3 Common Misconceptions About Being Strong That You Shall Know
Do not pray for an easy life; pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.
Bruce Lee
When we talk about being strong, we picture a person who carries weight on his shoulder and bears the responsibilities. We picture someone catches whatever adversity life throws at him and responds with a smile. We call marathon runner Jeff Bauman who survived the Boston Marathon Bombing and lost both of his legs “strong”. We call every single mom who went through lengthy labor delivery “strong”. But what are the underlying messages behind “being strong” that can be misconceptions that we need to pay a closer look at?
Misconception 1 — Being Strong Means You Take on Everything.
Throughout our adulthood, we were educated to be self-dependent and self-reliant. Being self-dependent is often seen associated with being strong and mature, relying less on others. It signals the development of our problem solving and critical thinking skills. However, being strong also means knowing how and when to reach out for help. Supermen in the Marvel and DC world still make friends and leverage team power on every war they go through.
Misconception 2 — Being Strong Means You Are Fearless at Any Time.
Being strong does not mean you train your mind to be fearless. Being strong actually means you are fully aware of the known risks and challenges ahead of you and come to a calibrated decision to take the risks and move forward. Life has no guaranteed fruitful success without hardship. Being strong also means when you wake up with gloomy weather and a lack of motivation mind, you are still committed to the morning jog because that becomes your morning routine.
Misconception 3 — Being Strong Means You Hide Your Vulnerability.
We often stereotype “strong” people with an image of being less emotional who hides tears in public. Tears can be seen as a trait of vulnerability that we typically do not expose to others. However, being strong is more than hiding your true feelings. Being strong means knowing how to effectively communicate your feelings. In fact, most of the time, only mentally strong people are willingly learning from their emotions rather than being controlled by their emotions.
Originally published at https://2minutesgrowth.com on April 13, 2021.
