The Fortitude Chronicle: A Weekly Digest of Athletic Determination

Monday Momentum

For the Relentless Mind

The Goliaths We Face: Redefining Ourselves Through Seasons of Struggle

There are seasons in life that feel unbearable—times when difficulty lingers not for days or weeks, but for months, sometimes even years. These stretches of hardship feel endless, like a storm without a break in the clouds. Yet here’s the truth I’ve come to hold onto: these seasons do end. They don’t last forever, even when they feel infinite.

I know this because I’ve been living through one of those seasons since April of 2023, the day I had my first knee surgery. It’s staggering how one element of your life can cause such a tidal wave of anger, frustration, and grief. For me, it wasn’t just the physical pain—it was the identity crisis that came with it.

When the Core of Who You Are is Stripped Away

So much of who I was—and who I am—was tied to being an athlete. The feeling of everything around you slowing down, time bending as you anticipate your next move. The sensation of floating in the air for just a second longer than should be possible. It’s more than a thrill—it’s addictive. A drug that makes you feel invincible and unique, like you’ve accessed a part of life others can only dream of experiencing.

When that was stripped from me, it wasn’t just my knee that needed to heal—it was me. I had to confront this question: If I’m not that version of myself anymore, then who am I?

The Gift and Burden of Reflection

The past two years have been a paradox. On the one hand, I’ve experienced some extraordinary blessings—deepened relationships, moments of profound joy, and connections with amazing people I never would have met otherwise. I’ve grown in ways I never imagined possible spiritually, emotionally, as a husband, and as a father.

Yet, that growth doesn’t immunize you from the grief. It doesn’t erase the moments—sudden, unpredictable—when all the emotions you thought you’d buried crash down on you. The anger. The sadness. The sense of being a shell of your former self. It’s not linear, and it’s certainly not tidy.

But maybe that’s part of what it means to live fully. We confront this deep paradox: to grow into someone new, we often have to mourn who we used to be.

Growth Isn’t Singular

One of the things I’m learning—and continue to struggle with—is that who we are isn’t singularly defined. We like to anchor ourselves to achievements, identities, or roles because they make life feel solid, stable. But life doesn’t work like that.

While I may no longer be who I was physically a few years ago, I’ve become something new. Maybe something better. And I’ve realized that the journey isn’t about clinging to the person you were—it’s about expanding into the person you’re becoming.

When God Prepares You for Goliath

Sometimes, I think God intervenes in these seasons of struggle—not to punish us, but to prepare us. I used to pray for courage, and now I see how that prayer has been answered. But as the story of David reminds us, when God wanted David to be king, He didn’t hand him a crown. He gave him Goliath.

Maybe this knee injury—this long, difficult season—is my Goliath. Maybe it’s a way to confront my deepest fears about identity, control, and purpose. Maybe it’s teaching me that courage isn’t about feeling strong; it’s about facing the fight in front of you, even when you feel weak.

Choosing What You Focus On

Day to day, I choose to focus on the good—the people who’ve stayed beside me, the moments of laughter and love, the internal growth that far outweighs any physical setback. But that doesn’t mean I ignore the pain when it comes crashing back. Instead, I let myself feel it. I sit with it, and I remind myself that it’s just part of the process of becoming.

Who I am today is different than who I was two years ago. And I know that who I’ll be two years from now will be different still. That’s the gift of growth—it’s not about returning to who you were, but about building a new and fuller version of yourself.

Your Goliath Is the Answer to Your Prayer

If you’re in one of these difficult seasons, know this: it will end. The storm will settle. But also know that this moment—this struggle—is part of the answer to your prayers. You asked for resilience, for strength, for courage. And now you are being given the opportunity to discover those qualities within yourself.

Goliath wasn’t an obstacle for David. He was the reason David became king. Maybe your hardships aren’t obstacles—they’re the making of you.

Take heart. Keep going. This is how we grow. This is how we find out what we’re made of. And this is how we discover that even after a part of us is stripped away, we are still whole. We are still becoming.

Two Quotes

1. "It always seems impossible until it's done." - Nelson Mandela

2. “If you’re brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello. Don’t fear change—accept it as the beautiful process of becoming.” - Paulo Coelho

Three Tweets

To Building Fortitude.

 Best Regards,

Colin Jonov, Founder & CEO Athletic Fortitude