Leaders don’t deny their emotions.
They acknowledge them, feel them,
and transmute them into power.
In this series we’re discussing the Ground Rules of Grit; and up to this point we’ve explored three ground rules:
- Love
- Mastery; and
- Purpose.
If you haven’t been keeping up, go here.
The third ground rule is: Emotional Strength and Mental Toughness.
Anyone who states that life and business are not often hard and difficult is being less than honest.
Life is often hard. Life often appears unfair.
But the leader sees the justice and beauty in all.
He makes it all work to his advantage.
Recent research shows that entrepreneurs have a high degree of depression.
Believe me I get this.
Depression is the polar-opposite of expression. It’s a natural state for all of us to experience. Especially leaders, entrepreneurs, and creatives.
Depression is the opposite of expression.
Leaders, entrepreneurs and creatives learn
to take depression as a sign of something waiting
to emerge and express.
Find it. Express it.
The natural ebbs and flows of business are a tough ride. If you’ve ever seen the movie “A Perfect Storm” with George Clooney, you’ll relate to the waves of the “Perfect Storm” of business.
I’m doing what I was made to do;
and I have a feeling I’m going
to do it even better this time.
~ Captain Billy Tyne (Perfect Storm)
True leaders understand that the bigger the undertaking, the bigger the goal and intention, the bigger the business, the bigger the impact; the bigger the challenges that must be overcome.
It’s a perfect storm; and it can be no other way.
To have genuine grit you must develop mental toughness and emotional strength.
You must be able to successfully weather the storms of life; for you realize that you can never control them.
The only way to avoid them is to sit on the shoreline and do nothing.
One of the most important qualities to develop
in a disruptive world is mental toughness and emotional strength.
The waves are NOT going to stop. They’re only going to get bigger!
So, to develop the emotional strength and mental toughness that builds grit, you must be willing to do the hard things even when you don’t feel like it.
Mental Toughness and Resilience
Maybe even more so when you don’t feel like it.
The more you step up to challenges and discomfort, the more you develop this strength and toughness that we speak of.
It takes courage and strength of will. Which unfortunately very few people have.
Most people I meet are basically looking for 3 things:
- Something easy
- Lots of time off
- To make lots of money doing something easy with lots of time off.
Sorry to burst your romantic bubble, but life and business don’t work this way.
Even those who are selling you this romantic idealism are not living it!
Don’t wish for easy. Easy is for amateurs.
Wish for meaningful; and the strength to endure.
The greatest bill of goods being sold is “easy.”
It pervades everything from economics to spiritual pursuits.
Go onto social media for 5 minutes and you’ll find at least 3-5 “easy step” books, blueprints and video’s you can download.
Don’t buy in.
Go to traditional spiritual arenas and you’ll be told to “meditate” or “give your life to some savior” or “pray or chant to some deity” or “sage and circumambulate” and you’ll be saved from the hard and difficult.
Don’t buy in.
To develop emotional strength and mental toughness you must get into the arena of life. Like going to the gym to build a strong body, you must continually push against heavier and heavier resistance.
Life and business are a workout.
To build the emotional strength and mental toughness necessary to win
you must push against greater and heavier resistance.
Building emotional strength and mental toughness bring genuine grit; they build resilience and resourcefulness; and the more you have, the more hope and faith you develop in who you really are.
Isn’t it time for you to wake up and remember?
Be a Leader. Live Your Purpose; and Take Your Power Back!
James
