You Do You

I have a confession to make. Sometimes, I’ll have an amazing Shabbos and finish it feeling empowered and grateful, only to turn on my phone on Motzaei Shabbos, scroll through social media, and develop a pit in my stomach. That special Shabbos feeling slips through my fingers like sand, as I find myself comparing my life to the lives of those around me. In mere seconds, that positivity turns into negativity as pessimistic thoughts creep in, taunting me about the things I lack. How did that turn around so quickly?

I know I’m not alone — getting out of that pattern is a constant avodah for many (and occasionally setting a social media ban or break does wonders, I’ve found). But for lasting change, a person needs an internal peace and confidence that they’re in exactly the right place for them. When I get to that place, I remember that Hashem has a plan tailor-made for me, and I’m exactly where I need to be. If you’re good with you, you won’t feel the pressure to change.

The amazing people featured in this issue have inspired me to continue on that course because they display an internal confidence that is truly astounding. Choosing a path as an entrepreneur takes a level of self-assurance that I believe is really underrated. It’s one thing to think of an idea, but it’s another to start acting on it, to put yourself out there in all your vulnerability for people to critique and analyze, and furthermore, to know that failure could be a very real part of the process.

When Bunim Laskin, just a 19-year-old yeshivah student at the time, thought of the idea for his pool-sharing service, Swimply, he got dozens of doors slammed in his face (quite literally) before getting even a couple of yeses. And the work was just beginning. For Chaya Suri Leitner of Spice and Zest, baking sourdough bread was a way to heal her family. Once she made it a brand, people could have told her it was a silly business idea, but she stuck with it, knowing how valuable both she and the product were.