There’s so much conversation these days about things deemed “contagious.” They say hope is contagious. But so is fear. Infectious laughter can run through a crowd like wildfire and lighten even the heaviest of subjects. Yet suspicion and hatred can move people just as quickly in the opposite direction. It got me thinking about design-driven inner strengths and self-made weaknesses. If we choose to operate in our strengths, the positive impact can definitely go viral. But what about your weaknesses? Would they spread like a bad case of the sniffles?
What are others catching from you?
There seems to be a pretty long list of “unwanted things” you can catch from others and the list grows daily. There are definitely physical viruses you definitely don’t want to lose time and energy to. But points of view that, at one time, were considered patriotic and responsible are now labeled dangerous, divisive, and highly contagious. Even rules of engagement on the school playground that have served us well for decades are now scrutinized and scoured for their hidden “systemic” meanings. Are we right to be so worried about catching bad things from other people? Or perhaps we should be most concerned about what others are catching from us.
There have been many posts from the InnerKinetics team about the power of operating in your inner strengths. Here are just a few examples:
- Bring Your Inner Strengths to Every Table
- Your Inner Strengths in Action
- In Pursuit of “Real You” Thinking
The world-changing impact of you becoming the one-of-a-kind image-bearer of God you’re designed to become is irrefutable. Dare I say, the impact can go viral! When you choose your strengths, you’re putting down all sorts of good things others can pick up. It’s what we all want, right? But what happens if we just give up our freedom to choose design-driven strengths over weaknesses (which are self-made)? With so much negative, crooked thinking swirling around, it’s pretty easy to catch something we didn’t intend to spread. An important choice is now before you. What are others going to catch from you?
Your strengths are more contagious than your weaknesses.
At the risk of breaking an important rule by which the InnerKinetics team lives, I want to focus on the risks you present to others when you aren’t choosing to operate your strengths. Don’t worry, we won’t camp here long. Here’s the question: What are others catching from you when you’re operating weaknesses?
Since weaknesses are created when you misuse a strength, let’s understand their viral effects. Of course, we are each responsible for our choices. We choose our response to circumstances and to the actions of others. But our actions are not taken inside a vacuum. If we act on harmful emotions and misuse our strengths, it will surely harm those around us as well as us.
HERE’S JUST ONE EXAMPLE
As a parent, our kids learn far more from what we model than what we tell them they’re supposed to do. So, when you see something concerning and your chosen response to someone behaving “badly” (as you see it) is to unleash a verbal tirade that the offending person can’t even hear (but your kids can), you’re showing them that seeking to understand others isn’t really worth their time. Your design-driven strength of being helpful (SJ), generous (SP), curious (NT), or kind (NF) has been morphed into a self-made weakness (your strength’s opposite) of being hurtful, uncharitable, indifferent, or unkind.
Make a habit of modeling strengths, rather than your weaknesses. You then provide real motivation for your child to choose differently throughout their own day. What’s more, you demonstrate what other parents can do in their own homes. Acting on your weaknesses can be contagious. It can spread without anyone ever saying anything to you. Likewise, model strengths and you challenge others to do the same.
HERE’S GOOD NEWS: Especially when done on purpose, using your strengths is even more contagious. Why? Because each of us is hard-wired to go in a direction that feels right. We are designed to operate in our own best interests. Strengths yield good fruit. Strengths result in healthy, satisfying, forward momentum.
Go viral with only the good stuff!
Whether you’re a parent, a working professional, a friend, or a spouse, your weaknesses are contagious. Don’t spread them around! Instead, go viral with the cure that helps each of us be our very best. Learn as much as you can about your inner strengths and their right use.
DON’T KNOW AS MUCH ABOUT YOUR INNER DESIGN AS YOU WANT TO?
- Take the free assessment to determine your inner design.
- Based on the results of your InnerKinetics Assessment, learn more about the strengths unique to your inner design. Grab a copy of INNERKINETICS or one of the design-specific Kindle books that can educate you about your specific design and how you uniquely express the inner strengths that belong to that design.
SJ: The Real You – SJ
SP: The Real You – SP
NT: The Real You – NT
NF: The Real You – NF
- And tune in for more as we take one of the four core inner designs at a time and breakdown how to spread the cure to self-made weaknesses
- If you’d like some assistance, you can request a consultation and an InnerKinetics consultant will call you to answer questions and schedule your meeting. Schedule an Initial Consultation.