It is a matter of fact that when you were born you were dealt a metaphorical hand of cards. These “cards” include things like, health, setting, parents, innate abilities, attractiveness, personality and so on. We tend to get a mix of cards that become what I call assets and liabilities. The purpose of this article is to get you started in thinking about your own set of assets and liabilities. This will happen through on-going self analysis and awareness.

I will continue to address this subject but to begin let’s look at a few of your possible “cards”.

1. Setting: Where did you grow up? What kind of access did you have to resources? Were you born in a poor country in an even poorer part of that country? Or were you born in an affluent, stable country in an even more affluent region?
2. Parents: Were your parents themselves relatively affluent, married, happy, wise, attentive and intentional in your up-bringing? Or were they poor, divorced, unhappy, foolish or aloof?
3. You: Are you generally smart? What are your giftings? Are you attractive? Are you generally happy? Are others drawn to you? Do you have a pleasant demeanor?

The average person is going to relate with both positive and negatives in this list. Each are working for and against them. Or, put differently, they will see assets and liabilities which make up who they are. It is imperative that you take inventory and know where you stand and what you bring to the table of life. You will notice that you had no control over the foundations of who you are. Still, for good or ill, they remain the cards you were dealt. Who you will become in life will depend largely on how honest you are with yourself in taking stock of your attributes, and your willingness to work with who you are.

The first step is to make peace with the liabilities that you had no control over. The second step is to begin the process of mitigating those liabilities. The third is to discern how to recognize and exploit your assets. That’s three easy steps to lay out a life-long framework within which you will be becoming the best you that you can be. In this process you will discover assets that you didn’t realize you had as well as liabilities you didn’t know were holding you back. It is a journey with long-term possibilities. You need to be aware of that before you begin in order to fend off disappointment.

Start with the obvious. Focus on what you feel is your strongest asset and that one liability that tends to hold you back. Remember that every liability can be mitigated and all assets can and must be cultivated, both of which will require hard work, determination and persistence. But I promise, should you take this seriously, you will love the you that you become more than the you that you now are.