It is a myth that you are born with characteristics that make you mentally strong throughout your life. The truth is, you can develop mental strength with practice, fortitude, and intention as you grow and develop your personality.

You have the power to stretch your mind at any age and defend against the negative influences that pervade your conscious as well as the unconscious mind, often hidden in your shadow life.

The following 5 characteristics that people with remarkable mental strength practice daily will stretch your mind and increase your focus and intention:

Get Through Adversity

Life doesn’t have to be difficult. Life doesn’t mean struggle. Sometimes there are challenges in front of you, sometimes there are people, places, and things that produce fear, and sometimes others cannot entirely support you.

Any or all of these situations might get in the way of your happiness and even alter your perception of self.

Life’s personal struggles make the difference between existing and living, between knowing the path and walking the path, between a life of defeat and a life filled with joy and success.

Adversity is inevitable, but overcoming adversity is not predictable. When you walk into a turbulent windstorm, you fight to push through it. As you persist, you gain strength – also, the adversity strips away all but the essential aspects of your being.

Once you come out of the storm, you see yourself as you really are – in raw form, still holding the passions and values that moved you through the challenge and that you will adhere to for the rest of your life – the inner love and values that define you.

Self-love drives you forward, even when the going gets tough. It is this kind of love that creates mentally strong people.

Focus on What You Can Control

Do you think good luck plays a role in creating happiness or success? Most people think there is an element of luck in life, but I suspect not an overwhelming proportion of luck.

Mentally strong people know that good luck plays some role in their happiness or success, but they don’t wait around for good luck to strike, or sit around worrying about the possibility of adversity.

Most of the time, mentally strong people make the intention to walk their life’s path with focus on what is in front of them. Control in life comes when you stay in the present and do what you can in the moment with the given circumstances.

Mental strength becomes stronger when you intentionally take the reins of the possibilities, instead of trying to control what is not within your power.

Bottom line: You cannot control everything that comes your way, but you are in absolute control of how you react to it. And that changes everything.

Make Every Action a Positive One

The most effective way to prevent negativity is to promote what is positive and not to control, regulate, or demand. Your best efforts are to inspire, motivate, and lead by example.

You get more reward from your efforts when they are applied in a positive direction. So, instead of rebelling against what you dislike, work to build and support what you value and admire.

Everyone goes through down-times. Moods sink with negative energy. Practice feeding negativity with positivity; with proactive and creative activity. Focus your attention and energy on what’s working and increase your stake in becoming mentally strong.

Help others, smile at people who need your praise, and compliment what is good, useful, and valuable, and you will grow mentally stronger. That is to say, nurture and promote what you love about life.

It is an unfortunate situation when there is too much negative focus and you find yourself complaining too much. Delight in the good things, and give the full power of your awareness to them.

Resolve to eliminate all that is not productive and accentuate positive energy in order to create positive actions. Every day is different, and every day deserves your embrace.

Be Committed

To be committed means having a strong mind: to work, to play, to study, to exercise, and to love. Commitment might be the most difficult ritual of mentally strong people.

You might tell yourself that you are too tired to exercise. You might tell yourself that your dreams are not achievable. You might tell yourself that you have no time to play.

How you transform these negative thoughts sets up how mentally strong you will become. Commitment is a daily practice.

It is common to think that mental strength is about how your respond to extreme circumstances: speaking in front of 1,000 people; regrouping after a failed business; keeping life going after being in the hospital; suffering a physical injury.

There’s no doubt that extreme circumstances test your bravery, determination, and mental strength. But most people are focused on common daily situations.

By stretching the muscles in your body, you gain mental strength. Tiger Woods showed us the way to winning the Masters tournament on April 14, 2019.

He exercised every muscle in his body, all the mental strength he developed over the last two decades, and pushed his way through the ultimate challenge for his life.

Your choices count in life. For the last two years, I was comfortable swimming half a mile a day. And then I began to push the envelope. I’m working on swimming a mile. It’s slow, plodding, and sometimes I cannot do one more stroke because my wrists ache or my shoulders are sore. But I keep going.

You can prove yourself in little ways and be happy with your mental and physical fortitude. Mental strength is built through many choices and with small victories. Of course, you can find something easier to do. When things get difficult for mentally strong people, they find a way to persevere.

Make a Difference

You can make a difference by knowing your values, acting with kindness, displaying consistent character, and by being a trusted friend and advocate. Mental strength is about the values you possess and how you use your gifts.

Live a life that makes you proud – one that matters and makes a difference.

Be positive, express your gratitude, be generous, and open your heart and mind. Your positivity will inspire others to become mentally strong.

What one habit or belief has helped you stay mentally strong through good times and bad? Or, on the flip side, what’s one habit or belief that has slowed you down and weakened your mental strength? Please share in the comments below, and let’s have a conversation.

There’s a reason Tarte’s Shape Tape concealer is one of the best-selling out there. The full-coverage formula is just that good. But there’s a time for heavy coverage and there’s a time (especially while WFH) for something a bit lighter but still brightening. The new Tarte Sea Hydrocealer Concealer might be just that. It’s for those no-makeup makeup moments, when you want something hydrating and flexible for under your eyes and around any imperfections.

I personally love Shape Tape and use it almost every time I wear makeup. But there are days, especially right now while at home, that I want to look a little put together but not made-up. I also have dry skin, especially around my eyes, and like to give my skin a break once in a while. I had high expectations for Hydrocealer Concealer and let me tell you, it delivered. To test it out, I applied my usual daytime moisturizer and sunscreen and filled-in my brows a little.

I used the doe-foot wand of Hydrocealer Concealer to apply the formula under my eyes, down my nose and in the middle of my forehead for brightness. I blended it in with the new Hydrocealer Sponge, dampened.

Image: Elizabeth Denton.

My initial impressions are that it’s a more medium-coverage, hydrating version of Shape Tape. There’s still coverage but it moves with your skin more. That’s probably thanks to what Tarte calls “hydroflex technology,” with marine plants, caffeine and niacinamide. What I like most about the formula is how buildable it is without caking. And it looks natural on my skin even when I skip foundation. I added mascara and I was ready for my Zoom meeting (after I got dressed).

Image: Elizabeth Denton.

There are 30 waterproof shades and the formula is flexible enough for each shade to work on a few skin tones.

Image: Tarte.

Sea Hydrocealer Concealer launches on Tarte’s website and at Sephora in mid-May, but you can grab it early now on QVC. It’s a better deal there, too; Get a free Hydrocealer Sponge with each concealer.

Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

If I had a dime for every time someone told me, “I’ve tried everything and still can’t lose weight / get fit / tone my arms!” I’d be writing this from my own private island in the middle of the South Pacific.

Such is not the case. I’m in my home office without an island in sight, yet I still receive these emails without compensation.

First, a brief backstory…

Like so many trainers, when I began my career in 1995 (let’s have a moment of silence for that era), I got into the business thinking I could rid the world of unwanted poundage, inspire the uninspired to get off their couches, and share the wonders of fitness to the world!

In other words, I was completely off my rocker.

I soon learned the cold, hard truth: It’s not that easy, and not everyone gets results.

In fact, more than half of new exercisers quit and go back to their couches and ditch this whole crazy get-fit idea after about six weeks, surveys show.

So, if you decided to get in shape this past January 1st, chances are good you’ve fallen by the wayside, so to speak, by now.

If not, good for you! You’ve beat the odds.

If so, I can help.

Let’s take a look at why so many people fail to see results and what you can do to avoid becoming a statistic.

Fitness Fail #1: You Set Unrealistic Expectations

Going from zero to 100 mph in the form of “not working out at all” to “working out every day” is not going to happen. Sure, you may do it for a week or so, but if you’re doing the same routine over and over each day, one of a couple things is bound to happen: you get bored or you get injured.

Both are motivation killers.

Or, another common unrealistic goal may be striving to drop a bunch of dress sizes within a short period of time.

FITNESS FIX: Start from where you are and set small goals. Instead of vowing to exercise every day, start with three times a week. Or, better yet, do something active but different on alternate days.

For example, if you weight-train Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, plan on doing cardio, yoga or stretching on alternate days.

Fitness Fail #2: You Do a Little but Expect a Lot

Performing a couple sets of ab crunches and expecting flatter abs is like eating a salad and wondering why you’ve not yet lost weight.

The problem is, technology allows us to download books in seconds, receive groceries within hours, and view movies on demand.

But here’s the thing: Our bodies did not get the same memo.

Evolutionary beliefs aside, not a whole lot has changed within the human species in the way of metabolism, digestion muscle building, and other bodily processes.

Real change takes time.

People who see results stick with a routine or workout for weeks or even months before expecting to see visible changes in their bodies.

Of course, you’ll experience other benefits such as sleeping more soundly and feeling more energetic fairly quickly, but seeing a new line of definition in your triceps? You’ll need to hang in there a bit for that.

But when that day rolls around you’ll be ordering a case of tank tops to reveal those puppies to the world.

FITNESS FIX: Trust that it’s happening beneath the surface. Patience and consistency win the race! Do the right things and focus on the process, not the outcome. Results will happen as long as you stay on track… which brings me to my final point.

Fitness Fail #3: You’re Not Doing It Right

“Not doing it right” may refer to several issues:

• You’re using poor exercise form from either copying someone else at the gym – or trying to “wing it” on your own.
• You only do the things you want to do, so your program isn’t well rounded.
• You do a little of this and a bit of that, cross your fingers, and hope for the best.
• You stay within your comfort zone and never push yourself a bit.

FITNESS FIX: Do your research. Look for nationally certified trainers, whether you hire one for an in-person workout or follow them on social media for guidance and instruction.

Be sure to include both cardio and strength training and challenge yourself while staying within your own abilities. For example, a leisurely stroll is fine for socializing, but if you want to burn serious calories you’ll need to pick up the pace.

Same goes for lifting weights: You’ll need to use enough weight to feel you’re putting in some effort, or you won’t see the changes you’d like.

What frustrates you about exercise? Do you see the results you want, or do you find yourself giving up after a couple of months? What are your fitness fails? Please share in the comments below.

“Mobility is the key to survival: this came up again and again in my research.” — Bill Gifford

The medical field
of aging is relatively new. It wasn’t until the last century that we saw an
exponential increase in human life expectancy and as a result, we’ve only just
started to study aging. And there is still a lot of gray area. 

What Do We Know About Aging?

One thing we know for sure is that there is huge variability in how we age. We also learned that there is a big difference between lifespan and healthspan.

Thanks to modern
medicine, we’ve seen a huge increase in lifespan over the last few decades. Unfortunately,
that increase in lifespan doesn’t always accompany an increase in quality of
life.

And this is where healthspan comes in. Healthspan is how many healthy years we can add to someone’s life.Because really, what’s the point of adding extra years if you can’t enjoy them?

Much of the findings of studies on aging have been contradictory. So, what do we know from these studies so far? Are there any reliable indicators of how we will age that we can turn to? Is aging within our control at all?

Can Aging Be Controlled?

The good news is
that yes, despite the huge amount of variability, there are several
controllable factors we can turn to that indicate how we will age. And
mobility has been found to be one of the strongest indicators.

We have more and
more evidence being published that shows the link between mobility and aging.

So, what,
specifically, should we look for in our mobility? What is it that we need to do
to age well?

The good news is
that all of the research on the benefits of physical activity have found you
don’t need to become a marathon runner or powerlifter to age well. If
those things interest you, more power to you. But to age well, all you need is
to get off the couch. Move and move often.

Below are the
skills you need to age well, as evidenced by research.

Walking Speed

“… researchers now know that natural walking speed is one of the most accurate predictors of mortality we have.” — Bill Gifford

In medical circles,
walking has been found so critical to survival that it’s increasingly being
referred to as the “6th vital sign.” Therapists have understood the impact of
walking (or lack of) on health for years and other medical providers are
starting to catch on.

There is mounting evidence
demonstrating the link between walking speed and a host of health conditions. Walking
takes more than just physical strength, it also takes a lot of coordination and
input from the brain and central nervous system.

Thus, reduced
walking speed not only indicates a loss of strength but is also an accurate
reflection of what is happening in the brain. Walking speed has been found to
decline as early as a decade before dementia or some kind of decline in brain
health can be officially diagnosed.

One study even
found that the number of steps taken by older adults during their
hospitalization was strongly correlated with 30-day readmission rates.

The more steps one
took in the hospital, the less likely they were to end up hospitalized again in
the short term. And better yet, the threshold of steps was only 275 steps per
day to make that difference.

What’s the biggest
takeaway? Walk as often as you can. The more you
spread it out throughout the day the better, and the more overground walking
you do, as opposed to the treadmill, the better. Aim for 3–5 miles spread out
throughout the day.

Balance

Balance has an
impact on all of our daily activities as well as our perception of movement.
Decreases in balance translate into lower movement confidence, which
perpetuates a cycle of further declining strength and balance.

As balance
declines, it translates into a wide, shuffling walk. This decreases the
efficiency of the walk, so it takes more energy to go shorter distances. And
again, a vicious cycle of increasing energy expenditure and loss of strength
perpetuates.

Even our perception
of our balance is so powerful that fear of falling can alone put us at a higher
risk of falls. If we perceive our balance as poor, we’re much less likely to
get up and perform daily activities. We lose the confidence to leave our homes
and interact with the important people in our lives.

Energy and mobility are so important because they hint at other things we can’t see. We slow down because we have more serious problems inside.

So, what can you
do? Practice your balance daily and make it fun!
One of the most common measures used for balance is simple and gives you a way
to measure your progress at home.

To check out your
balance, try standing on one foot without holding on to anything with your
hands for 30 seconds. Repeat on the other side. You may be able to hold this
for 30 seconds, but if you felt wobbly, unsteady, or needed to use your arms to
keep your balance, you’ve got some work to do.

Daily balance practice can be simple and fun. Be playful in your approach and you can’t go wrong.

Floor Mobility

Your ability to get on and off the floor is a great indicator of your overall strength. And not just if you can do it, but whether or not you can do it without using your hands. In fact, research finds that the inability to get off the floor without using your hands is strongly correlated with early disability and death.

And this one is
also simple to practice. Just start swapping out some of your chair sitting
time for floor sitting.

Try getting on and
off the floor a few times to observe your technique. Is it easy or difficult?
Did you need to use your hands? How many different ways can you get off the
floor? The more variety here the better.

The more you make walking, balance, and
floor mobility a regular part of your life, the better you can age. Your aging
is within your control and it’s much simpler than you realize.

How often do you
walk throughout your day? Do you have a walking habit? What do you think about
the opportunity to control your healthspan? Let’s have a conversation!