Accept Your Limitations. You Have Many
We all like the feeling of being competent, of knowing how to do something, or even more, of possessing a unique skill that no one else has. From the outset, we’re encouraged to pursue our passion and to use our talents for a good cause. While all of this is great, we forget to counterbalance this with reality – That quite often we don’t know how to do “everything”.
For every tale there is of you using your God-given talents, there should be a counterbalancing tale of acknowledging your many limitations. You might be an amazing writer, but perhaps you are woefully inadequate with your business skills or can’t tolerate working with publishers. You might be an amazing teacher but perhaps a hopeless student. Whatever your talent may be, you should also remind yourself of things you can’t do. This is not to denigrate your achievements or to say that you haven’t achieved anything in life. To the contrary, you are keeping your humility in check whilst opening yourself to a myriad of potential learning opportunities.
Indeed, knowledge isn’t just about applying things you already know but recognising when you don’t have the skills to progress with a task so you can go about learning those skills to become even more knowledgeable.
As Confucius wisely remarked:
"The essence of knowledge is, having it, to apply it; not having it, to confess your ignorance."
Are you a hopeless listener? Become knowledgeable of it so you can learn how to listen.
Hopeless at love? Laugh at it… and then learn how to love if love is important to you.
Too busy lazing around scrolling on social media? That’s okay – Admit it, and then go for a walk with a friend. Do something!
In sum, accept what you can’t do so you can come to terms with your own character. You can only start the process of growth once you have an honest appraisal of your strengths and weaknesses.
Now, I must also hasten to add that accepting your ignorance is not the same thing as putting constraints on your abilities. If anything, accepting your limitations liberates you from having to pretend to be competent in an area in which you are sorely lacking competence. Accepting your limitations lifts the weight of false facades, of “needing to know” off your shoulders so you can direct your effort to learning new skills.
So yes, accepting your limitations is not limiting; it’s liberating.
ACCEPT YOUR LIMITATIONS. YOU HAVE MANY.
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We have never been so materially prosperous yet spiritually bankrupt. We see this everywhere: Ethnic conflict, egotistical behaviour, the complete abnegation of personal responsibility. It is hardly controversial to say that we have forgotten how to live well.
How can we be good people? How can we live a ‘good life’? What is a good life?
These are the questions I shall be answering in my next five letters 'on life'. This is the second of five letters to come on this topic.
Be sure to drop a comment below! I'd love to know what you think... or if my view on things is wrong.
