Amein!

This thread is truly unbelievable, It's just given me so much Chizuk. All i can say is REM you are Living a life on a higher wavelength than many of us. Your gevuras hanefesh has blown me over, you literally are blowing the Yetzer Hora head on. Keep at it. Keep on inspiring us.
With deep admiration for people like REM who know what it means to choose whats right in life. 

Thank you all for the very kind words! 

I was recently extremely humbled by watching a certain huge talmid chacham being interviewed. When asked how the talmid chacham was able to become who he was, he said he was blessed with a very easy life. He grew up in a home that Torah was paramount, so it was only natural for him to spend so much time and effort in his learning. That was his response. 

I have no doubt this talmid chacham has had many challenges and that the y''h didn't just let him have it easy. However, he clearly had the attitude that it is easy and that he is just doing ratzon Hashem. 

There is a mussar concept to make a nisayon less and increase emunah (slightly misquoted but you will get the concept). We see it when Yaakov went to Rachel and Leah about leaving their fathers house and explained all the hardships that he went through, and they responded agreeing that it was rough for them. There is a major question! Hashem just told Yaakov to leave Lavan! He should have said Hashem told us to leave and we are out of here, and Rachel and Leah should have said, "we will do it because Hashem said!" The lesson is that a person should make a nisayon less challenging if possible and not say it is hard but I will do it anyway. 

I think that is what the Talmid Chacham was saying that he had it easy. He had trained himself that it was only natural for him to become a Rav and learn Torah, so he was able to stay focused and not get distracted by other things. 

Maybe that can be applied to our challenges as well. The most important thing that has helped me get to where I am was/is attitude.  When I finally stopped being so harsh on myself I was able to start getting above the water. When I started to celebrate every victory I started to realize that I could overcome this! I think that is this same concept of lessening the challenge. 

When I came to GYE I thought it was an (almost) impossible thing to break free. Ironically, the more I was able to convince myself how possible it is to break free the more I broke free. 

Breaking free is really attainable!!! Everyone can break free and it just takes a little bit of effort every day!!! Every second you are clean is worth more than you can imagine!! 

Day 8 and onwards!

Realestatemogul wrote on 25 Dec 2020 06:09:

5 Star post! 

I could not have said this better. Mega Dittos!

If my battle/journey could be public, I would frame your post and hang it in my office..

Day 15

V'kam, V'kam, V'kam

Day by day

Stay focused

Hashem loves you

I can do it

Realestatemogul wrote on 01 Jan 2021 18:20:

No cliches here. You are inspiring and a role model. Thank you! 

Day 18 - Chai!

So I had a tough day, but BH I have a good partner and we came up with a game plan. Some exercise and finding a way to be productive helped me get through the day. 

 During the process, I thought of a vordt. I always wondered why Yaakov fought with the saar shel esav the whole night, and then magically in the morning when the saar shel esav had to leave then Yaakov was victorious. Why did the fight take the whole night, and what magically happened in the morning that it ended. So we know Rashi explains that in the morning malachim have to go say shira and that is why the saar shel esav wanted to leave. However that doesn't explain why until then Yaakov couldn't beat him and only then he was able to. 

I thought that maybe pshat is the idea that gets thrown around GYE alot. Distracting and delaying is a great tactic against the yetzer hara! We know the saar shel esav also represents the yetzer hara, and maybe that is the lesson we are meant to learn. They fought until Alos Hashachar, because Yaakov understood that you need to just fight until the yetzer hara leaves. Stay strong and wait until the yetzer hara is gone, and right when it needs to leave and you no longer are tied to it's shackles, then you can tell the yetzer hara who is the real boss! Who really won the fight! 

Don't try and take the yetzer hara head on, because you will lose. Be like Yaakov and wait. Learn some Torah, be productive, and then when the yetzer hara is gone celebrate your victory! 

24

26 - #Gematria

Just to say, Everytime I open this thread, I am inspired. @realestatemogul, the world need more people like you.
With admiration
excellence

excellence wrote on 12 Jan 2021 06:13:

גם אני מצטרף להנ"ל.

I appreciate the kind words!

I am on 33 so only one more week to my initial goal of 40 days...

Although I am only at 33 days, I feel stronger than before I fell on my 272 streak and maybe even my 362 streak....Knowing that I will continue to get back and fight for my shmiras habris gives me comfort and helps me realize that I don't need the shmutz! 

It doesn't make it easy, but it makes it more manageable. 

39 days. One more day until my 40 day goal. 

Realestatemogul wrote on 25 Jan 2021 03:51:

And then of course you want to stay clean for Purim.......