So here is a question for you… Dr. Kimmel said that usually what drives you most crazy about your kids is tied to their greatest strengths… as children they do not know how to appropriately express those strengths so they usually come out in extreme or in appropriate ways. What was that annoying quality about you when you were a child? What did people try and stop you from doing? Stop talking… stop being so noisy… stop singing… if you ask me that one more time… stop tattling… stop complaining… Any of these sound familiar? What was your annoying trait as a child that has turned in to strength as an adult?
I Was Very Annoying…
My constant annoyance was talking… I never stopped talking ever… I would talk in class constantly… it was on every report card since I can remember… I never stopped talking in church… I would even lie in my parent bed at night in between them and talk for hours… they would kick me out of their room because I would talk them to sleep… I know, I know… Your shocked aren’t you:) And… My greatest passion in life is relationships… all of the talking was a hunger for relationships… it was tied to the very thing that makes me who I am and the very thing that makes my faith effective… the very thing that God will use in my life to do great things… that bothersome annoyance is now my greatest strength.
What’s yours? One person I asked this question to said I was not annoying as a child… he said seriously I was not annoying and I think that means I don’t have any prominent strength or I don’t know what they are… Can you relate to that? Do you think that is true?
Compassion…positive attitude…smiles all the time…
These come to mind when you ask what annoyed people as child which is now my strength.
My family didn’t live in the nicest neighbourhood when I was little. I remember getting a beating from school mates everytime I would help a physically challenged school mate… apparently it wasn’t cool to be compasionate.. but I did it anyways..
When I first met my best friend Denise, I annoyed her so much it would make her upset. You see… I have this great positve spirit and a great smile I like to share with people. And sometimes they are not ready for it and it annoyes them… Do I stop doing it … NO NO NO I recognized and accepted these gifts from God at an early age.. The outcome of these gifts surpasses any harm the enemy can do.
Thank you God for my strengths, may I use them freely without hesitation without reservation.
Lori, I was always being told that I exaggerated too much and had a vivid imagination. I had to invent a life where pain wasn’t a part of living so I often recounted my dreams to people. They found my tales to be quite annoying. I guess my annoying little habit has turned into an abiiity to articulate my thoughts in writing. So, I guess I should be glad I was so annoying. I wish I was comfortable enough to just say things the way you are … (you don’t talk too much). I just always end up saying things the wrong way. When I write, it usually turns out the way I meant it so I’ll stop right now before I get into trouble.
I would never give up on something – ever. I would keep coming at it from different angles, until it happened.
Annoying then, powerful now…as long as its the right thing.
I’m not sure if they were just annoying– sure did get me into a lot of trouble…I would always stand up and speak out against things that weren’t right, not just for myself but for those around me too. The other thing was that I never, ever gave up once I put my mind to something.
The first one continues to get me into trouble, but I still consider it a strength and the second is definitely a strength (although I am very glad I’ve finally learned to surrender to God—which was a challenge!)
The fact that I was alive was quite an annoyance for those around me-that is the way I interperated it anyway. I know they love me and I knew they loved me then too it just hurt so much every time not recieving the love that I just knew was there. So I justified the situation with conclusions like -it was all my fault, if I could just be better, do better, be more loveing then we could all enjoy the love I knew was there. Even my mother who had passed away, if I was just good enough then maybe she would come back, just maybe. All I recieved was their hurt and suffering but I always dreamed of a loving family, real love, not empty hurtful love but life giving love. I just knew it was real, life just never showed it to me but deep in my heart I always knew it was there no matter how much hurt I saw. Then Jesus provided me with a family of my own and a tangible connection to Him to walk us all in true love with each other. Oh what a gift! Thank you for life and thank you for love – Thank you Jesus! And I really know that the people in my life always have and always will love me and I always have and always will love them. I just knew it! The really cool part of it all is learning to actually walk more and more in this love with each other instead of just knowing it is there, actually sharing it, for real more and more every day!! And that really is SUPER FINE!!