How strong are you?

你有多强大？

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

不管你是男人还是女人，这都是个很难回答的问题。

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

但是，说实话，我想知道，你是怎么定义力量的呢？

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.

当压力来临时，我们会发现我们比想象中要更强大。

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.

力量并不仅仅指你的肌肉力量，它更多的指的是意志力、训练、动力。是一种能够做好事情的能力。

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.

我知道有一些人虽然很聪明，但是他们在工作中能够做好的事情却很少。而另外一些人虽然知道工作很具有挑战性，但他们仍能通过强大的动力和艰苦的工作来移动大山。

They possess inner strength.

他们具有强大的内心力量。

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，这些非常努力工作的人并没有意识到工作量的巨大。旁观者不仅感到很吃惊，而且还经常问，“你是怎么做到的？”

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

经常得到这样的回答，“我只是比别人更努力一些罢了。”

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

所以，为什么有些人就能做到更多？他们的动力是哪里来的呢？是谁给予他们多余的力量？

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

还是，仅仅是他们自己给自己力量来做到更多？

Self-Imposed Limits

自我强加的局限性

What I have observed is that most people impose their own limits. They limit their output based on self-framed constraints¹ of their capabilities² and strengths. Sometimes these boundaries are based on past experiences. Sometimes they are based on perceived capacities. Sometimes these limits are based on nothing.

据我所观察，很多人都是自己强加给自己的局限性。他们有时候根据能力和力量自我设定了他们的局限，有时候根据过去的经历设定一些边界，还有的根据想象中的能力设定，还有些则毫无任何根据就限定了自己的力量。

I can’t do that. (Why?)

我做不到。（为什么呢？）

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

对我来说太难了。（你怎么知道太难？）

I can’t put in that much effort. (What would happen if you did?)我做不到那么努力。（如果你做了会怎么样？）=

I am not smart enough to solve that. (Can you be sure if you haven’t tried?)我不够聪明，解决不了这件事。（你不尝试怎么能如此确定？）So, how do we break through these limits? How do we get stronger?

所以，怎样才能打破这些局限？怎么才能更强大？

Pushing It…

给自己点压力

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

很多人都做出了实际行动，但是从来就没有到达他们的极限。

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

如果你想变得更加强大，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.

给自己施加压力就能提高你的极限。在体育馆，健身者很早之前就体会到了这一点。所以，同样的原则运用到内心力量方面也是正确的，训练自己，给自己一些动力。

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.

你想挑战你的极限吗？那就给自己点压力。去测试下自己以前的极限到底有多准确。要确定一个能稍微超过力所能及的目标。

You Are Stronger Than You Think

你比自己想象的要强大

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.

当你过每一天的时候，都要挑战一下你的能力，测试下自己的极限。

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

给自己施加点压力，找到你真正的极限，然后定义你的能力。

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

当你发现你真正能获取的，你会发现自己都感到不可思议。

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

你给自己强加的限制是什么？哪一方面需要你增加压力呢？到什么时候你会发现你比想象中要强大呢？