9 Traits of Mentally Strong People You Didn’t Know You Had

We’ve all heard of physically strong people, but mentally strong people?

What exactly does that mean?

The truth is, most of us have more mental strength than we realize — the only thing holding us back from discovering our inner strengths is often ourselves.

Here are 9 surprising traits of mentally strong people you didn’t know you had.

1. They Are Always Willing To Listen

Mentally strong people are always willing to listen, even when they disagree with what you have to say.

Their confidence in their convictions doesn’t make them immune to listening to other points of view, even when they disagree with those views. This is because they understand that being overly dogmatic will lead them down a path that leads nowhere at all.

When others feel heard, appreciated and respected, it not only helps foster better relationships but also helps build stronger connections within ourselves.

The more we feel valued and understood by others, the more we see ourselves in a positive light. As a result, we are willing to go through our own personal evolution.

2. They Don’t Let The Past Own Them

One way to think about mentally strong people is that they’re able to learn from past experiences.

Still, they don’t let these experiences dominate their behaviour. In other words, they don’t become negative by dwelling on what has happened in the past.

Instead, mentally strong people use their past experiences as sources of information — tools for them to learn from and improve themselves.

By not letting their past dictate who they are now and how they will behave in future situations, mentally strong people gain a huge advantage over those who do.

3. Their Motivation Comes From Within

Yes, some people thrive off competitive pressure and challenging environments, but many mentally strong people are self-starters.

They know what they want and aren’t waiting for someone to tell them how to get there; instead, they make their own goals.

With a bit of motivation or drive from within, mentally strong people set out to make their own fortune rather than rely on other sources for fulfilment.

They don’t need a coach or a cheerleader; they have their inner cheerleader telling them they can do it.

4. They Believe In A Higher Power

Mentally strong people don’t have faith in themselves. Instead, they have faith in a higher power.

When asked if they believe in fate, 83% of Forbes’ list of America’s most potent CEOs said yes.

As Steve Jobs said,

I’m convinced that about half of what separates successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance.

Mentally strong people do not give up when things get tough because they know something more significant is watching over them, and it’s not just a figment of their imagination.

This can be any god, goddess or entity — whatever works for you.

5. They Never Take Things Personally

Even when things don’t go their way, mentally strong people rarely take things personally. In fact, they’re skilled at keeping a separation between what other people say or do and how they feel about themselves.

They may be criticized or judged, and it doesn’t shake them — it just lets them know what isn’t working so they can do something different.

They Live in Reality: Mentally strong people tend to stay away from negativity by focusing on what they can control instead of getting caught up in worrying about external factors.

While it might be easier to fret over situations you have no control over, that kind of thinking won’t get you anywhere.

In fact, worrying has been shown to worsen your mood and outlook on life.

6. They Give Other People The Benefit Of The Doubt

The truth is, we’re all susceptible to our own biases and prejudices; there’s no getting around it.

The mentally strong know they aren’t infallible, so they find ways to ensure their opinions are informed, fair and open-minded.

They don’t prejudge others or make snap judgments. Instead, they give other people (and ideas) a chance — which often makes all the difference in how things play out.

7. They Are Empathetic, Not Sympathetic

A big misconception about mentally strong people is that they are indifferent and unfeeling, but what you might not know is that they’re actually quite empathetic.

The critical difference between empathy and sympathy is simply that empaths feel with others while sympathizers think for others.

This means that while mentally strong people care deeply about those around them, they don’t pity their struggles — they acknowledge their efforts, experience them alongside them, and help them find ways to overcome them.

They Keep Things in Perspective: In a nutshell, mental strength comes down to perspective — realizing what is essential in life and how it relates to all other things.

8. They Stay Calm Under Pressure

Whether facing a hard deadline at work or a gruelling workout, mentally strong people know how to harness stress for their benefit.

They don’t try to avoid stressful situations. Instead, they use them as catalysts for growth and success.

Stress can improve mental performance and help us deal with demanding tasks.

But suppose we succumb to that initial anxiety, fear, or uneasiness when faced with something stressful. In that case, it takes over our lives and pushes us into our comfort zone — where many people stop growing.

To build mental strength, you need to learn how to use stress as an opportunity rather than avoiding it entirely — and it starts by controlling your response in any given situation.

9. They Use Negative Experiences As An Opportunity For Growth

More often than not, we can learn something valuable from negative experiences.

Rather than dwelling on what went wrong or who is to blame, focus your energy on using those situations as an opportunity for growth.

When something goes wrong, view it as a chance to strengthen relationships or develop new skills. It doesn’t matter if you have failed; what matters is that you used failure as a learning experience and chose not to make the same mistake twice.

Final Thoughts

Successful people do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do. Don’t wish it were easier; wish you were better.”

— Jim Rohn.

Everyone is destined for greatness, but only those with a solid mental resolve can find the necessary motivation to reach their full potential.

Do you want something?

Go get it!

Life will be much more rewarding if you take the initiative to do what’s necessary instead of being complacent.