Your Mentality Can Make or Break You

The quiet decision that determines whether you move forward or give up

Some decisions are made long before the outcome is visible.

Have you noticed how differently things go depending on your mindset?

There are times when you decide you are going to accomplish something, no matter what stands in the way. You don’t let people, circumstances, or doubts derail you. In your mind, the decision is already made. You are doing this, come hell or high water. Failure is not part of the conversation. Only the outcome you have committed to matters.

Then there are other times when all you can see are obstacles.

Before you even begin, your mind tells you it’s impossible. There is no way through. No point in trying. That mindset sets you up for failure from the very start. You haven’t failed yet, but you have already convinced yourself that you will.

I was reminded of this when I decided I wanted to become a Marine.

I wasn’t going to let anything stop me, even though there were plenty of reasons it shouldn’t work. I was 25 years old, older than most recruits. I was five feet tall and weighed 95 pounds soaking wet. Not exactly what comes to mind when people picture a Marine. Except I could see it clearly.

I refused to let those facts define the outcome.

Boot camp only tested that resolve further. The mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual stress was unrelenting. There wasn’t a day I didn’t second-guess my decision. Every single day, I had to choose again. Some days, that choice came through exhaustion, doubt, and the quiet fear that I might not be strong enough. But perseverance and the strength God gave me would not let that dream die.

I’m grateful I accomplished what I set out to do. Because I know this much: if I had gone in believing it was impossible, I would have failed long before anyone else had the chance to stop me. I would have given up on myself first.

Instead, I carried the mindset that with God, all things are possible. I prepared mentally, spiritually, and physically before the challenge ever began. Was it easy? Not even close. But I was ready.

What is it that you want to do, but are allowing a negative mindset to defeat you before you ever start?