How to Build an Iron Mind

What brought you here? What decisions are you making now? Where are you going with your life? It only takes you believing in yourself to fix this. Do not let the distractions stop you. Separate what you do from who you are. All of us have made mistakes. Just do the next right thing now.

 

The road to character is not easy, but it is worth it.

 

Watch this video from a true master in building character.

John Wooden, the legendary American basketball coach ("Nicknamed the Wizard of Westwood") completely de-emphasized winning and losing; he emphasized instead effort and process. His advice to players is highly inspiring: "never lie, never cheat, never steal, and don't whine, don't complain, don't make excuses". He taught that players had to emphasize effort and process, and forget attachment to the results (actually this is the same message of the ancient Bhagavad Gita). Wooden defined success as "peace of mind, which is the direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best you are capable of becoming". (See "Executive Toughness" by Jason Selk if interested in these ideas)

 

Here's an interesting article on the discipline of building character. You only build character one step at a time, with hundreds of small decisions that make a big difference over time.

https://hbr.org/2006/01/the-discipline-of-building-character

 

Building character also requires humility and a capacity to listen:

 

Building Character According to the US Marines. A character building philosophy that is over 200 years old:

1. You cannot be successful without your team. Alone you will fail.
2. There is a system that works. If you deviate from the system, you cannot survive.
3. You have to live your life for your mission. There is no other purpose. You should not seek power, fame or glory. You just have to do your work.
4. There is right and wrong. If you stick to what is right, you will be capable of incredible things.

 

I haven't posted in a while in this thread and so I decided to ask myself the question again: "how do you build an iron mind? Well, the first question that we need to ask is a pretty basic one: "what does it mean for me to have an iron mind?" Is it about having an incredibly strong willpower? Is it about the capacity to sustain pain and discomfort? To stay strong when faced with adversity? I would like to define what it means for me:

1) First and foremost is about being PRESENT, and focused. It means that we are in control of our mind; we are not automatons that respond automatically to cues or urges.
2) It means being able to stay CALM, in any situation. In fact, an "iron mind" is not one that is super strong but rather one that is super flexible; it can adapt to any circumstance. I spent the weekend in a retreat with some monks and they told me that "staying centered in the middle of a quiet place has no merit; what matters is being centered and calm in the middle of chaos". In other words, when your life becomes difficult; when the unexpected hits you, how do you react? It is in those moments that the training you have accumulated can pay off.
3) It means being HUMBLE. A humble person is stronger than one that feels too important. A big ego generates attachment to the opinions of others; we crave their acceptance, their praise. A humble person stands on its own. He or she does not need praise to know how to define himself.
4) It means not quitting when the first difficulty arises. As Rumi argues, being on track when there are no temptations has no merit but resisting urges when we are tempted requires courage.
5) It means being able to accept discomfort. Life is tough and we cannot always feel at our best. Being able to withstand uncomfortable feelings and situations is part of the process of developing a well-balanced mind...

To be continued...

 

September 13, 2015

The key to develop character is integrity.

 

I am glad you found it useful. Thanks a lot for your "likes".

 

Many thanks @Calm. I agree with you regarding Kung Fu. I am a practitioner of Aikido, where meditation is also an important part. Here's to meditation as an instrument to build an "Iron Mind".