Day 194 Question 194:

What is true strength?

This is a broad question and obviously is one that can be answered individually.  I bet if this answer was posed to lots of people, no two answers would be the same.  When people think of strength in the broad sense, we tend to look at the physical aspect…someone being physically strong…having muscles and being able to move tall building in a single bound.  Yes this is a form of strength.  I see strength as so much more though.

 True strength is having the ability to love and accept oneself for all of the good and all of the “bad”.  I would highly doubt that there is even one person on this Earth that has not doubted themselves or disliked something about themselves at some point or another.  Strength is being able to accept yourself fully and accepting your flaws and working toward change.  In life we are faced with an endless amount of obstacles and our strength is constantly being put to the test.  I have felt many times over that I have failed…I have now come to realize that the only time I have failed is when I truly believed that I failed.  Strength is a mindset…a belief is that you can do anything you really want to do….even if that means falling 100 times before actually achieving the goal at hand.  Strength is believing that you can do it and being able to push yourself a little further than where you were yesterday.

I have questioned my own strength time and time again throughout life.  I make lists of all of these things that I want to accomplish and some things I have and some things I have not.  I tend to make excessive lists though because I see life moving so fast and I want to achieve and learn as much as I possibly can.  I have grown stronger over time because I have accepted myself for who I am…I am indecisive and I am nervous…I am quirky and all over the place…..I am loud but non-confrontational.  It is not always easy to accept who we are.  I have moments when I just feel lower than low.  I sometimes look in the mirror and will criticize everything about myself…my aging skin, my imperfect body that is covered in stretch marks….the body that will never be tight and fit.  My strength came when I realized that everything in life is a choice….how we act and react is our own personal choice.  My strength came when I realized that I needed to start living for me and not for the likes of everyone else (which sounds much easier than it actually is).  I am non-confrontational and I am a people pleaser…..these may not be the most appealing qualities but because I am aware of them and I have accepted it as part of who I am (until I decide to change…which may or may not happen), I am now stronger.  I used to be the outgoing person that always had to be the center of attention….I sought out attention because I didn’t like myself.  I am now someone that spends a lot of time by myself (by my choice) and I enjoy this.  I have found myself and have learned more about my wants and my needs…..being the center of attention is no longer necessary and honestly, it doesn’t feel natural.  Strength came for me when I changed my lifestyle…I realized that I was living a lifestyle in the past that was destroying the beautiful person inside of me that was aching to get out.

True strength is being able to tell yourself that you are beautiful and meaning it.

True strength is being able to accept yourself for EVERYTHING you are!

True strength is conquering fears and doing over saying!

True strength is showing vulnerability….in my opinion being vulnerable is one of the most difficult but most real, honest and genuine things in the entire world!

True strength is standing up for what you believe in, even if you are standing alone!

True strength is choosing love over hate…even through all of the madness and chaos in the world!