Balancing Perseverance and Strategic Pauses

In the modern pace of life, each of us faces challenges that require not just effort, but true self-affirmation and personal growth. It is worthwhile to keep moving forward if our efforts deepen our positive qualities and help us become better, despite the difficulties that arise. Obstacles can serve as powerful fuel for development if we know how to apply the lessons from each overcoming to our spirit and character.

However, a sensible balance is also important. Sometimes it is necessary to take a thoughtful pause to evaluate what has been accomplished, rethink our strategy, and gather strength for new achievements. This is not a sign of weakness, but a way to avoid exhaustion and preserve energy for future battles. True virtue, like all that is valuable, requires constant vitality, purposeful effort, and the ability to stop in time to reassess our resources.

Thus, the true path to perfection does not lie in a continuous marathon of struggle, but in a harmonious combination of active movement and wise rest. This strategy not only preserves the successes achieved but also accumulates strength to overcome new life challenges with renewed enthusiasm.

When should you continue trying to overcome difficulties, and when is it better to stop if something is proving too hard?

The answer to your question can be summarized as follows. You should continue to fight against difficulties if your efforts reinforce and deepen your positive qualities and virtue, and if overcoming challenges contributes to personal and spiritual growth. For instance, document "670_3349.txt" on pages 9 and 26 states:
"To stop on the path of virtue for rest does not mean to gather new strength, but to squander the ones acquired and relax; and this is equivalent to going back or dismantling what was achieved with difficulty. By stopping, I mean imagining that virtue has already been perfectly acquired, ignoring its shortcomings, and passing up opportunities to do good. Do not be like that; always be vigorous and zealous."
This quote emphasizes the need for constant initiative and diligence in overcoming difficulties, so as not to retreat and allow obstacles to undo the successes already achieved.

Yet, the author also stresses the importance of a deliberate choice of moment for pausing, to evaluate one’s efforts and restore energy for the journey ahead. In the same source, "670_3349.txt" (pages 9 and 26), the following is provided:
"This measure is the mean between self-indulgent pampering of the flesh and its ruthless exhaustion to the brink of collapse without any need. Seek this middle ground through experience and action, not theory, and make gradual progress your rule as you climb upward. Seek and you shall find. Sometimes, a pause is necessary—to reflect on your efforts and reassess them."
Thus, if your exertions lead to excessive exhaustion, it is wise to take a pause to reflect and adjust your course. This pause does not signify surrender or renunciation; rather, it is a necessary measure to gather strength for new achievements.

Another source, "55_271.txt" (without page indication), adds:
"It is simplest to stop and think about life. It is only important that this pause is thoughtful and allows you to continue the journey with new strength."
This confirms that a temporary respite is justified only when it enables you to reassess and resume the struggle with renewed vigor.

In summary, you should continue striving to overcome difficulties when your efforts contribute to solidifying virtuous qualities and personal growth. A pause is permissible only when it is a well-considered break for evaluating accomplishments, reassessing your capabilities, and collecting new strength, so that a momentary relief does not turn into a permanent weakness.