wow JC this is a hard one for me.. im glad you posted about it because its making me think.. the only thing i do in life thats good and that i would consider a strength would be my job.. i know i was off for 8 years on disabily and just got back to work 5 months ago, but since returning to work i feel my mind has gotten stronger.. when i first went back i couldnt think for crap.. and i had a terrible time memorizing anything, but now i think i have gotten better at it, and work does at times take me away from my pain, if only for a few moments during the day.. mind power is a wonderful way to think about other things, and not the pain..
great idea JC,
~stinke~

Throughout my life I have had many "strengths" and "weakness's" Jan. and I would say that from a consistency point of view my ability to adapt to any given situation is a major strength of mine.
Another strength that I have is, the fact that I am incapable of loving with anything less than my whole heart... Granted it has made me the recipient of many a heartbreak, but you take the sour with the sweet y'know?
And the one thing that I,and anyone that has ever met me has to agree is my greatest strength is....
I never give up....EVER!!!....
I will push through any difficulty, any dilemma, any pain.... I just can not.... Have not...... And never will quit....
Once I make my mind up about something I feel I have to do, the that's it I will not stop until I either accomplish what I have set out to do, or until I have exausted every single option I have when it comes to accomplishing my goal.... Even if it hurts me... Even if it leaves me battered and broken...
I always will consider this my greatest strength, because it makes me a better father, better husband, better lover, and ultimately a better man, because everyone in my life knows I will never give up on them...

Thanks for this topic Jan, because even in these times of great hardship and pain, this conversation gives me a reason to be proud of myself, to acknowledge my self worth, and to state just what kind of man I am.....

Love.......Kris........

Good topic. Have to think about it. Will get back to you.

I'm like you JC, I love my sense of humor because it helps me remain positive...Yes, I hide behind it too but, laughter is really wonderful for me and, it is a good distraction.

I think one of my best strengths is educating myself too. I love to research and learn. It helps me be a better advocate.

Thanks for the great thread JC!

Oh good topic. That is a hard one.... Well being a mom is probably what I do best. I truly put everything I have into it. I am not sure if it is a "strength". I am a very compassionate person. Also probably giving to a fault. I have a hard time saying no to people. I have to think it over some more I guess!!

Hi jc,
It gives one pause for thought.
I think my greatest strength is also humor- I try to find humor in any situation, especially pain.
I'm also a strong writer, and can hopefully make a difference in one person's world by writing about chronic pain.
My other strength is my belief in God. I do believe He does perform miracles (like saving my marriage), and we don't get anything we can't handle.
Good post!
Sandy

i read this just before i headed out to shop/get caught in a downpour, flash flood style...thought about it all the while...

i like how you described your strength and how it can also be a weakness.

i like to help and encourage others...sometimes that leads to being taken advantage of...
i think my creativity has been a strength a long time since that's been mentioned by every boss...i like thinking outside the box.
my persistence is also a double-edged sword, but it has helped me a lot in my life to try new things and push thru troubles.

there are some good things here and we can always build new ones.

thanks JC!!! we missed your positive posts like this.

Very good question and I had to think hard for a bit.

I guess my greatest strength is determination... and discipline ... which can become stubbornness or hanging on too tightly.

Another strength that really keeps me going through those rough times is my spirituality, or my connection to something beyond the ordinary. It's pretty strong and I am so very grateful for that. I don't know how I got it but it's always been there.

I wonder if we could pool all our strengths and become a superhero kind of group!
hugs,
Ama

Thank you all!

A a....I hope in some way...we do combine our strengths here.

Hugs...jc

Encourager comes to mind.

Great post JC. I do believe all of these positives work towards support in this room.

I can only think of one thing and since most of you don't even know who I am, it may not even matter!
My one good strength is that when someone talks to me I not only listen to what they are saying, but I also hear them.
That's it.

Well besides my smelly feet, I too draw strength from my warped sense of humor. It has gotten me through some hard times and hopefully others too.

I like to think that I am strong at encouraging others. It gives me alot to give to others.

Wonderful post.

Gramybear we all matter and have something to offer! What you offer alot of people don't!

Hugs

I'm really good at exhorting others. I notice the great qualities in others, and I like praising them in front of other people, pointing out their strengths and boosting them up. If you have ever seen Bridget Jones Diary, sort of like when she is told to introduce people with thoughtful details..."this is best friend Sue...Sue is a tremendous singer..she heads her own band, and earned her Ph.d by the time she was 29! She now runs a research project in D.C.!" Something like that. LOL. My friends tell me I'm their biggest PR person. Sue is a made up name of course. I love my friends, and I want them to know I believe in their greatness. As for what helps ME get through, I think my humor.

hands down my creativity and love of detail.

without arts and writing i would know nothing greater (read: bigger/ more spiritual) than the consciousness of flesh.

Awesome post, JC...I think it's a great idea for all of us to pause for a minute and realize that we ALL have strengths. We might have to think long and hard, but it's there. I guess I tend to dwell on my weaknesses the most, so this is good for me.

I think my greatest strength is probably my strong sense of caring and compassion for others. I sometimes don't know if this is actually a strength, as I often worry myself to a frenzy over others' suffering. But at the end of the day, I know it has to be a strength, if I made someone else feel a little bit better.

I agree...I think laughter is great medicine. My sister suffers from CP (way worse than me) and we always laugh and act totally silly when we get together, which isn't too often because we live 5 hours apart. She always tells me she feels so much better after our visit...I love to laugh and act goofy.

I was always "said" to be a good writer in my youth. I wrote wacky fictional stories when I was 6 yrs old and beyond...my mom kept them all. I was editor of my high school newspaper...also on my college newspaper staff and got a BA in journalism...way before going to nursing school. I hate to brag. I now just consider myself a dried up "has been".