We know that our attitude is something that can be developed like the muscles of your body, so how do we do it?
How do we go about developing a specific mindset toward life that will increase our happiness and success?
Mental strength is the ability to think and feel how you choose to in any given moment.
For example, you're driving down the road and somebody cuts you off; with sufficient mental strength, you won't allow yourself to get frustrated or angry. Or let's say that someone close to you begins to criticise your decisions in life; with sufficient mental strength you can stand in the clarity of your decision and not allow this other person to affect your confidence.
You can see how critical a skill like this is for successful living. It takes a lot of strength to live congruently with your highest ideas in the face of a society that values conformity above everything else. It takes strength to allow criticism and hate to roll right off of you like water off a turtle's shell.
As you pursue your dreams there will be no shortage of people around you criticising you. They'll ask who you are to think you can achieve such grand things, they'll tell you that it's impossible; they'll tell you that it's a pipe dream and you should just give up before you fail miserably. These types of comments become more and more common the farther you follow your own path.
It takes mental strength not to take things personally.
Have you noticed that when you allow things to get to you, the momentum of negativity builds until you totally feel like crap? The more inclined you are to be affected by what goes on around you, the more you are at the whim of your environment and the less able you are to direct the course of your life.
A key component to mental strength is focus which is the ability to direct your mind. When you develop your focus you give yourself the freedom of venturing out into the unknown by understanding that you can always find the positive in any situation.
The first step towards developing mental strength is becoming aware of when you are mentally weak. Begin to watch yourself as if from an outsider's point of view. Notice when you react to what life throws your way, and notice when you allow the circumstances in your environment to affect how you feel.
As you begin to become more aware of when you are mentally weak your desire for mental strength will increase tremendously.
After you understand where you're weak mentally, it's time to begin training up. The best way that I have found to do this is through the process of meditation. I know what you are thinking - monks in red robes with shaved heads that levitate - this level of mediation is not at all what I am talking about.
Meditation enables the detached outsider's perspective and develops focus to an unbelievable degree.
All in all, the desire to improve your mental strength will lead you towards the path of its development. Most things in life are like that wherein all you need is a desire and commitment and the rest will unfold beautifully before you.
Remember, the mind is a wonderful servant, but a terrible master; you must take control of your mind or it will take control of you.