I Thought I Had a Superpower

For the last decade, I believed my ADHD meds gave me a superpower.

Six hours of laser focus.
Six hours of clarity.
Six hours where my brain worked the way I always wished it would.

I felt unstoppable. I could think, write, create, and execute at a level that finally felt right.

Then, I realized something that shook me.

I wasn’t gaining a superpower.

I was just getting a glimpse of what normal feels like.

And then—I crashed.

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When Everything Slows Down

Last week, I ran out of meds. A mix-up at the pharmacy left me without them for a few days.

Suddenly, my world changed.

My mind felt like it was wading through thick mud.
Every task—writing, thinking, even just responding to a message—became ten times harder.

I stared at my screen, unable to focus.
The motivation to do anything was gone.

But I pushed myself anyway.

I went to minyan. I davened. I learned, barely.
I sat at my desk, trying to work.
I forced myself to take that 20+ minute walk.

And still, I felt like I was failing.

Then, something clicked.

Maybe this wasn’t failure.
Maybe this was the real work.

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The Hardest Reps Matter Most

There’s a concept in weightlifting:

It’s not the first few reps that make you stronger.

It’s the ones where your muscles are burning, where you’re shaking, where you don’t know if you can lift the weight one more time.

That’s where the real growth happens.

Life works the same way.

It’s easy to put in the effort when you feel great.
It’s easy to be productive when your mind is sharp.
It’s easy to be kind when you’re well-rested.

But when every step feels like a struggle?
When your brain is foggy, your patience is thin, and nothing comes easily?

That’s when it really counts.

That’s when Hashem values your effort the most.

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L’fum Tzara Agra – The Reward is Proportional to the Struggle

L’fum tzara agra.
“According to the effort is the reward.” (Avot 5:23)

We tend to think of the struggle as something to endure—a painful but necessary step to get to the reward.

But what if we have it backward?

What if the struggle itself is the reward?

What if the moments where you push through, even when everything inside you screams to quit—what if that’s when you’re being shaped into the person you’re meant to become?

The days when it all feels easy—that’s not when you grow.
But the days when it feels impossible, and you show up anyway?

That’s where the real victory is.

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When the Struggle Makes Us Shine

This isn’t just about productivity.

It’s about who we become in the hard moments.

Anyone can be kind when they feel good.
Anyone can be patient when everything is going smoothly.

But when you’re exhausted?
When you have a headache?
When everything feels like it’s working against you?

That’s when your true character is revealed.

When you push yourself to smile instead of snapping…
To be kind instead of irritable…
To keep going when you want to quit…

Those moments don’t just lead to growth.

They are the growth.

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The Real Test

We’re not in a race against anyone else.
We’re only competing against who we were yesterday.

The only question that matters is:

Am I doing the best I can with the circumstances Hashem has placed me in today?

If the answer is yes, then you’re winning.

Not despite the struggle.
But because of it.

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Your Challenge

Think back to a time when you pushed through, even when everything inside you wanted to quit.

That moment wasn’t a failure.

It was your victory.

Drop a comment and share it with me.
Because that’s where real growth happens.