Moving Forward Through My Strengths: Using What I Have to Keep Going
At many stages of life—and especially during adolescence—it is common to focus on what is missing: what I cannot do, what I struggle with, what others seem to do better. This constant focus on weaknesses can lead to discouragement, insecurity, and the feeling that moving forward is harder than it really is.
Yet growing well does not begin by asking what I lack, but by recognizing what I already have. Every person has strengths, even if they do not always recognize them. Sometimes they are obvious; other times they are quiet and subtle. But they are there—in the way we think, feel, relate to others, and face challenges.
But… what are personal strengths, really? Are they only visible talents? How can I use them to move toward my goals? What if I do not feel “good” at anything? These questions are essential for learning to move forward with greater confidence and direction.
This post invites reflection on personal strengths and on how to use them consciously to move toward goals, even when the path is not easy.
1. Personal strengths: more than I imagine
Strengths are not only extraordinary abilities or eye-catching qualities. They also include everyday capacities such as perseverance, empathy, responsibility, creativity, the ability to listen, or consistent effort.
Many people do not recognize their strengths because they see them as “normal” or unimportant. Yet it is precisely these qualities that sustain long-term growth. A strength does not always shine; sometimes it quietly supports.
Recognizing my strengths means learning to look at myself with more fairness and less self-criticism.
“My strengths do not make me perfect; they make me capable.”
2. Discovering my strengths through experience
Strengths are not always discovered through thinking, but through living. They often appear when we face challenges—when something is difficult and we keep going anyway. In those moments, we see what we are made of.
Questions like: What helps me not give up? In what ways do I usually support others? What do I do well even when I feel insecure? can offer important clues about our strengths.
Mistakes and difficulties are not enemies of growth; they are situations where strengths are tested and developed.
“Difficulties do not erase my strengths; they reveal them.”
3. Using my strengths to move toward my goals
Goals are not reached through motivation alone; they are achieved by using personal strengths wisely. When a person knows what they do well, they can rely on those qualities to move forward, even in unfamiliar territory.
For example, someone with strong organizational skills can use them to plan their studies more effectively; someone empathetic can rely on that quality to build healthy relationships; someone persistent can keep moving forward step by step, even when progress is slow.
It is not about forcing myself to be someone else, but about using who I already am as a point of support.
“Moving forward is not about changing who I am, but using it to my advantage.”
4. Strengths, goals, and self-esteem
When goals are built around strengths, self-esteem naturally grows stronger. A person stops seeing themselves only as “not enough” and begins to recognize themselves as someone in progress, with real inner resources.
This does not eliminate weaknesses, but it changes the relationship with them. Instead of paralyzing, difficulties become areas for learning. Self-esteem no longer depends only on results, but on effort and coherence.
Growing well means learning to move forward without devaluing yourself.
“Recognizing my strengths helps me trust the journey.”
5. Moving forward step by step, starting from who I am
No one moves forward all at once. Real growth happens step by step, using what is available at each moment. Today it might be patience; tomorrow creativity; another day, the ability to ask for help.
Using personal strengths does not mean never getting tired or doubting; it means continuing despite those feelings. Every small achievement reinforces confidence and opens new possibilities.
Moving forward through my strengths is a way of respecting myself and my process.
“Step by step, with who I am, I can still go far.”
Final Thoughts
Personal strengths are not a privilege for a few; they are resources everyone has, even if they are sometimes hard to see. Recognizing them, developing them, and using them to move forward makes it possible to build more realistic goals, healthier growth, and more stable self-esteem.
Moving forward does not require perfection.
It requires recognizing what I have and using it with awareness.
With care,
Dr. Arturo José Sánchez Hernández, your friend in the promotion of health 💛🌿✨
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