s why I love birthdays so much, and one of the reason that I’m only sentimental about people-related objects. I couldn’t care less about my furniture or even my car, but my box of letters filled with words from those who mean the most in my life? Now that I’m super serious about! I’ve had a lot of people tell me that I’m honest and open, and that they love that about me. I also think that is a huge strength.

But each of those strengths has another side. The side that I spend time worrying about what people think about me. The times that I wonder if I am making a difference and put so much pressure on myself to “serve others”. The side that I cry and cry because someone hurt my feelings, even though Theo explains over and over again that they weren’t even talking about me! The side that I burst out in well-worded rants that actually hurt someone who reads it, even if all I was doing was “communicating openly”.

Once I realized that most people have the same problem as me, that their greatest strengths are also their weaknesses, I started realizing how I can work on myself and use my strengths to be even stronger. It’s still a huge work in progress, and I also realized that I will never become perfect. I will always be a sympathetic, emphatic, encouraging people person, which also means that I will always be a sensitive soul. I will always overreact and cry and have hurt feelings over the smallest things. But it’s because of that that I am able to be such a people person and an encourager.

And for now, I just pray for those around me who have to put up with such a “feeler”. I just feel everything. Haha.

It’s really interesting to see Theo’s strengths and weaknesses, and how that plays into our marriage. In some areas, we are opposite, and that makes us stronger. In some areas, we are the opposite, and that makes us butt heads and have huge conflict! In some areas, we are the same and that makes us stronger. In some areas we are the same, and that creates conflict!

What a beautiful thing that God made us all so different and unique, and that each one of us has strengths that can build others up. But I also think it’s beautiful that each one of us has weaknesses, because I think it keeps us humble, it keeps us in check and it gives us the ability to give grace to other humans (and to ourselves!) who also have weaknesses.

 

So what about you? What are your strengths and your weaknesses? How have you learned to manage them and use them for good?

If you write a post on this subject, I’d love to read it! Please link up by leaving a comment with your blog link!

 

 

And join us next time for Outside the Frame on May 11! The prompt is: Write a post about a person who has been inspirational in your life. I can’t wait to see who inspires you!!!

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