Becoming Stronger

Weakness. A meek sense of disability that can manifest itself in many different ways.

A slow mind, lack of strength, the inability to walk, speak or even see. All these, minor disabilities that can escalate themselves into major weaknesses.

But don't get it wrong. Disabilities may be challenging, but they are not weaknesses. A blind man may not be able to see, but he's no idiot. His depravation of sight enables him to concentrate and empower his other faculties. He hears and feels more than what we could ever hope to achieve.

A man may be shorter than his average counterparts, but that does not make himself weak. He might even be able to do a lot of other stuff. Squeeze through small openings, dodge and weave through large crowds or even remain hidden in smaller places. As a matter of fact, the disability may prove more of a strength.

Weakness does not come from physical disabilities. It is a state of mind. It is a mental and spiritual affliction. A disease.

Every person starts off as a babe. A child maleable to the hands of nature and society. As we grow, we develop niches and strengths of our own. Just like a seesaw, as we improve in certain aspects of our lives, others will be neglected. These may be referred to as a "weakness".

But it can never become a weakness, unless you let it. The true strength in a person, lies not in how much he can carry or how hurtful and damaging he can be. That is merely empty power. True strength lies in the will to fight for what you believe in. The drive to fight for what you believe. To take punishment in stride and not give in.

A man who is unable to perform a task due to the lack of strength or mental capacity, is not weak. But if he does not try. If he does not believe in himself. If he gives up before he even begins the task, then he is no more than a coward. Weak, fragile, hopeless.

Giving in is a sign of weakness. The day you stop standing for what you believe in, is the day you've become a weakling. And the day that you start letting others tell you who and what you are, is the day you've become nothing more than a rag-doll.

Be strong. Know that just like everyone else, you have your shortcomings too. And just like them, you have your strengths too. Believe in yourself. Let nobody weaken you down.

Instead, learn from your shortcomings. Grow from that which tries to pull you down.

Our strength grows out of our weaknesses. - Ralph Waldo Emerson