On “Strength”

We have all had those moments in our lives in which we relied on our “strength” to get us through.

I recall my divorce about ten years ago and the “strength” I was told I must have to raise my children primarily alone.  I didn’t view myself as being strong.  I simply did exactly what I needed to do to be fully alive and to live out my truth.  For someone else, strength may involve enduring a painful relationship.

Leon Trotsky, a Russian revolutionary of the early 1900’s stated:  “People reveal their strength completely when they are thrown out of the customary conditions of their lives, for only then do they have to fall back on their moral reserves.”

What are our “moral reserves”?  Strength is evidenced by our willingness to be truly honest with ourselves and in our relationships, to be open and present, to receive love and to return love and compassion. 

Our strength is in our centeredness and willingness to connect with others and to build a support system to nurture and be nurtured.  It has everything to do with allowing ourselves to be vulnerable and open to opportunities for growth.

How do we evidence strength in our working lives?   Certainly in moments of appreciation, caring, and compassion; in deep listening or in shared silence; in moments when we know to our core that we belong there or don’t belong there; in creative collaboration when we join forces to create a better environment; and, of course, in moments of forgiveness, when we let go of the past and focus on our shared future.