Developing Your Inner Strength

How many times have you wished you had more inner strength, willpower or self discipline?

How many times you lacked enough persistence and inner stamina to follow your decisions and plans?

Do you admire and respect strong individuals, who have overcome obstacles and difficulties and reached far, because of the inner strength they possessed?

Most people are not are not born with inner strength, but it can be developed like any other skill.

Inner strength consists of willpower, self discipline, self control, persistence, detachment, the ability to concentrate and peace of mind. In this article we will focus on two of the ingredients, willpower and self discipline. These skills are important and essential tools for success in all areas of life. They can be learned and developed like any other skill, yet, in spite of this, only few take any steps to develop and strengthen them in a systematic way.

Willpower is the inner strength to make decisions, take action, and handle and execute any aim or task, regardless of inner and outer resistance, discomfort or difficulties. It manifests as the ability to overcomes laziness, temptations and negative habits, and to carry out actions, even if they require effort, are unpleasant and tedious or are contrary to one's habits.

Self discipline is the ability to reject instant gratification or pleasure in favor of something better or a higher goal. It manifests as the inner strength to stick to actions or plans in spite of obstacles, difficulties or unpleasantness. It is one of the pillars of success, and bestows the inner strength to direct your energy and attention to your goal, and persevere until it is accomplished.

Both of these skills are required for the efficient handling of all activities and decisions. They are required for doing a good job, for success in business, for studying, losing weight, exercising, maintaining good relationships, changing habits, self improvement, meditation, spiritual growth, keeping promises and for almost everything else.

There are simple and effective methods for developing these powers and attaining inner strength:

1. Refusing to satisfy unimportant or unhealthy desires.
2. Doing things that are useful, but which you resist doing.

By overcoming inner resistance you develop inner power and strength.

By refusing and rejecting useless, harmful or unnecessary desires and actions, and sometimes intentionally acting contrary to your habits, you sharpen and strengthen your inner strength. You get stronger through constant practice, just like exercising your muscles at a gym makes your muscles stronger. In both cases, when you need inner power or physical strength, they are available and are at your disposal.

Here are a few exercises to strengthen your inner powers that use ordinary day-to-day activities:

• Don't read the newspaper for a few days.
• Now and then drink your coffee or tea without sugar.
• Climb up the stairs instead of taking the lift.
• Park you car a little farther away from you destination, so that you have to walk.
• Now and then choose not to watch one of your favorite TV programs.
• Read a book that is useful and informative, but which you find boring.
• Curb your desire to criticize people.
• Delay your desire to retort angrily.
• Try to get out of bed quickly on a cold day.

These are only a few examples to show you how you can develop your inner strength. By practicing these or similar exercises you gain inner power, which you can use when you are in need of it. By practicing them you develop your inner muscles, just like lifting barbells develops your physical muscles.

By following a systematic method of training you gain control over yourself, your habits, your reactions and your life, and can more easily attain your dreams and goals.