what are your strengths?

I've started a personal journey lately trying to realize all that I have to be thankful for and how to become more motivated and positive about life. With that includes writing down things that I am thankful for, I am calling them "God gifts", and trying to answer some personal questions about myself, such as, "what are your strengths?" ....... It took me quite some time to come up with an answer to this. I have strengths don't I? I knew my weaknesses immediately, such as: lack of patience, procrastination, laziness, etc, but at the time I could only think of a few strengths. Then an event occurred the other day that lit a fire under me. I had someone, a complete stranger, question my knowledge on a subject that I knew a little bit about, but his complete ignorance and inability to understand genetics led me on a path to discovery. Not only on the topic of which we were arguing, but also a discovery about myself. 

If you know me, you know that I can argue with the best, but I always admit when I am wrong, and I have a knack for research. I can find anyone and anything if given the time and resources, it's just what I do. It's a strength. This fire I lit under myself got me thinking about all the things that I can do and have done, and made me realize the potential for things I have yet to do. 

I am a woman. A highly educated woman. I can walk through the woods identifying plants and trees, I can shoot a shotgun just as well as the next man, I know how to fish and don't require someone to bait my hook, I carry a pistol (a 9mm Glock), I can drive a tractor, and run a chainsaw. I was a North Carolina debutante and am well versed on Emily Post. I can recite the prologue to the Canterbury Tales, in Olde English. I can cook and bake better than most women, as well as clean a house and do laundry. I have china and silver, and I use it. I have a closet full of designer clothes and shoes, but most of the time wear an old t-shirt and a pair of jeans. I hold records for shotgunning beer. I have traveled to many other states and countries, I speak Spanish, French, and a little bit of German. I am a daughter, farmer's wife, and hog slayer. I believe in conservation and Jesus Christ. Am I an anomaly? Maybe. Possibly even yes, but I have strengths. 

My challenge today is to ask yourself, what are your strengths? What is it that makes up the person that you are? 

xox - C