We never know how strong we are until we are tested.
Even then, we do not actually know our strength until we have reached the other side of the test.
This may take a long time.
In fact, the waiting, itself, is often part of the test.
Sometimes, the waiting actually is the test.
So long as we do not quit until we see things through, we will discover just how courageous and resilient we truly are.
But, that is the difficult part.
Most of us quit before we see what we are capable of and who we can become.
It is easy to quit, to retreat, and to withdraw into the dubious comfort of who we have always been.
If we ever want to achieve victory over self, we must first master patience through discomfort.