Our mind is powerful it can control our whole being. Our soul is our mind, will and emotions. Some people lived through a bad experience can be scarred a long time after. While some people don't let their past affect them. We are made up of our thoughts and beliefs. When we give up it's because we allowed those negative thoughts to consume us. Our mind is powerful and because of what we think and feel this can make us a stronger person or a weaker person.

Sometimes we don't have power over all our thoughts and sometimes we can't control it.  But we can change slowly overtime through our thinking patterns it's like going through mind rehab. I like how Romans 12:2 puts it as "to be transformed by the renewal of your mind" We all struggle with certain thoughts but what is important is to have knowledge and wisdom what is true and good for us before letting those thoughts consume us.

Sometimes we lack knowledge and because of this we can struggle with sickness constantly and never be healed. I like how Hosea 4:6 puts it "people are destroyed for their lack of knowledge"

As a kid growing up I struggled with anxiety every night before bed time because I was bullied and I was afraid of people. I constantly worried about going to school the next day because I was afraid. My root issue was fear. I couldn't express myself what I felt and it was even harder for me because no one could see what was going on inside my mind and emotions. My emotions would be off and I would easily get triggered because I was afraid of people and all I wanted was to feel loved. People saw the outside and during those times I struggled with alot of stomach issues. Worry weakens your stomach. Fear weakens the kidneys. Stress weakens the heart and brain.  Pills arent the answer to cure these symptoms. The cure is getting to the root cause. For me I couldn't do it on my own, to overcome anxiety and fear. It took time to heal, faith, courage and strength that was both God's help and my will to accept change and not fear to change. Sometimes we can get so comfortable with the old that we struggle to get into the new.

It's also important to be real and truthful addressing the problem such in my case was anxiety and fear and then finding a way to overcome it. When we want to be stronger physically we have to go through strength training and it takes overcoming in the first few workouts. I remember in my early 20s I wanted to get fit and I had this desire to be strong and fit. No one pushed me I had decided myself I wanted to be fit but I was very weak mentally and fitness taught me how to be mentally strong as well. I would worry I didn't have enough energy. I would worry I would be sore. I felt it was too hard. I didn't believe in myself. I knew what I wanted and I wanted to be fit and strong but my mind kept me back and telling me that I couldn't. I was battling with a weak mindset I was young I should have energy but it was hard for me because of my mind. Now that I'm 30,  fitness is easier for me I can run longer, workout longer without being tired or feeling pain. I enjoy fitness and I feel stronger every time. I recognized that even pain was all in my head if I focused on it.

Another of my mental struggle I had was with self pity. I had to discipline myself to let go of my past and tell myself to stop feeling sorry for myself. I had to surrender to God and trust in God to take control of my life. Once I had let go I found inner peace, joy and contentment. And I understood that it takes both the rain and the sun to make flowers grow. Now in my stormy seasons I just wait til the storm passes and do my best to not allow it to get to my head and consume me. The storm is on the outside not the inside of us unless we let it get to us.

We all have had our ups and downs weather our physical body had failed us in sickness or injury. Or we struggled mentally at one point in our life, maybe a broken heart, coping with grief, maybe we've been hurt and can't move on with our life. It is faith, hope and love that keeps us moving forward in life. Faith that we can overcome this. Hope that there is always better and love that we are loved.

I recommend anyone who is struggling with their faith in God to watch this movie called The Shack. It's about a man who lost his child and is angry at God for allowing his child to die a terrible way. His bitterness consumed his life and the relationship with his family. And then he meets God and gets answers. It is a really inspiring film.

Here are a few things that mentally strong people do:
- They don't waste their time feeling sorry for themselves
- Are disciplined and have self control (they don't have problems with addictions)
- They move on and let go and forgive themselves when they failed and they forgive others when they were wronged
- They don't worry about pleasing everyone
- They celebrate other people's success and don't envy them
- They don't give up when they fail
- They learn from their mistakes and don't fall back into the same mistakes over and over
- They don't well in the past
- They embrace change and welcome challenges
- They surrendered a God what they can't control