Where does strength really come from?

I wish I knew the precise answer to this question so that I could share the secret sauce with you right now and you could have a lifetime supply of full access to all the strength you’ll ever need to achieve whatever it is that you really want.

(Even the deeply challenging stuff and the tremendously scary stuff. All of it.)

I don’t.

But I do know this:

Strength is a personal measurement for a truly unique subjective experience. Its entirely up to you to decide what strong means for you. We each develop and build strength in our own way and in our own time.

Strength comes from doing hard things. It comes from showing up despite the pain or fear and going through the struggle, the endurance and then building on that level to keep going forwards and upwards.

Strength comes from taking the time to notice and acknowledge what you have managed to do until now. So much of the time, we go through things without realizing what massive effort something took and we minimalize the entire experience because we only focus on the end result and not the process. Own your power. Strength comes from paying close attention to detail and to the small and significant steps and wins and incremental gains along the way. Strength comes from tracking progress and celebrating it one tiny bit at a time.

Strength comes from within – from precious moments of activating your highest faith and belief. Knowing why you do what you do even when its not easy. Strength comes from aligning with your core values and living with integrity even when no one is watching and you aren’t in the mood. When we connect to what truly matters to us, we are stronger. When we believe there is a bigger plan and are hopeful about an outcome, we feel stronger.

Strength comes from without. By surrounding ourselves with people who lift us up and see our worth, even when we sometimes forget. It comes from choosing to envelope yourself with kindness, inspiration, motivation and gratitude. It comes from selecting role models and learning from them, it comes from seeing ourselves through other’s eyes -especially those who see our greatness and light when all we see is our flaws, weakness and shortcomings of darkness.

Strength comes from grabbing lessons and blessings, often dressed up as really awful mistakes and failures. Strength comes from collecting moments you are genuinely proud of and taking the time to truly recognize these events for what they are and what they enabled you to accomplish, don’t overlook them. You get to use these strengths in countless ways and in other areas of your life as much as you want to.

Strength comes from knowing yourself.
As you begin to discover and unmask more of you, you get to make choices that honor more of you and you get to live your purpose and be more of who you really are. When we know better, we do better.

The strongest people I know have had insurmountable trials.

They know what to say yes to and how to say no.

They know how to be proud of themselves with humility and honesty.

They know how to pick their circles wisely and accept help, compliments and advice.

The strongest people I know cry a lot and feel everything.

The strongest people I know are the kindest.

The strongest people I know have wells of inner resources that are invisible to the naked eye.

The strongest people I know can say sorry, and learn how to forgive others and move past what was.

The strongest people I know can forgive themselves.

The strongest people I know fall down hard, and slowly with every ounce of courage, bravery and might get back up again – battered, bruised and aching.

The strongest people I know have incredible hearts that expand wider with each hurdle.

The strongest people I know teach me every single day how to try and be stronger myself.

Dedicated to strong people. May we know them, may we be them, may we raise them.