Strength is a quality that the world believes is inherent in men. However, as a man, you may not always feel as strong as others perceive you to be. As physically strong as you may appear, building mental strength takes practice. Unfortunately, most men aren’t shown how to do this practice or where to start.
Everyone doubts themselves from time to time. The trick is not to let your insecurities minimize your true strength within.
That inner critic and imposter syndrome can weigh you down and hold you back. If you’re able to get going your inner critic and sense of being found out can really slow you down and be exhausting.
This article is a reminder that you are stronger than you think. Keep reading to learn why that is.
What Does It Mean to Be Strong?
Before we explain why you are stronger than you think, we must first define what it means to be strong.
There are many ways to define and describe being strong — strength means something different to everyone. What’s more, other people prioritize the different types of strength in their own way.
While being as physically fit as you can be is always a good thing, at 1428 Transformations, we want to focus on the strength that lies within. As mentioned, people often pigeonhole men into being physically strong.
As a result, many find value in how strong their bodies are and aim to continue to grow their physical strength. What about the other 3 key aspects of your being; your mental, emotional and spiritual strength?
Your mental strength helps you get through life, manage your emotions, and stay true to yourself. Your emotions provide key pieces of information to you about your environment and experiences and help you react appropriately. Spiritual strength provides you with a sense of connection to others and the world at large.
Today we will focus on several components of mental strength, some of which include:
- Feelings: Being strong means you know your emotions and the thoughts that fuel your feelings. A strong man can emotionally regulate and react with consideration versus reacting too impulsively.
- Perseverance: Being strong also means that you rarely give up, unless you’ve consciously decided to make a pivot. It takes more strength to stumble and try again than to succeed.
- Confidence: Strength and confidence go hand in hand, and as a mentally strong person, you should have the confidence to live your life your way, unapologetically.
- The ability to make your own decisions: Being strong doesn’t mean shutting out everyone else. You should always listen and value what others say, especially as a leader. However, ultimately, you should be able to make your own decisions, honor yourself and take responsibility, no matter how difficult.
Why is this all important?
Because people navigate between surviving and thriving throughout their days, weeks and years which creates a lifetime of experiences. Having a sense of, and knowing we are thriving is important to live a full and rewarding life.
- Thriving- Is the ability to navigate between survival mode and creation mode with greater ease because we are resilient, robust and flexible/adaptable.
- Resilience means we bounce back after a storm or adversity.
- Robustness means we weather the storm or challenges with strength and conviction.
- Flexibility/ Adaptability means we adapt appropriately to a storm or difficult times without losing a sense of ourselves/essence. We change on our terms with consideration to adapt.
- Resilience, Robustness and Flexibility are all aspects we can improve with awareness, intentional practices and gentle reflection.
Your mental strength can increase with time if you recognize it and know how to use it. Deciding to build your mental strength doesn’t mean that you’re starting from ground zero.
You’re most likely stronger than you think and just need to build on the qualities you already have — even if you don’t recognize them.
Let’s take a look at the ways that you are stronger than you think.
8 Ways You Are Stronger Than You Think
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Everyone is strong in their own way; it’s about recognizing what that way is for you. Once you know the qualities that make you the strong person you are, you gain confidence in your abilities, better recognize your strength, and can continue working on being your true authentic self.
To help give you the jumpstart in confidence that you need, here are eight ways that you are stronger than you think.
You’ve Accomplished So Much Already
The first step to realizing that you are stronger than you think is giving yourself credit where credit is due.
Even if you don’t realize it yet, you’ve already accomplished so much in your life — no matter how minor those accomplishments seem. Here are a few achievements to reminisce on that you should be proud of yourself for:
- You’ve completed some degree of schooling.
- You’ve built a career for yourself.
- You’ve been able to provide for your family.
- You are loved and cherished by your friends and loved ones.
- You’ve built a home to live in (figuratively and literally).
- You’ve never given up, you’re here reading this looking to grow even more.
It takes strength to accomplish as much as you have, and you should give yourself credit for coming this far.
You’ve Proven to Be Resilient
Resilience is another clear sign that you are stronger than you think. But what does resilience mean?
Resilience means that you can face adversity, setbacks, and obstacles and recover from them. Chances are that you’ve faced adversity several times in your life, such as:
- Ending relationships that are no longer healthy for you
- Losing a loved one
- Financial hardships
- Emotional trauma
If you’ve experienced a difficult situation and haven’t let it hold you back from continuously reaching your goals and striving for more, you’re proving that you’re resilient and stronger than you think.
You Surpass Your Fears By Stepping Into Courage
Fear is a normal part of life. It’s how we address these fears that determine our strength.
Have you ever been afraid to try something new? Did you try this new thing anyway, even if you failed? If so, this is one of the top ways to know you’re stronger than you think.
Facing your fears takes courage and strength. Whether you took a business risk, confessed your love, or even went skydiving, confronting your fears strengthens you. It shows that you’re strong and is always a great way to continue building your strength.
You Evolve and Adapt
Life is fluid, and everything around us is constantly changing. That’s why it’s essential to adapt and evolve with changes to continue to succeed. However, this can be easier said than done.
Sometimes it’s challenging to adapt to change, especially if you don’t want things to change. However, there are several scenarios in life when it’s necessary to evolve. Some common changes you may have encountered in life include:
- Moving to a new city for career opportunities
- A sudden shift in your financial stability
- A significant change in your living situation
- A separation or divorce
By transitioning through these scenarios, you’ve used the strength within to adapt and evolve into a stronger version of yourself.
You Keep to Your Values
If you can keep to your values, even when faced with peer pressure or in a difficult situation, you are stronger than you think.
Here’s an example: Let’s say you’re facing an incredibly lucrative business opportunity, but it requires you to lie or cheat somehow. You’ve been encouraged to do so by those bringing the opportunity to you and assured it’s safe.
Until now, you’ve succeeded without succumbing to these methods, and you have pride in that. Why should you change now?
Men who aren’t as mentally strong might find it easier to compromise their values at this point and jump into this opportunity. However, it takes more strength to say no, and proceed with an option that aligns with your values.
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You Stay True to Yourself
When you keep to your inner truth, your authentic self, you stay true to yourself. But staying true to who you are goes beyond values. A strong man knows who he is and doesn’t lose his true self in relationships or along the journey of life.
Staying true to who you are requires self awareness, self-discipline and the ability to self reflect which requires significant inner strength. Every day you face numerous outside influences that may pressure you to change who you are and sacrifice what matters to you and makes you happy.
It’s easy to succumb to peer pressure, sticking to your guns and staying true to what matters to you is hard. Although you should always consider the feelings of your friends, family, and loved ones, it’s essential never to lose sight of who you are and your own path.
You Have Faith
It takes a lot of strength to keep your faith, hope and inspiration, especially in times of hardship. However, keeping your faith, hope and inspiration strong is one of the top ways you are stronger than you think.
It’s easy to give up and lose faith, hope and inspiration when things get tough and let things happen as they do. However, holding out hope and taking action to control your situation demonstrates your faith, hope and inspiration & strength.
You don’t have to be religious or spiritual to hold faith. Faith is having complete trust in yourself and a strong belief in your abilities though it can also mean your beliefs; religious or spiritual guide your path.
You’re Still Around
This final reason that you are stronger than you think may seem simple, but it is something many men mistakenly take for granted — still being here.
Sadly, men are more likely to die from suicide than women — a whopping 3.88 times more likely. Current research shows that there is a growing rate of death by suicide due to a number of reasons, one main reason is loneliness amongst men.
Men more then ever feel disconnected from themselves, their friends and family and the world around them and often believe they have no one to connect with and share these feelings and thoughts with.
Unfortunately, many men who commit suicide probably were stronger than they thought. It’s essential to realize your strengths sooner rather than later.
If you’ve faced extreme hardship or suffered from depression, anxiety, or other disorders, the fact that you’re still standing is a testament to your strength that you should not take for granted.
How to Work on Your Mental Strength
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Although you are already stronger than you think, it’s always a good idea to work on building your mental strength for longevity. Here are a few tips to help you develop your inner strength for a better and more confident life.
- Physical exercise: Although we mentioned that physical strength doesn’t define you, your mind and body are still connected. Therefore, when your body is feeling strong, you increase the chances of your mind feeling strong. Living an active lifestyle will contribute to your mental strength and help you become more confident.
- Positive affirmations: Becoming stronger can be as simple as telling yourself you’re stronger. Practice starting your day with positive affirmations to put yourself in the right mindset.
- Embrace adversity: Adversity will happen no matter what, so if you remain ready for it and embrace it, it’ll affect you less. The better you respond to adversity, the stronger you become.
- Take on new challenges: The saying “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” has some truth. The only way to achieve personal growth is to leave your comfort zone, and you’ll become stronger each time.
- Community & Connection: having people to talk with and connect with is important….
You Are Stronger Than You Think & Can Be Even Stronger
You are stronger than you think, even if you don’t realize it fully yet. You’ve accomplished so much, and you continue to persevere every day to be a better version of yourself.
If you would like more guidance to help you discover your true inner strength, 1428 Transformations can help. We offer a variety of strategies and executive coaching services to help men recognize their inner strength to influence their life and encourage them to take control positively.
Book your free introductory call today to learn why you are stronger than you think!
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