Traits of Mentally Strong People

Entrepreneurship is a kind of job which takes a toll on your mind.  Hence, only people who are mentally strong survive the crazy business world.  Here are some traits which mentally strong people showcase, which anyone dreaming of becoming an entrepreneur should inculcate.

Traits of mentally strong people

1) Avoid feeling sorry for themselves

Whenever you try something new, there is always a risk of failing.  In such cases, many people tend to feel bad about themselves and start comparing their lives to others’ lives.  However, a person who is mentally strong, instead of feeling sorry, tries to learn something from the circumstances in which they are.  Instead of dwelling on their mistakes and failures, they take the lessons learned from them and try to better their future endeavors. Arianna Huffington, the founder of the Huffington Post, had her books rejected 36 times before getting it published.  Even with the continuous failures, Huffington did not give up on her dreams and now is considered one of the most influential women in the world.

2) Have the ability to say no

According to a research study, people who lack the ability to say no to others are likely to suffer from anxiety, stress and depression.  Mentally strong people know the importance of saying no when the situation calls for it. They are equipped with confidence and foresights to distinguish which task it is to which they should say no.  They give priority to their previous commitments by saying no to any new ones. Such determination helps them become successful. The CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett, always stresses on how saying no creates successful people.  He himself follows the rule by saying no to most social gatherings and uses the time to do activities which he believes are productive and contribute to his life.

3) Embracing change

Mentally strong people have the ability to embrace change.  They are flexible and are able to adapt to any kind of change which comes their way.  They always have a plan of action for cases where any kind of change occurs. They recognize the opportunities created by such changes and try to capitalize on them, in turn making them more successful.  When famous inventor Thomas Edison’s factory burned down in a fire in 1914, it destroyed some unique prototypes. However, instead of stressing about the damage, Edison, who was 67 at the time, embraced the change by saying all his failures and mistakes burned down but he would start over again the next day, which he did.  He quickly started working on reconstruction plans with his employees the next day and did not back down. Six months later, he gave a demonstration of a new invention, a battery driven light source. Edison had come up with the idea of this invention and design while watching the firefighters douse the fire at his laboratory with difficulty due to lack of power and light.

4) They have a positive attitude

The most important trait of mentally strong people is they have a positive attitude.  Whether it is a successful pitch to investors, failing economics or a failed business, people with strong mentality don’t lose their optimism when faced with such difficulties.  Instead of feeling like a failure, they try to find alternative methods to forward their careers. Kathryn Minshew, the co founder of The Muse, even after losing access to her website PYP Media and the savings she invested in it, did not lose her positive attitude.  She took the failure as a lesson and went on to create the website The Muse by working alongside team members of her previous company.

5) Practice delayed gratification

Resisting any kind of temptation requires a strong determination.  Mentally strong people understand great things happen to those who wait.  Many people hope to achieve more faster and without any effort. However, mentally strong people know the results of your efforts come with time and hard work.  LinkedIn co founder Reid Hoffman founded a social networking site which ultimately failed. Even after facing such failure, Hoffman didn’t stop and eventually built one of the most famous and successful websites in the world, LinkedIn.

Did we miss any other traits of mentally strong people?  Comment below and let us know.