What Makes Us Strong?
A Few Loose Thoughts On The Subject
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Recently I read a blog post by Pooja Gudka on her blog Lifesfinewhine about mental health. In it, she mentions that people are different and therefore various things work for various people.
This is also my philosophy and I find it important that we support ourselves as well as each other in finding out what works for us, what helps us, does us good and makes us strong.
Support And Reassurance
At the moment I have the feeling that there is a movement in society that wants to make everything equal and conform. However, both historical and my personal experience show that this does not work.
I think people are looking for support and reassurance in a world that seems to be falling apart. I can understand that well. But the way cannot be to try to squeeze everyone into the same box. Perhaps the common ground lies not in the How, but rather in the That. We all have in common that we want support and reassurance, but how we best achieve both is different for each individual. Therefore, the question arises: Is there not also – and perhaps even greater – reassurance in supporting each other in finding the best individual support? Would this not also make us strong as a society?
Accepting Oneself
What comes to my mind is that it is often our supposed weaknesses that make us strong. As a highly sensitive person, for example, I often see this because sensitivity is still often perceived as a weakness in society. Yet it has always been my greatest strength.
I was often told not to take things so seriously, not to overrate things or not to let things get to me like that. I took that to heart. And then at some point, I no longer understood the world at all.
However, when I allowed myself to take seriously the things that were serious to me, to rate highly the things that were valuable to me and to let the things that were close to me get to me, it led me to my strengths. It literally made me strong.
By the way, I believe that this is not only true for highly sensitive people but everyone, only that the serious, valuable and close things are just different for everyone – sometimes more and sometimes less so.
We all perceive the world at least a little differently. Sometimes they are only small differences, but sometimes the differences are huge. And that is a good thing. It makes the world colourful and inspires us.
Unite Differences
Openness
When we allow ourselves and each other to trust this perception and thus find our strengths, we also become strong as a society. Something that helps us find together in diversity is the lowest common denominator. Through the lowest common denominator, we can find ways to reach out to each other, understand each other and communicate with each other. This exchange gives us perspective and inspiration, which in turn makes us strong.
Respect
Of course, there are also people with whom we simply cannot get along. And that is also a good thing. We do not have to like everything and everyone. But we can at least try to treat these people with enough respect that we can let them be who they are. This can also make it easier for us to let ourselves be who we are (and vice versa). In this way we allow ourselves and others to be centred. This also makes us strong.
Boundaries
Sometimes we encounter people, things or situations that just do not work for us at all. That is also a good thing. It gives us the chance to explore our healthy boundaries and if in doubt, to execute them. Knowing and keeping our own healthy boundaries is something that also makes us strong, as is accepting the healthy boundaries of others.
. Even though different things make us strong and our strengths lie in different areas and are expressed differently, there are a few common denominators that help us to integrate what works for us individually and support each other in it. This gives us the freedom to do what truly makes us strong instead of limiting ourselves to what others think should make us strong. Would that not be much more enriching for us as individuals and as a society? Personally, at least, I feel that way. .
What makes you strong? Can you accept your strengths? Do you find it easy to support others in finding their strengths or is this rather difficult for you? Are you ready to shine a bright light of awareness on the path of beingness, today? Much Love, Steffi
. P.S.: By the way, last week I published my 1000th blog post. Yay! Many thanks to all readers and fellow writers for stopping by, reading, commenting, fellow blogging, inspiring and for your loyalty! .
Great post. I agree that when we all support one another, we become stronger. I also like what you said about accepting oneself. I’ve been criticized for being “too sensitive”. But, as you said, maybe that’s a good thing. It helps us be empathetic. And we need to be ourselves. I think it’s also a sign that we care a lot.
I don’t see myself as a strong person. Maybe it’s because of how hard I am on myself. I still need to accept myself. I am still on the journey to do so. Or maybe it’s because of how things are in the world – and how I’ve found it hard to still hope with how bleak things are in the world. But, I keep going and that in of itself is a strength, I think. :).
I’m not quite sure how far we are apart, age-wise, but I can tell you that I would not want to be in my 20s right now. Things looked bleak for us in the ’90s, too, but now they look grim. That does not make it easier to keep the spirits up. What I’m trying to say is that I believe you have made a good point, Alex: Times are hard at the moment. So if you manage to keep going, you already show a great amount of strength!
That there are still sensitive people out there who show up as who they are, also gives me hope. As long as we still show up, the world is not lost. Nothing is static, everything is in constant motion. That means, things will change, eventually.
I’m not sure. What I can say is that I’m in my 30s. I sometimes feel nostalgia for the 90s, but deep down, I know it wasn’t an easy time either. Thinking back about what I learned about history of the 90s, I remember hearing about Milosevic committing genocide, the Rwandan Genocide, etc. You make a great point – continuing to live on does require a lot of strength, especially these days.
So true. Things do change. I guess I still have some hope in my heart.
Then we must be around 10 years apart. The nostalgia you feel for the 90s is the kind I have for the 80s. 🤭
Yes, regarding the climate it was 5 past 12 the cold war started to heat up and the world seemed to be falling apart. Writing this, I realise the falling apart came with the opening of the iron curtain, so it might be a matter of perspective – which is always a grim one when living in the areas directly affected by war like the family of Serbian-Croatian friends of mine did, then.
We rarely can see the whole picture, particularly not when in the midst of things. So, who knows what we will see once we have the chance to look back at the Here and Now?
Hehe yeah, I’m in my mid-late 30s. 🙂 That’s cool that you love the 80s. It was an interesting decade, yes?
I imagine it must’ve been rough to see the news then, with the various wars and brutal atrocities (in the Balkans, Chechnya, and elsewhere) not to mention the uncertainty and chaos.
But you’re right, when we are in the midst of things, it is hard to see the big picture. I worry a lot today, however, and think a lot about history. But, yes, I definitely want to see what it will be like when we look back at today/here.
As I said, we’re pretty much ten years apart. 🙂
Interesting is the right word for the 80s, yes. But some would also say this about the 90s. One good thing about the former despite all craziness was the overarching idea that anything is possible, stretching beyond what we think we know.
I didn’t enjoy watching the news, in the 90s, right. But neither did I in the 80s. And yes, I too have concerns about the current situation. I don’t like how certain things seem to repeat in slight variations – and some of them becoming grimmer.
I think the idea is not to be ignorant about the concerns or the things that can feel worrying but to see both, the grim and the good stuff. That keeping this outlook seems challenging, at the moment, only shows how much it is needed.
Cool :D.
I guess I still believe in that idea. I sometimes think I have lost all hope, but still have some.
Understandable. It seems like, no matter what time period it is, there is always something horrible happening somewhere. You’re right – some things are repeating. Not a complete repetition but definitely a variation, as you mentioned. I feel alarmed at how things are.
It is tough. But yes, we have to try to balance this. Hope we can find a way.
I can’t give up on that idea, either, that anything is possible.
I nearly did, though, in recent years. And then life brought me lessons to know better than that.
Even my broken leg seems to be one of those lessons… (Albeit I recommend to not wait that long 😅)
I, too, hope we live to see how it balances, again. I think, everybdy aware enough is doing their part, currently – including us.
Aw well I’m glad it brought you lessons to know better than that, but I’m sorry to hear that some lessons were painful. I guess I’m learning it, but trying to stay afloat.
I hope you feel better soon. Much support and best wishes.
Staying afloat is good. Everything is always in motion! ❤
Really enjoyed the entire post but what really stood out to me was what you said about accepting oneself. It took me a long time to accept myself as I am. I’m also a sensitive person and I tend to feel emotions much more strongly than most and for a while I saw that as a weakness and tried to repress and hide my emotions which only made things worse. Now I try to process them in a healthy way and that has made me stronger. And thanks for linking my post- glad what I said aligned with your own thoughts and beliefs 😀
The acceptance part often seems to be the hardest and it can be multi-layered, too. Awesome that you are finding ways to process those emotions in a healthy way that allows you to facilitate them as strength. 😃
Isn’t it interesting how, on one hand, some people tend to judge high sensitivity (perhaps because they feel overwhelmed with it, themselves) and on the other hand first and foremost turn to the highly sensitive people around them for emotional support?
I believe, in most cases, this happens in unawareness, yet it gives us a hint that those things we found to make us stronger upon accepting them possibly also make us stronger as a society, despite all the judgement.
You are very welcome about the link, Pooja. I was grateful to find that there are still others out there who are on a similar path. 💗
Yes, that’s so true. Often people and even society as a whole sees sensitivity or being more emotional as a weakness but we are often the best person to turn to for sympathy or emotional support. It definitely makes us stronger as a society to embrace everyone including those that may be more emotionally sensitive or different in other ways because we all have our positives and we all have something to offer. 😄
That is exactly what I have noticed, too, Pooja. And you have stated it perfectly. 😊
I’ve noticed: When I know my own strengths, I can more easily see strength in others.
That is a very good point, Kim. 💡🐌
This is probably true for many of us but is often dismissed.
🤩
What a lovely post Steffi, and it is your 1000st post, congratulations. We all have weaknesses and strength and as you say everyone is different, luckily so the world is a place of variety. It is good to find your own strength and use it wisely. My strength is mainly that I am a very calm and patient person, a good listener and seeing always the good in people. (That could also be a weakness though) 🙂
Yes, Ute! Can we please take a moment to celebrate the variety in life? 🙏
I can absolutely see in you the strengths you have listed. 💗 It’s true, that always seeing the good in people could be a weakness but it has been one of my biggest strengths, too. I suppose there is a difference between seeing the good and denying the “bad”. 😃
Thank you for acknowledging the special number! 🎊