What makes you feel strong? When we free associate the word strong, most of us think of physical strength, but I think it’s more than that. Merriam Webster’s online dictionary has 16 different meanings for the adjectival form of strong. Maybe some of them resonate with you. The meanings that matter most to me are the first two.

The first meaning relates to strength as “having or marked by great physical power.” Athletes are strong because they are physically powerful. The second, “having moral or intellectual power,” is the one that I believe is the more significant meaning, for it is the one that represents resilience and grit. Having a strong moral character or the intellectual capacity to overcome obstacles regardless of physical strength is more important to me.

Which meaning resonates with you?