“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”
Reflection:
This week, I released a new program to a few of my clients, which led to some meaningful conversations I am deeply grateful for. Before those conversations even took place, I chose this quote as one of my weekly intentions. That intention shaped how I showed up in every discussion that followed. As my clients opened up and shared personal experiences, challenges, and their goals for 2026, I was reminded of the weight of the trust they place in me. That trust is not something I take lightly. Viewing those conversations through the lens of this quote shifted the focus away from past setbacks and future pressure, and toward the internal work required to move forward with clarity and purpose.
Those moments reinforced something I believe deeply: progress is not driven by where we have been or where we hope to go, but by what we are willing to build within ourselves in the present.
Let’s be honest with each other. Most of the battles we face are not actually about the past or the future. They are internal. They show up in the quiet moments when no one is watching when it would be easier to justify skipping the work, lowering the standard, or telling yourself you will deal with it later. I know this because I have lived it too.
What I have learned is that the tension you feel is not pressure from external circumstances. It is the awareness that you are capable of more than you are currently demanding from yourself. It is easier to blame timing, environment, or the season you are in. But the truth is, what lies behind you and what lies before you are small compared to the strength, discipline, and conviction you are either building or neglecting within.
The past can explain you, but it does not have to define you.
The future can motivate you, but it cannot carry you.
Only what you cultivate internally determines how you show up when things get uncomfortable.
I have learned that growth rarely feels dramatic. It feels repetitive. It is choosing consistency when motivation fades, acting before confidence arrives, and holding yourself to standards even when no one is enforcing them or offering a “good job.” The work is unglamorous, and it rarely earns immediate validation especially in a culture that constantly searches for quick fixes.
What many people fail to realize is that the struggle is the point. The human journey is meant to include resistance, discomfort, and challenge because those experiences build something deeper than surface-level results. We are meant to evolve through what we face. Character is formed in the process, and that character quietly shapes every outcome that follows.
When inner work is ignored, the cost is subtle at first. You begin compromising in small ways. You make exceptions for yourself. You wait for clarity instead of creating it. Over time those small decisions create distance distance between who you are today and who you know you are meant to become. That distance is where frustration lives. Not because you failed, but because you know you settled.
What lies within you is your discipline, your faith, your willingness to take responsibility. These can be strengthened daily. At the end of the day, the question is not whether you are capable. It is whether you are willing to take responsibility for what lies within you.
The past has already passed.
The future will arrive on its own.
What you choose to build internally today will determine how you meet both.
So all I can tell you is to choose wisely my friend.
Actionable Steps You Can Take:
1. Audit What’s Within
Identify one internal habit, belief, or standard you know needs strengthening. Be specific.
2. Act Without External Guarantees
Take one deliberate action today that reinforces discipline, not comfort. Confidence follows consistency.
3. Invest in the Inner Work
Choose the effort that builds character now instead of the ease that creates regret later.
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