Photo Love {Inspiration}: Strength via Vogue Nippon September 2012

Life demands from you the strength that you possess.  Only one feat is possible, not to run away.

Dag Hammarskjöld

Vogue Nippon September 2012

What is strength?  One aspect of strength is to inspire and exude confidence in a certain area.  I've become stronger over the years (emotionally and mentally though I'm also working on the physical part!)  It hasn't been an easy path to getting stronger, but I've learned from the bruises and bumps over the years.

I remember crying in front of my boss when I was 25 or 26 years old because a client has lied about my performance and written a bad review of me (actually our whole team).  I remember feeling betrayed and hurt, but I also clearly remember the look of panic and disbelief from my boss when I started tearing.  He wanted to run, and he wasn't actually listening to me anymore.  Nope, showing emotion in this situation was not a good thing.

Though I am naturally a sensitive soul and quite emotional, I knew from that day onward that I needed to master my emotions.  I unfortunately had a few more bad experiences along the way (politics and shadowy games are just part of the job as one ascends that ever long food chain) but was determined to find a way to become stronger.  The process has been a combination of breathing exercises, playing the game a bit better, and learning how to effectively express myself.  I found and gained strength in myself along the way.  We all have strengths and weaknesses, but our strengths may sometimes be buried a bit deeper inside.  Go find it and discover how strong you can be.

Have a lovely week!