Mental strength and ourselves

Mental strength refers to the capability of an individual to emerge as a better version of themself on suffering a setback. It is a measure of individual resilience and confidence. Mental toughness and positivity are essential for someone to be successful.We largely lack this attribute; we do not risk improving our lives because we always believe the outcome will be negative. This is not about finding an excuse for failure; it is finding an excuse to give up. What we do not realize is that we are actually driving ourselves to further ruin by doing so.Our ability to accept responsibility for things depends on our sense of agency: our perceived ability to influence events and direct them towards the achievement of our goals. So it is we who are left to face the consequences of our actions and deal with it. Those who do not feel mentally strong depend excessively on validation,acceptance and prioritise the happiness of others.

 

People and their types

There are two types of people in the world- the proactive and the reactive. They are those who take responsibility for their lives and those who blame; those who complain after having allowed things to happen to them. We get multiple situations for things to unfold either way in our lives after which we get a choice to be either proactive or reactive. Proactive people make choices based on values. As Willian James Moore had said, “The measure of your character and mental toughness is the space between what you are doing and what you could be doing”

The absence of a strong mentality subjects us to betrayal, blind dependence, blackmail, bullying, insecurity and belief in myths and negative thoughts. This trend is strongly prevalent today.

 

Hurdles and how to overcome

Jealousy is a very common problem that blinds people from attaining their true potential. We are constantly troubled by the ‘fear’ of others taking our coveted position or rank. The practise of drawing comparisons between people is yet another. It leads to self doubt, negative thoughts and low self esteem. .These two factors contribute to making us degrade our own selves, develop insecurity and hopelessness, declines our motivation and concentration.

There are ways to get out of this loophole. Let us believe that every problem comes with a solution. As we realise it early on, it builds our mental strength. This also gives us the realisation that every situation need not yield a positive solution and that we should garner the strength not to get overwhelmed by the obstacles. We can empower ourselves once we attain the pragmatic realisation that mental strength is difficult to attain : however we still nurture the strong belief that powerful will and determination can make us attain it. Just like physical strength, it is a muscle of the mind with which we can develop our overall well- being.

 

 

About the authors

The article has been contributed by the following students from Our Lady Queen of the Mission School, Park Circus, Kolkata: Kinkini Chowdhury, Anwesha Pandey and Aritrika Sen.