Category Archives: Strength

Challenge, Fear, Leadership, Perseverance, Strength, Success

Stand Strong and Persevere

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“Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other.” —Walter Elliot

By Elizabeth Stincelli, DM

 

Perseverance

We do not succeed in a day, a week, or even a year. Success takes dedication and perseverance; and it takes it on a daily basis; day after day, week after week, and year after year. No one can do it for you; you have to do it for yourself. Stop dwelling on the negative; stand strong and persevere.

Overcome your fear

So where do you start? First, you must learn not to let fear stand in your way, causing you to give up. Charles Stanley wrote, “Fear stifles out thinking and actions. It creates indecisiveness that results in stagnation. I have known talented people who procrastinate indefinitely rather than risk failure. Lost opportunities cause erosion of confidence, and the downward spiral begins.” If you want to succeed, you must be willing to fail. Recognize that failure is not something to fear, it is only temporary; grow from it and move forward. Become courageous enough to do what you’re afraid doing. Only then will you build the resilience necessary to bounce back from defeat.

 Welcome a new challenge

Summer Sanders said, “To be a champion, I think you have to see the big picture. It’s not about winning and losing; it’s about every day hard work and about thriving on a challenge.” When you learn to thrive on challenge you no longer perceive it as an obstacle to success. Take the initiative and accept the challenge to act on your biggest ideas. Develop the tenacity necessary to fight for your dreams. Every new challenge is an opportunity to get closer to achieving your goals. Step out of you comfort zone and stand strong in the face of adversity. Use challenge as an opportunity to experience, learn, and grow.

Keep moving forward

Conrad Hall explained, “You are always a student, never a master. You have to keep moving forward.” You keep moving forward when to choose to take responsibility, learn from your mistakes, and make corrections. You will never regret putting forth the effort necessary to keep moving when things get tough. When you feel stuck, try looking at things from a different point of view. You never know when all the hard work and perseverance is going to pay off so, never give up. Take stock of both your accomplishments and the lessons learned from your failures and then keep moving forward.

You Can Do It

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow told us, “Perseverance is a great element of success. If you only knock long enough and loud enough at the gate, you are sure to wake up somebody.” Accept that the only person you can control is yourself. Acceptance of this fact places the responsibility for your success squarely on your shoulders. Develop courage by overcoming fear, build resiliency by welcoming a new challenge, and use the lessons you learn to keep moving you forward. Stand strong and persevere; you can do it.

 

 

© 2015 Elizabeth Stincelli

 

Elizabeth Stincelli is passionate about recognizing and inspiring the leader in each of us. She is the CEO of Stincelli Advisors where she focuses on helping organizations engage employees and improve organizational culture. Elizabeth holds a Doctor of Management degree with an emphasis on organizational leadership.

Learn more about Elizabeth by visiting her website, stincelliadvisors.com and connect with her on Twitter @infinitestin, Google+, and LinkedIn. You can contact her by email at stincelliadvisors@gmail.com.

 

Leadership, Strength

Differentiate Yourself: Focus on Your Strengths

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“It does not take much strength to do things, but it requires great strength to decide on what to do.” —Elbert Hubbard

By Elizabeth Stincelli, DM

 

Your Strengths

How can you differentiate yourself? Is it more constructive to focus on your areas of weakness, or should you focus on your strengths? Your strengths are what allow you to perform well. I am not talking about technical strengths because talent will only get you so far. I’m talking about the strengths that span across tasks, situations, and settings. These strengths are more motivating than your weaknesses and they give you the confidence that differentiates you from the crowd. So, how do you know where to focus?

What provides satisfaction?

Zig Ziglar explained, “Being productive gives people a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment that loafing never can.” Think about what you find fulfilling. What activities provide you with satisfaction and happiness? This is where you will find your strengths.

Is it consistent?

Arsene Wenger said, “When you look at people who are successful, you will find that they aren’t the people who are motivated, but have consistency in their motivation.” Your strengths can be seen across different situations and are consistent over time. You may find your strength lies in your resilience, integrity, honesty, agility, or perseverance. Look for the traits that you exhibit consistently regardless of circumstance, task, or setting.

How can you use it?

Denis Waitley tells us, “Don’t dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energies on moving forward toward finding the answer.” Knowing your strengths can help you to understand how you fit into the big picture. In turn, when you can see the big picture you can better determine how to leverage strength. Recognizing and focusing on your strengths will impact the relationships you build, the way you work with your team, and the self-development you pursue. Your strengths will keep you motivated and help you think strategically and creatively.

Differentiate Yourself

Eleanor Roosevelt believed, “We gain strength, courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face…we must do that which we think we cannot.” The most effective tool you have for differentiating yourself is a focus on your strengths. These strengths are your assets. Does your strength lie in your ability to be a visionary? Do find satisfaction in being able to ask the right questions and solve problems? Does your strength consistently lie in planning or in rolling up your sleeves and getting the job done? Your strengths differentiate you by influencing your effectiveness at being a leader, solving problems, and working with your team. Use your strengths to overcome your fears and keep moving yourself forward. Focus on building your strengths rather than overcoming your weaknesses; it is your strengths that will set you apart from the crowd.
 

 

 

© 2015 Elizabeth Stincelli

 

Elizabeth Stincelli is passionate about recognizing and inspiring the leader in each of us. She is the CEO of Stincelli Advisors where she focuses on helping organizations engage employees and improve organizational culture. Elizabeth holds a Doctor of Management degree with an emphasis on organizational leadership.

Learn more about Elizabeth by visiting her website, stincelliadvisors.com and connect with her on Twitter @infinitestin, Google+, and LinkedIn. You can contact her by email at stincelliadvisors@gmail.com.