MANAGING YOUR WEAKNESSES.

MANAGING YOUR WEAKNESSES Vol.1

(Introduction)

What is Human Weakness? It is a state or quality of being weak; lack of strength, firmness, vigor, or the like; feebleness. It is an inadequate or defective quality in a person's character; slight fault or defect that puts someone at disadvantage or plays some negative roles in someone's overall actions and activities.

Human Weakness is part of an individual's feature, nature or characteristic that prevents him/her from being in full control of any desired action, or being effective and efficient as it's expected. It can as well be something you like so much that you are often unable to resist, withstand or overlook.

Every human being is a perfect creature, personally created by God to function and demonstrate some strengths and capabilities in certain areas. As perfect as we are, we all have weaknesses and inabilities to prove that we are human beings and many of such weaknesses can either be managed, worked-on or overcome.

Therefore, it is important tha an individual should not be aware of his/her strengths alone, but the weaknesses also, and manage them in such a way that both would work for the benefit and personal advantage of such an individual.

NOTE:
There are some weaknesses in our lives that can be overcome and there are some that can never be overcome no matter how hard we try. As such, the best thing to do is to learn the best ways to manage such weaknesses for our benefits and personal safety.

(Identifying your Weaknesses)

The following are some of the ways by which we can identify our weaknesses:

1. Self-examination: Carefullly examine and evaluate your actions, behaviours, beliefs, lifestyle etc to see whether any of them has element of human weakness capable of endergering your life or limiting your progress.

2. Addiction: Anything you are addicted to or have strong desire/dislike for, whether it is food, drinking, material possession, lifestyle, behaviour, substance, etc can be your weakness or the source of it.

3. Seek Opinions: Seek opinions of trusted people around you. Sometimes best assessment of our strengths and weaknesses can come from our close friends and relations

4. Personal Review: Review your past activities; decisions and actions alike, then evaluate what informed them and compare their resultant effects.

5. Evaluate your Feeling: Feelings such as love, hate, emotional reactions, phobia, passion, kindness, sentiment, are often the basis of our strengths or weaknesses. Whatever that motivates or demoralises you can be your weakness.

6. Notice what you are Avoiding: Anything you are avoiding or fearful about, can also be your weaknesses. Especially those that trigger strong concern or resentment within you.

7. Time and Resources: Analyze how you spend your time and on what you normally spend your resources. If such things are productive; they are your strengths, if not, they can be your weaknesses.

NOTE:
The biggest challenge faced by a lot of people is that, they fail to evaluate and manage their weaknesses in order to overcome their consequential effects. *The weakness you fail to address today might become the source of your downfall tomorrow.

(Overcoming your Weaknesses)

Below are some useful suggestions on how personal weaknesses can either be managed and overcome:

1. Self-Awareness: The very first step to manage or overcome your weaknesses is to be aware of them. Know exactly what is your weakness, its causes and effects

2. Know Your Limit: Be true to yourself and don't pretent as if you don't have weaknesses. Set boundaries to curtail your known weaknesses.

3. Develop A Coping Mechanism: Make plans and necessary arrangements to help you subdue and suppress or mitigate the effects of your weaknesses.

4. Palliative Provision: Make contingency plans to serve as palliative, such that can accommodate and cushion the effect of your weaknesses.

5. Build on your Strengths: Leverage your strength and maximise your special abilities, doing these would help you reduce the effect/impact of your weaknesses.

6. Seek Help: Be teachable and ready to take corrections. Open up to trusted people that can help you manage and overcome your weaknesses.

7. Improve on your Weaknesses: Don't believe that you cannot overcome your weaknesses. Instead, keep making efforts to get rid of them.

8. Develop your Mind: It's your mind that controls your actions. So work hard to improve on the quality of your thoughts and you would improve in the areas of your weaknesses.

9. Avoid Self-defense Syndrome: Stop using your weaknesses as excuses for your inabilities or shortcomings. No excuse is tenable for your failure.

10. Prayer: There is nothing that the power of prayer cannot achieve. With the help of prayer, you can overcome any personal weakness.

NOTE:
To overcome personal weaknesses, it is expedient that you impose on yourself the power of self-discipline. Without self-discipline, it will be impossible or extremely difficult to overcome personal weaknesses.