Mental Strength Column in DER YBBSTALER: “Acceptance – The secret of true strength”.
Welcome to the mental toughness column. Here you will find tips and tricks to build their mental strength, so they can better cope with the challenges in their daily lives and “recharge their batteries”.
In the last issue, I quoted some dialogue from Charlie Mackesy. In this dialogue, the bravest thing the horse ever said was the word “help”.
The boy then asked the horse when it was at its strongest. The answer was, “I was strongest when I dared to be weak!”. We often hide behind a facade. We think we have to show strength to others even though we feel weak inside. This takes a lot of strength, which we need for ourselves. Especially in this day and age, where the social media make people believe that life is good, many people find it hard to admit to themselves that they are not doing well at the moment.
Behind the bravery of asking for help and the strength of daring to be weak is the following commonality: “acceptance.”
By this I mean that we accept the current situation. For example, I accept that I’m in a bad place right now. It is important not to equate “acceptance” with “agreement”. There is a big difference here. Just because I accept a situation as it is does not mean I welcome it. This also applies to the acceptance of different opinions. Acceptance means that I face the situation realistically. I have observed with some people that they do not want to admit certain feelings or situations to themselves and they fight against it. They fight vigorously against fears, perceived weaknesses or even emotions. However, pressure inevitably creates counter-pressure and directs the focus precisely on what should actually be avoided. Thus, the more we want to avoid and “fight” the fear or emotion, the greater it becomes.
A friend of mine often uses to say, “Des is hoit amoi a so, weu’s a so is!” – If we accept what is at present, then we have resources to focus on how we can change the situation. We switch from the problem-oriented view to the solution-oriented view.
To return to the dialogue of the boy and the horse: We all have times when we are in a bad way. That’s just the way life is, that there are ups and downs. If we now accept that, then we can look at what we need to get better. Sometimes help from someone else is necessary. To quote the horse again here, “You don’t give up when you ask for help. You refuse to give up!”
The next time you get angry about something you can’t change – for example, if the weather spoils your planned trip – try to consciously accept it and see how you can make the best of the situation. Most of the time, you still manage to have a great day.
Want to know more about today’s topic? Or would you like to learn how to better improve your mental well-being? I invite you to a free initial consultation (duration approx. 30 minutes). I offer individual trainings and for companies workshops.
