Celebrating small victories

At the beginning of August 2015, I rejoined a local gym. Weight training and cardio added the balance I sought to complement my regular practice of yoga. But, it had been over a year since I’d worked out and, in my overzealousness, I pulled a couple ‘somethings.’ Whether at the gym or at the Bikram studio, I now felt like a beginner all over again. At one point I thought I might need to quit yoga as I found little to no relief in the asanas. I decided to stick it out, however. Days turned into weeks turned into months. Nearly a half year later, I’ve begun to recognize miniscule improvement while on my mat. Each time I show up, I discover a new victory. I can see it in my relationships, too. Gradual progress is in the works, even when I observe nothing. And, with each small victory, a stronger foundation is built. Now that is cause for celebration.

How do you celebrate the smallest of victories?

Image courtesy of noppasinw at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

Maximizing our strengths

[Image credit: Stuart Miles]

Not too long ago, I listened to a talk given on the topic of strengths and weaknesses.  The gist of the message revolved around those assessments we take which give an idea of our employment aptitude: what we would do best and where we would fit in.  One of the results discussed that instead of working on our weaknesses, perhaps we should maximize, or build up, our strengths.  It went on to recommend surrounding ourselves with others who then complement our strengths in order to successfully get the job done.   Whether we’re at work or in our personal lives, I think this is a viable concept to consider.  Of course, if we have a weakness like control or anger issues, it wouldn’t hurt to work on improvement in this area.  Maybe focusing on what we do right will result in doing it even better, ultimately minimizing the negative while emphasizing the positive.   It’s definitely worth contemplating.

Do you prefer to maximize your strengths or focus on your weaknesses?