03/28/2026
Each year, we celebrate the brothers who participate in the
annual Polar Bear Plunge, and after completing my third
plunge a few years ago, I came away with a simple but meaningful realization: it is normal to want to quit.
In fact, we all want to quit at some point.
That is part of the process, part of the challenge, and part of the journey.
If we are truly striving to better ourselves, then the work should
be difficult.
We should be stretching beyond our present abilities, pushing ourselves further than what feels comfortable, and at times finding ourselves at that point where quitting seems appealing.
I have been there many times, and what I have learned is that most people have as well.
What matters most is not that we reach that point, but that we do not give in to it.
When we hold firm and press on, we should take a quiet moment to acknowledge that victory within ourselves—not to boast, not to dwell on it, and not to overcelebrate it, but simply to recognize that we endured something difficult and remained steadfast.
That is how persistence is built.
That is how mental toughness, grit, confidence, and character are formed.
Each time we refuse to quit, we strengthen ourselves for the next challenge, and the next time we are able to go a little farther than
before.
Our breaking points are not all the same, and that is perfectly all right.
Every man’s journey is different, and every man grows in his own time.
When we see others accomplish great things, it does not mean they are somehow more gifted or that we are lacking.
More often, it means they have simply developed the discipline, endurance, and confidence that come from continuing on when quitting would have been easier.
In time, we can do the same.
Whether in the Polar Bear Plunge, in our labors, or in life itself, we will all face moments when we want to stop.
What matters is that we do not.
Confidence is earned by keeping promises to ourselves and to those who matter most, and being a man of character—one who remains true, steady, and resolute—is among
the most valuable accomplishments any of us can achieve.
Fraternally Yours,
WM - Preston M. Hall
