Going Inward at The Mental Gym

The mind is a muscle that we have to hold accountable daily with intentional action, patience and honesty.

March 02, 2023

We often hear the importance of physical fitness and caring for our bodies.

But frequently overlooked is our mental fitness and cultivating a deeper connection with our well-being, habits and feelings.

Just as we have gyms for our bodies, finding time to go to the mental gym can enhance our overall fortitude, personal development and performance levels.

While changing the environment around us can be appealing and helpful to our personal growth and self-discovery, best-selling author Yung Pueblo speaks to the transformative importance of introspection and going inward.

“Nothing can deliver as great an impact in your life as changing the internal environment of your mind and heart," he said. "You have to remind yourself of this truth repeatedly on your journey because the mind does not like taking responsibility for itself, it is inclined to see all problems as external.”

Realizing that the mind is a muscle that we have to hold accountable daily with intentional action, patience and honesty is always essential as we navigate the journey of leading ourselves and others.

Pueblo said that if we aspire to build peace within, then we need to focus on building three essential qualities:

  1. Self-awareness: Self-awareness is needed to stay attuned to the way your emotions change and to not allow the narratives that are built around tension to take control.

  2. Non-reactiveness: Non-reactiveness helps you slow down during difficult moments so you can ask yourself how you genuinely want to show up instead of just reacting defensively.

  3. Compassion: Compassion is necessary so that you can be more gentle with yourself and others.

The next time we assess our leadership responsibilities, let’s start within and ensure we're not neglecting our own mental fitness.

As we strengthen these three internal qualities, we give ourselves the unique opportunity to grow through change while meeting the up and down moments in life with more self-awareness, compassion, a healthier state of mind and grace.