What is Strength?

What comes to your mind when you hear the word ‘strength?’ Someone with muscles, perhaps. It could be an elephant which can tug a one-ton car while swinging its trunk with ease. Either way, we often only consider its physical aspects.

But what about the mental ones? Not everybody can leap from tall buildings in a single bound. ‘Strength’ is a quiet determination. It’s the ability to finish a task assigned to you even if it seems like the Titanic. Tenaciousness means being able to keep at an activity, though you may have failed at it countless times because you know that you’ll succeed. It’s about conquering limiting beliefs.

Tenacity is also the willingness to admit to one’s foibles and transgressions. It takes determination to account for them. It also takes some gumption to move forward. Toughness means staying true to oneself. It’s faith despite adversity and naysaying. A resilient person pushes on despite the doubts of others.

Poem: The Seed

Seedling
Firmly entrenched
With an unseen push, grows
New roots, far-reaching, scour the fence
A tree.

So, it isn’t about being Arnie or Stallone; it’s reaching beyond your mental fences to be who you are meant to be.