Personal Strengths, Weaknesses
Motherhood brings out the best and worst in most women, rigorously testing qualities like patience and flexibility. There's nothing like a two-year-old's tantrum to evoke such mixed reactions as fear, anger, tolerance, and compassion. Two children at my side, I look at myself in the mirror each day through their eyes, witnessing my glaring faults. For example, I know I work too hard: I overextend myself in household chores and parenting as well as in my professional life. A naturally energetic, resourceful individual, I rarely know when to take a break. My love of hard work is therefore a mixed blessing: my vivaciousness competes with an unacknowledged need to relax and recuperate. One of my greatest weaknesses, ironically, is an unwillingness to feel weak. I need to learn how to step back, let others take charge, relax and let go. On the other hand, high energy and motivation are also some of my strongest, most positive qualities; they allow...
For instance, I regularly put in too much time on the job, not because I'm trying to impress my supervisors into giving me a promotion or a raise but because I actually enjoy performing the task at hand. Because I don't like unfinished business, I prefer to stay overtime than procrastinate or leave something for the next day. If I reach an impasse, I keep on trying: diligence and tenacity are two of my greatest personal strengths. Like my ability to work hard, these qualities can turn into personal weaknesses like stubbornness. However, as I have witnessed companies I work for undergo traumatic changes in management, structure, and organizational…
