I wrote the original post in 2021, then now I re-edited and updated it. Enjoy.
Today is Easter Sunday — a day that commemorates resurrection, renewal, and hope in the Christian tradition. I find it a perfect moment to share a deeply personal and motivating story about my friend.
I have known Endre for a long time. He was my physics teacher in primary school for about two years. He was strict, and I was often anxious during his classes. But he had to be firm — our class was one of the worst-behaved for years.
His high expectations motivated me to prepare even harder. When I knew the answer and he said, “Excellent, Zoltan,” I felt proud. Not many teachers give appreciation so openly, but he did. I learned early on how powerful appreciation can be. Sometimes a simple “well done” can mean everything — especially to a student with low self-esteem.
After primary school, we lost contact for years. Later, when I started college, our paths crossed again. We shared a strong interest in computers — it was the beginning of the 2000s, the golden age of PCs. We built and repaired computers, experimented with new software, and learned about emerging technologies together.
He always amazed me with his scientific mindset — soldering components, building speakers, and understanding hardware on a deep level. This shared passion brought us closer, and we became friends. Eventually, I moved abroad, and we lost contact again for nearly fifteen years.
A few years ago, I searched for him on Facebook. It took more than a year before he accepted my friend request — he wasn’t active online. In 2019, we finally reconnected, started talking regularly, and I visited him several times.
It was shocking to see how much his life had changed. He had suffered multiple strokes and was still in recovery. Despite this, his passion for computers was still alive — but his financial situation no longer allowed him to pursue it.
I asked him to create a wish list, and I surprised him with some computer equipment he could use. He was full of energy again — motivated, curious, and alive. Seeing that spark in my old friend’s eyes meant a lot to me.
Unfortunately, over the past year, his health condition worsened. He became increasingly frustrated with his limitations — his hands not moving as he wanted, his thoughts becoming harder to organise, forgetting things moments after reading them.
This frustration slowly took over his life. He gave up on his passion once again, feeling defeated by his own body. Our conversations often revolved around this pain, and I desperately wanted to help — but I knew I couldn’t fix everything for him.
I started sharing my own self-development journey with him — how I fight negative thoughts, how I try to grow despite challenges, and how progress is often slow and uncomfortable. Sometimes he didn’t want to talk, but I kept checking in, reminding him that he wasn’t alone.
At that time, I was reading a book that deeply impacted me: You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero. I translated parts of the book into Hungarian and shared them with him daily in bite-sized sections.
Within days, his motivation returned. He started exercising, getting out of bed, and even gardening. For a short time, he felt hopeful and alive again. We finished the book together, and then we each continued our own lives.
His story reminded me that strength isn’t about perfection or constant progress. Sometimes strength simply means not giving up — even when life feels unfair, slow, or unbearably hard. When you have a caring friend, you must put your ego aside and accept help.
Endre may not see himself as strong anymore, but to me, he is a symbol of resilience. A reminder that passion can return, kindness matters, and even small support can reignite hope.
Update (2025): Unfortunately, his recovery did not last. His health condition worsened again, and I eventually lost contact with him.
Question for you:
Do you have someone in your life who inspired you simply by continuing to move forward despite hardship?
