Mental Toughness

7 Habits Of People With Remarkable Mental Toughness

JEFF HADEN, INC.

JUL. 23, 2014, 3:46 PM (Business Insider)

"The ability to work hard and respond resiliently to failure and adversity; the inner quality that enables individuals to work hard and stick to their long-term passions and goals."

the word:  Grit.

The definition of grit almost perfectly describes qualities every successful person possesses, because mental toughness builds the foundations for long-term success. Successful people are great at delaying gratification, withstanding temptation, overcoming fear (doesn't mean they aren't scared — that does mean they're brave.)

Ways to become mentally stronger and more successful:

1. Always act as if you are in total control.
"Pray as if God will take care of all; act as if all is up to you."

Many people feel luck has a lot to do with success or failure. Most successful people do sense good luck played some role in their success. But, they don't wait for good luck or worry about bad luck. If they succeed, they caused it. If they fail, they caused it. By not wasting mental energy worrying about what might happen to you, put all your effort into making things happen.  You can't control luck, but it can definitely control you.

2. Put aside things you have no ability to affect.

Mental strength is like muscle strength — no one has an unlimited supply. Don’t waste your power on things you can't control.

3. See the past as valuable training … and nothing more.

The past is valuable. Learn from your mistakes and mistakes of others.  When something bad happens to you, see it as an opportunity to learn something you didn't know. When another person makes a mistake, don't just learn from it — see it as an opportunity to be kind, forgiving, and understanding. The past is just training; it doesn't define you. Think about what went wrong but only in terms of how you will make sure that next time you and the people around you know how to make sure it goes right.

4. Celebrate the success of others.

When someone else shines, does that diminishes the light from our stars? Resentment sucks up a massive amount of mental energy — energy better applied elsewhere. Don't resent success of others.  Create and celebrate it wherever you find it, and in time you'll find even more of it in yourself.

5. Never allow yourself to whine. (Or complain. Or criticize.)

Your words have power, especially over you. Whining about your problems always makes you feel worse, not better. Put that mental energy into making the situation better. Don't talk about what's wrong. Talk about how you'll make things better, even if that conversation is only with yourself.

6. Focus only on impressing yourself.

A relationship not based on substance is not a real relationship.  Genuine relationships make you happier, and you'll form genuine relationships only when you stop trying to impress and start trying to just be yourself and you will have more mental energy to spend on the people who really do matter in your life.

7. Count your blessings.

Take a second every night before you turn out the light and, in that moment, quit worrying about what you don't have. Quit worrying about what others have that you don't. Think about what you do have. You have a lot to be thankful for.  Feeling better about yourself is the best way of all to recharge your mental batteries.

1 Corinthians 16:13:  Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.