We often hear how we have to be strong and tough,
like a prize fighter we need to be able to roll with the punches and come out of the corner ready for action.
We must be a rubber ball, have unlimited self belief, fear not failure, emit an endless stream of positivity.
But what does ‘being strong’ actually mean? Is it a learned skill or are we just born ‘strong’? And what does ‘being strong’ mean to me?
For me, strength is not what we do, who we are, but rather a reflection of what we have been through in our lives.
When my mother died, my heart cracked in two, I wept, I felt hopeless, lost, empty, this was the moment I had feared all my life, but guess what? I never doubted for a second that I would bounce back.
So for me, strength is emotional, its the ability to overcome pain, fear, criticism and negativity. Being emotionally strong means you are confident because, you, like me, may well have faced your worst fear, and won!
I believe that emotional strength is the one thing we should chase if we want to truly succeed, not just in our careers, but in our lives.
Life is a series of experiences, and each person has a unique story to tell and, without question, you have the power to create the life you want.
“Once you believe you are strong emotionally, you will unconsciously act stronger than before and begin to take control over your emotional whims.” –Senora Roy
When you start from a place of self-confidence, because you have been challenged, doubted, criticised, each failure becomes a lesson that continues to propel you, rather than hold you back.
I believe It allows you to have ultimate confidence in yourself, and once you are confidence you lose the need for acceptance, for approval, you won’t fear walking away, nor will you fear starting again, you won’t need to fit a mould, a stereotypical norm.
So what if all the awful, challenging, painful moments that you overcame in life were the preamble, the precursor, the training you needed for the life you would want? The life you dream about? What if it allowed you to see more clearly the things you need to really be happy? To choose a life of simplicity, productivity, and passion.
For me, challenges happen for a reason, and only when we have overcome them will we understand why they were there, and, without doubt they can propel us forward if we allow them to.
Abraham Lincoln said,
“It’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.”
For me, being emotionally strong means you don’t settle for mediocrity, even when times get tough. Its about striving to achieve greatness by setting goals, making plans, solving problems, and digging deep to find motivation each day.
I don’t believe we are born with strength, I believe It comes from years of working through difficult moments and emotions, developing and becoming a little better each day.
No one has succeeded because life was easy, they usually fought for the life they wanted, for the life that they deserve.
You can too.
