Mental Toughness

 “If you’re lucky enough to find a guy with a lot of head and a lot of heart, he’s never going to come off the field second.”
“Teams do not go physically flat, they go mentally stale.”
“Mental toughness is many things and rather difficult to explain. Its qualities are sacrifice and self-denial. Also, most importantly, it is combined with a perfectly disciplined will that refuses to give in. It’s a state of mind – you could call it ‘character in action.’”
“Mental toughness is essential to success.”

© Yuri Arcurs – Fotolia.com

I love Vince Lombardi.  Okay, I’m a guy, I’m into football.  But that aside, if you really look at his words, he speaks to timeless principles of discipline and sacrifice.  It’s not about winning a game but winning at life.  Theodore Roosevelt, George Bernard Shaw and others all spoke of, “spending yourself” and leaving nothing behind.   It’s not about having scored more points, it’s life, who really cares about points – It is about knowing, inside, that you gave your best shot.  Sometimes, it’s good enough, sometimes not; but as Teddy Roosevelt said, “If he fails, at least fails while daring greatly…” 

Easier said than done.  Unemployed, bills mounting, fighting with spouse, it is tough.  I get that.  But just maybe, these are the times, you need someone like Vince Lombardi to tell you that you must be “mental tough.”  Now more than ever, this time, this is when you must be “mentally tough.”  Otherwise, life rolls over you and your life becomes a train wreck.

So, does your life become a train wreck?  The choice is yours.  Be mentally tough.  Refuse to give in.  Character in action.  What’s your character made of?

Understand this, and understand this well, this too shall pass.  All your struggles, all this too shall pass.  Be mentally tough.

And if it doesn’t pass, remember M. Scott Peck’s words, “Life is difficult.”  It is meant to be difficult.  So, no more woe is me, why do I have it so hard, etc., be mentally tough.  Resolve to dig yourself out, reach out to those who can help, network, plan, make 30-60-90 day plan, move step by step and regain control of your life.

Good Luck.

PS – yes, this means more Vince Lombardi quotes are in the pipeline!

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