The mindset that everyone needs

The mindset that we all need in life is one that can handle and grow from pain and suffering. Life can be full of difficulties, whether it be from inclement weather, a chronic illness, or financial struggles. It's easy to feel defeated and hopeless in these situations, but what if there was a way to not only get through the pain, but to actually grow stronger from it? In this post, I want to explore a simple mindset shift that can help you do just that.

The first step in making this mindset shift is to realize that there is never going to be a time in your life where everything is perfect and all of your problems are solved. This is simply not human nature. Even if you're not going through a period of intense suffering, our minds always find something to worry about. The key is to learn to accept that life will always have ups and downs, and that it's not about avoiding the pain, but about learning to handle it in a way that allows you to grow.

The second part of this mindset shift is to view your suffering as a test. In the world of psychology, this is known as logotherapy, which was developed by Victor Frankl. Frankl was an Austrian neurologist, psychiatrist, and Holocaust survivor. He was best known for his development of logotherapy, a form of existential analysis and meaning-centered psychotherapy. He was imprisoned in several Nazi concentration camps, including Auschwitz, during World War II and was one of the very few survivors of the camps. The experience of the Holocaust and his imprisonment led him to develop his ideas about the human search for meaning, which he wrote about in his most famous work, "Man's Search for Meaning." Amazon link to book: https://amzn.to/3Wyb07W The book has been widely read and translated into many languages, it describes his experiences in concentration camps and the psychological lessons he learned from them. Frankl's work has had a profound impact on the field of psychotherapy and has been widely studied and applied in various settings.

Frankl observed that the prisoners who were able to survive the harsh conditions were the ones who gave their suffering a meaning - they found a purpose in their suffering. For example, Frankl found that prisoners who saw their suffering as necessary to see their family again were able to survive in order to do just that. Ostensibly, Frankl is a great example himself - he saw his suffering necessitated obstacles that he needed to surpass in order to publish his work. And because he was able to do just that, he was able to publish one of the most profound pieces of work in all of psychology.

While you may not be in a concentration camp while reading this, you can still apply the same principle to your own life. For example, if you're going through a natural disaster and lose a prized possession, you can view it as a chance to practice letting go. Letting go is one of the hardest things in life, and by viewing this as an opportunity to build up that skill - you can come out of the experience stronger. If you're dealing with a chronic illness, you can view it as a chance to practice patience and perseverance. By giving your suffering a meaning, you can find purpose in it and come out of the experience a better person. It's important to note that this mindset shift doesn't mean that the pain will suddenly disappear. It's still going to be difficult and it's still going to hurt. But by viewing your suffering as a test and giving it a meaning, you can find purpose in it and come out of the experience stronger.

To wrap things up, life is full of pain and suffering, but it's not about avoiding it. It's about learning to handle it in a way that allows us to grow. By adopting a simple mindset shift and viewing your suffering as a test, you can find meaning in it and come out of the experience stronger. Remember, it’s not about what happens to us, it’s how we mentally respond to what happens to us, so the next time you endure a hardship, consider changing your perspective on the situation. This mindset shift may not be easy, but it can help you navigate through difficult times and come out stronger on the other side.