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It’s easy to get stuck in tunnel vision and only notice the things you lack. But you probably have many undervalued strengths you should be proud of!
1. You can be quiet and listen
In a world full of constant noise, those who know how to keep quiet and listen are at an advantage.
Most people are so busy thinking about what they will say that they don’t truly listen to what is said. Therefore they miss out on subtle hints and deeper meanings and forget what was being said within a couple moments.
The art of listening to remember, analyze and comprehend is not only important for successful relationships but also for a successful career.
So the next time people ask you why you are being so quiet, don’t let it phase you. You have an advantage over them that they aren’t even aware of.
2. You enjoy spending time alone
Sometimes we seem to be living in a world made for extroverts. Especially the rise of social media has brought an all-time connectedness with it, and many people seem to almost be addicted to this connectedness.
In fact, a study was done in which the participants were told to spend 6 to 15 minutes alone with their thoughts and without any outside distraction of any kind.
The results: 67 percent of the men and 25 percent of the women chose to give themselves a mild electric shock so they could end the experiment sooner.
Furthermore, many participants reported that the ‘thinking time’ was an unpleasant experience.
This study proved how much we struggle to be alone with our thoughts.
But why is it an undervalued strength to be able to enjoy time alone?
There are two main reasons:
- Sometimes, there is no escaping alone time. Maybe you are stuck at an airport, in a waiting room, or in a long queue, and your phone battery died. While others would get anxious and experience the waiting time as pure torture, you’d be able to enjoy it.
- A lot of growth happens when we are alone. This is mainly because we can finally clearly hear our thoughts and intuition without outside stimuli. It’s the perfect time to process information, reach conclusions, make thought-through decisions, and work through limiting beliefs and traumas. All these things will get you further in life. But they do require time to spend alone.
3. You overthink easily
Being an overthinker is stressful and exhausting. They create problems where there are none.
However, overthinking can be an undervalued strength too.
Many people accept situations and information as they appear at first sight.
They put in additional effort to delve deeper into the issues and possibly uncover an easier solution.
Overthinking can help you be more prepared for appointments.
Overthinking can help you be more punctual.
It can also cause you to see what others miss, proving invaluable in business.
The key is to stay in control of the overthinking. You need to be able to stop it and make peace with the situation if you recognize that you are running in circles.
4. You are a bit naive
Naivety is commonly considered bad; we tolerate naivety in children but expect adults to grow out of it.
Few people recognize that a bit of situational naivety can be a great advantage.
For example, her naivety about the proceedings of the niche Sara Blakely entered with Spanx helped her land a deal faster than her competitors.
My naive expectations about how quickly and cheaply my Blog was going to succeed made the leap of faith possible in the first place. There is no telling how much more convincing it would have taken me if I’d known just how slow my business journey would be.
So don’t feel ashamed for being a bit naive about some things. As long as you are not losing your grasp on reality and basic logic, you’ll be fine.
5. You are emotional
Especially the business world looks down on people who are seen as emotional. (‘Don’t be such a crybaby!’; ‘Be a man!’; ‘Oh, she’s probably just on her period.’)
And sure, there are many examples in history in which emotion-driven decisions doomed entire livelihoods and companies.
But being emotional also allows you to connect much better to the people around you, including your customers.
So don’t curse yourself for being emotional. Instead, see it as the undervalued strength it is and be grateful.
6. You doubt yourself and your knowledge
Many are trying to be more confident. We are tired of all the self-doubt and insecurities that sabotage our potential.
Yet doubt about your knowledge and skills can be a crucial advantage compared to your competitors. At least, so long as you don’t let it stop you from taking action.
Because people who rarely doubt themselves are often blind to the many ways they can and should improve.
One of the most dangerous sentences in life is: I know that already.
Because it prevents us from learning anything new. This sentence keeps us stuck while the doubting action takers humbly improve and surpass us.
As long as your doubt leads to more action, it is one of the most undervalued strengths you possess.
7. You know when to give up
Successful people will always tell you that persistence is key, that if you keep fighting no matter what, you’ll succeed in the end.
And while there is a lot of truth to that statement, there is also a fine line between heroic perseverance and foolish stubbornness.
Sometimes, you just need to cut your losses and pursue a different path altogether.
There is no sense in wasting your time and effort on ineffective projects if there is a smarter option.
Just think about all the wealthy dropouts who cut their losses with college and became wildly successful in other ways.
8. You got stalkerish research skills
Have you ever tracked someone down on social media after seeing them in a blurry video for a few seconds?
Or maybe you’ve managed to find that song that played in the background of a movie during one scene.
The internet has offered us an endless maze of information on any topic you can think of.
But it takes skill to find the right breadcrumbs and track them to the answer you are looking for.
Finding and organizing information is an invaluable skill to have, and it will help you a lot in college and later on in your career.
9. You have a decent sense of fashion
The hard truth is that appearances do matter. People judge books by their cover, whether they intend to or not.
If you make the right impression early on, things will be easier for you later.
Dressing appropriately and somewhat fashionable is part of that.
For example, you might prefer a goth style, but it most likely won’t do you any favors to dress like that for an interview or at a court hearing.
On the other hand, if you aim to connect with artsy or alternative people, this style might work better than prep school fashion.
There is no one right or wrong way to dress. Some styles, however, are going to benefit you more, depending on the situation you are in.
If you have enough sense of fashion to exploit that, you’ll face less resistance to your goals.
10. You are an insatiably curious nerd
Yes, being a nerd is an undervalued strength. Nowadays, more and more people recognize it and use the term less as an insult and more for fond teasing.
And considering how many of our heroes belong in the ranks of nerds, it is no surprise: Peter Parker, Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Midoriya Izuku, Hermione Granger, Spencer Reid, the guys from Big Bang Theory, the list goes on.
Sure being a nerd and gushing about all the things you are curious about will get you a few weird looks every once in a while.
But it will also help you learn huge amounts of information and put all your effort into pursuits that make others lose motivation.
Nerds are often the ones who become field-leading specialists.
So embrace your nerdy curiosity to its fullest! Don’t let anyone stifle this undervalued strength of yours!
11. You are easily excitable
Getting excited and motivated by cheesy speeches or ridiculous challenges can be a great undervalued strength.
Because in life, there are many times when you will find yourself bored or unmotivated to do something.
In these moments, you have two options:
- Power through with pure self-discipline and spite or
- Find motivation and excitement to do the task.
Clearly, the second option is more appealing. But waiting around for the motivation to come back can waste a lot of time.
That’s why it’s so beneficial to be easily excitable.
But remember to stay logical as well. Don’t let yourself be lured into things because your excitement outways your common sense.
How many of these undervalued strengths do you have? When was the last time you appreciated them?
It’s time to do so now!
Stop trying to compensate for what you think is missing and instead start to boost and use what you already have!
Until next time, Felicity Seeker!
