I read a piece by Egyptian activist Yosr El Dakhs that perhaps refers to her political beliefs but which I think is totally pertinent to one aspect of mental toughness in our every day lives .
Is it better to cross the line and suffer the consequences than to just stare at the line for the rest of your life ?
She continues as a passionate advocate of crossing that line and following your dreams which I have reproduced below but which I think is also a clear representation of the “Challenge” C in the MTQ48 4C’s framework of Mental Toughness.
The line that Yosr talks about is the metaphorical “line in the sand”, the boundary line to your comfort zone. By crossing this line, by being courageous in seeking out new experiences and learning to feel more comfortable in unfamiliar surroundings, you extend your boundary line and so your comfort zone. This builds your personal capacity (ability) to be capable and competent in achieving more and making more things happen. This also builds your confidence and self-belief which encourages you to cross the line again. Confidence is the fourth C within the MTQ48 framework.
“Fortune favours the brave”, the english translation of a latin proverb, where Fortuna is the Goddess of Luck resonates here.
If you cross the line and it doesn’t work for you immediately then you can reflect and learn from the experience of that setback or failure and adjust your approach to crossing the line next time.
Yosr’s defence of crossing the line follows:
Decide to cross the line, define all odds and break all rules, in order to become who you’re meant to be. Stop becoming both victim of life and the victim of your own. Salute the past, & never look back. Stop running away from your problems and instead actually start fixing things. Look ahead not back, accept & embrace Life, & simply move on.
Dream, it’s free & the reward is big. Stop asking yourself what if and instead work on what you really want.
You’ll know, you will always know.
Afraid of not achieving your dreams? Why? Do you think you don’t deserve it? Yes? Then start working hard enough to earn it. Disappointed? Rejected? Nobody, is allowed to tell you what you can or can’t do, cause nobody knows who you are but you. Nobody will ever be honest enough with you but you. Nobody will be as happy for you as yourself. And nobody will deal with the consequences but you. You don’t have Support? So what? Why aren’t you confident enough to define who you are? Its your life. Ill tell you why.
Its because we are afraid. We are afraid of crossing the line. We fear the consequences might be tough to handle. But that’s not right. Believe that everything in life happens for a reason, even death. Suffering will make you stronger, wiser & more experienced. But the worst feeling of all is not suffering, its regret of not knowing what if.
Stirring words on courage from Yosr El Dakh.
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