We so often try to strengthen ourselves by 'being strong'. More often than not, though, it seems we are actually strengthened when we acknowledge our weakness.
This is not the way of our culture or the imagery that is often promoted to us in realms of achievement like sports, the military, or business. But even there the benefits of this truth are being acknowledged.
A bird flew into our garage the other day and it relentlessly tried to get out by flying its way through a window pane...to no avail. I opened the garage door a day later thinking he had made it out somehow, only to find the bird continuing his beak-bruising efforts. I left the garage door open again and tried to shew him towards it, but he would have none of it.
I had to go, so I just left door open...figuring eventually he would notice the much larger opening behind him and take the opportunity.
I think this is not unlike our cultural beliefs about strength...and especially that we can't afford to acknowledge our weaknesses because we have to 'be strong'. The truth is that we actually aren't that strong. But by acknowledging them, we gain access to an opening of True Strength that is always available to us.
...like a big garage door open behind us. Why would we continue to believe that our only way is try harder to fly through a window pane?
...and, sometimes, all we can do is leave the garage door open and wait for others to see it.
