In sports and in life, there are many difficulties that will arise, and mental toughness is crucial to pushing through these difficulties. An unyielding mindset pushes us through our journeys, and it enables us to achieve our goals and make it through a hard season of life that we will inevitably face as humans. A positive mindset is the cornerstone of success in life and athletics. It allows us to see challenges as opportunities, which leads to resilience. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team and used the setback as motivation. This motivation and mental toughness led him to all that he accomplished. If he would’ve given up when it was hard, he would not have become the person he was. Handling pressure with grace separates the good from the great. Setbacks are inevitable in life and sports. It’s what you do after you face a setback that determines where you will end up. The ability to bounce back defines mental toughness. To develop mental toughness, you must set clear goals, practice mindfulness, embrace failure, stay positive, and seek support from your people. While physical skills are vital to success in sports, a strong, positive mindset and mental toughness enable us to overcome obstacles and achieve lasting success. Another thing that helps us push through any type of adversity is our hope in the Lord. As Isaiah 40:31 reminds us, "But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." In this last school year there was so much adversity that I had to go through. Without having the right mindset, having support from those around me, and putting my trust in the Lord I would not have been able to push through those hard times. Every day I had the choice to choose my mindset. Not going to lie, there were some times when slipped up and did not have the right mindset, but just because you fall in one moment, doesn’t mean you can’t get back up and do better in the next moment. It is hard sometimes, but it is so important to harness the power of your mind, believe in yourself, and trust in the Lord. If you do that, there's no limit to what you can achieve in sports and there isn’t anything you won’t make it through in life.
