Everyday Canvas

Using Strengths to Overcome Weaknesses

Prompt: “You have to use the strength to get to the weakness.” I heard this on the tennis channel. What do you make of it?

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Although this was said about backhand versus forehand strengths originally, I thought it would also apply to life and subsequently to writing.

It is important to see the weakness as it is, no more, no less, and in wherever or which area it may be. Then, we should also look at the strengths through the same criterion.

In our personal lives, we can confront the dark parts of ourselves with our strengths, which begin with forgiveness and our willingness to wrestle with what’s dark.

Generally, in life, one good strength to nurture is love. When we love people, things, and doing things, we end up performing more. People who love more can perform more and can accomplish more.

As much as love is our greatest strength, fear is our greatest weakness. Fear, although it is a weakness, may have its uses, for it alerts us to what is dangerous and what it is that we need to work on and overcome. Fear makes people hide; love makes them step forward and take on what is needed to be done. Second to love, a great strength is tenacity, in order words, keeping at it and not giving up.

Applied to writing, although we may love our work, our characters, our story, if we lack tenacity, we won’t be able to finish a story or write anything else. And fear as a weakness, applied to writing, won’t let us try a new idea, a new approach, or working with something we think only the professional writers and poets can handle. It is true that maybe our first try won’t be getting a huge applause, but if we love the art of writing enough and keep at it and repeat our efforts while learning more on the subject, it is highly possible that we will end up with an award-winning piece.