There is No Success Without Effort

In life, it is simply impossible to succeed at anything without effort and investment. King Solomon—the wisest of all men—taught when “The hand of the diligent makes rich” Proverbs (10:4). Success is directly linked to diligence, action, effort, and persistence.

Some may argue: “But there are people who ended up with wealth or achievements without really working for it. Some inherited money, others won a huge fortune…” True—but that’s not success. Anything you didn’t earn yourself, or that didn't require your effort is not real success.

Real success is made up of hard work, repeated action, perseverance, failure- and how you bounce back from it.
As it says (Proverbs 24:16), “A righteous person falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of trouble.” It's impossible to be righteous without falling sometimes. A righteous person gets back up, every single time.

Anyone who has ever achieved real success will tell you about their failures along the way. Our sages already taught (Gittin 43a): “A person can’t truly understand Torah unless they’ve stumbled in it first.” Failure isn’t only unavoidable, it is absolutely necessary. Failure is the key to growth.

Everyone goes through ups and downs. There are seasons of light, motivation, and growth—and there are dark moments too. What defines success is whether you keep going even in the darkness, as if the light is still shining.

Passion Matters

To succeed in life, you need enthusiasm- great work never comes from a cold heart. Every major achievement is the result of passion. Energy, drive, and a deep desire to grow are crucial for succuess.

When someone is fired up about their goals, they don’t get scared off by obstacles. Even if they’ve failed before and even if they carry emotional baggage, they don’t let “logical reasons” stop them. They rise above the calculations.

Of course, we need to be thoughtful, plan carefully, and make smart decisions. But logic alone has limits. It creates a kind of “glass ceiling” that’s hard to break. Enthusiasm, on the other hand—joy, passion, hope—can lift you beyond what you thought was possible.

Use logic—but leave room for excitement and vision too. Don’t let yesterday’s limits define tomorrow’s potential. Don’t let your old ways of thinking—the ones that keep you stuck—dictate your future.
Aim for growth and move forward.

Don’t Shrink Yourself

When people see themselves as small or unworthy, they tend to focus only on the negatives. From there, it’s a short trip to discouragement and giving up. 

A child who was heavily criticized for failing tests might give deep emotional weight to those experiences. Years later, even as an adult, they may still feel panicked about exams—even when there’s no real reason to be afraid. Their “logical” conclusion might be, “I’m just not the type of person who’s good at tests.” But really, that logic isn’t objective—it’s built on old emotional wounds.

This is exactly the moment when a person needs to stop being a slave to their own logic. We need to step back and ask: Are the assumptions I’m relying on actually accurate? Are they truly objective?

The Impact on Spiritual Growth

Self-limiting logic can even get in the way of spiritual growth. The Chatam Sofer (in his commentary on Parshas Pinchas) explains that the idol worship of Pe’or was meant to drag a person to the lowest, most humiliating level—so they would begin to believe they’re worthless. From there, it’s a short leap to thinking: “Someone like me can’t possibly serve G-d—the King of Kings.”

True success—both material and spiritual—demands effort, persistence, passion, and a willingness to challenge your own limitations. It means questioning the assumptions you’ve carried for years, especially the ones that say, “I can’t.”