What’s a quote that perfectly describes your outlook on life?
It’s interesting how we are often our own worst enemies when it come working towardsa goal or dream. Whether you believe it or not, your very core belief about who you are, why you are here, where you are going, and what your purpose is contributes greatly toward how you navigate everything that happens to you.
In short: you are what you think.
When life breaks you, the instinct to walk away is strong. But if you take a look at history, the people we celebrate today faced deeply discouraging, heartbreaking events—yet they still stayed. They held on despite everything working against them. Today, we acknowledge them for their monumental achievements, listing them among the greatest figures who ever lived.
So, the big question is: what made them stay? What kept them from giving up? What gave them the drive to rebuild despite all odds?
It comes down to their mindset—their core belief system.
Take Thomas Edison, for example. He failed thousands of times before creating a working light bulb. But according to his internal belief system, he didn’t view those attempts as final defeats. He famously reframed them, realizing he had simply found thousands of ways that didn’t work. He refused to let a temporary setback serve as his final destination.
Then look at Abraham Lincoln. His life was a continuous chain of heartbreak—stretching across political defeats in his career, crushing financial losses from failed business ventures, and deep personal grief within his family. Yet, he continued and even became president. His staying power was rooted in a deep-seated sense of purpose and duty. Lincoln viewed his life as one meant for public service. When failure struck, he didn’t allow it to redefine who he was; he never adopted the identity of a “failure.” He held on to the conviction that he still had something valuable to offer, living by the perspective that this too shall pass. Failures were not final verdicts.
If we are honest with ourselves, how many times have we hit a closed door and immediately thought, “Well, this must mean it’s not my path,” only to turn around and give up?
What you choose to believe about your situation—and what you allow your mind to accept as your limit—sets the entire tone for where you go next.
And then, there’s me.
To be completely honest, I stayed too—all right—but not on the right thing. I hope you are not like me.
(For the full story and a deeper look into that part of my journey, you can check out the Substack post linked below.)
Let’s tie this up
Recognizing that “you are what you think” is only the first step. The real challenge is: how do we actually entertain the right thoughts when life is falling apart around us?
Positive thinking alone isn’t always enough to pull you out of a dark place. It’s hard to manufacture confidence when you feel defeated. But as children of God, our staying power doesn’t come from convincing ourselves of our own greatness—it comes from being convinced of God’s word and His character.
Scripture gives us the exact blueprint for guarding our mind.
In Philippians 4:8, we are instructed to fix our minds on whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable—things that are excellent and praise-worthy. What we choose to feed our minds daily determines what fills our hearts when a storm hits. Are we feeding on the fear of our circumstances, or are we feeding on what is true, life-giving, and full of hope?
When God called Joshua to step into a daunting task, He didn’t just tell him to “be strong and courageous” once and wish him luck. He gave him the secret to maintaining that courage: to meditate on His word day and night, keeping it always on his lips and in his mind.
You might not feel the conviction of a national leader like Lincoln, and that is okay. But you can be absolute in your conviction that when God promises He loves you, He loves you. When He promises never to leave nor forsake you, He will not abandon you in the ditch. When He says your story isn’t over, no setback has the final word.
To pick up the broken pencil and draw again, you must align your thoughts with God’s thoughts about you. Anchor your heart in His truth, let His word shape your mindset, and trust that He will give you the strength to stand up and keep going.
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