Being a Warrior
What does it mean to have a “Warrior Mindset?”
I remember the time in my life when I realized how weak my mind was. I graduated from Marine Corps boot camp and was immediately assigned to a new company at a training battalion in Tennessee. I was the only female in my company, and I felt a burden to prove myself—not just for my own self-satisfaction, but because I thought this might be the only time these devil dogs would get to see what a female Marine can do. I was sure as hell gonna show them that a female Marine could do anything a male Marine could. I was not going to let my sisters down. I put a lot of pressure on myself to be one of the best in my company.
Then we started running. I hate running. Most of us were straight out of boot camp and in great shape. I was in great shape too, but keeping up with the men was hard—really, really hard. And me not being a runner made it even harder. I was motivated, though. I was going to run until I passed out and got carried away on a stretcher.
The first mile of our formation run, I was good. Motivated, singing cadence, Oorah! The second mile—okay, some guys dropped out, but I was hanging in. By the third mile, we’d run 3 miles before, but never at this pace. This was getting hard. Somewhere around the 4th or 5th mile, I remember thinking, "God, please let me step in a ditch and break my ankle." I promised I wouldn’t drop out, so I was hoping I would just fall down. That’s not dropping out, right? Then I prayed, "God, please let me just pass out." That didn’t happen either.
I thought, "I can’t believe my legs are still moving. I feel like I’m going to die, like my lungs are going to explode in my chest." It was then that I realized how much more I could take and endure than I thought I could. I realized how weak my mind was. My mind kept saying, "Michele, you are going to die, you need to stop running now." But I was nowhere near death. My legs kept going, my lungs kept pumping air, and my heart was nowhere near exploding.
The point of this story is that our minds give up long before our bodies do. Our minds are what’s weak, what makes us doubt, what makes us second-guess ourselves. It was around this time that I decided I wasn’t going to listen to my mind. Sounds weird, huh? When thoughts like "how can I possibly" or "I could never" slipped into my head, I replaced them with, "you’re a warrior," or "you can do anything you put your mind to." From that point on, that’s how I chose to live my life. I changed my mindset to a warrior mindset. I’m a badass woman warrior, and nothing will get in the way of me living up to my potential.
How the Warrior Mindset Applies to Everyday Life
Having a great mindset—a Warrior Mindset—is absolutely critical in business. You have to schedule your own day, stay on task without anyone holding you accountable, and motivate yourself. Having a warrior mindset means not only are you motivating yourself, but you look at obstacles as small hurdles—and you’re Usain Bolt, taking those hurdles effortlessly and in stride.
Having a Warrior Mindset means you don’t take no for an answer, and naysayers just add fuel to your already raging fire. It means your passion drives you, and no one or nothing will get in the way of you achieving your goals. What kind of mindset do you have? Think back to the last time you were faced with a challenge. Did you let doubt creep in, or did you attack it head-on like the warrior you are?
We all have our doubts at times, and we all let negativity slip in, but when you have a Warrior Mindset, you quickly replace those thoughts with ones of past accomplishments, future goals, and an unwavering level of confidence. If you don’t yet possess that confidence, then your mindset needs to change. If you’re thinking to yourself, “What have I accomplished?” then you need to cultivate a Warrior Mindset. Figure out what your greatness is, what you have to offer the world, and when your mind gets in the way with weak thoughts of quitting, tell it:
“I’m a badass warrior, and there is nothing that will get in my way!”
Practical Steps to Develop a Warrior Mindset
Remember, you are stronger than your mind gives you credit for. Your mind will try to protect you by quitting early, but your body is capable of far more. Trust in that.
Be grateful for failure. We all experience failures, and we often learn more from them than from successes. Be grateful for these moments, as they build your character and resilience.
Strength takes time and consistency. Just like building muscle, mental strength requires repetition over days, months, and years. Be patient with yourself. If you don’t feel strong now, that’s okay—your mind needs time to be trained.
Embrace conflict and adversity. Warriors are made in war, not peace! If you’re always going along to get along, you’re not growing. True warriors embrace challenges, they don’t avoid them.
Push yourself out of your comfort zone. Don’t shrink away from challenges, adversity, or conflict. Nothing great is ever accomplished in the comfort zone. Growth comes when you take risks and face difficult situations head-on.
Final Thoughts
The Warrior Mindset isn’t just for the military or law enforcement; it’s for anyone who wants to achieve greatness in their life. It’s a way of living that empowers you to push through discomfort, take ownership of your success, and face every challenge like a warrior.
Remember, you are your greatest asset. Your mind is powerful, but it must be trained to work for you—not against you. When your mind tries to convince you to quit, remind it that you’re stronger than that. You’ve overcome before, and you’ll overcome again.
"Fate whispers to the warrior, ‘You cannot withstand the storm.’ The warrior whispers back, ‘I am the storm.’" – Jake Remington
