"The empowered mind allows problems to seed personal growth." Steve Maraboli
In the past, the human mind was always a mystery to me. I had no clue how to handle it. The only belief I had was that my life depends on circumstances. So when I began exploring my mindset, when I started to read books and actually followed what I learned, it was the best discovery of my life so far. It felt like someone let me out of a jail.
Since we all want to be strong enough to handle life and make the best out of it, here are 4 ways how to become mentally empowered and take control of your future.
#1 Stop being a coward
Since I don’t want to offend anyone with this word, I am going to give you an example based on my life experience. Just recently, I acted as a coward. I was afraid of taking certain steps in my life and leaving the situation which was destroying me. I knew that fear is playing with me and I let it. I looked tough on the outside, but on the inside I was screaming for help, looking for someone who can wipe out my tears.
To be honest with you, I don’t think that being a coward is a bad thing or a symbol of weakness. Staying a coward is what you should be concern about. If you feel scared because of the giant size of your fears, excellent. This is a lifetime opportunity to step up like never before, with your legs shaking while you’re walking and finally make a decision that you are not going to let this misery controls you anymore.
#2 Become obsessed with who you are
Do you know exactly what you want? Do you know who you are? What are your strengths or your weaknesses? What makes you feel emotional and what makes you feel tough?
Becoming obsessed with yourself doesn’t mean narcissism or selfishness. It means having enough knowledge about yourself which you can use to design the own way of life. If you want to become totally empowered and balanced, you need to know what works the best for you. We all are different, and we have individual sets of values and triggers which excite us or give us energy.
I always say that you are the most important person in your life. Not because it is all about you but the complete opposite. Only by becoming the best version of yourself, you can help others to do the same.
#3 Become responsible for others
Now you may think that I am crazy. How can I advise you to be responsible for others when we should be responsible for own lives. I get it, and you are 100% correct. Let me explain.
My mom doesn’t work because of the health conditions she has. Since the government isn’t fully capable of taking care of her and she has no savings, I am the only person who can help; it is my responsibility to send her money every month. I don’t send her money; she doesn’t eat. It’s that simple. This situation often gives me the enormous sense of power and strength. I know that there is someone who I love and who depends on me and it is my responsibility to make it happen. Period.
The same applies to people with children. You can be tired, crawling on the floor from exhaustion, but one look at your child’s innocent face and you are back on your feet.
#4 Train yourself for positivity
Whether you are from a rich or a poor family, good neighborhood or a bad neighborhood, one thing is for sure. No one is born positive or negative. As life goes on, we develop certain habits and patterns which lead us either to happiness or sadness.
I know you probably have heard about positive attitude tons of times. The reason why I am mentioning it, (again) is because it is a tough job. Life isn’t about singing birds and breeze playing with your hair while watching the sunset on the beach. This is a romantic movie and not a life. In life, you will be challenged and tested how much you can handle. Sometimes life hits you hard, and the only thing which will matter is your attitude towards it. This is going to be a situation where positive mindset will define everything.