There comes a day in almost every man’s life when he wakes up and thinks: ‘Man… life sucks’.

If you have ever played GTA San Andreas, you may recall the famous lines of the main character Carl Johnson at the start of the game: ‘Ah sh** here we go again’.

The main character, upon his return to his hometown, is unjustly nabbed by a bunch of bad cops, robbed, and thrown out on the streets in a bad neighboured. Left to find his way back.

Of course, the story of Carl John, or CJ as he is known in the best-selling game is not a good one. As his pathway out of a world of economic hardship, corruption and crime is one that leads him down a world of crime: making him do terrible things.

Of course, it is all fun for the player, as it is only a video game.

But the point remains. When life gets tough, this is not the path anyone should take. At least one may hope so!

And this is a serious point, that the reader must consider. For when life tests you there is always the temptation to take the easy path. Which is invariably the wrong (potentially criminal) one.

For now, what the reader needs to consider is that there will be times in life when you will be tested. There will come a day when things around you, or ‘things’ within you that will test your metal.

It (whatever that it is) will ask questions, very piercing ones of your core character. Does this guy, who wants to do big things in life (presuming that you do) have what it takes to withstand THIS?

And ‘this’ can take many forms and are sometimes unexpected. The question is do you have what it takes to not only withstand it? But in withstanding these challenges you are able to rise above it and emerge as a stronger person.

Do you think you can do it? Well, you must. If you are serious about not only overcoming the many challenges of life but in achieving something of significance. Which every man of worth wants to do.

And rest assured, success never comes easy. And those moments of extreme hardship and doubt are what shape the real winners in life.

Mental Weakness: The Mindset of Failure 

I don’t know if you are aware of video compilations that have become highly popular on top video-sharing sites like YouTube that fall under the heading of ‘Instant Karma’.

Which involves people from various walks of life making a series of dumb, bad, or in a word selfish decisions, often at the cost of the well-being of others. (In more recent video playlists, this has even started to include animals).

The gist is that when people proceed to advance their own cause, and interests at the expense of others or by being totally inconsiderate by making life difficult for others on purpose; things turn out in a way that it ends up producing almost invariably, an opposite reaction.

Where the culprits (i.e. the selfish bast*** or bi***) end up getting what they deserve.

Of course, it is very easy to sit back and laugh at these nitwits making a fool of themselves, but there is a key lesson to take away from this.

The most notable is the problem of going through life whilst only thinking about yourself and by extension being an inconsiderate weed.

Now one might think that this approach to life, and what the mindset that underpins it: a self-serving: one that puts the needs of oneself over others, as a mark of self-confidence. To go through life not being affected by the views, and opinions of those around you, is a positive.

Now there is some truth to this. In fact, one of the key tenants of the Bulldog Mindset is to operate as a person whose actions are independent of the views and beliefs of others. To be able to do what is right for you regardless of the external circumstances and the many doubts and fears that one may feel inside.

However, the problem with these highly self-centered ways of looking at life, one that is often devoid or seriously lacking a moral compass when it comes to the health, and safety of others, is that come from a position of deep insecurity and yes, weakness.

Think about it. The guy (or gal) who has to do something rude, make someone else uncomfortable, be insecure to feel good about themselves, or think that the only way to get what he/she wants is to be utterly selfish, is NOT operating out of the mindset of strength.

If anything it is a mindset of insecurity. A mindset of weakness. One that is characterized by a certain sense of fear and the inability to feel good without making others feel bad.

Needless to say, people who think and act this way are not going to get far. Whilst they may do relatively well in person-to-person encounters. And may acquire some status in the social pecking order.

However, their long-term potential for reaching true success with people and in the social hierarchy of life is limited. Make no mistake, the person who thinks its mental toughness to bully his way through life is in for, or many rude awakenings.

Unless the person decides to change.

The Habit of Giving up at the First Hurdle 

Or the second. Or the third. Or the fourth.

Look, in life if there is one key principle for success, well-being, growth, and development: one that applies regardless of industry, career, problem type, context, and available resources. And that is you don’t give up. Ever!

Of course, having a never say die attitude is not enough when it comes to solving most problems in life. However, it is a vital component. One that is missed by many, many people.

People, who despite having the ability, connections and resources often fail to move forward in life, owing to the fact that they simply don’t have the strength to keep going.

To push past the hurdle that stands before them. To keep persisting when everything and everyone says otherwise.

Now it is easy to get carried away with the idea of not giving up. That it must involve major tasks or hurdles in life. Now you and I can think of such dramatic examples, but often the inability to persist often emerges in the face of hurdles that are not major in a significant way (i.e. they are not life-threatening or even correspond to actual threats to physical health).

However such ‘hurdles’ real or imagined exist. And they are many.

  • From the guy who thinks he is “not good at math” and never learns a technical subject that could result in a high-paying job.

  • To the man who blames social anxiety for his lack of success with women.

  • To the guy who starts a blog, or podcast and then gives up a year later, rather than staying with it for the long run to reap the rewards.

  • To the ‘timid guy’ who doesn’t stand up to the obnoxious idiot in class or the workplace, and simply tolerates the negativity.

Getting past these is not easy. But there is a way. And often the person who is faced with such ordeals knows what needs to be done. But he does not.

He/she either doesn’t try, does so half-heartedly, or simply caves in when he encounters any kind of pushback. This one thing can cost a person a lot: Productive partnerships, fulfilling relationships, greater social status, etc.

So to have these good things, you just got to keep at it. Keep at it, whilst learning more and growing as a person. A process that is at best not carried out alone.

We at Bulldog Mindset teach you how to overcome these and many other challenges in life. For we understand that success in life is not only a function of doing the right thing: Getting a good education, removing bad habits, having the right principles, and doing what is good. That is all good and fine, but when it comes to achieving success in life, it requires something more.

To succeed in life there are certain core soft skills you have to master. Which have a wide variety of applications, are transferable, and help connect the personal and professional worlds together.

If you are in something of a hurry to overcome the mindset that underpins fear, failure, and a lack of action, and turn your life around, then it might be the time to jump into an all-in-1 solution.

If you are not convinced and wish to understand why having the right mindset, in addition to having the right information, and later support networks to succeed: read on.

Attaining Mental Toughness 

There is no simple path to mental toughness. It involves a lot of work, a lot of learning, and a lot of trying.

But what does mental toughness as a concept mean?

Well, we have already given one definition of this concept which is persistence. But mental toughness is more than that.

For starters being mentally tough corresponds to the importance of acceptance. Acceptance is a key Stoic principle.

The great Marcus Aurelius stated: Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together, but do so with all your heart.

This might a difficult concept for some to accept. Particularly if the subject of consideration is something negative. But acceptance: that is to face reality for what it is, and to confront the true state of affairs in your life for what they are a key starting point.

It is an important step when it comes to building mental toughness. In life, you have a lot of people who are walking around thinking that all is good. But upon deeper scrutiny reveals deep flaws in character and in other areas.

For example, most ‘tough guys’ out there who think they need to prove themselves or believe they have to showcase their value by outward displays of wealth, and ego actually communicate the opposite.

In testing times such showmanship will not be enough. What matters then (when the reality of life hits you) will be the strength of your character.

Now, this does not mean that outward displays of your strength like showcasing your confidence by speaking up, and displaying your status with some bling: nice cars, a great crib, if you can afford it, is bad.

But you must answer the question: On what foundation do you draw strength, to go forward and do good things in life?

The answer of course is you. You, or specifically your mind must be the basis for the right action.

But what kind of ‘mind’ or mindset are we talking about? The answer is a mind that is ready and able to take on what life throws at it. To view every experience as an opportunity to learn and grow.

To resort once again to the wisdom of the Stoics. The quote attributed to Seneca: ‘A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials’. Is pertinent.

The question is have you been put through the trials? Have you endured the kind of friction that produces a mind that is ready to face life and succeed?

This takes us to the next part of our discussion. The need for a rite of passage.

The Need for a Rite of Passage 

The importance of a rite of passage is a sizeable topic. One that we have already engaged. Here we would contextualize it, in relation to the subject of building mental toughness, as the two go hand-in-hand.

When it comes to the matter of rite of passage in modern society, what generally comes to mind is its absence.

Men in the West, unlike in cultures from other parts of the world, or from times gone by, generally do not benefit from a process of hardship and trial that facilitates the journey from boyhood to manhood.

This matter has started to gain greater attention in recent times. Particularly in relation to many problems that men are facing in the world today.

And the reader, presuming the person is male, will have some understanding of this problem. Because believe it or not, a LOT of the problems that men, young men in particular, but really men in general are facing in their personal and social lives, can be traced back to this issue.

The lack of a proper rite of passage, consisting of rituals, challenges, and rewards for completion, might be too much to expect from modern society.

However, that does not mean that you cannot approach life in a way that itself becomes a rite of passage. If you wish, you can approach your life as a process of growth. A rite of passage in itself. And you don’t need to do this alone.

With the Bulldog Mindset which we offer:

  • You will approach key moments in life as a pathway toward growth.

  • You will embrace the challenges of life, rather than run away from them.

  • You will recognize the reality of pain and hurt and see them as stepping stones.

  • You will learn about the importance of money, and how to build financial independence.

  • You will start moving on the path toward success.

Do you think you are ready for this?

As there is always the temptation to go it alone. To build mental toughness by your efforts alone. To pursue the path of growth with your own knowledge and strength. And that is fine.

But there is a better way. A more productive path for growth. To become mentally tough and to achieve the desired goals of your life. That is to connect with a community of men who are working towards the same things.

Working to learn, grow and improve themselves in all key areas of life. Does that interest you?

In Conclusion 

Having mental toughness is one of the core concepts for achieving success in life.

Take any area of skill, or expertise and will find a process of training and learning that precedes it. A process of weeding out the weak and ineffective.

From the basic job application to a pencil-pushing job (no offense) to joining the military, to being accepted into your desired university, there is a process of testing. A process that tests the mental and worthiness of the applicant.

And life as a whole in a sense works this way. To get what you want you to need to be good enough. There are no special cases. Everyone, and yes even the exceptional personnel among us must prove their worth.

And to do so, you must have the right mindset. The mindset that doesn’t give up. That doesn’t give in. The mindset of winners who strive to keep going no matter what. The Bulldog Mindset.