The 3 Weeks

I thought it was only appropriate to have a post dedicated to the 3 Weeks that we are currently in leading up to Tisha B'Av. For those who don't know, Tisha B'Av is the day in Jewish history in which, among other tragedies, the Beis HaMikdash (The Temple) was destroyed. Until the Temple is rebuilt, speedily in our days, with the coming of Moshiach (the Messiah), we have these three weeks from the 17th of the Jewish month of Tammuz until the 9th day of the Jewish month of Av in which we are in a period of mourning without the Beis HaMikdash. Next week will mark the beginning of the month of Av, and the first 9 days leading up to Tisha B'Av are days in which our sadness is increased as we get closer to the day on which the Temple was destroyed. During this 3 week and also 9 day period we have certain restrictions on our daily activities that may bring us happiness.
It has been a good time of reflection for me to constantly remember that we are not living in the best possible state that we could be. Without the Beis HaMikdash the Jewish people are without a physical house for Hashem on Earth, and it makes it that much harder for us to connect with Him. While we are reminded of this in our daily prayers, it is important that we use these three weeks wisely so that, with G-d's help, we will not have to go through this mourning period again.
During this time, I have really been trying to work on myself in order to make myself the best person I can be. In a discussion in one of my classes this week, we spoke about how we do not all have to be like the greatest tzaddiks and tzadekeses in this world. What we do have to be is the best possible version of ourselves. We are all on different paths, and if we are constantly growing and working on our character traits and interpersonal relationships by doing mitzvos, that is all that we are asked to do. This idea has really settled in for me these past two weeks. I do not have to be anyone else. I can strive to have the good middos (character traits) that certain people I have learned about have, but all I need to do is work on myself, to be the best version of me possible. And if we all do that, then the coming of Moshiach and the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash will be very, very soon. I hope you all have a wonderful Shabbos, and may this be the last one in which we are in a period of mourning without the Beis HaMikdash!