Talk about sound mental health habits to combat those bad habits (13 specific ones) that keep us from getting success. “Developing mental strength”, says the author: “is about improving your ability to regulate your emotions, manage your thoughts, and behave in a positive manner, despite your circumstances.” Whether some people are more predisposed to develop this type of strength, or whether genes, personality or life itself play an important role, you actually must be tough to tackle with grace all the curves that life throws at you. However, it is is not about positive thinking, or ignoring your emotions or feelings, but rather, embracing them, ‘controlling them’.
Personally I can attest to the power of a strong mind (or should we just say, the ‘power of the spirit’?) and this book breaks down into 13 chapters the strategy to become mentally strong, a strategy that indeed has also served me well. Don’t waste time feeling sorry for yourself, don’t give away your power, don’t shy away from change, focus on what you can control, don’t worry about trying to please everyone, take calculated risks in a fearless way, don’t dwell on the past, turn the page, avoid making mistakes over and over, as if you never learned your lesson(s), do not resent other people’s success or talent, and don’t expect immediate results, since even failures are part of the road to success.
13 Things mentally strong people don’t do : Take back your power, embrace change, face your fears, and train your brain for happiness and success. Amy Morin. New York: William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2014.