Our strengths can be our Achilles’ heel. Push them too far, and they lose their magic:

  • Extreme kindness becomes a doormat
  • Determination morphs into tunnel vision
  • A results-driven attitude breeds a lack of empathy
  • Constant contribution drowns out listening skills
  • Courage blinds us to genuine risks

When these truths surface, it stings. But awareness is the first step to growth.

To counter this paradox:

  1. Seek balanced feedback
  2. Practice self-reflection
  3. Cultivate complementary skills
  4. Embrace flexibility

F. Scott Fitzgerald wisely noted, “The test of first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.”

The mindset shift? View strengths as tools, not identity. Adjust their application based on context.

Taking action requires work, honesty, and consistent habit adjustment. It’s binary: you do the work, or you don’t. Change isn’t an afterthought; it’s a focal point.

It’s not about dulling your shine but shining in the right places at the right times.

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