If your strength is small, don’t carry heavy burdens. If your words are worthless, don’t give advice.

If your strength is small, don’t carry heavy burdens. If your words are worthless, don’t give advice. – Chinese Proverbs

What does that mean?
Most of the quotes that have been discussed here have been about our strengths or developing our strengths. This quote is about the things we aren’t good at. It is about recognizing our weaknesses. It advises us to be willing to admit to ourselves that we have things that we are not good at. The quote finishes by asking us to refrain from the things we are not good at.

Why is recognizing your weaknesses important?
Not even Superman is good at everything. He has a weakness. He knows what it is, and he takes precautions against it. Everyone has their own private version of kryptonite. If we don’t know what ours is, how can we take precautions against it?

We mere humans also have other weaknesses. We might be strong swimmers, but poor runners. We might be good at math, but bad at art. If we don’t acknowledge our weaknesses, we might just try to do something we are not very good at. If others are relying on us, that could be less than spectacular, right?

What I’m saying is if your legs aren’t up to it, don’t volunteer to anchor the company pick-nick relay race, right? If you can’t swim, don’t dive in after a swimmer who is struggling. Sounds pretty straight forward, but you have to know what you don’t know before you know what not to do, you know? 8)

Where can I apply this in my life?
The quote mentions not doing the heavy lifting if you’re not strong, and not giving advice if your words are worthless. What is it that you are not good at? Have you ever asked yourself that question? It might be time to write a few things down.

I know, if you’re like me, you’re good at nearly everything. However, there are things that even I don’t try. Some are for the sake of safety. The brakes on my car, for instance. I can change pads & rotors, but replacing the master cylinder or re-running the tubing, I leave to the experts.

Grab some paper and write a few things down that you don’t do well. My knees limit what I can and can’t do, as does my back. I know what I can lift, and what I shouldn’t. Wouldn’t it be wise to know your limits and stay within them? I had to learn the hard way. How do you want to learn it?

These limits could be based on your body, and what it’s strengths are and aren’t. Or it might be experience or expertise based. I know if I ever ran across a bomb, I would call an expert to deal with it, wouldn’t you? Where else in your life could you have a weakness? Could it be dealing with a certain emotion, a certain substance, or a certain person?

Now that you have a few items on the list (and, as always, feel free to try again later, should you come up with any new ideas), what do these weaknesses mean to you and your life? What shouldn’t you do, or at least take extra precautions if you are going to do?

If you aren’t up to moving furniture, but it needs to be moved, do you call some friends over to help, or do you get a mechanical device to help (there are several on late night TV, but I usually go for the old standbys, a skateboard and a dolly)?

If you have problems with your eyes, with seeing well, especially late at night, you might want to remember that and plan your driving. You would want to make sure you get home before dark, or that you have a ride home, right?

There are as many different examples as there are people, but the important thing to remember is that you have to know what you can’t do, and come up with a plan to deal with the situation, should it ever arise.

From: Twitter, @AncientProverbs
confirmed at : http://www.1-famous-quotes.com/quote/50855
Photo by steve p2008