Amy Morin is a psychotherapist, mental strength trainer, and international bestselling author who said, “There will always be obstacles and challenges that stand in your way. Building mental strength will help you develop resilience to those potential hazards so you can continue on your journey to success.” I embrace her idea and believe that the pursuit of a successful life almost always requires you to give up unhealthy habits.
If you are a person who holds grudges and resentments, you may know how it feels to be weighed down with anger and mentally frustrated. For example, if someone in a past relationship hurt you and you never let it go, every time anyone does something similar it is likely you will react with unwarranted skepticism, as if they were the person who hurt you. When this happens, it will leave you feeling upset as well as confused by your reaction to a minor incident that you may have misinterpreted.
It’s hard for any relationship to survive when neither party has processed what has happened in the past. Like blame, mental frustration keeps you stuck in the “same old rodeo.”
Just as you clean house to get rid of physical stuff, you need to keep your mental, emotional, and spiritual house clean and in order. Prayer, reading, counseling, journaling, meditation, and exercise are all good ways to help ensure that past issues don’t seep back into your mind causing mental stress. But if those old feelings come back, as they may from time to time, it’s best to talk to the people who can encourage you with positive thoughts like love, truth and honesty.
NBA basketball great Julius Erving said, “The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life – mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical.”
Amy Morin says that mentally strong people manage their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in ways that set them up for success in life. These include the following:
- They don’t waste time feeling sorry for themselves.
- They don’t give away their power.
- They don’t shy away from change.
- They don’t waste energy on things they can’t control.
- They don’t worry about pleasing everyone.
Finally, God is the answer for obtaining mental strength by giving up unhealth habits. However, you should surround yourself with positive thinking people. Their very presence will help strengthen your mental outlook and you will experience less frustration on your journey to a successful life. So, Never Give Up! Never Give Up! Never Give Up!
By Chaplain Ghosten
chaplain@lhp.net
