We all face times in our lives when our mental strength is put to the test. It could be a nasty friend or colleague, a dead-end employment, or a troubled relationship. Whatever the difficulty, you must see things through a different lens and take immediate action if you are to overcome it.
It may appear to be simple, but it is not.
People that are Mentally Strong have healthy habits. They control their emotions, attitudes, and behaviors in ways that position them for life success.
Try taking a look at these 13 things that Mentally Strong people don’t do if you want to improve your mental strength.
- Waste their time feeling bad for themselves.
You don’t see mentally strong people wallowing in self-pity or focusing on how they’ve been mistreated. They have learnt to accept responsibility for their acts and outcomes, and they have an intrinsic understanding that life is not always fair. They can emerge from adversity with self-awareness and gratitude for the lessons learnt. When anything goes wrong, they answer with comments like “Oh, well.” Alternatively, you may simply say, “Next!”
- Give Up Their Power.
People who are mentally strong avoid giving others the ability to make them feel inferior or terrible. They recognize that they have control over their actions and feelings. They understand that their strength is in their capacity to control how they respond.
- Be Afraid of Change.
People that are mentally strong embrace change and welcome challenges. Their greatest “fear,” if they have one, is of getting complacent and stationary, rather than of the unknown. A changeable and even unpredictable environment can stimulate and bring out the best in a mentally strong individual.
- Lose energy on things they don’t have control over.
Mentally strong people don’t grumble (as much) about poor traffic, misplaced luggage, or other people because they know that all of these circumstances are out of their control. They know that the one thing they can always control in a negative situation is their own response and attitude, and they make good use of these traits.
- Worry About Other People’s Opinions. Do you have any people pleasers in your life?
Or, on the other hand, people who go out of their way to offend others in order to maintain a strong image? Neither stance is advantageous. A mentally strong person tries to be kind and fair to others, and to please them when possible, but is not afraid to speak up when necessary. They can withstand the chance that someone will become unhappy and, to the best of their ability, will negotiate the situation with grace.
- Afraid of Taking Calculated Risks.
Someone who is mentally strong is prepared to take calculated risks. This is not the same as taking foolish risks headfirst. However, with mental power, an individual may properly consider the risks and advantages, fully assessing the potential negatives and even the worst-case situations before taking action.
- Remember the Past.
There is power in appreciating the past, especially the lessons acquired from past experiences—but a mentally strong person may avoid wasting mental energy on past disappointments or delusions of “golden days” gone by. They focus the majority of their efforts on creating a better present and future.
- Repeatedly Make the Same Mistakes
We’ve all heard the definition of insanity, haven’t we? It occurs when we repeat the same activities in the hopes of getting a different and better result than we have in the past. A mentally strong individual accepts full responsibility for their actions in the past and is eager to learn from their mistakes. According to research, one of the biggest skills of extremely successful executives and entrepreneurs is the ability to be self-reflective in an accurate and productive manner.
- Be envious of other people’s success.
It takes character fortitude to feel true satisfaction and excitement for other people’s achievement. This power is only available to persons who are mentally strong. They are not envious or angry when others achieve (although they may take close notes on what the individual did well). They are willing to put in the effort for their own achievement, rather than taking shortcuts.
- After a failure, give up.
The fear of failing is a serious concern for many people. Many people avoid failing at all costs, therefore they are afraid to take risks. While every failure is an opportunity to develop. Even the most successful entrepreneurs would concede that their early efforts were inevitably fraught with failure. Mentally strong people are willing to fail again if necessary, as long as the learning experience gained from each “failure” brings them closer to their ultimate goals.
- Time Alone is Scary.
Mentally strong people really enjoy and even treasure their alone time. They use their free time to think, plan, and be creative. Most significantly, they do not rely on others to keep them happy and in good spirits. They can be joyful in the company of others as well as alone.
- Feel as if the entire world owes them something.
Especially in today’s economy, CEOs and employees at all levels are realizing that the world does not owe them a salary, a compensation package, or a nice life, irrespective of their preparation or education. Mentally strong people enter the world ready to work and succeed on their own merits at all levels of competition.
- Expecting immediate results.
First and foremost, don’t expect change to be easy. Accept that accomplishing your goal will be difficult from the start. You will have a better chance of success if you simply accept that it will be difficult. Second, do not set a firm timeframe for achieving your goal. It’s a good idea to have an idea of when you’d like to get your results, but don’t make it an all-or-nothing issue. Finally, don’t expect that accomplishing your goal will make your life magically better.
Conclusion
The single most important thing you can do to advance your profession is to improve your mental strength. The good news is that with a little drive, work, and a solid model to follow, you can make it happen.
