“Argue for your limitations, and sure enough, they’re yours.”~Richard Bach
The common saying, “I’m my own worst enemy” comes to mind.
So much of life seems to be a self-fulfilling prophecy. My son cries that he can’t do his homework and that it’s too hard…and the homework takes him hours longer than it usually does (and is supposed to). My friend goes on a job interview, certain that she’s under-qualified and will never get the job…and she doesn’t. My client determines that his upcoming meeting with a difficult colleague will never amount to anything…and it doesn’t.
I’m not saying that we necessarily cause these outcomes, but sometimes the coincidences seem to be too much to ignore. Sometimes it really looks like our brain listens to what we say to ourselves about ourselves and others – and then brings us the result that mirrors our own belief. That when we argue for our limitations, they seem to be what we get.
If we walked into situations knowing how well we were prepared and how much we could accomplish, would that help us be more successful? I’m not certain it would, but I am certain it couldn’t hurt. I find that I can accomplish more when I have confidence and excitement working for me. When my clients prepare for upcoming situations and conversations, and then acknowledge their preparation and readiness, they seem to fly through tough circumstances with at least more flying colors. When my son knows that he can handle his homework, and even excel at it, it takes him much less time and is usually spot-on right.
When we argue for our strengths, perhaps sure enough, they’re ours as well. In a recent blog post, Tell other people what you want them to think about you, we delved further into this topic and challenged readers to be their own best advocate.
Acknowledge what you may need to do to better prepare or perfect your skills, and then argue for your strengths.
Where are you arguing for your limitations? Where can you argue for your strengths?
Please leave a comment.
If you enjoyed this post, you can read more like it in our book, The Power of Thoughtful Leadership: 101 Minutes To Being the Leader You Want To Be, available on Amazon.
To see how coaching can help you argue for your strengths, contact Lisa at lkohn@chatsworthconsulting.com.
Photo Credit: pavelalexeev/Bigstock.com
