The Strong Achiever

In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invisible summer. – Albert Camus (French Author)   

     It is said that a chain is as strong as its weakest link. This is not just true with chains but with our lives. We are all as strong as the points that we are weakest in. The importance of developing strength in every area of our lives cannot be overstated. Our strengths determine to large extents who we become, what we achieve, and even the type of legacy we leave behind.

     The extent of strength you develop in any area of your life gives you competitive advantage in that area. A popular advice says, “If you do not have competitive advantage, don’t compete”. This means if you do not have strength in an area stay away from competing in that area. So, if you really want to take the spoils in any area, develop some strength in that area.

     The test for how much strength you have is in what happens to you when difficulties come your way – and they will. Sometimes we smartly do nothing when we are faced with troubles in some areas of our lives but that, though it was intended to, does not show strength but weakness. It shows a limit to how much strength we have.

     If you desire to build strength in areas of your life, I would suggest building yourself in three dimensions:

     Dimension I: Build your knowledge. The fighter who knows his opponent well enough has gone a long way already in the bout even before it begins. The less he knows about his opponent the less he can face the opponent when the bout begins.

     Dimension II: You will need to build your “more capacity” – more speed, more accuracy, more balance and self-control. Build your capacity to carry out more thereby making yourself more efficient. More efficiency will mean you use less time and less effort in achieving great results.

     Dimension III: Finally you must be flexible. Be flexible to change, be versatile to different roles and responsibilities. Many people are very rigid and their rigidity undermines their strengths. If you will survive you must be like Bamboo trees, ever bending but never breaking. You cannot achieve this dimension of strength unless you are flexible to the harsh things that will come your way.