A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. While this maxim can apply to many a spectrum, I would have it specifically applies to our lives, that when we spare no effort to develop the area that we are good at, we, at the same time, have to improve the areas that we are weak in so that we will not be doomed by our weakness.

I have a friend telling me he has read a book that he thought was dynamite. Subsequently, he told me what the book talks about feeling like he was much convinced and inspired by it. He said the book tells us we should throw in our whole might to develop our potential, that is when we know what we are good at, we should focus on it by exerting all our strength and we must reach the climax of our success, and it also states that we don’t have to waste time in where we are weak in. Is it paradoxical? To me, I cannot but find it is.

When the moment my friend told me about the content and the message of the book, what sprang up my mind is a maxim reminding me ‘a chain is only as strong as its weakest link’. Its immediate appearance on my mind tells me I like this aphorism a lot, yeah, I do, for I can tell it embraces something very deeply and profoundly.

We all want to be successful in our lives, the common way we used to do so is we will go work hard on something that we are good at to stand the higher possibility to render ourselves successful, and the effective way we know to employ is to bring our talent or what we are good at into full play. It is the easiest way for us to achieve success in our lives because no one will work hard on something they find difficult but just consume energy and time and finally come to naught. Therefore, it is undoubtedly the book to tell us we should focus on our strengths without wasting time in the areas in which we are weak. The thing is, we can by no means be that realistic or utilitarian by just developing the areas we are good at, for doing so will risk danger to our lives.

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link does tell us we have to improve the weak sides of us so that they won’t ruin our lives. Say, no matter how talented you are in mathematics that can lead you to brilliant life with your effort made; however, your life will only be doomed if you cannot control yourself by arbitrarily allowing yourself to become a druggie. Addiction is your weakest side; you have to spend as much time as you can on it by making a vigorous effort to get rid of it. As a matter of fact, there are so many examples that have vividly appeared in front of our eyes telling us the weakest sides of us are no less influential than those of the strongest with many talented celebrities who were doomed by their weaknesses as proof. The truth is weaknesses can ruin our lives.

Why would my friend be so obsessed with the book? Let me tell you the reasons for him being so. He is highly educated, talented, ambitious, and hardworking able to let him achieve whatever goal he wants. However; he has not a few weaknesses, he obsesses about drinking and gambling, and is fond of spending extravagantly. These are all the weaknesses that he doesn’t want to admit, not to mention improve. Till today, he has failed and failed in many areas of his life due to his weaknesses rendering him unable to live happily but deplorably. Working hard to improve weaknesses is ten times more difficult than working hard on your strengths, it is the main reason why he could not agree more with the book, for it can in a way legitimize his reluctance to improve his weaknesses and accordingly justify the blunders he has all along made.

Bear in mind that we have to do all we can to improve our weaknesses before we focus on our strengths. Only by doing so can we achieve an authentic successful life. Don’t let yourself have an Achilles’’ heel.