 Times back, many people thought that success was a precise formula of talent, luck and intelligence. But according to recent studies, being mentally healthy is a higher predictor of success than intelligence. So, how do you know where you fall on the spectrum of mentally healthy individuals? In this video, I will share with you 13 signs that you are mentally healthy. 1. You'll have healthy self-esteem Sometimes, healthy self-esteem is confused with inflated esteem on narcissism and vice versa. But while a narcissist is proud, overconfident and never accepts his or her fault, a person with healthy self-esteem is neither falsely self-confident nor timid. Having high esteem means accurately striking a balance between the pride and arrogance of inflated esteem and the fear and inferiority complex of low self-esteem. A mentally strong individual has a healthy self-esteem. You are aware of and accept your strengths as well as your weaknesses. You have learned to self-evaluate accurately and self-validate, so that you are neither dependent on praise from others nor devastated by rejection. 2. You are self-sufficient Self-sufficiency means having a clear and strong sense of self. When you are self-sufficient, you are not codependent or manipulative, or possessive or controlling. You know how to deal with your problems. Also, you don't fear being alone, yet you are not afraid of people either. A self-sufficient individual has gone through life without really crying out for help because he or she can always find a way to rescue themselves. You don't seek for people to save you, neither do you try to rescue or fundamentally change others. You don't rely on other people to manage your emotions, nor do you act your feelings out on them. If you possess all these traits mentioned, then you are mentally strong. 3. You are emotionally intelligent Many people assume that being mentally strong means that you have to be unemotional. To them, emotional intelligence is being able to bottle up all you feel and act like nothing is wrong. These notions are untrue. Mental toughness doesn't require you to stop feeling or expressing your emotions. It just means that you can balance your emotions with logic. Mentally strong people understand that emotions don't negatively affect success. Instead, their emotions play a vital role in making the best decisions when mixed with a hefty dose of logic. Being emotional only stops you when you let it consume you. But acknowledging your feelings is essential for your well-being. Mentally strong people perceive every emotion as crucial and they can coordinate their feelings and that of those around them. 4. You acknowledge your weakness Average individuals may believe that in admitting your weakness, you are given in to allowing them to overrule you. But mentally healthy people don't think so. Although they don't let their shortcomings stop them from trying, they also do not brush them under the carpet. Acknowledging your bad at confronting people or that you struggle to be organized might show you're strong enough to admit your imperfections and take positive actions. While other people make excuses for the things they can't, you create ways to go around them. Either you delegate the task you cannot do or develop a plan to succeed despite them. For someone who is mentally tough, weaknesses aren't a setback. They are just challenges that need to be overcome. 5. You can bear failure If you succeed at everything you do, it means you live in far inside your comfort zone. Making mistakes and failing means you're challenging yourself, which is a sign of mental resilience. Mentally healthy individuals do not let people convince them that their failures are proof that they are not strong enough to succeed. Instead, they view failures as an opportunity to stretch themselves as far as you can. They don't find it challenging to recognize limitations and things beyond your capabilities and accept failure as a part of life. In their book, Arlen Bernstein and Peg Streep, mastering the art of quitting, pointed out that quitting sometimes requires a huge lip of faith and a willingness to take on the possibility of failure along with the emotional fallout that accompanies it. 6. You know when to walk away Whether you are walking away from a goal because the effort it takes to get there isn't a top priority or you're walking away from a heated dispute because you know nothing productive is going to happen, walking away does not mean you're copping out. Many people perceive walking away as a weakness, when in fact it takes strengths to step away from something that isn't working out, mostly when you have devoted a lot of resources to a task or a person. Walking away might show you're willing to act by your values, even though you might face some ridicule. It only takes a mentally healthy person to stick to their principles to the extent of walking away. In the words of an anonymous writer, sometimes walking away does not mean that you're weak, but it means that you're strong enough to let go. 7. They are able to take criticisms How do you feel when you put in your best in something only to get negative responses from people around? Do you have yourself or the people for criticizing you? Or do you swallow all the criticism and make necessary adjustment? If you do the latter, then you are mentally strong. Mentally strong individuals do not let criticisms break them. Neither do they hold grudges against people that criticize them. As a mentally tough person, when critics criticize you, all you do is learn and move. 8. You're focused on intrinsic motivation Intrinsic motivations are internal motives that come from within you. A person with intrinsic motivation draws his or her inspiration to carry out tasks from within, rather than focus on external rewards like money, fame, etc. Motivated individuals are driven from the inside to do things for their own sake, regardless of whether or not there are societal benefits. Motivation affects every aspect of your life, including being better and pushing yourself to be stronger. These sets of people are often time low-key philanthropists. They involve in charitable acts not because of the accolades they'll receive from the masses, but to satisfy their conscience, put a genuine smile on people's face and also for the sake of internal fulfillment. These things in themselves are considered a reward. Mentally strong people know that real success comes from within. The rest follows afterward. 9. You can stay committed Commitment is something mentally tough people have in abundance. They don't do anything halfway. They would instead not start a task than to do it without full dedication. Researchers, Peter Klau and Doug Strychoksyk asserted that commitment is how athletes can power through pain and exhaustion to reach the finish line. Anyone who wishes to be successful in life must learn to be committed. Being commitment because commitment is mental strength. You're mentally more substantial than usual when you commit yourself 100% to anything you choose to do. However, you are necessarily committed because you want to succeed. You know that you are bound to experience setbacks. Setbacks are severe, yes, but for you, the important takeaway in each challenge are the lessons and experiences you get from them. 10. Proactivity Proactivity, which is the opposite of reactivity, means taking the initiative to carry out a task. Mentally strong individuals are proactive. They don't wait to be told what to do or what should be done. Instead, they take extra steps to do the right things. 11. Decision-making is fast and accurate. Mentally strong individuals are usually never found in the box of indecisiveness. They find it easy to weigh options and make the best possible decisions in the quickest of time. Their decisions are usually not influenced by what others think or solely how they feel, but it is often about what should be done. If you recognize that you are responsible for your own life and when there is a problem you can weigh your options and make a decision, then you are mentally strong. 12. You can control your anger. Can you believe she just stood there? I would have given him a piece of my mind. Comments like that imply people who remain calm lack the courage to stand up for themselves. Being relaxed is often mistaken for weakness or stupidity. However, it is the strength for mentally strong individuals. Anger can be a very healthy and helpful emotion, but it does not mean you'll be able to behave productively every time you are upset. The level of productivity you will achieve from your angry moments depends on you. Most people cannot remain calm, they allow their anger to control them. Being able to regulate your emotions and maintain your cool amid a crisis is a hallmark of mental strength. That's not to say you won't feel angry. Anger can be a very healthy and helpful emotion, but it does not mean you will be able to behave productively even when you feel upset. 13. You show empathy. Mentally strong people have an acute sense of understanding for themselves and by extension feel empathetic towards others. Empathy doesn't necessarily mean that you agree with other people on their actions, but you understand how others feel, think and act and why. When you are properly in touch with your feelings, you are likely to also understand how others feel and have a lot of compassion for those who are legitimately hurt. Many of the behaviors often associated with weakness are a sign of strength. Our culture often values toughness over strength, but mental strength is not always about fighting back. Sometimes, it's about being vulnerable.