Part 6- Wanting to Win
Chapter 18- The Secret Weapon
In Chapter 1, we met Palti, arguably the most successful person ever at controlling his desires. We learned that he had a secret weapon: he was motivated by his challenges. Palti was pumped up to fight his desires because he realized what he could accomplish. He knew what he would gain from beating the yetzer hara, and he wanted it so much that he cried when his challenge ended. He wanted to win so badly that he obliterated the yetzer hara in an intense battle that lasted for five years!
This is the secret weapon in the battle against the yetzer hara: wanting so much to overcome temptation that your aspiration to win is stronger than your urge to give in. This comes from recognizing how much you gain from victory. We need to want the greatness and everything else we gain by defeating the yetzer hara. This makes our battles exhilarating rather than painful and draining.
If we lack motivation, we will just hang on as our strength slowly wanes, hoping we can hold off the yetzer hara until our desires go away. But if we cultivate excitement about our opportunity to reach greatness, we will be full of energy. We will be ready to win the battle no matter how long it rages. We will win without straining ourselves and we will be flying high as we succeed.
To spark this excitement, we must have the right attitude toward nisyonos. We must remember that challenges are really opportunities from Hashem to accomplish. They are our big chance to become great through spiritual accomplishment, the only way that matters. Our battles are something to be excited about!
Once we acquire this attitude toward nisyonos, we can put it into practice by pumping ourselves up when we expect a challenge. These feelings will continue during the challenge, and we will want victory more than what we desire. The battle will be neither painful nor draining. Rather, it will be exhilarating and empowering because we will be doing what we want to do rather than straining ourselves to act against our will.
Another advantage of developing excitement about our ability to accomplish is that we won’t make excuses. When we really want something, we don’t make excuses why not to get it; we do what it takes to get it done. When we are challenged we will not look for an excuse to give in, because we will be chasing victory with all our energy. We will really want it, and we will do whatever it takes to attain it.
Being motivated to accomplish enables us to succeed even when we are challenged in our gray area, the situations when we are unsure whether we are obligated to hold back. These are some of the most difficult challenges — and some of the greatest opportunities to accomplish. Realizing our opportunity to accomplish will fuel our excitement to do the right thing even if we’re not sure it is required.
Most important, excitement about succeeding makes our success far more valuable. Our mitzvos will be done with zeal rather than as a burden. Mitzvos done with excitement are much more beloved to Hashem, and they are much greater than mitzvos done while resenting Him for not allowing us to do what we want.
Developing the desire to accomplish transforms our lives. It gives us a fire for life and helps us achieve astounding success. This makes it our most powerful weapon for defeating the yetzer hara in the battle of the generation.
Quick Recap: