Recycling Weaknesses

Everyone has weaknesses.

Things they are not good at.
Things they cannot do well.
Things that do not improve easily even with effort.

And many people try to overcome those weaknesses.

Of course, there are situations where that is necessary.
But recently, I have started to think about it differently.

Perhaps weaknesses are not meant to be overcome, but to be utilized.

In the first place, people are not always able to accurately grasp their own strengths and weaknesses.
The evaluation from one's own perspective and the evaluation from those around them are surprisingly different.

For me, teaching others is one of the things I am not good at.

Even while I am explaining,

“I wonder if I am getting through to them?”
“Wouldn't it have been better to say it a different way?”

I am always thinking about things like that.

However, the evaluation from those around me was different.

For some reason, I end up being a mentor.
I am entrusted with training new employees.
I am told that I am good at teaching.

Honestly, I still find it a bit strange even now.
I do not think I am good at teaching.

Yet, when I thought about the reason why I am entrusted with it, I arrived at one answer.

It is because I think I am bad at teaching.

Because I am bad at it, I double-check.
Because I am bad at it, I prepare.
Because I am bad at it, I watch the other person's reaction.
Because I am bad at it, I change how I explain things.

If I had thought I was good at it from the start, I might not have been this concerned. It is precisely because I think of it as a weakness that I put in the effort. And that effort is what is being evaluated as a result.

Thinking about it that way, weaknesses are not necessarily bad things.

Because I have weaknesses, I can be cautious.
Because I have weaknesses, I can keep learning.
Because I have weaknesses, I can consider the other person's perspective.

Of course, if it is something that can be improved, it is better to improve it.
However, trying to overcome every single weakness becomes painful.
That is because people have things they are suited for and things they are not.

That is why, recently, rather than thinking about “how to overcome them,”I have started thinking about “how to utilize them.”

If you are forgetful, create a system.
If you are a worrier, use it to your advantage in verification tasks.
If you are not good at speaking in front of others, prepare thoroughly.

Instead of trying to erase your weaknesses, give them a role.
I think that is much more realistic.

Are the things you consider weaknesses really just weaknesses?
Perhaps there are innovations or values that exist precisely because of those weaknesses.

Instead of only thinking about eliminating your weaknesses, I would like you to ask yourself this once.

How can this weakness be utilized?

Within that question, your own unique strengths might be hidden.