20 Things That Mentally Strong People Don’t Do
I often write about the things I believe we all should
be doing, trying or experimenting with in order to maximize our success and
happiness. However, it’s not always the things we do that make the biggest
difference in our lives; it’s often the things we avoid doing that have the
biggest effect. As human beings, we have a strong aversion to not doing; we
feel that in order to produce results, there must be an initial action.
However, because we are almost always doing something,
piling on more and more often has a negative effect, rather than a positive
one. Among the mentally strong, there are several actions that are avoided in
order to produce the greatest benefit in the shortest period of time.
These actions are those that the mentally strong
avoid, and that we should consider adapting as our own:
1.
Dwelling On The Past
Mentally strong individuals focus on the present
moment and on the near future. They understand that the past is out of our
control and the far future is about as predictable as the weather this winter.
2.
Remaining In Their Comfort Zone
The comfort zone is a dangerous place, a dark abyss
where anyone who remains there for too long loses his or herself entirely.
Staying within your comfort zone is giving up on life.
3.
Not Listening To The Opinions Of Others
Only the foolish believe themselves to be sufficient
in all regards. When it comes to brainstorming, ideas can’t so much be forced
as they can be caught. A good idea is a good idea, regardless of whether or not
you came up with it. Don’t let your ego get the better of you; if someone has
great advice to give, take it.
4.
Avoiding Change
What the mentally strong understand that the mentally
weak do not is that change is unavoidable. Trying to avoid the inevitable is
pointless. Therefore, trying to avoid change is pointless; it’s a mere waste of
time and energy.
5.
Keeping A Closed Mind
You don’t know everything. Even the things you believe
yourself to know are likely to not be entirely true. If you keep a closed mind,
you are preventing yourself from learning new material. If you stop learning,
you stop living.
6.
Letting Others Make Decisions For Them
Only you should be making your own decisions; you can’t
allow others to make them for you. All this does is shift the responsibility
from you to someone else, but the only person failing in the end is you. If you
don’t have the courage to fail, then you don’t have the courage to succeed.
7.
Getting Jealous Over The Successes Of Others
When others succeed, you should be happy. If they can
do it, so can you. The success of others does not, in any way, lessen the
chances of you succeeding. If anything, it should motivate you to keep pushing
forward.
8.
Thinking About The High Possibility Of Failure
Our thoughts control our perspective; our perspective
controls our results. The mentally strong understand this and use this to their
advantage. There’s always the chance you may fail, but as long as there is the chance
you may succeed, it’s worth trying.
9.
Feeling Sorry For Themselves
Sh*t happens. Life can be hard. People get hurt;
others die. Life isn’t all roses and butterflies. You will fall off that horse
again and again and again. The question is, are you strong enough to keep
getting back on it?
10.
Focusing On Their Weaknesses
Although working on our weaknesses does have its
benefits, it’s more important to focus on banking on our strengths. The most
well-rounded person is not the person that gets the furthest in life. Being
average in all regards makes you average. However, mastering a certain skillset
or trait will allow you to beat the competition with less effort.
11.
Trying To Please People
A job well done is a job well done, no matter who is
judging the final product. You can’t please everybody, but you can always
manage to do your very best.
12.
Blaming Themselves For Things Outside Their Control
The mentally strong know the things they can control,
understand the things they cannot control, and avoid even thinking about that
which is completely out of their hands.
13.
Being Impatient
Patience isn’t just a virtue; it is the virtue. Most
people don’t fail because they aren’t good enough, or aren’t capable of winning
or succeeding. Most people fail because they are impatient and give up before
their time has come.
14.
Being Misunderstood
Communication is key in any properly functioning
system. When it comes to people, things get a bit more complicated. Simply
stating information is never enough; if the receiving party misunderstands you,
your message is not being properly relayed. The mentally strong do their best
to be understood and have the patience to clear up misunderstandings.
15.
Feeling Like You’re Owed
You aren’t owed anything in life. You were born; the
rest is up to you. Life doesn’t owe you anything. Others don’t owe you
anything. If you want something in life, you only owe it to yourself to go out
and get it. In life, there are no handouts.
16.
Repeating Mistakes
Make a mistake once, okay. Make a mistake twice… not
so okay. Make the same mistake a third time, you may need to consider giving up
alcohol and drugs. You’re either stupid or permanently high.
17.
Giving Into Their Fears
The world can be a scary place. Some things frighten
us with good cause, but most of our fears are illogical. If you know that you want
to try something, try it. If you’re scared, then understand that being scared
of failing must mean that succeeding means a whole lot to you.
18.
Acting Without Calculating
The mentally strong know better than to act before
completely understanding the situation at hand. If you have time to ponder over
something and cover all your bases, then do so. Not doing so is pure laziness.
19. Refusing Help From
Others
You’re not Superman;
you can’t do it all. Even if you can, why should you? If others are offering to
help, let them help. Be social. Listen to their ideas and watch how they do
things. You may learn something. If not, then you can teach them something and do
what humans are meant to do: socialize.
20. Throwing In The
Towel
The biggest weakness
in all of humanity is giving up — calling it quits, throwing in the towel. The
mentally strong go about things in such a way. Only do things if they are
important to you; forget the things that aren’t important to you. If they’re
important to you, then pursue them until you succeed. No exceptions, ever.
