The most powerful tool we have access to is our mind. It’s what makes us unique as individuals and as a species. It’s the thought behind every action that creates our reality and the life we live today.
Most of us today identify ourselves by our outer shell – our body which is driven by the mind- and tend to forget about our other two parts of being which make us whole. We are three-part beings, made up of the mind, body and spirit.
It’s not uncommon in this day and age to focus most of our attention, time and thoughts on mainly our exterior, forgetting that we must water and weed the garden of the mind while adding some soul work to become fully balanced and holistically healthy and successful.
Incredible things have been achieved purely through the power of the mind and most great athletes and high achievers know the importance of a strong mentality.
After all, it’s true what they say “what the mind believes, the body achieves!”
Becoming mentally strong is a learned skill, so here are 5 things mentally strong people do that you can adopt if you haven’t already!
- They recognise that change is the only constant of the universe. They know that the universe naturally changes and embrace it with positivity and optimism. Change is recognised, accepted and welcomed as another opportunity to set up in life. If we just keep going along in our comfort zone, with no change, then there is no growth and that could be the worse thing for us. We should be willing to adapt to change with an open mind and know that it is an inevitable part of life.
- They take responsibility of their own thoughts, actions and emotions and do not place blame on others. The Dalai Lama said “When you think everything is someone else’s fault, you will suffer a lot. When you realise that everything springs from only yourself, you will learn both peace and joy.” Now of course we can’t always be as wise as the Dalai Lama! We can however, take from his words of wisdom and apply such principles to daily practices like mediation to improve our ability to control our emotions and responses to certain situations.
- They don’t dwell on the past – mentally strong people are usually future paced, big picture thinkers. They understand that the past cannot be changed and instead learn from past experiences and focus their energy on setting short term goals or daily tasks to help them reach their main goals ahead.
- They say no with confidence – Research shows that people who find it difficult to say no experience burnout, stress and sometimes depression. You don’t have to people please all of the time, even though it may seem like the polite thing to do. Pleasing yourself and learning to say no with respect, in the right situations will give you a sense of liberation and freedom – because in the end, only YOU can live your life and make yourself truly happy.
- They focus on themselves – Studies show that nourishment through good food and exercise like yoga or running are what successful and mentally tough people do regularly. Taking time out for yourself with lifestyle habits like these, reduce stress, improve memory and cognitive abilities, while increasing self-confidence, social skills and improving your overall health and happiness
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We’ll go deeper into the power of the mind later, but for now let’s begin with these basic mentalities above and start planting the seeds for success!