I recently attended a seminar, “Middle School: The Inside Story.” Yes, I have daughter who started middle school three weeks ago and I need all the help I can get.

During the presentation, one presenter shared this quote by author and cartoonist Ashleigh Brilliant: “I may not be perfect, but parts of me are excellent.” As I heard that statement my mind immediately went to work on the truth of that statement. And yet many of us do not live out this truth.

We live in a society, both secular and in the church, which tends to focus so much on our imperfections that our excellence is ignored or downplayed.

In Psalm 139:14 the Psalmist declared, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” The writer of Genesis tells us we were created in the image and likeness of God (Gen.1:27).

To be created in God’s image and to be fearfully and wonderfully made indicates that there are parts of us that are excellent.

I want to challenge you to focus on what is good and excellent about yourself, rather than on the constant reminders of your imperfections.

Ask the people around you what they think you do best and why. I am sure you have had the experience of receiving both negative and positive feedback; yet the feedback you remember is the negative. Why is this? Why do you focus on your imperfections rather than what is excellent? I still struggle with this today.

Ask those close to you to help you see, embrace, celebrate and live out the excellent parts in you rather than pondering the imperfections.

Take the time to discover your strengths and weaknesses. This is important for the primary reason of knowing where your strengths lie. Along with Gallup StrengthsFinder, there are many other instruments that will help you in this process.

Once you have discovered your strengths, focus on doing as much as you can in the areas where you can apply your strengths. We have the natural tendency to focus on our imperfections with the determined purpose of perfecting them. Yet all that does is keep us focused on our weaknesses while ignoring the excellent parts.

Work on developing your strengths rather than trying to turn your weaknesses into strengths, which is what most of us have been taught most of our lives.

The excellent parts in you are the things you and only you can do well. Do not push it to the side – embrace it, celebrate it and live it. It is who God created you to be.

I suspect that God is most disappointed when He sees us focusing so much on our imperfections rather than embracing, celebrating and living out the excellent parts in us.

In the next week, I challenge you to be intentional about discovering, embracing, celebrating and living out the excellent parts. One way to do this is to make a list of all the things you do well; then share and talk about that list with those close to you.

Call us at 208-880-0307 or email us at errol@errolcarrim.com to schedule a complimentary coaching session. To read Errol’s other posts, visit Christ-Centered Life Coaching.

Photo credit: Lotus Carroll via photopin cc