Last week, in my post, Quitting is Easy, But it Will Haunt You, I wrote; “In most cases, giving up isn’t a matter of one’s capabilities, but their mental capacity”. As I’ve thought about it, that statement doesn’t just apply to quitting or giving up, but it applies to success. In fact, it can be the difference between being a winner or a loser!
Life is Like Tug of War
I remember competing in a team competition in high school where the final event was tug of war. The score was fairly close and the victory hinged on which team won the event. All players had to participate to try to even the teams. Not so much… I remember looking over at the other team and it looked like all my buddies from my offensive line and defensive line were there. We had some good athletes, but pound for pound, they were much stronger. Our strategy was to try to hide our weaker players in the front and let them just lean while we did all the heavy lifting in the back. And though some may think we had a sound strategy, we had mentally started to concede defeat, looking at the opponent as stronger and unbeatable. Needless to say, we took a loss on that one and lost the competition. That was just a friendly competition for school bragging rights, but when I think about it, it’s a lesson for life. The concept is simple; there is no room on the team for weak links/individuals. In particular, weak-minded people who lack the desire to be successful. Mental toughness, the ability to face and fight adversity, and of course hard work are the characteristics you need in your team members!
Outside The Box
I like the phrase “think outside the box”, because it encourages people to elevate their thought process beyond the norm and stretch themselves. But I also think many of us need to go even further and actually step outside the box. Far too many people are trapped in their circumstances and refuse to move. Whether it’s a mental state or even physical state, they stay inside the confines of the small box they are in and soon learn that the box continues to shrink and they remain stuck. An example would be a person with a narrow minded focus that not only refuses to think outside the box but gets to a point of mental complacency with where they are and stops trying to elevate themselves out the box or just settles for the box itself. That person at work that has been passed over for a few promotions, so they not only stop thinking of ways to set their performance above others, they completely stop trying to get ahead.
I’m a firm believer that everyone can be successful. As I’ve always said, you have to use your God-given gifts and talents to find your niche and put forth the work needed to obtain success. The reality is that’s simply not enough. The additional component that is underlying is focus and focus comes from mental strength and preparation. You can do all of the aforementioned things, but if you’re not able to win the mental battles (most we subject ourselves to), you won’t win! As the title states, it’s about mind over matter; if you refuse to strengthen, stimulate, and elevate your mind – you won’t matter!