8 things every strong person should remember in 2023

People have different definitions of what it means to be a strong person. 

Generally, people see strength as having the ability to manage life’s tough situations well and to keep persevering.

Strong people are understood as people who can tolerate and navigate hardship!

If you want to be a strong person, these are the things you should remember in 2023. 

1) Don’t be afraid of mistakes

If you’re reading this, I know you’re a human…

…Which means I can say with confidence that you’re going to make mistakes in life. 

This is simply just a part of being human!

Life is messy and us humans are the cause of most of the messiness.

Now, mistakes can show up in how we conduct ourselves in our relationships, in the workplace, at home and so on.

In other words, there are no areas of our lives that are going to be mistake-free.

The opportunities for making mistakes are vast, so the sooner we make peace with this, the easier life gets!

Strong people know that they’re going to make mistakes… 

…And they know that they’re going to have to put their hands up at some point in the future and say they messed up, and subsequently ask for forgiveness. 

Now, the difference between strong people and those who are not is that strong folks do not fear their mistakes.

They know that there are lessons in mistakes and that they can continue to grow as a result of any mistakes they make.

Simply put, they have a growth mindset when it comes to mistakes.

2) Accept that you can be wrong

Going hand-in-hand with making mistakes is accepting that you’ve got things wrong.

Truth is, there will be times in your life where you get things massively wrong.

You might accuse someone of something they haven’t done or get the wrong end of a stick.

Now, on these occasions, there will be the need to say: 

“Yep, I got that wrong and I accept it”…

…If you want to act like a strong person!

You see, strong people don’t place their weight on having to always be right. 

They are fundamentally comfortable in themselves, which means they’re able to accept that sometimes they have got things wrong.

Just like accepting their mistakes, strong people have no issue when it comes to accepting they were wrong as it means they can grow from a situation.

What separates strong people is their growth mindset they apply to situations.

3) Don’t give up when you lose

By this point, you’re likely noticing a theme:

Strong people have this ability to pick themselves up from unfortunate situations. 

You see, anyone can be strong when things are going well but so much strength comes from persevering in the tricky times.

In addition to adopting a growth mindset and being strong when it comes to accepting they’ve made mistakes or got things wrong, strong people are able to find the positives and to not give up when they lose. 

It could be losing out on a job opportunity or losing out on a financial investment. 

Truth is, it could be something very important that they’ve lost out on…

…But they still won’t give up even if they lose. 

Even if they’ve missed what they thought was an opportunity of a lifetime or they’ve lost a bunch of money in a mistimed investment, they still won’t let it deter them from trying again.

In other words, if they get knocked down… They get back up!

4) You’re able to admit when you’re not OK

We’re taught from a young age that we shouldn’t show weakness or cry in public.

What’s more, men have been suppressed from showing emotions and have been told to be tough and hard. 

But this isn’t our natural human condition!

Instead, we are emotional beings that sometimes aren’t OK and that’s OK.

Here’s the thing:

It takes courage and strength to speak your truth, and to be honest about where you’re at. 

Being truthful about your struggles is the biggest sign of courage!

And this is something that strong people know. 

You see, strong people know that their struggles do not make them weak and they don’t pretend that they haven’t experienced any!

In other words, strong people don’t suppress the fact that they’ve experienced struggles.

Instead, they accept that struggling is a part of living and they’re able to admit when they’re not doing well.

5) You should keep striving to be the best version of yourself

Strong people love to embrace personal growth.

They know that the magic happens where growth happens. 

Simply put, strong people don’t shy away from growth; instead, they lean into the unknown and ask for growth!

They know that growth ultimately leads to something more true and aligned, and allows them to show up as the next best version of themselves.

Now, they’re also aware that growth isn’t pain-free and it comes with its challenges. 

You see, it’s uncomfortable changing and becoming something new. 

Strong people, who will have already been through numerous growth cycles, are well aware of this!

Yet they still choose it… Because growth is always worth it!

In my experience, as someone who considers themselves to be a strong person, I’ve had many uncomfortable moments during times of growth.

Not only have I gone through periods where I’ve felt like I no longer fit my environment, but I’ve felt like people have disappeared as I’ve changed. 

It never gets easier when this happens, but you build through trusting the process!

Ultimately, strong people know that things work out in the way they are supposed to… Even if it’s uncomfortable at the time.

6) You don’t shy away from difficult conversations

A big difference between strong and weak people is that strong people aren’t afraid to have difficult conversations.

In other words, strong people don’t beat around the bush.

If they have something to say, they go there and say what’s on their mind.

For instance, if something is bothering them, they won’t take the cowardice option of not saying anything…

…And they won’t say things like “I’m fine, nothing is wrong” if it’s not the case.

If something is bothering them, they’ll be honest about it. 

Simply put, strong people are straightforward and they deal with situations head on.

I once had to have a difficult conversation with a woman who was being rude to me for no apparent reason, all while trying to get to know my boyfriend.

I literally sat her down and asked her whether she was being rude to me because she was interested in him…

…I know, brash. 

I took the strong approach of trying to get to the bottom of what was going on, and it took her by surprise.

Of course, she denied anything of the sort yet she proceeded to stop contacting him, so you can read between the lines!

Now, I can tell you that being strong in that moment really allowed me to feel powerful.

You see, being true to yourself is powerful!

7) You realize that progress is more important than perfection

Many people don’t even get started with the things they want to do in life because they’re so afraid of not being perfect.

Simply put, being a ‘perfectionist’ can be one of the most stifling things we can say we are in life.

What’s more, people hide behind the idea of being a perfectionist when, really, it means that they’re scared to do something.

Truth is, it’s a sign of weakness.

On the other hand, it’s actually a sign of strength to put something out in the world even if it isn’t ‘perfect’ in your eyes. 

Simply put, strong people don’t let perfectionism stop them from doing something. 

They get started with what they have and know it’s their best at that moment…

You see, they know that taking action and making some form of progress is better than something being completely perfect.

What’s more, strong people recognize that perfectionism doesn’t actually exist.

Here’s the thing:

They have a good perspective on things, where they know that what one person deems to be perfect is going to be very different by the next person’s standards…

…So they don’t let the idea hold them captive!

8) They don’t let regrets control their reality 

I’m sure you’ve heard the expression that hindsight is a wonderful thing…

…In simple terms, it’s easy to look back at something and to wish we did things differently. 

But strong people know that this is wasted energy and that this thinking is unhelpful.

Truth is, thinking about perceived regrets and how things could be different isn’t going to help anyone get to where they want to go in life.

Instead, it’s going to hold them stuck where they are as they wish for things to be different. 

When thoughts of regrets crop up for strong people, they don’t dwell on them and they don’t let themselves fall into this trap of thinking.

Instead something different happens:

Strong people accept the past for what it was and they see the lessons in their past experiences…

…And they don’t wish things were different!

It all comes back to the growth mindset I mentioned earlier. 

Simply put, strong people see growth and opportunities in situations… 

…And they frame things in a way that is helpful!