Pearl Nash
No one has an easy life, and even fewer are able to say that they cruised through tough situations.
But there is a group of people who are capable of persevering through hardships. Even though they may still be going through a challenging period, they’re able to stand tall through it all.
I’ve always been envious of people like them and will try to emulate the way they behave. In particular, men who fall into this category often exhibit certain unique strengths.
Today, we’ll take a closer look at 6 of these strengths that resilient men have that help them face life’s tough situations.
1) They’re adaptable to change
Men who always stand tall in life’s tough situations accept that change is the only constant. So when it happens, they’re able to pivot and adapt to new situations.
Change will always bring about an element of discomfort and even inconvenience to people’s lives, as it disrupts routines and forces them out of their comfort zones.
But these men take things one day at a time.
They set aside their feelings of discomfort and maybe disappointment and go along with whatever changes may come their way.
While it may appear as if they don’t seem to care about what’s going on in their lives, in reality, these men simply choose not to let things that they can’t control affect their day.
They don’t see the point in wasting time worrying about things outside their control.
Instead, they focus on things that are within their control, enabling them to focus their energies on addressing these issues.
2) They’re self-motivated and disciplined
While most of us may need some external motivation to get to work or tick off our to-do list, these men are disciplined and self-motivated.
They don’t need others to urge them to get things done. They just do, without question.
If they’re tasked to do something that’s not very pleasant, they will set aside their feelings and get it done first.
And because they’ve instilled this sense of discipline within them, when they go through challenging periods, they’re more than able to stand tall through these situations.
When the going gets tough, this may discourage people from doing what they’re supposed to be doing, or addressing the issue at hand.
However, these men have trained themselves to face the issue head on instead of getting distracted or running away.
To them, this is the most practical way of solving problems.
And what drives them is that…
3) They’re determined to achieve their goals
Goals allow people to see where they’re going and enable them to forge a path towards achieving them.
I used to have a classmate in university who had a goal of owning a house within the first two to three years of working. To us, it seemed like a lofty dream, because where I come from, houses are very expensive and you wouldn’t be able to afford it on a fresh graduate’s salary.
But he was unfazed as he set his mind to achieving it. He worked part-time while he was studying and was always embarking on side hustles whenever he was free. He was very thrifty and squirreled away his earnings into a high-interest savings account.
When we met up again a few years into entering the workforce, he proudly shared with us that he’d just bought his first home.
It was very inspiring because his family was poor and he often had to take on part-time jobs throughout his education to help with the family expenses and pay off his school fees.
It taught me that regardless of my background, I was able to do whatever I set my mind to.
4) They have a lot of self-confidence
Another unique strength that these men have is that they have a lot of self-confidence. They know who they are and what they are capable of.
While others may tell them that what they want to achieve seems impossible, this, in fact, motivates them to prove everyone wrong.
However, there’s a difference between being overly confident and having a healthy amount of self-confidence.
They know when to quit and are aware of their limits. But you can be sure that they’ll try their best when they’re at it.
That’s the thing that separates these men from the rest – their confidence enables and empowers them to dream big and achieve even bigger things.
If they fail, they take it in their stride, get up, and move forward.
5) They’re always grateful
Another unique strength that these men have is that they’re always grateful. It’s how they stay humble, content, and happy.
When things are going well, everyone’s able to be thankful for what they have. It’s when people are going through difficult times that it gets harder to identify things to be grateful for.
But because they make gratitude a habit, it comes easy to them.
I know a friend who was retrenched and had to find a job when the job market was not doing well. He had a family to support, which made the situation even tougher.
Amid the daily struggles to find jobs, go for interviews, and take care of his family, he was always a picture of calm and confidence.
When he managed to get a stable job after a difficult year of searching, we asked him what he felt during then.
He said that while it was tough seeing his bank balance deteriorate amid expenses that needed to be paid, he was thankful that at the end of the day, he could go back home to a loving, supportive family.
It made me more appreciative of the things that I had.
6) They’re very positive and optimistic
The last and possibly one of the key strengths these men have is their optimism.
Similar to my previous point, it’s easy to be positive when things are going well. But it’s a lot tougher to find the silver lining when we’re undergoing tough situations.
When my friend was undergoing that difficult year of being unemployed, he made it a practice to write down one thing that he was grateful for every day.
And this helped him stay positive throughout that year, as it forced him to focus on only the positive things in his life.
He also firmly believed that there’s a light at the end of every tunnel. Despite the rejection letters coming in regularly, he chose to be optimistic.
It’s a discipline to choose optimism at the end of the day. The fact is that no one would blame you if you had any negative feelings while going through a tough time, because it’s only natural to feel that way.
But choosing to remain optimistic is also up to you. And this can help you remain positive regardless of what life decides to throw your way.
Concluding thoughts
If you want to be able to stand tall in the midst of challenging situations, why not try picking up some of these habits? The best time to practice is when everything is going well.
Whether it’s practicing how to be positive or thankful, making it a habit means that you’ll still be able to do this even when nothing seems to be going your way.
And it’ll do wonders in giving you the added push and motivation to keep persevering.
