How strong are you?

你有多強大?

That is a tough question to answer, whether you are a man or a woman.

不管你是男人還是女人，這都是個很難回答的問題。

But, really, I want to ask… how do you define your strength?

但是，說實話，我想知道，你是怎么定義力量的呢?

How do you know your limits? How do you know just how much you’ve got?

你是如何了解自己的局限性?你怎么知道你能做到什么程度?

When push comes to shove, we often discover that we are much stronger than we think.

當壓力來臨時，我們會發現我們比想象中要更強大。

What is Strength?

什么是力量?

Strength is not always about pure physical strength. Rather, it is about willpower. Discipline. Drive. It is about the capacity to get things done.

力量并不僅僅指你的肌肉力量，它更多的指的是意志力、訓練、動力。是一種能夠做好事情的能力。

I know some people who are intellectually strong, but they get very little done in their jobs. And I know others who find work extremely challenging, but are able to move mountains by their sheer drive and hard work.

我知道有一些人雖然很聰明，但是他們在工作中能夠做好的事情卻很少。而另外一些人雖然知道工作很具有挑戰性，但他們仍能通過強大的動力和艱苦的工作來移動大山。

They possess inner strength.

他們具有強大的內心力量。

More interesting, is that these productive hard-workers often don’t even notice the load. Bystanders are not only amazed, but often ask, “How do you do it?”

更有趣的是，這些非常努力工作的人并沒有意識到工作量的巨大。旁觀者不僅感到很吃驚，而且還經常問，“你是怎么做到的?”

The answer usually comes back, “I just work harder than the others.”

經常得到這樣的回答，“我只是比別人更努力一些罷了。”

So, why are some people able to do more? What gives them added drive? What gives them extra strength?

所以，為什么有些人就能做到更多?他們的動力是哪里來的呢?是誰給予他們多余的力量?

Could it be, they have simply given themselves permission to do more?

還是，僅僅是他們自己給自己力量來做到更多?

Self-Imposed Limits

自我強加的局限性

What I have observed is that most people impose their own limits. They limit their output based on self-framed constraints of their capabilities and strengths. Sometimes these boundaries are based on past experiences. Sometimes they are based on perceived capacities. Sometimes these limits are based on nothing.

據我所觀察，很多人都是自己強加給自己的局限性。他們有時候根據能力和力量自我設定了他們的局限，有時候根據過去的經歷設定一些邊界，還有的根據想象中的能力設定，還有些則毫無任何根據就限定了自己的力量。

I can’t do that. (Why?)

我做不到。(為什么呢?)

That is too much for me. (How do you know?)

對我來說太難了。(你怎么知道太難?)

I can’t put in that much effort. (What would happen if you did?)

我做不到那么努力。(如果你做了會怎么樣?)=

I am not smart enough to solve that. (Can you be sure if you haven’t tried?)

我不夠聰明，解決不了這件事。(你不嘗試怎么能如此確定?)

So, how do we break through these limits? How do we get stronger?

所以，怎樣才能打破這些局限?怎么才能更強大?

Pushing It…

給自己點壓力

Many people are going through the motions, but are nowhere near their limits.

很多人都做出了實際行動，但是從來就沒有到達他們的極限。

If you want to be stronger, you have to push your boundaries.

如果你想變得更加強大，你就要打破你的局限。

Pushing it is what it takes to increase your limits. In the gym, bodybuilders discovered this long ago. But, the same principle is true when it comes to inner strength. Discipline and drive.

給自己施加壓力就能提高你的極限。在體育館，健身者很早之前就體會到了這一點。所以，同樣的原則運用到內心力量方面也是正確的，訓練自己，給自己一些動力。

Want to test your limits? Push yourself. Test your self-perceived constraints to see how accurate they are. Make sure your goals are slightly beyond what you think can be achieved.

你想挑戰你的極限嗎?那就給自己點壓力。去測試下自己以前的極限到底有多準確。要確定一個能稍微超過力所能及的目標。

You Are Stronger Than You Think

你比自己想象的要強大

Most people underestimate their strength.

很多人低估了自己的能力。

As you go through your day, challenge your capacity. Test your limits.

當你過每一天的時候，都要挑戰一下你的能力，測試下自己的極限。

Push yourself, to find your true boundaries and define your strength.

給自己施加點壓力，找到你真正的極限，然后定義你的能力。

When you discover how much you’ve really got, you may surprise even yourself.

當你發現你真正能獲取的，你會發現自己都感到不可思議。

What are your self-imposed limits? Which do you need to push? When have you found that you were much stronger than you thought?

你給自己強加的限制是什么?哪一方面需要你增加壓力呢?到什么時候你會發現你比想象中要強大呢?