I’m currently sitting on a bus with my head pressed against the velvet cushioned chair in front of me. The AC is blowing to the right of me and I feel it on my right arm.

It’s 51 hours before the holiest day of the year in Judaism. The Day of Atonement. The Day of Judgment. A day that makes many people nervous. I usually am extremely grateful for the day and think it’s a gift, but that’s for another conversation.

Anyways, around this time every year is usually when a flood of thoughts from the year starts flowing in.

I’ve had many, but this one kept coming up. In fact, it came up quite a few times during the last year.

It’s a very simple concept that many people don’t love.

That is because it hurts.

It’s uncomfortable.

And when you live it, people look at you funny.

Some with awe. But mostly with discomfort.

That discomfort usually says more about them than it does about you. People who are secure in themselves don’t need to argue or look for the approval of others.

But regardless, it just makes it harder.

It happens when you work out, pushing your body to its limits, when the last thing you want to do is be in the gym. But you do it anyways.

It happens in sports, when you have to deal with the pressure and nerves of performing night in and night out, and you have a bad game. But you have to move past it.

It happens in the military, when you have to do something life-threatening or scary, but you train your mind to stay calm.

It happens when you swallow your pride and anger and take time to think instead of react.

It happens when you’re tempted by selfishness, but you choose to give instead of take.

It happens when you’re surrounded or tempted by sin, but you decide to walk away and conserve your energy, your time, and your soul in order to keep chasing the man you want to be.

It happens when you have to set boundaries for your well-being, and other people see you as selfish.

It happens when you make a mistake and people see you as the bad guy, without understanding your side of things.

It happens when you see something no one else does and hold a strong belief, and everyone calls you a fool. Yet you stand strong long enough to see the smartest people on the internet start saying the same thing.

It happens when you have a vision other people can’t see, and you get passed over for investments, deals, and opportunities, but you stay firm and keep going.

It happens when you have to give up on relationships because your values don’t align. Some you even thought would last forever. It hurts your heart and your ego. But you know deep down that it’s in your best interest to let them go.

It happens when your parents or siblings or family do something so outrageous that you just want to blast them, but you don’t. And if you do, you put your pride away, take accountability, and apologize, even if they were clearly in the wrong.

It happens when life hits and everything seems to be falling apart, but you stay the course with faith, understanding that it’s just part of the game, and you choose to stay positive.

It happens when you don’t understand what G-d is asking of you, but you do it anyway, believing that you may never know, and that some things are just above your pay grade.

It happens all the time.

Being strong is hard.

The reps. The weight. The mental strength. The emotional intelligence. The discipline. The ego. The empathy. The goals. And sometimes even the loneliness.

You will be misunderstood.
You will not be liked.
You will be viewed as difficult.

But just like in any sport or in the gym mirror, the results will show when the day comes.

You will be proud of yourself.
And the few who get it, respect it, and are like-minded will surround you.

And that’s what matters.

Because if we don’t end up being the person we respect the most, the person we want to be, then what is the point of this short time here?

It’s not about the Day of Atonement. Deciding to be strong happens every day. The question is: at the end of each day, can I look myself in the mirror and be happy with my decisions, based on where I want to go and who I want to be?

Be strong.

It’s hard.

But it’s worth it.

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