Word of the Week

Strength

Definition: physical power and energy; the emotional or mental qualities necessary in dealing with situations or events that are distressing or difficult; the capacity of an object or substance to withstand great force or pressure

Strength

Consider this...

My arms are the size of toothpicks. Always have been, probably always will be. So when I had my first workout session with a trainer a little over a year ago (aerobic exercise is one way I control my chronic illness) and he asked me how many push-ups I can do, I laughed. And then I laughed some more. And then he laughed back and told me to drop to the ground and start while he counted. I did five, but only one of them probably should have counted as a real push-up.

And while five is a pretty small number of push-ups, after I did them, I felt like the next time I was asked to do them I could do 100. Realizing that I had more physical strength than I thought I had gave me, and still gives me, copious amount of mental strength. Each day I wake up and, as cheesy as it sounds, I think to myself, “I am strong enough to do anything.” And if I don’t believe myself, I do a few push-ups to prove it. (I’m up to 36! 36 real push-ups! My arms still look like toothpicks.)

It is my personal opinion that having mental strength is far more valuable than having physical strength. I only bring up the physical strength because, for me, it’s one of the ways I seek out and maintain my mental strength. With a strong mind, I know I can do, or deal with anything that’s put in front of me, and if for some reason I can’t, well, I know that I’ve done my best.

While it may not be apparent, mental strength is what helps us wake up in the mornings, what helps us feel good about our jobs, our relationships, our bodies. It helps us tackle new tasks and activities, gives us courage, gives us power, gives us energy. To me, it seems that mental strength is one of the most essential parts of living the life you set out to live.

There are things other than feeling physically strong that give me mental strength. A good pep talk from a family member or a friend. Yoga. Positive reinforcement.

What types of things give you mental strength?