If you’re reading this, I’m assuming you’re a human. More than that, you are a human with a particular set of strengths, abilities, and smarts. You have achieved certain feats and are capable of achieving many more. You have so much strength within you. But you are still human, so you also have weaknesses. I’m not saying this to bring you down or criticize you. I’m saying it because it’s true. We mere humans are not capable of mastering everything in life. And most of the time, we push this fact away, try to ignore it, and pretend it’s not there. We celebrate our strengths and neglect our weaknesses. It’s easy to bring ourselves down when we think of all the things we can’t do or aren’t good at. And when this happens, there’s an inevitable negative effect on our self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-acceptance.
I’ve spent too much of my life feeling ashamed of my own weaknesses. They made me feel less than, weird, and weak. The last thing I wanted to do was celebrate them, or even speak them out loud. So I hid them, or forced myself to improve them, and drowned myself in shame. As you can imagine, this led to a whole other set of issues. I try to avoid this now, because I’ve come to believe there is strength in the ability to accept our weaknesses. They’re simply another part of who we are. Of course, there is so much to gain from trying to improve ourselves and the things we want to excel at. That’s how we grow. But it becomes a problem when we feel forced to improve because we think we should be good at this thing or that skill. The reality is we just can’t be good at everything, and that’s okay. I believe there are several benefits of making peace with this. Let’s dive into six benefits of accepting your weaknesses.
1.You improve your self-acceptance.
This is probably the biggest and most important benefit you can experience when you accept your weaknesses. When you acknowledge the things you aren’t good at, you allow yourself to accept every part of you. It’s important to be proud of the things we excel at, but there is also importance in realizing the things we aren’t so good at. Everything is just a part of who we are as a unique person. If you’re able to accept your weaknesses, you bring yourself closer to accepting yourself.
2. You are less likely to feel bad about yourself.
Sometimes, I let my weaknesses control me. I see them as faults and things I should improve on. I criticize myself for not being able to carry myself confidently in group conversations or do things spontaneously or take it easy on the amount of sugary things I eat. When I’m in this mindset, I inevitably feel bad about myself. But when I remind myself that it’s okay to accept my weaknesses, my mindset changes. Instead of feeling ashamed about my inability to be confident in group situations, I remind myself I’m simply an introvert who deals with social anxiety. I can’t always do things spontaneously because I just feel better when things are planned out. I do have a slight obsession with chocolate and sugary treats, but I’m trying to eat more mindfully. Accepting my weaknesses helps me feel better about myself, because I view the things I struggle with (and the things I’m choosing to improve on) as simply part of who I am.
3. You don’t push yourself too far.
As humans, we all inevitably have limits, and our limits are unique to us. What I find challenging will be different from what you find challenging. When we accept our weaknesses, we become more aware of the things we struggle with or aren’t comfortable with. This doesn’t mean avoiding the possibility of growth or always staying in a narrow comfort zone. It simply means that after trying our best with no success, we realize that there are certain things in life we just aren’t comfortable with. You can stay within your limits if you choose to. If you’re scared of heights, don’t feel bad about declining the idea of climbing a very tall mountain. If the idea of driving on a busy highway makes you feel anxious, stick to the main roads. It’s up to you if your weaknesses are something you want to improve on, or if you feel better when you don’t push yourself too far.
4. You cultivate self-awareness, which then shows up as self-confidence.
I’m always inspired by people who unapologetically reveal their weaknesses. We all know how impressive it is to hear someone talk about all their success and everything they have achieved. But I think it’s perhaps even more admirable to hear someone discuss their soft spots, the things they tried to achieve but couldn’t, and their failures. It brings a humanness and vulnerability to the person, and makes them more relatable. It might seem counterintuitive to be confident in your weaknesses, but I believe it shows how connected you are to yourself. Self-awareness within yourself shows up as self-confidence to others. Show confidence in your strengths, but don’t forget to stand up for your weaknesses.
5. You free yourself of self-deprecating thoughts.
When I feel ashamed of my weaknesses, I tend to say pretty mean things to myself. I tell myself I’m weak, I’m worthless, I’ll never be able to handle anything life throws at me. I lose myself in these self-deprecating thoughts, all because I’m not accepting my weaknesses. When I’m able to flip my mindset, it’s easier to push these thoughts away. Accepting your weaknesses is an important step towards learning how to be kinder to yourself. We all deserve kindness, especially from ourselves.
6. You give yourself the potential to improve on your terms.
It’s easy to force ourselves to improve our weaknesses because we think we should and not necessarily because we want to. When you force change and growth, it might not be as fulfilling to you in the end. Accepting your weaknesses is the first step in realizing your potential to improve those weaknesses on your own terms. Maybe your weakness is a fear of exercising in public and you really want to improve on this. Instead of forcing yourself to immediately join a team sport or work with a personal trainer, you start with working out at home. Then you start taking walks or jogging around your neighbourhood. Then you get a gym membership and workout with a trusted friend. And finally, you go to the gym and exercise alone or even try out an exercise class. Improving a weakness does not have to be a one step process. It would probably be more effective if you ease yourself into it at a pace that is comfortable for you.
We don’t have to be ashamed of our weaknesses. They’re part of who we are. Accepting your weaknesses does not hold you back; it brings you closer to yourself and your potential to move forward. So the next time you find yourself feeling down about something you can’t do that you think you should be able to do, remember that there is strength in accepting your weaknesses.
what do you think?