“A man becomes honourable when suffering gives him every excuse to fall, and he still chooses to stand.”
- Seneca
Theme of the Week: The Choice to Stand
I was 23 years old, living alone in a foreign country and feeling like a lone wolf.
At that point, I had already been through the wringer. Financially, I was in a difficult position. My money was running out, my game time had been limited, and I needed to figure out how I was going to keep the dream alive.
I went on loan to another club, which eventually became a permanent transfer. I did well there. I played some of the best football of my career.
At the same time, every loss carried a weight that most people did not understand.
A loss had consequences that followed me home. My win, appearance, and clean-sheet bonuses were more than extra money. They were my financial lifeline. They determined what groceries I could buy and how I would cover my daily expenses.
When that money wasn't coming in, I had to find another way.
Sometimes, a loss meant working in a factory from 5:00 to 9:00 a.m. before training. It meant taking an evening shift at a barbershop or fitting in another session coaching young footballers.
A loss meant added pressure and harder work while I was still expected to show up and perform as a professional goalkeeper.
Most did not even know I was doing any of this. Very few people knew how intense that pressure felt. They saw me arrive at training and play on the weekend. They did not see the other life I was living around football—the hours spent working and constantly finding a way to make everything hold together.
Do I recommend living this way? Absolutely not. But many scenarios give us no choice.
With that being said, it is equally important to recognize when boundaries need to be put in place. There is a fine line between standing tall through suffering and tolerating circumstances that compromise your self-worth. Looking back, I can see that I should have established stronger boundaries in this situation. Boundaries are something we will explore more deeply in a future edition.
The world can be difficult and, at times, cruel. It can beat you down and give you every reason to accept the cards you have been dealt. Even then, you still have a choice. You can stay down, or you can find a way to keep moving forward.
Stay strong, even when you are not. It’s okay, you are not alone.
With love always,
Michael Argyrides
