Is it a Weakness or a Strength?
It's not always as obvious as it seems!
In my sister Sam’s last post, she talked about how being a social butterfly is one of her strengths in life. Unlike her, I have never been a social butterfly. In fact, people often seem like a mystery to me, which makes me tend to keep to myself. The social norms that everyone else takes for granted just don’t resonate. Imagine travelling to another country with a different culture and customs you don’t know. That is what every day can feel like for me.
How fortunate I am!
It becomes an advantage for three reasons.
· I never assume that I know what a person actually means when they say something. I ask a lot of questions to ensure that I understand.
· I pay very close attention to clues from people’s tone and body language. Sometimes that tells me more than the words do.
· I have learned to recognize when a person’s response is incongruent with what was said to them, indicating that there is some miscommunication going on. When I see that, I pause and reassess.
Having to interpret people’s words as if I am in a foreign land takes extra work and can be exhausting. It sure seems like a weakness at first, but it can be quite an advantage when dealing with difficult conversations. If topics are emotionally charged and misunderstandings start, my hard-earned interpretation skills come in handy. I have taught many classes on conflict resolution and have found that the skills which are used to resolve conflict, are the same ones that can be used to avoid it. Active listening, careful observation and seeking to truly understand are all required. These are the very same skills that I employ in order to navigate everyday life.
So, ask yourself, what is an apparent weakness you have – and how might that actually be a strength? We all have many weaknesses, but when looked at the right way, we can turn some of them to our advantage.
