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The topic of mindset is subject to interpretation. To me, mindset and attitude are synonymous. One's mindset can be cultured, matured, and adjusted. The definition of mindset is “a mental attitude, disposition, or mood that determines how we interpret and respond to situations.” A proper mindset can assist us in acting decisively with little hesitation in day-to-day life.
Years ago, I fell into despair, as many Americans do, due to some life-altering events. The lens through which we view life can become distorted by domestic issues, financial strife, and overwhelming workloads. As a result, your mindset and attitude may end up in the crapper. For me, it was a combo platter, and my darkness, masked by a lot of faking, lasted for more than a year.
For one, I missed the camaraderie of being a part of a unit with such a level of intimacy with those surrounding you that can't be found in many places. That was coupled with a horrible support mechanism on the home front. When I found myself in a dark place, my self-diagnosis, with a little help from a Google search, concluded that I was depressed. My prognosis, naturally, was that depression is for pussies. I know now that depression is very serious and shouldn't be taken lightly, but that's what I plugged into my pea brain at the time.
Some time back, I was a part of a small group of individuals who had the mindset that there was and there is no second place. It wasn't shouted in some lame mantra nor was there any chest pounding. It's a fundamental mindset that resonates with certain people or groups of people. That mindset had become an ember, and I just needed to set fire to it again.
However, we're all hardwired differently. Not all of us can put our minds to achieving a grandiose task of epic proportion and succeed at it. Not all of us can light a match that ignites dark and scary thoughts either. Regardless, there's fire within us all that allows us to be whom we want to be. We can choose our own paths.
But following through and delivering is another story. Not only can a bad sequence of events put you in a downer of a mood, but it can spiral to the point where you question your self-worth. Don't look where you don't want to go. Before you buy a ticket to the pity party, remember that the world is bigger than you — and we — are.
The mind navigates the body. In other words, how you think will determine your attitude and mindset. The brain intuitively tells the body what to do — mindset, to what degree.
My mindset reminds me that my positives outnumber my negatives. I look forward to every tomorrow and remember what's good about the past. We shouldn't data dump the “bads” from yesterday, but learn from them. Fail quickly. When sh*t doesn't go our way, we need to learn from the past, prepare for the future, and perform in the present.
Attitudes and strong mindset can be contagious. A negative attitude can adversely affect those around you. Conversely, you can spread positivity by emitting a kick-ass pheromone of badassery.
Pat (Mac) McNamara has 22 years of special operations experience, 13 of which were in the U.S. Army's 1st SFOD-D (Delta). He has extensive experience in hostile fire/combat zones in the Middle East and Eastern Europe. He trains individuals at basic and advanced levels of marksmanship and combat tactics. Based on his wide-ranging experience, McNamara emphasizes a continuous thought process and accountability, utilizing a training methodology that is safe, effective, and combat relevant. He retired from the Army's premier hostage-rescue unit as a sergeant major and is the author of T.A.P.S. (Tactical Application of Practical Shooting) and Sentinel.
www.tmacsinc.com
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