Your Struggle is Your Strength

We spend a lot of our lives frustrated with our struggles. We often assume our difficulties are what hold us back.
But what if that whole approach is backwards?

What if the very thing you’re fighting is not the obstacle, but the beginning of your strength?

The Gemara in Bava Metzia 84a describes the first time Reish Lakish met Rabbi Yochanan. Reish Lakish was a bandit, a man of raw physical power and intensity. When he saw Rabbi Yochanan from across the Jordan River, he thought he was a woman and leaped the entire river in one jump just to reach him.

Rabbi Yochanan looked at him and didn’t say, “What are you doing?”

He didn’t say, “You need to fix your life.”

He said one line:
“חֵילָךְ לְאוֹרַיְיתָא” — “Your strength belongs in Torah.”

Reish Lakish answered back just as sharply, but something shifted. Rabbi Yochanan saw past the behavior and went straight to the strength underneath it.

And that changed everything.

Reish Lakish went from being one of the most dangerous men of his time to one of the greatest Torah scholars, his words living on in the pages of the Gemara.

Our Rabbis say something that sounds almost counterintuitive. After Hashem created the world, the Torah says:
" והנה טוב מאוד" — “And behold, it was very good.”

They explain that “very good” refers to the Yetzer Hara, the evil inclination (Bereishis Rabbah 9:7). Because without it, a person wouldn’t build a home, wouldn’t get married, and wouldn’t push themselves to create anything meaningful.

The same drive that causes inner tension, that pushes you, that sometimes feels like it’s too much, is also what keeps you moving. Without it, nothing moves.

The problem is not the fire. The problem is when the fire has no direction, or when it burns in the wrong place. But the fire itself is not your enemy. It’s your energy.

And sometimes, the struggle itself is what shapes a person in ways nothing else could.

People who go through addiction often become the ones who support others through it.
People who go through deep pain become more sensitive, more aware, and more capable of being there for someone else.
People who struggle don’t just survive. Many times, they become the ones who understand.

There’s a saying people quote, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” It’s become a cliché, but there’s truth in it. Not every struggle feels meaningful while you’re inside it. Sometimes it just hurts. But over time, that very experience can become a source of depth, clarity, and strength that couldn’t have been built any other way.

Your struggle is not random. It’s not a defect in your system. It’s precise.

If you’re dealing with something strong, it’s because there’s strength inside you. If the struggle is big, it’s because the potential is big.

Very often it becomes clear once you look at it the right way. Anxiety is often awareness and depth. Anger is often passion and care. Stubbornness is often resilience. Overthinking is often the ability to see details and think things through.
Take one small step to redirect it. Not to eliminate it, but to use it properly.

What is one situation today where you can channel that same energy in a healthier direction?

The shift begins when you realize you’re not broken. You’re powerful.

The giant you’re fighting might actually be your bodyguard.