Built in the Waiting.
I didn’t see it at first.
When the early no’s came, they felt like resistance. Like life was quietly pushing back while I stood there holding something I genuinely believed in. I tried to stay optimistic. I told myself all the right things. But underneath it all was a question I didn’t really want to admit.
Am I missing something everyone else can see?
Because it was this book idea.
And it wasn’t casual. It wasn’t a side project. It was the kind of idea that shows up uninvited and refuses to leave. It tugged at my heart and my soul in a way that felt both energizing and unsettling. The kind of tug that comes with responsibility, not clarity.
So when the no’s arrived—some direct, some gentle, some wrapped in well-meaning advice—I listened. I respected them. I even tried to move on for a bit.
But the idea stayed. Those no’s weren’t working against me. They were working on me.
Instead of forcing the book into the world before it was ready, I stayed with it. I kept writing. I kept paying attention. I kept noticing where the ideas felt thin and where they felt alive. I lived more life alongside the work. Parenting moments. Leadership moments. Misses and missteps. Ordinary days that quietly shaped the message far more than any outline ever could.
The writing grew. But so did I. Over time, the book stopped being the only expression of the idea. Products began to form. Teaching opportunities opened up. Conversations turned into workshops. Workshops turned into tools people could actually use. What started as a book slowly became a body of work.
At the time, I thought I was being delayed. Looking back, I was being formed.
Then came the call with the publisher. I remember it clearly. No pitch deck. No performance. Just me, walking through what the work had become. Where it started. How it had grown. Why it mattered more now than ever.
There was a pause.
Then they said, “I love it. And I want to own all of it.” And here’s the part people don’t expect. The offer wasn’t good.
On paper, it looked like a yes. But in reality, it didn’t honor the work, the message, or the long road it took to get there. It would have required me to give up too much of what made the project whole. Too much of myself.
A few years earlier, I might have taken it. I might have told myself it was just how the game works. I might have been grateful just to be chosen.
But this version of me knew better. If the yes had come earlier, I wouldn’t have had the clarity to walk away from the wrong one. What felt like resistance had actually been preparation for integrity. What if this isn’t happening to you, but for you?
That question has changed how I move through uncertainty. It doesn’t erase disappointment. It doesn’t pretend hard things aren’t hard. It just keeps me from wasting the moment I’m in.
Instead of asking, How do I get past this? I try to ask, Who am I becoming because of this?
Some of the most important growth in my life didn’t happen when doors opened. It happened when they stayed closed—or opened just enough for me to realize I needed to wait for a better one.
You weren’t being blocked. You were being built.
So if you’re in a season where things feel slow, unclear, or misaligned, don’t rush to assume it’s opposition. It might be preparation wearing work boots.
Life isn’t out to get you. It’s inviting you forward—with wisdom, with clarity, and with courage.
A Moment to Sit With This
Think about something in your life right now that feels stalled, uncertain, or harder than it should be.
Instead of asking, “Why is this happening to me?” Try asking, “What might this be growing in me?” Write down one way this season could be strengthening your perspective, your patience, or your purpose. Don’t rush it. Let the answer surprise you.
Sometimes the breakthrough isn’t a change in circumstances. It’s a change in how you carry them.
This Is for You
I’m in the final stages of design for Being Humankind, and the book is now available for pre-order. If this resonates with where you are, I’d be honored for you to order your copy now and walk this journey with me.
Thank you for being here. Thank you for trusting the process. And thank you for choosing to believe that even this moment counts.
#BeingHumankind #ForYouNotAgainstYou #TrustTheProcess #CreativeJourney #HumanFirst #LeadershipWithHeart #KindnessInAction #Becoming #BookPreOrder
