Success Advice

10 Things Mentally Tough People Do

Published

7 years ago

Oct 21, 2016

Will Chou

It’s not easy to keep going when your whole life sucks. When you are not making much money, have few friends, and hate your job, you want to give up. Everyone does. But what if I told you that successful people like Sylvester Stallone and John Paul DeJoria went through even worse to succeed (including homelessness)?

It’s actually true. But how did they do it? They became mentally tough. Mentally tough people have strong minds. They jump back up after getting knocked down when others would give up. They control their emotions and reactions when life gives them horrible surprises. They keep fighting even when they are given the worst possible circumstances.

Becoming mentally strong can be learned. Here are ten things that mentally strong people do that you can adopt:

1. They Take Responsibility

Mentally tough people do not blame circumstances or society. The entrepreneur Dan Sullivan went bankrupt and divorced on the same day. He decided that it was his fault for making these mistakes as a businessman and husband and learned from them. This is very different from what most people do, which is to blame others.

2. They Move On Quickly From Self-Pity

Mentally tough people know this is a toxic place to stay in. When they sense moments of pity or despair sets in, they stomp it out immediately and get to work. Biologically, humans are wired to naturally compare themselves to others and dwell on negative events. But they also have free will to choose to act differently once they are aware of these tendencies.

“I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself. A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough without ever having felt sorry for itself.” ― D.H. Lawrence

3. They Do Not Let Circumstance Stop Them From Winning

The motivational speaker Brian Tracy said that successful people experience bad events just as much as unsuccessful people. The difference is that successful people prepare for them, take them in stride, and expect them. Do not let what life hands you stop you from achieving your goals or affecting your happiness.

4. They Recognize What They Cannot Control and Let Go Of It

Mentally tough, successful people can clearly recognize what is and is not in their control. Whatever is not in their control is let go and never blamed. They do not waste their time and energy crying over events that they cannot change. If an unexpected traffic jam makes them late, they do not blame strangers. They blame themselves for not leaving earlier.

5. They Do Not Let The Past Chain Them Down

Memories can be pleasant or horrible. But they cannot be changed. Many people let what has happened to them in their recent or distant affect their performance. Mentally tough people know they cannot in order to move forward.

6. They Are Motivated Beyond Belief To Never Give Up No Matter What

They will persist no matter how many times they fail or get knocked down because they are motivated by something stronger. It could be a higher purpose. It could be to help others. It could be to become a champion. They keep fighting. Period.

7. They Know They Are Not Entitled To Anything

They confidently accept that the world owes them nothing. They are not entitled to career opportunities. They are not entitled to food or shelter (despite what the government says). They are not entitled to even equal treatment. To succeed, they have to go out and work for it.

8. They Expect Many Failures and Rejections Before Success

Mentally tough people know that rejections, failures, and defeats are always part of the journey to their goal. They do not let these events discourage them because they know it is part of the natural process to where they want to be.

“It’s failure that gives you the proper perspective on success.” – Ellen DeGeneres

9. They Recognize The Inevitable Change of the Universe

Mentally strong individuals know that the universe naturally changes. They embrace it. They recognize it. They accept it. When a relative dies, a loved one gets sick, or an industry changes, they know it is part of life. They do not cry over spilled milk.

10. They Do Not Let Other People Influence or Control Them

Mentally powerful men and women do not let others control their feelings, emotions, or mood. They stomp out negative phrases they catch themselves saying like, “My boss made me feel sad” or “His email made me angry.” They meditate and improve their ability to control their emotions and responses.

Check out our motivational mental toughness video below:

Which one of these things are you going to get better at today? Leave your thoughts below!

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Will Chou

Will Chou is a personal development blogger and podcaster. Get his free gift exclusively for Addicted 2 Success readers at willyoulaugh.com/a2s.

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How to Break the Cycles of Mediocrity and Manifest Your Greatness

There is no greatness without becoming and there is no becoming with authenticity

Published

3 weeks ago

Nov 16, 2023

Jamelle Sanders

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In just a few weeks, we will be wrapping up 2023. Can you believe it? This year has been absolutely incredible for me.

I have seen amazing doors opened, new relationships formed and I am seeing dreams realized in my life. While this seems like the hallmarks of a great year, this has also been the most challenging year of my life. With all of the change happening in my life, I have been forced out of my comfort zone and challenged to grow in every area of my life.

I can truly say that I have made the most of my moments this year and I have used everything as a catalyst for maximizing my greatest potential.

As a revolutionary leader, I have the pleasure of consulting and advising leaders around the world to fulfill purpose, realize their greatest potential and make an impact.

I want to share some insights with you that will help you to break cycles of mediocrity and manifest your greatness.

Everything legal must come through the matrix

I am sure that some of you are wondering why I am using the term matrix. However, what you have to understand is that I am trying to make a highly complex spiritual principle practical to understand.

Regardless of your spiritual beliefs, every life has an origin and I believe that origin is divine and begins with eternity. You are birthed from eternity and into time to fulfill a unique purpose and assignment in your lifetime and generation.

The matrix is simply the portal or vehicle that brings something out of the invisible realm and into tangible form. The problem with much of the teaching today is that it excludes the matrix. We are told to believe that success is instantaneous and overnight.

Nobody talks about how a dream progresses through stages beginning with visualization and ultimately culminating in manifestation. Without a matrix or portal then everything that you attempt to birth and build will be illegal.

The matrix not only makes you legal but it gives you the authority and power to function as the greatest expression of who you were created to be.

Every matrix has an incubation process

While many people admire and respect me today, I remember a time when nobody knew who I was or the significance of my message. How did I get to where I am today? I got here through an incubation process.

In other words, everything that has been destined for your life is incubating and awaiting a set time of manifestation. The problem is that most people live their entire lives idle and never initiate the incubation process.

What do I meany by that? Most people are living reckless and very few people are living intentionally. I am amazed at the number of people I have conversations with that have no vision, goals or strategies for their lives. They show great promise and they have undeniable potential.

However, without development they will die with their dreams still in them.

Everything that has been destined for your life must be incubated and converted to become realities born to time.

“Visualize this thing that you want, see it, feel it, believe in it. Make your mental blueprint and begin to build.” – Robert Collier

You must give expression to that which is not yet born to time

When you think about a matrix or a prophetic incubation process, you have to understand that potential is often unrealized and untapped. In other words, your potential is in raw form and your potential cannot serve you as long as it is untapped.

The thing that makes me valuable is that I have the ability to convert potential into power. I have done it in my own life and I have empowered leaders around the world to do the same. How do you convert potential into power?

First, it is important to note that you have to perceive potential. If you cannot perceive your potential then you can never cultivate your potential. In addition, you must take the time to cultivate your potential. We often get excited about our capabilities; however, we never expand our capacity in order to realize our greatest potential.

In other words, the strength of your potential is only discovered through your willingness to stretch. The more we are challenged the more we are empowered to expand our capacity for greatness. Most of all, you must begin to express your potential. The expression of potential is different for every person.

For example, the expression of my potential is best demonstrated through the thoughts, ideas, products, services, books, etc.

For another person the expression of potential may look like a screenplay, artwork, sports, scientific discoveries, medical breakthroughs, etc.

Regardless of the form of expression, I know that you will live empty and unfulfilled until you make the decision to express your potential. The expression of your potential gives voice to your dreams, life to your vision, significance to your moments and activates your true power.

You must manifest your greatness

As a revolutionary thinker and leader, my work has impacted people around the world. I am grateful that my life is a source of empowerment to so many people. However, before anyone could ever benefit from my life, I had to make a non-negotiable decision to become who I was born to be.

I wish I could tell you that this journey is easy and that you will get there overnight. However, in a world that celebrates us for doing we are often criticized for being. As a result, I wasted a lot of time trying to be who other people wanted me to be instead of being who I was born to be.

There is no greatness without becoming and there is no becoming with authenticity. It is through our bravery to be vulnerable that we ultimately manifest our greatness. We do not bless the world by being a duplicate. We bless the world when we honor our difference. When you honor your difference you honor your potential.

Ultimately, your difference is how you manifest your greatness.

When you present anything but your authentic self to the world, you are playing small and you are robbing the world of your significance. Manifesting your greatness requires you to master your gifts.