Huffington Magazine Issue 90 | Page 67

Exit THE THIRD METRIC GRANDRIVER/GETTY IMAGES ing falsely accused of triple murder to intense discrimination based on race or sex. He found that mental toughness came down to three things: Perception, action and will. “What’s required [for mental strength] is some sort of philosophical framework that allows you to look past your emotions or what your first impressions of a situation might be,” Holiday said. “So the elements of that are, 1) Your perception. Can you see things clearly and evenly? 2) Can you think about creative or out of the box kinds of solutions or actions? And finally, what is the kind of determination or will you can apply that action to the situation with?” THEY’RE PERSISTENT IN THE PURSUIT OF THEIR GOALS. In psychologist Angela Lee Duckworth’s studies of students in a number of different educational environments, Duckworth found that grit more than any other single quality (IQ, emotional intelligence, good looks, physical health) accounts for students’ success. She also studied teachers and workers in various professional environments to determine what accounted for their success. “Grit is passion or perseverance for very long-term goals,” Duckworth said in a TED talk. “Grit is having stamina. Grit is sticking with your future, day in and day out — not just for a day, not just for a month, but for years — to make that future a reality.” THEY LET GO OF ENTITLEMENT. We all deserve happiness, but we don’t deserve a life free from obstacles or setbacks. An attitude of entitlement — thinking that we deserve to get what we want most or all of the time — can make it much more difficult to deal with challenges when they come around and take you by surprise. This is a particular- HUFFINGTON 03.02.14