Overcoming weaknesses

building on your strengths. The importance of concentrating on what you do well, and cultivating patience and persistence.

Nothing stops the man (sic) who desires to achieve. Every obstacle is simply a course to develop his achievement “muscle. It's a strengthening of his power of accomplishment. - Eric Butterworth

Weaknesses come in three types:

1. Important traits which can be worked on, perhaps even eliminated if you want to and are willing to put in a little time and effort. These include those which originate in conscious attitudes or beliefs, are the result of flawed conditioning, or are basically down to lack of resolve, such as lack of patience or persistence, or laziness.
2. Those which make little difference to your life, or are relatively unimportant. For example, I have never learned to draw but it doesn't bother me because I have other priorities and little interest. It hardly affects my life at all.
3. Those which are impossible to change. These must be accepted or circumvented. For example, a person prone to congenital depression can learn to live with it and still have a successful and relatively happy life.

It's important to know which of your so-called weaknesses fall into each category. Then, like Benjamin Franklin, you can develop an active, systematic programme which will lead to steady improvements.

Nothing great is created suddenly, any more than a bunch of grapes or a fig. If you say to me that you desire a fig, I shall answer, 'that requires time. Let it first blossom, then bear fruit, then ripen. - Epictetus

Thousands of people have talent. I might as well congratulate you for having eyes in your head. The one and only thing that counts is, do you have staying power? - Noel Coward