Your Achilles' heal is that weakness or vulnerability that follows you throughout life. This phenomenon was born out of the myth of Achilles early life. We all have a number of Achilles' heals, some worse than others.
I was reminded of this yesterday when one of my own Achilles' heals was evident for all to see. It was a frustrating and embarrassing moment. I try to keep that weakness in check, but unexpectedly it escaped me yesterday.
Some of our Achilles' heals are more public and prominent than others. For some, these weaknesses and vulnerability are mostly hidden, secrete, and surprising, and for others it is an outward part of their overall character clear for all to see and know.
The challenge is to know your Achilles' heals and work against those vulnerabilities and weaknesses in ways that make you stronger and better. It is also often helpful to simply acknowledge those less savory parts of yourself to others and enlist their help in keeping those weaknesses at bay.
I have one friend whose Achilles' heal props up now and then. When I see that happening, a few light, humorous words typically rights his direction. As for me, and after a lifetime of living with my own Achilles' heals, those vulnerabilities still seem to rise out of nowhere now and then. Even though I've coached myself to work against these weaknesses, they do rise up typically in subtledly stressful situations. I'm good at ignoring the stress until it becomes unbearable, and then all at once I feel it powerfully. That's when the weakness shows up.
Knowing my own Achilles' heals makes me empathetic and forgiving when I witness others' shortcomings. I'm eager to help out if I can or dismiss what typically are minor vulnerabilities and weaknesses that don't create a lot of havoc or pain.
To acknowledge our Achilles' heals to ourselves and work against those weaknesses makes us stronger in the long run. This is work we all need to do now and then. Onward.