Every day, we have to strive to be better people. Some days we

Edward Kitsis’s words, “Every day, we have to strive to be better people. Some days we give in to weakness, and sometimes we give in to strength,” are a meditation on the daily struggle of the human soul. He acknowledges that life is not a single grand victory or defeat, but a continual battle, fought anew with every sunrise. We are not always steady; at times we falter, at times we rise. What matters most is not that we stumble, but that we strive each day to rise again, to grow, and to walk toward becoming better than we were yesterday.

The origin of this insight lies in the reality of human imperfection. Kitsis, a storyteller by trade, understood that characters—whether on stage, on screen, or in life—are not shaped by perfection but by the tension between their frailty and their resilience. His words remind us that to live is to wrestle daily with the pull of both shadow and light. We are shaped not by a single choice, but by a thousand small victories and defeats of spirit.

History illustrates this truth vividly. Consider the life of Abraham Lincoln, who, in the midst of the Civil War, was plagued by despair, personal loss, and immense pressure. There were days when weakness overtook him, when sorrow pressed upon his spirit like a heavy stone. Yet there were also days when he gave in to strength, choosing perseverance, vision, and resolve. His greatness was not the absence of weakness, but his continual striving to overcome it, day after day.

The ancient philosophers also spoke in this manner. Seneca and the Stoics taught that no man is exempt from failure; the wise man is not the one who never falls, but the one who rises again, who chooses virtue even after tasting vice. Kitsis’s words stand in this same tradition, reminding us that human life is a rhythm, alternating between moments of weakness and moments of strength, but always moving forward if we choose to strive.

This teaching carries a deeply emotional lesson for us: do not despair when you fall short. Some days will belong to weakness, and that is the way of being human. But neither should you become proud when you walk in strength, for it too is fleeting. The key is to never stop striving, to never surrender to complacency, but to keep pressing forward toward goodness, compassion, and integrity.

For those who hear this wisdom, the practical path is this: begin each day with the intention to strive. Do not demand perfection of yourself, but do not excuse indifference either. When weakness overtakes you, learn from it. When strength carries you, give thanks for it. In both, remain humble, and commit to the next step forward.

Thus, let Kitsis’s words be carried as a lamp for the journey: greatness is not found in never stumbling, but in striving daily to rise. Life is not measured by the days of perfection, but by the courage to continue when perfection fails. Some days will be hard, some days triumphant, but if each day is faced with striving, then in the end, a life of strength will emerge from the dance of both weakness and victory.