Strengths & Weaknesses Series, Part I: Finding Them

Updated: May 8, 2023

This month, we’re delving into a strengths & weaknesses series that’ll offer insight on how to identify, use, and leverage strengths and weaknesses in relationships: the relationship we have with ourselves, our littles, and others.

While strengths can be learned, they’re mostly innate, predisposed traits for certain ways of thinking, doing and feeling. Our weaknesses are no different—there’s a nature and nurture component to them as well. The difference being the degree to which it’s either built in us or fostered. A weakness doesn’t mean there’s an absence thereof, but rather it comes less natural or is less nourished compared to our strengths.

There’s an excess of strength and weakness finders out there, all serving the same purpose: to know yourself better. And odds are you may be able to identify staple strengths and weaknesses. In this series, I want you to acknowledge what you already know about yourself, but I also present a challenge to examine your uncharted territory: Look at your grey areas that have been neutral to this point, not yet categorized as strengths nor weaknesses—past the point of obvious lies deeper understanding to who we are, consequently presenting areas of ourselves we can better care for.

Pushing tests aside due to a mama’s limited margin of time and energy, here are four questions to ask as it relates to personal strengths and weaknesses. Again, the hope is that while you’re prone to answer these questions with staple answers, you instead answer them with new eyes; new answers. Take a moment more than you normally would to answer, see how thinking deeper may change your strengths and weaknesses.

Questions exploring your strengths:

1. What are some of your achievements and what skills & talents did you accomplish them?

2. What do you enjoy doing?

3. What do you like about yourself?

4. How do you like to care for others?

Questions exploring your weaknesses:

1. What do you admire about others?

2. What types of projects and activities drain your energy?

3. What do you avoid or complain about doing?

4. What are you scared to try?

Mama, write down your answers or remember them (good for you if you can!). Know you’re not alone in this—I’ll be tackling these questions and holding myself to the same standard of internal discovery and application. And I’ll share with you as we go—I invite you to do the same. Vulnerability inspires vulnerability.

We’ll revisit these self-proclaimed strengths and weaknesses as we lean into how they can empower and hinder wellbeing and relationships. We’re dynamic women, so our facets must be—these included—but we’re worth the time and energy it takes to get to know ourselves. This knowledge unlocks our ability and inspiration to grow. Imagine what it would look like if we entered the day with our strengths and weaknesses at the forefront of consciousness, approaching everything with more clarity in how to exert ourselves more fully. That would be pretty powerful, wouldn’t it?

Xo