7 Mindsets For Rising Strong…

Mission Mindset Principle #4

Your mindset is the filter through which you see the world. It determines how you invest your time, talent and resources. It governs who you hang with and it will impact the quality of your life.

How intentional are you about crafting and honing the mindset you desire?

Sadly, many people have a default mindset. They haphazardly consume news and media without considering how it affects the way they see the world. They don’t think about the connection between what they consume and how it affects their attitudes, moods, outcomes and place in life.

Be warned, the doom and gloom presented by the media is toxic, exhausting and depressing.

Certainty and control are illusions. People are flawed, life is messy and the unexpected happens. 

So what will it take to rise strong in the midst of the on-going uncertainty? Brave-hearted leaders with a mission mindset.

We’re not suggesting you live fearlessly. That’s unrealistic and a hard pill to swallow. We’re suggesting you dare to step through your fear believing that what you really want is on the other side. A mission mindset gives you the courage to step through any fear, distractions, doubt and skeptics that are holding you back.

Entrepreneurs and high achievers don’t merely dream – they move, they advance and they are determined to rise strong. They take ownership of their gifts and use them to inspire and lead others through the uncertainty ahead.

They refuse to drift through life by default. Instead, they choose a mission mindset, one that challenges them to grow, contribute, and leave a lasting mark on the world. The power to rise strong and live your life by design requires a mission mindset. 

Here are 7 mindsets for rising strong.

Embrace Truth

It’s easy to blame external forces for where we are in life.

We hear the common gripes and grumbles:

  • “I hate living paycheck to paycheck.”

  • “The work culture is toxic.”

  • “I don’t have time to work out; I’m way too busy for that.”

But the truth is, much of our reality stems from the choices we make.

  • You choose to spend as much (or more) as you make and not save.

  • You choose to stay in a culture that sucks the life out of you.

  • You choose work over working out.

    A mission mindset say, “Choose and DO whatever-it-takes to live the life you really want.”

Be Accountable

The freedom to create a life of your own choosing begins with accepting the demanding responsibility that goes with it. Demanding because freedom isn’t free, it comes at a cost. It almost always requires duty, service, and sacrifice. It demands accountability.

Accountability Unlocks the Door to Freedom

Why do we choose easy instead of claiming our freedom? Voting, starting a business, or shifting your habits requires a mission mindset. You have to assume responsibility. You have to be accountable. Because the truth is, easy does not pay well and does not contribute to a life by design. There is no freedom without accountability.

Get Rid of “Them”

Tell yourself the truth and deal with life the way it is, not how you think it should be.

Owning your life circumstances is not the same as assuming blame for them. The unfair life you find yourself in may not be your fault. But if you don’t take responsibility for changing it, you are living by default. 

Own your default patterns. Sometimes we get stuck because we can’t get off the treadmill of unhelpful, default patterns. 

Consider the following scenarios: 

  • You’ve wasted time and money buying into the get-rich-quick schemes of charlatans who convinced you to believe in empty dreams.

  • You have bounced from one weight loss program to another without keeping the weight off.

  • You argue with your spouse. As a way of coping, you emotionally check out with the same silent treatment you’ve been using for years and waste yet another weekend.

We slip into autopilot and don’t even recognize them as patterns, and if we do, we don’t own the fact that we are choosing to do the same thing repeatedly, hoping for a different result. Acknowledging default patterns is seeing them for what they are—dysfunctional patterns—taking responsibility for them, and then designing new, healthier habits.

  • Expect More From Yourself.

  • Be Accountable to Yourself.

  • Disrupt Yourself.

You can’t escape risk. There is always something at stake. You can take a leap of faith into the unknown or defend the status quo. In either case, you’re taking on a risk. But make no mistake. Without exploration and stepping out of your comfort zone, you will never be able to determine how much capacity you have.

Until you test the limits of what you can achieve, you’ll never really know your boundaries. You can’t steal second base without a big lead at first, but a big lead at first could get you tagged out. One thing is clear; you’ll never be a great base runner unless you are willing to risk failure.  

Being kinda different doesn’t cut it; if you want to rise strong and live life by your own design you have to be unforgettable.

Live Life Vertical

In a world where everyone and everything around you is getting better, where technology waits for no one, and smarter, more sophisticated clients demand more, we should constantly search for what’s NEXT. Yet some of us wake up to breakfast, kids, and a day of routine meetings. While others wake up thinking, “What’s my next big idea? Next big challenge? Next big move?

Next? It’s about living life forward. For example, you achieve a significant milestone. Okay, what’s next? You find the love of your life. Okay, what’s next? You travel to a bucket list country. Okay, what’s next? There’s power in thinking like this, even when things go wrong. You lose a client. Okay, what’s next? You crash your car. Okay, what’s next? You make a terrible investment. Okay, what’s next?

Echoing the legendary Michigan equipment manager Jon Falk, superstar Tom Brady told Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans, “You wanna know what ring is my favorite? The next one.” Applied to good or bad situations, “What’s next?” takes you out of complacency and into living life by design.

What’s next? The same question drives explorers and innovators to discover new frontiers. What’s next? It keeps you from leaning on yesterday’s headlines and the wiz-bang product or service you created two years ago. If you want to make a quantum leap in your life or business, you’ve got to look for next practices.

“Living life vertical” means you are always reaching, climbing, and running to the next big thing in your business, to the next level in your life.

Living life vertical gives you endless opportunities for experimenting, exploring, trying new things, expanding your network and broadening your reach.

Living life vertical allows you to discover your passion, reimagine your life, reawaken your goals, replenish your energy, redesign your way, and then resurge into a better version of yourself.

Live Blessed – Not Entitled

People who live blessed rarely take for granted the gifts of people, circumstances, and opportunities in their lives. Their sense of wonder, awe, and appreciation simply for being alive is turned up higher than it is for most people. Success is not an entitlement, it’s a blessing to achieve it and a privilege to share it. People respect their maturity, admire their humility, and are attracted to their optimism. 

In contrast, people who feel entitled live with a sense of privilege and superiority. They believe selfishly that their wants and needs are always a priority and that they deserve special treatment. Their questions ebb and flow between “Who owes me?” and “Am I getting what I deserve?” They are blind to the blessings in their lives because they are focused on what they think they deserve but aren’t receiving. They drive others away with their immaturity, arrogance, and self-indulgence.

Break the Curse of Entitlement by letting go of these Myths holding you back.

  • Myth #1: Fairness = Equality

    People who operate from an entitlement mentality frequently complain that they are not being treated fairly when what they really mean is they want equality. “Fairness” by definition is to be just and honest. “Equality” means having the same privileges, status, or rights as others. 

    High achievers don’t seek equal treatment; they seek to earn their place through contribution and value. Instead of asking, “Why don’t I have what they have?” ask, “What am I willing to do to deserve what I desire?”

  • Myth #2: Busyness = Results.

    Busy and results are not the same. The most successful entrepreneurs elevate their conversations with themselves and others to outcomes. They measure their results, not just their activity. Yes, they are faithful to plans and activities, but they believe that plans and activities should be subservient to results. 

    Consider these questions:

    • What hard, results-oriented activities do I avoid in favor of “busy” distractions? Are the activities I’m engaged in getting me closer to realizing my dream? 
    • What high-leverage activities would produce more meaningful outcomes?

  • Myth #3: Longevity = Loyalty.

    You are sadly mistaken if you think your tenure or seniority entitles you to job security and special privileges from the organization. Loyalty isn’t about how long you’ve been around—it’s about how much you continue to contribute. True commitment means adapting, evolving, and finding new ways to bring value.

    Don’t let these myths entangle you, deflate your potential, and rob you of achieving a life by design. Instead, embrace fairness, results, and Loyalty as rights you are not simply entitled to; they are rights you earn. 

Truths to Breaking Entitlement

Move from “I deserve” to “I’m responsible”.

“I deserve” is a reactive posture that expects someone else to serve you by either doing it for you or stepping aside so you can advance. “I’m responsible” is a proactive posture that acknowledges and accepts you have a role to play.

Live as if You Are Blessed.

Rising strong and living blessed involves regularly shifting from expectation to appreciation and gratitude.

Gratitude transforms our perspective and changes our orientation. It’s hard to complain when we are genuinely thankful, but it’s hard to be grateful when we take life’s blessings and accomplishments for granted.

Create a Daily Gratitude Ritual

Before you fall asleep at night, consider three things for which you are grateful. Do the same thing before you get out of bed in the morning. Note the pain and frustration you’ve avoided and the blessings you’ve received. It’s not rocket science; it is very doable. This daily discipline will radically transform your mindset on life and work. 

Pay It Forward

People who believe in you make you bigger, stronger, and more capable. Think back to the people who saw something in you that you couldn’t see in yourself. Be that person for someone else. Those who rise strong do so through consistent yet small acts of support and encouragement.

Go All In

Research shows that if the magnitude of failure and success are similar, most people have a greater aversion to failing than an attraction to succeeding. That’s a 50/50 chance of success or failure, yet most of us allow our fear to supersede our faith. That is not an ALL IN brave-based hearted mindset. It’s a fear-based mindset.

You get to choose your mindset. ALL IN is about playing to win versus playing NOT to lose. It’s about playing offense, not defense.

ALL IN is about exercising the faith to go full throttle in the face of uncertainty, risk, and exposure and not allowing fear to hold you back or dilute your focus.

Choose your mindset – make rising strong your reality.