I missed a week.

Life got full.

Actually, full probably isn’t the right word.

Life got packed.

The kind of packed where every part of life seems to be happening at once.

Family.
Work.
Travel.
Games.
Chemo appointments.
Business.
School.
Mother’s Day.

All of it.

And somewhere in the middle of it, I flew to Virginia to watch my son Jack play in the national championship for GVSU lacrosse.

He’s 21.

Last year was his first full year playing with the team. He played some defensive middie. They made it all the way to the national finals and lost.

This year?

He started.

Honorable mention defensive middie.
All-conference defensive middie.
And in the final, he held two All-Americans to one goal each.

That didn’t just happen.

That kid works his ass off.

All A’s in school, studying to become a mental health counselor.
Works at a nonprofit for kids with disabilities.
Volunteers at a center for kids with autism.

And somehow, in the middle of school, work, volunteering, being a son, a boyfriend, a friend — he still found the discipline to become one of the best defensive middies in the league in two years.

If you ever wonder whether this generation is going to make it, go watch a team like that.

These kids are not soft.

They’re working.
Studying.
Training.
Showing up.

And after they won — in the final seconds — while they were celebrating this ridiculous, amazing national championship…

They came over to their families.

A lot of them in tears.

Hugging their dads.
Telling their moms thank you.
Saying I love you.

And I thought:

If this is the kind of young man we’re sending into the world, we may be okay.

I also know..if these kids are like my son…they sometimes wonder if they are doing enough and are good enough…even national champs have doubts.

And then there’s Mother’s Day.

And I think about Hollie.

What she carries.

She has built Aqua into one of the top med spas and wellness businesses in the area in four years.

Bought a 6,000-square-foot building.
Brought on a surgeon.
Built a team and a culture where people feel respected, happy, and proud of their work.

And she’s doing all of that while taking her mom to chemo.

While being an amazing mother to Kora.
And a wife.
And a daughter.
And a leader.

And somehow, like so many moms, she still wonders if she’s doing enough.

That’s the part that gets me.

Because life is work.

Good work.
Hard work.
Meaningful work.

But work.

And so many of us are doing so much every single day, and still somehow convincing ourselves we’re falling short.

Not enough as a parent.
Not enough as a spouse.
Not enough as a son or daughter.
Not enough as a leader.
Not enough as a person.

And it gets dark sometimes.

Sometimes more than others.

But most of that story we tell ourselves?

It’s not true.

You’re not behind because life is full.

You’re not failing because you’re tired.

You’re not selfish because you need a break.

And I wonder sometimes if that little voice — the one that says “do more, work harder, prove it” — has helped us achieve some things.

Maybe it has.

But at what cost?

So no, don’t stop.

Keep pushing.

Keep building.

Keep showing up for the people you love.

But also find a moment — even a small one — to appreciate who you are.

What you’ve carried.
What you’ve built.
What you mean to the people around you.

Because there’s a good chance you are already the kind of person you once hoped you’d become.

And please…

Take the break.

Damn it.

1. Hard work still matters
Talent is nice. But watching someone earn their place through discipline, repetition, and grit never gets old.

2. The people doing the most often doubt themselves the most
Moms. Leaders. Builders. Caregivers. The ones carrying the weight are often the ones wondering if they’re doing enough.

3. Appreciation is fuel
Not ego. Not arrogance. Just taking a minute to recognize what you’ve actually done.

Take ten minutes and write down:

Then actually take one.

A walk.
A nap.
A quiet coffee.
An hour with your phone away.

No guilt.

The Gap and the Gain — Dan Sullivan & Dr. Benjamin Hardy

A good reminder that most of us measure ourselves against what’s unfinished instead of what we’ve already done. Sometimes the reset is simply turning around and seeing how far you’ve come.

“You are allowed to be both a masterpiece and a work in progress at the same time.”
— Sophia Bush

If you’re building something, carrying a lot, or trying to figure out how to keep going without losing yourself in the process — let’s talk.

No pitch.
Just real conversation.

📅 https://calendar.app.google/LYWoxzYQoiS72Mr5A

— Brian

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