Everyday I learn and grow. I'm always trying to increase my mind's usefulness. I've always had a strong mind. Will power, strength, endurance to deal with whatever life throws at me. I'm a pretty determined person. Sometimes, it's a little more difficult when we need to have that mental strength for something that we don't necessarily want.
When I was in high school, all I could think about was getting to play college basketball. My high school "coach" (he had the title but couldn't coach basketball at all) was a total jerk. Knowing that I was the only player with aspirations to move on, he decided to play mind games with me. He knew he wouldn't break me, though I know he tried. I was too strong for his games. What he didn't realize was that, I wasn't playing for him. I didn't care one bit what that bald piece of crap thought. He didn't have the correct skills. He didn't teach the correct skills. He couldn't even tell the point guard which offense to run when the defense changed. His basketball knowledge amounted to piddly squat! I wasn't playing for his approval. I played for me, my parents, and God. If I could make those three proud, I was on target. That "coach" may have thought he was bringing out the best in me, but the truth was, he brought out the worst. He tried to unfocus me. Who does that? An idiot. From that point on, I knew my mental strength was something that would have to get me through a lot. And boy has it. Time and time again I have been knocked down, beat up, and kicked in the teeth. No matter how many times I get pushed around I still find a way to get back on my feet. So why post about this? Bragging rights? Sure! No, no, no. I see a lack of mental strength in many people I encounter these days. There's always a reason to drop out, quit, move on, and not think twice. But why don't we think twice? Doesn't it bother you when something isn't done that could be? I'm so thankful for the family I grew up in. They expected me to do well in whatever I did. There was no participation trophy. There was no, "Well, you tried your best." No! We were taught to work hard, do your best, and reap your reward. I suppose that's where the deficit of mental strength is. Time outs and trophies. In all these years of dealing with children's emotions, we dropped the ability to strengthen their minds. How does anyone gain strength? Through tension. Pressure. I love strength training, in reference to the body. Your muscles literally tear at a cellular level and then are built back up. Now, we can't tear the feelings of little ones. It will damage them. HA! You mean to tell me that challenging your children, telling them no, and not letting them win will damage them? That's what's wrong. That level of thinking started with my parents' generation. Look at us now. I watch people give up on so many things at the drop of a hat because it's hard or it didn't turn out the way they planned. We need that mental fortitude to say, "I can do this. I can get through this." It isn't easy. It isn't fun, but the reward is. I have had things given to me. It was okay. It's nothing like when I work for it, though. Things taste so much sweeter when you work for them. The mind controls the body. The mind makes decisions. The mind says yes or no. But we can train the mind. We can begin to control it and argue with it. So why not do it? I love watching clients learn how their mind panics for no reason. They begin a cardio exercise and BAM! it's panicked breathing. Short, shallow breaths consume them. No oxygen reaches their brain. "Quit! Quit now!" The brain yells. So I get to teach them. As you begin, focus on your breathing. Take longer, deeper breaths. Let the oxygen reach the brain, and teach that mind that what you are doing is okay. It's a beautiful thing to watch. A recent study came out about incorporating the mind in exercise and all parts of life. When you have the ability to focus on the task at hand, you are able to go beyond your limits. You keep out the distractions around you and push through. While the study was performed on individuals during exercises of a variety of types, it transfers over to whatever it is we are doing. Here's the breakdown: If we want to pursue anything with all our strength, we must incorporate the mind. You make the choice, sometimes before the difficult process even arrives. Make the decision to strive through the tough times. If you struggle through, keep going. If you need help to continue, take the help. But don't quit. Just don't quit. Run the run. Finish the job. Write what needs to be said. Read what needs to be read. Grow. Process. Take control of your life and do each thing with purpose. And do it well.
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AuthorI have a lot to say about a lot of things. Archives
May 2023
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