Hi, this is Monique Rhodes. Welcome to the In Your Right Mind podcast, where we’re learning how to be happier by working with our minds. If you'd like to know more about what I teach, come to moniquerhodes.com, where you’ll find a wealth of information to help you get started.
The Breaking Point
There’s a moment in the darkest times where everything feels impossible. We’ve all experienced it—that feeling of being so weighed down by struggle that even holding on for another minute feels unbearable.
This is the breaking point.
It’s the place where so many people give up—whether in relationships, work, personal goals, or healing from past wounds.
It’s the moment when doubt, exhaustion, and hopelessness creep in, and we start asking ourselves, What’s the point?
And yet, this is the moment that separates those who succeed from those who don’t.
Because right here, in the deepest part of the night, is where the tide begins to turn.
Why the Struggle Feels Endless
There’s a reason why people describe success, healing, and transformation as a journey.
Because the path is never smooth. It’s never a straight line from pain to relief, from failure to success, or from heartbreak to healing.
There’s always a moment—right before things shift—where everything feels like it’s too much.
And this isn’t just a poetic idea that the darkest hour is just before dawn. It’s a pattern that exists everywhere in life.
- A seed must push through the darkness of the soil before it breaks into the light.
- A storm must reach its peak before the skies clear.
- The night must reach its deepest black before the sun begins to rise.
But it’s in these moments that we are most tempted to stop.
We convince ourselves that struggle is proof of failure, when in reality, it’s proof that we’re on the edge of something new.
The Stories of Those Who Kept Going
If you ask successful people—whether in business, creativity, personal growth, or overcoming hardship—what their lowest point was, they will almost always describe a moment when they nearly quit.
A moment when:
- Nothing seemed to be working.
- Every door seemed closed.
- They couldn’t see a way forward.
But here’s what I need you to understand:
The difference between those who make it and those who don’t isn’t talent.
It isn’t resources.
It isn’t luck.
It’s the ability to hold on just a little bit longer.
To keep going, even when there is no visible evidence that things will change.
To trust that just because you can’t see the shift doesn’t mean it isn’t already happening beneath the surface.
Why People Give Up Too Soon
The reason the darkest moment is so deceptive is that it feels like failure—when really, it’s just a threshold.
Most people turn back at the threshold.
They mistake exhaustion, setbacks, and frustration as signs that they should quit—when in reality, they are standing at the very edge of their breakthrough.
This is why perseverance is so powerful.
Not because struggle should be glorified.
Not because we have to suffer endlessly.
But because most breakthroughs require us to push through the moment where everything in us is screaming to stop.
The Test of Resilience
It’s easy to keep going when there’s momentum.
It’s easy to believe when things are falling into place.
But the true test of resilience happens when there’s nothing but resistance.
When every step forward feels like walking against the wind.
That’s when persistence matters most.
So you have to recognize that struggle is part of the process.
The darkness before the dawn isn’t failure.
It’s a sign that you’re in the final stretch before something shifts.
How to Keep Going When Everything Feels Heavy
When I find myself in those moments, I remind myself:
- This is part of the cycle.
- I’ve been here before, and I’ve made it through.
- If I’m doing something worthwhile, this moment will always come.
- Even if I can’t see the shift, it’s happening.
- Just because I don’t see progress doesn’t mean it’s not occurring beneath the surface.
- I focus on the next step—just one step.
- Not the whole journey, just the next action I can take.
- I remind myself why I started.
- The vision, the purpose, the reason I committed in the first place.
The Moment That Matters Most
If everything in you is screaming to stop, remember:
This is the moment that matters most.
This is where most people turn back.
But you don’t have to.
The tide always turns.
The darkness always lifts.
The breakthrough always comes.
But you have to be there to meet it.
You have to hold on long enough to see the shift.
You’re Closer Than You Think
If you’re at that breaking point, if you feel like you can’t hold on another minute—know this:
You’re closer than you think.
The tide will turn.
The dawn will come.
Just don’t turn back now.
I hope this has been helpful. As always, be kind, take care, and go gently in the world.
