11 Reasons Why You’re Stronger Than You Think (2024)

Second-guessing your ability to tolerate distress will only hold you back in life.

In fact, the more you doubt your mental strength, the more important it is for you to prove to yourself that you’re stronger than you know.

Let’s dive right into it.

Here are 11 reasons why you’re stronger than you think:

1. Adaptable

Humans can adapt like no other life form. We’ve survived and outlived other species because we are adaptable physically and mentally. Humans are unique this way. 

Remind yourself of this essential human trait as you navigate difficult waters. Think back to a tough time you were living through.

Maybe you learned a new skill, made a change to your daily routine, or you asked for help. You adapted – and you overcame – because you are stronger than you think.

2. Resilience

Our most difficult moments shape who we are. Life isn’t what happens when everything is going your way. A fulfilling life is forged when we rise from the ashes of what we used to be.

You don’t need to have a painful or traumatic past to find that sometimes life just gets you down. If you find yourself caught in negative thought patterns, change your perspective.

Think about all the things you have to be grateful for. Learn lessons from your failures so that you can reframe them in a positive way. And don’t ever give up.

You Are Stronger Than You Think
Photo by Vicky Sim on Unsplash

3. Control

You have the power to take action and change your whole world. What can you do to take control of your situation?

  • When it’s related to business, update your résumé.
  • Work on your business plan.
  • Create an exercise routine.
  • Practice mindfulness.
  • Reconnect with your loved ones.
  • Add a new skill to help you reach your goals or search for a new hobby to learn just for fun.

Whatever you do, please take decisive action. Rise to the challenge and create a life that’s empowering, not clouded with negativity. As you build your confidence, you’ll realize you are stronger than you think.

4. Face Your Fears

Many of us choose to ignore our fears. The price for ignoring them is that we get uncomfortable because they point out our flaws and fill us with self-doubt. They would even cause us to physically tremble and sweat. 

People with mental strength choose to call on faith over self-doubt because it’s so much stronger than fear. They know they are here for a greater reason than any problems they’ll face.

They have faith they can handle anything. They were made for adversity – and they will not let it stop them from living free.

5. Action

Maybe in the past, you hesitated, however, your strength can allow you to flawlessly take action and get things done to live the life you want.

Your strength will enable you to take action in a difficult situation.

For instance, if you’re feeling like a relationship is bad for you or going nowhere, you can take action to separate yourself from the union. Yes, you are that strong. You will be loved on your terms.

6. Patience 

Patience is a strength within the crisis at hand. It shows how capable you are when you can wait for something to come to pass or for something to resolve itself once you’ve expressed that desire.

Time is precious, yet mature and very capable people understand this and utilize their time wisely. They understand when to subscribe to patience and when it’s time for action.

Related article: What Causes Impatience – Reasons & Effective Treats

7. Wisdom

Wisdom comes with age, but it also comes when you’ve learned how to operate with sound logic. The wise person reviews with experience and maturity, regardless of your age, what the actual facts are.

You could be filled with wisdom as a young adult, and able to tackle any obstacle. Making wise decisions comes from an internal strength.

8. Moral Standards

Your strength allows you to retain your own passions and desires, despite what everyone else may want for you. You also stay committed to what you believe.

Your standards and morals come before settling for a relationship where you don’t feel loved for who you are or making a hard decision.

Strength helps you stand firm instead of to please others when they try to make you compromise your most basic beliefs.

9. Know Who You Are

A strong person has a healthy self image. I’m not talking about conceit or being self-absorbed.

Rather, you tune in to how you deeply feel, you know your values and beliefs that serve the highest good.

Your likes, dislikes, and passions are easy to understand. You know what you want and that you’re not required to defend yourself.

10. Softness And Grit 

The world is a bountiful combination of colors and shades of gray. You have both the tendency to sense, care, and emote and the tendency to be resilient, determined, and resourceful. 

Thus, you are incredibly powerful in all sorts of contexts. If we were all one or the other, we would be out of balance.

But you, my dear, are a unique blend of toughness in all forms, both tender and hardy.

11. Your Inner World

If you’ve meditated for years, kept a journal, or simply consider yourself very introspective and self-aware, you have a particular kind of strength that very few others have.

Where most are controlled by the forces of stress, anxiety, and intense emotions you’re able to manage them effectively and release them without overwhelming you.

Related Articles on Self Confidence

What Is The Saying You Are Stronger Than You Think?

Author, A.A. Milne, creator of the Winnie The Pooh series of stories, had many poignantly quotable lines.

This one, however, is from the movie, “Pooh’s Grand Adventure: The Search For Christopher Robin”, which was written 41 years after Milne’s death by Karl Geurs and Carter Crocker.

“If there ever is a tomorrow when we’re not together, there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we’re apart… I’ll always be with you.”

Winnie the Pooh’s words apply to more than just children. A. A. Milne’s fictional children’s character has quite a bit to say on the topics of life and happiness.

A quick search comes up with these few quotes to review:

  1. “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That’s why we call it the present.”

The past is a daunting thing. But, it is also behind us-done, finished. Good or bad, we do not hold the power to change it. We can, however, control our current situation and make the best of that.

  1. “A day without a friend is like a pot without a single drop of honey left inside.”

It’s so important to keep in touch with friends. Friends need to be priorities too and not to be taken for granted. Otherwise, we can be left feeling empty just like Pooh’s honey jar.

  1. “Life is a journey to be experienced, not a problem to be solved.”

Life is meant to be enjoyed and loved. Pursue what you’re passionate about, strive to be your best, and just live life to the fullest! There will be some trials, but that’s what makes the mystery and experience of life absolutely worth it.

  1. “The nice thing about the rain is that it stops eventually.”

Challenges usually make us stronger. The good thing is they are never permanent. Like Pooh reminds us, just as the storm passes, so your troubles will pass too.

The more you doubt your mental strength, the more important it can be for you to add quotes like this to remind you that you’re braver than you think.

Stronger Than You Think
Photo by Christian Burri on Unsplash

What Does Stronger Than You Think Mean?

Being strong means you have made the decision to get through a trial no matter what, not that you don’t hurt or have pain.

Whether you know it or not, this is what makes you a warrior.

Strength is not always purely physical, actually, rarely so in our modern world. Rather, it’s about willpower, discipline, and drive. It’s about standing with integrity.

You’re always a sign of hope to someone in your world. In order for you to realize you are, it could take some reviews of yourself as well as cheering yourself on, because drowning in pity and pain will not free you.

Pain comes in all shapes and forms. When we’re hurt or someone we love has let us down in life, we tend to have a different outlook.

The good thing is, you can choose to rise above the situation and be grateful for the wonderful things in your life.

This can start a new experience to be drawn into your life and you’ll find that you’re braver than you thought.

What Is The Meaning Of You Are Braver Than You Believe Stronger Than You Seem And Smarter Than You Think?

This quote by the character, Christopher Robin, is awesome considering our society seems to be constantly battling with the concept of self-image, self-worth and acceptance. When you doubt yourself, remember these words, even though it may seem foolish.

1. You Are braver than You Believe

Believing you’re brave is more important than the situation you’re facing. Raise your belief to match how brave you really are.

2. You Are Stronger Than You Seem

You may feel vulnerable to a situation, yet you have the power to rise above it and face it. You have the ability to search deeply for that inner strength.

3. You Are Smarter than You Think

Your thoughts can bring you down and tell you all kinds of awful things about yourself. It’s smart to know you don’t have to believe those thoughts.

You are perfect, exactly as you are.

When we seem to be down on our luck, we can feel helpless, like a victim. However, you’re only helpless until you really try to help yourself, maybe not right away, but it can come.

Asking for help from others could be the first proactive step to take, not as a crutch but as a way to build the strength to save yourself.

Who Said Stronger Than You Think?

The plot of this movie has Winnie the Pooh and his friends on an adventure to find Christopher Robin, who they have determined to have been captured by the so-called Skullasaurus.

The quote comes early in the movie when Christopher Robin tries to have a heart-to-heart talk with the little bear on account of he is going to be gone for a while.

Pooh just can’t understand and tells Christopher Robin that he’s helpless without him. This is when Christopher Robin delivers the quote.

You Are Stronger Than You Think Book

“You Are Stronger Than You Think”, a book you may be interested in, written by Gary W. Lewandowski Jr., PhD, has the subtitle, “The 10 Blind Spots That Undermine Your Relationship…and How to See Past Them”.

Lewandowski offers to show you how to discover ten myths that may be sabotaging your love life.

When you read this book’s content you’ll see the practical, science-backed tools you can subscribe to. Then you can really reveal your relationship’s hidden strengths and build a fulfilling, long-lasting bond.

Dr. Gary W. Lewandowski Jr. is a nationally recognized expert on the psychology of relationships.

For instance, the content includes these interesting points to read about:

  • To forecast your relationship’s future, you are the worst person to ask.
  • Men are the real romantics in heterosexual relationships, not women.
  • The amount of sex to have to keep your relationship healthy is lower than you think.
  • It’s okay to be selfish. Putting me before you, can  really help both of you.
  • When it comes to closeness, you can have too much of a good thing.
  • Struggles actually strengthen your relationship.
  • In terms of partner support, what you’re not seeing is more important than what you notice.
  • When your relationship doesn’t help you become a better person, ending it does.

The book’s customer reviews are very positive from various doctors. Add this to your reading list for a bold, fresh read related to what it means to love and be loved.

If you purchase “Stronger Than You Think” it can help you confidently and accurately view yourself and your relationship so you can fully appreciate the love you have, or find the one you want and deserve.

You Are Stronger Than You Think You Are

Just because you feel uncomfortable doesn’t mean you need to give up right away. Prove to yourself that you’re capable enough to tolerate more than you think.

  • Thinking you can’t tolerate something would make you feel a sense of dread, anxiety, or even anger as you approach this thing you can’t tolerate. As you experience more negative emotions, your thoughts would become exaggeratedly negative, creating a cycle of self-doubt.
  • You’ll struggle to reach your goals. Quitting because you don’t want to be uncomfortable will prevent you from growing. The greatest things in life tend to happen outside your comfort zone. Doubting your ability to step outside of yours can keep you stuck.
  • Giving up can become a habit. Quitting every time you face a new challenge can change how you view yourself. You might begin to believe that you’re weak or a failure because you can’t seem to stick with things long enough to see positive results.

We are all survivors living in a world of adversity. We have all had our share of battles. We have all had moments when we’ve fallen so low we questioned whether or not we could lift ourselves up and really live the life we want.

Yet we have. We’ve gotten smarter, bolder, braver, and wiser than we seem from the struggles we’ve endured. 

Maybe not right away, and maybe not easily, but we’re braver and our spirit is stronger because of the hard times.

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About The Author

Bijan Kholghi is a certified life coach with the Milton Erickson Institute Heidelberg (Germany). He helps clients and couples reach breakthroughs in their lives by changing subconscious patterns. His solution-oriented approach is based on Systemic- and Hypnotherapy.

Bijan