“What If Our Obvious Weakness is Actually Our Hidden Strength”

We all face challenges.  Maybe it’s a disability, personal characteristic or circumstance that has put us at a disadvantage. Occasionally, the challenge these obstacles present may cause us to feel a little dejected and think,  “if only.” If only I hadn’t had a learning disability. If only I was taller or more attractive. If only I had been more athletic. If only my parents had had more resources. And so on. The thinking being that if only I hadn’t had this disadvantage I would surely be more successful.

 But here’s the thing, has your weakness really hampered your success?

Before you answer, consider this story about millionaire, entrepreneur and Virgin Group founder, Richard Branson.

When Richard Branson was a child he struggled terribly in school. He had trouble concentrating and was often distracted. His teachers thought he was lazy. This led him to drop out when he was just 16 years old.  As Branson later learned, the reason he had such difficulty in school was that he had both dyslexia and ADHD. But, instead of focusing on the challenges his learning issues presented Branson decided to turn a negative into a positive. He made a conscious effort to develop coping strategies and to cultivate his strengths. For instance, he realized that like many people with his same condition, he was adept at identifying patterns and seeing the big picture. This made him a great problem solver. Because reading was a chore he learned early on to delegate tasks for which he wasn’t well suited and he worked to hone his communication skills. He preferred simplicity and clarity when articulating a thought or message and in turn demanded the same from his staff when creating a corporate marketing campaign.

When asked, Richard Branson will say that he wasn’t successful despite his challenges, but because of them. It forced him to turn a negative into a positive. As he has said, it meant he had to have the courage to accept his difference and believe in his abilities. Struggling early on also taught him the importance of “grit.”

So the next time you find yourself feeling discouraged about a personal challenge or weakness instead of thinking “if only”, remember that the obstacle you believed was hindering your success, is actually enabling it.

Now, who knows what you can achieve?

This much I know.

-Jeanine