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- Mastering Your Mind: Practical Steps for Mental Resilience
Mastering Your Mind: Practical Steps for Mental Resilience
Uthman Abdul-Lateef
September 23, 2023
Hey there, fellow adventurers.
Welcome to the third Issue of Evolve!
I have studied lots of successful people, I have listened to them speak, read books they've written, and most of them—If not all, share a fascinating commonality:
They dared to dream, to believe, and to visualize their future long before it became their reality.
I want you to take a moment and reflect on this profound truth:
Belief is an extraordinary force. It has the potential to mold our destinies, to transform our desires into tangible achievements.
The Power of the Mind:
All the magic of daring to dream, believing, and visualizing happens in one place:
— Your mind.
Our minds are like incredible machines that can shape our reality through our thoughts and beliefs.
To show you this, let's talk about something fascinating called the placebo effect.
The Placebo Effect:
In medical trials, people are sometimes given a "fake" treatment, like a sugar pill, that doesn't have any real medical properties. However, here's the remarkable part: those who receive the placebo often experience improvements in their condition. Why? Because they genuinely believe that what they're taking is a powerful medication, and their minds make them feel better as a result.
This is a fantastic example of how our thoughts can make things happen and how mighty our minds are in affecting our Lives.
But here’s the thing:
Your mind has the power to either propel you forward or hinder your progress
To unlock all the fantastic potential our mind holds—We first need to master it.
Before we jump into how to do that, let me share a wise quote from the toughest man alive, David Goggins.
In one of his books, he aptly said:
"Your mind is the most powerful weapon in the world. Once you master it, there's nothing you can't do."
David Goggins, who was once an overweight kid, transformed into a US Navy SEAL and earned the title of the — Toughest man alive.
His journey is filled with lessons that can benefit all of us.
I strongly recommend reading his book, 'Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind, Defy All Odds’.
It had a profound impact on my beliefs and mindset.
Ways to Build Mental Toughness and Master Your Mind
Mastering our minds should be a universal aspiration, considering the incredible and powerful nature of our minds.
However, many of us tend to overlook the importance of this endeavor.
In this section, I'll walk you through six practical steps to help you master your mind and develop mental toughness:
Embrace Failures
Do Hard Things
Finish What You Start
Internalize the 40% Rule
Choose Positivity Over Negativity
Auto pilot Self-awareness
Now let’s dive into each of this.
Embrace Failures
To develop the grit your mind needs, you must be prepared to face failure —Numerous times.
It's essential to stop viewing failure as something negative; instead, see it as a sign that you are actively trying.
When Thomas Edison was tirelessly working to invent the bulb we all use today, history records that he faced over 10,000 failures.
When he was asked how he persevered, he replied with this profound statement:
I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.
Behind every successful adventure lies a catalog of failed experiences.
— Enjoy Failing, Embrace it.
It might sound counterintuitive, but it's a crucial part of the journey.
Don't feel discouraged by your failures; instead, use them as steppingstones to progress.
In my own life, I've witnessed profound personal growth during two pivotal periods:
One occurred when I decided to live without a phone – a story I'll delve into at another time.
The other transpired during the darkest phase of my life when it seemed that nothing was working as it should.
I even struggled to make sales from flipping domains, despite having taught others the same skill.
So, you know it wasn't from a lack of knowledge; it just wasn't working at that point in my life.
During this challenging time, I began gradually transitioning into the tech field, ultimately deciding to fully commit to DevOps.
Failing allowed me to explore new options I probably wouldn't have explored if everything were working perfectly.
Embracing failures is a key part of building mental resilience and mastering your mind.
It's about learning from your setbacks and using them as steppingstones on your path to success.