We have all met people that we consider mentally strong. We watch them in awe in some of the hardest situations. People who are mentally strong constantly display a sense of determination and vigor in everything they do. We have all had moments of mental weakness. What we forget, however, is that those moments are what put our mental strength to the test.
There have been articles and books written on the habits and characteristics of successful and unbreakable people, however not many are focused on the mistakes the mentally strong avoid. Amy Morin considered this topic in her popular article several years ago Mentally Strong People: 13 Things They Avoid. It was a rare look at this critical topic back then and it still is.
Here is my perspective on five things mentally strong people avoid according to Amy:
They Never Resist Change
In Buddhism, everything is impermanent. People who are strong in heart and mind understand that and never shy away from change. They understand that change is a part of life. Change is an opportunity. Strong people can go with the flow of life. They understand that change is growth and without it, we become stagnant. It is not the strange or the unknown that they fear, but the complacency of mundane life. Strong people are those who accept change, move with it, and embrace it.
They Don’t Give Away Their Power
The mentally strong do not say things like, “He makes me feel bad”. At the end of the day, we are all in control over our own emotions and we have a choice in how we respond or not respond to tough people and situations. The mentally strong do not allow others to control their emotions or give someone else emotional power over them.
They Don’t Waste Time Feeling Sorry for Themselves
The strongest people on Earth are those who know how to get up after they fall and move forward no matter what. It is what makes them stronger than those around them. Their conversations are not all about complaints and them playing the victim. They are confident and tough enough to handle it all.
They Don’t Live in The Past
It takes a certain level of courage to acknowledge the past, and a great deal of wisdom the learn from it. There can be healing and growth in both experiences, however, living in the past is an all too common, and fatal mistake. You cannot let the past continue to hurt you and hold you back from the success and joy you were meant to experience. That mindset distracts you from your goals and holds you back from healthy relationships. As human beings, we were made to move forward at every moment. Don’t let the past imprison you and kill the potential you have. The future is waiting for you, and you’ll never have a clue how good it’s going to be until you learn to move on from the past.
They Don’t Expect The World to Give Them Anything
Leaders in every sector of the economy are those who learn the world owes them nothing. Many in our world believe that everything good in life should be given to them because it’s their “right” no matter their level of schooling, their merit, or their achievements in life. Look at the strongest and most successful people you know, and you will see that they share one common thread: they don’t expect anything from the world for them to succeed. They understand that anything they want in life requires them to work hard, prove themselves, and go after it with everything they have.
