“You say “show me the path out of weakness”, I say, “weakness is the path, walk on it daringly and it’ll turn into strength”.”
―
There was a farmer who grew excellent-quality corn. Every year he won the award for the best-grown corn. A newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned something interesting about how he grew it.
The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbors.
“How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering corn in competition with yours?” the reporter asked.
“Why, sir,” said the farmer, “Didn’t you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbors grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of mine. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn.”
I can’t validate that this happened. But regardless, the message is timeless.
We are only as strong as the people we involve in our lives. Individuals working together create the strength of the whole. A winning team is a combination of individuals, each bringing their strengths and weaknesses. There is always the most vital and weakest element in any situation. That also makes things work; the yin-yang, the give and take, the black and white, the soft and hard.
An example that comes to mind when I think of teamwork is a friend, Rick. He was the captain of a team in a sport called Adventure Racing. Initially, Adventure Racing required a co-ed group of five, which meant at least one team member needed to be a woman. Regardless of the gender mix, all five members need to cross the finish line to complete the race. Contrary to common thoughts on strength, women were not the weakest link.
Rick explained that the first day of the race, which could last for ten or more days, was where the machismo and brawn would show. However, as time passed, the pacing became more essential. It reflected that fitness levels were not about brute strength but stamina, finesse, and moving forward one step at a time. Women are fantastic for long-term endurance activities. It was a team effort, sometimes culminating in one team member being carried for miles by their teammates to cross the finish line.
The reporter’s disbelief in the story above that the farmer would share his award-winning ‘secret’ reflects society.
“Why would you do that?” he questioned. Although one excelled with an individual accomplishment, the strength came from the empowerment of the whole. The farmer’s resilience was in stepping away from himself to see the big picture. Although the farmer created a winning situation by assisting his neighbors, this is not dissimilar to the Adventure Racers. Each racer wants to win. However, the ability to succeed is successful only with the team’s collective efforts.
Considering how we view the words strong and weak may enhance how we view those traits in ourselves and within others.
To be strong is a quality associated with success, confidence, and physical prowess. It is also the quality that a bully exerts on someone weaker than him. Conversely, being vulnerable is often portrayed as fragile and overly sensitive. And yet, it is also the element needed for delicacy, refinement, and artistry.
Within yin-yang, opposing forces are complementary, interconnected, and interdependent. Without one, we cannot know the other. Without the light, we cannot see the dark; without the salt, we cannot taste sour. Without strength, we cannot understand weak.
The weak link exists within ourselves, even though we often refuse to acknowledge it. Yet, viewing differences simply as contrasts can fortify our power. As we embrace the weakness within, we grow stronger.
Strengths and weaknesses are often two sides of the same coin. To have strength in one situation may appear as a weakness in another. The difficulty arrives when we are unable to switch gears. It’s a subtle thing to rate strengths and weaknesses. Virtually they are part and parcel of the whole.
Understand nothing exists one-sided. Perhaps the one that is the slowest is the one who can lift the most weight. The one with the most emotional intelligence is the one with the least common sense or the one that is an accomplished mechanic who is terrible at navigation. Look around, and you will notice the balance is everywhere. We need both to make it whole. Without one, we cannot have the other.
The ability to succeed, not at the expense of others but with others’ triumph, maybe the new measure of success. If we live an enriched life, extending a hand to someone in need may provide the energy to take another step. These small daily actions can fortify our communities and enhance our lives.
Shall we let go of our perceived thoughts that to get ahead requires stepping upon others and instead embrace the idea that lending a hand, metaphorically or not, is the way to elevate the whole?
Life is very interesting… in the end, some of your greatest pains, become your greatest strengths. ~Drew Barrymore
