A Glimpse in the Mirror Changed My Whole Perspective

I took a selfie at the gym and caught something I hadn't seen in months. A faint line in my core, just barely there. My first thought wasn't celebration. It was almost disbelief: Wait... I'm still in here.

This little line hasn't made an appearance in a very long time. The last year has been chaotic for my body. Inconsistent workouts, zero progress. I wasn’t putting in the work, so I wasn’t seeing results.

And I definitely wasn't feeling confident. 

So when that tiny flicker showed up, I thought well that's exactly how results work. They show up quietly. Randomly. Briefly. Sometimes they leave before you even get a chance to tell anyone. 

The thing is that line isn't guaranteed. I didn't "arrive" anywhere. It might vanish tomorrow. It's just a moment, a glimpse. And if results can be this unpredictable, why do we rely on them to stay motivated? 

This pattern shows up everywhere in our lives.

In therapy, you do the work, think you’ve healed, and then life throws a trigger in your lap like: "Did you, though?" You’re looking for answers, but what you’re actually doing is investing in parts of yourself you couldn’t access before. The breakthrough feels amazing, but the real value lives in the messy self-work that becomes part of who you are.

In business, you start a side hustle hoping to ease the bills or maybe save for a down payment. You hear a hundred no's, can't sell your product, life throws curveballs that slow you down. Then one day, something clicks. One yes after all those no's. But the result isn't what built your resilience, it was everything before it. 

In fitness, you train hard, lose progress, start over, and question if it's working. The motivation comes from wanting to see changes, but what you're actually building is the ability to keep up with the activities you love, handle everyday tasks with ease, and maybe carry your grandkids without your back giving out. 

Those are the results that matter too, even if they don't show up now. 

The truth is, the result isn't the reward. It's a bonus. The real reward is the consistency. The effort. The decision to keep showing up without knowing what's going to show up for you. 

Because what created that fleeting moment of definition and what will eventually bring it back, maybe for good isn't some magical day of 'looking good.' It's the part behind closed doors. The stuff no one claps for. The part that's building something stronger, even when nothing's visible.

We chase results like they're the point, but the work is what carries us. 
Not just for now, but for the long game. 
So we can move well into our later years. 
So we can heal generational patterns. 
So we can build financial security. 
So we can love better.
So we can take long walks in our 70s (God willing) and look back knowing we built something real. 

Because let’s be honest, you won't always see muscle definition. You won't always see the healing. Or the sales. Or the breakthrough.

We think we’re motivated by results but results aren’t loyal. They show up late. Sporadically. And sometimes they leave again. 

So if we're not seeing results every day, what are we showing up for? 

I think the answer is the work. The process. 
The part that doesn’t photograph well. 
And the future you. 

Maybe right now, you’re just in between appearances.
And that counts too. Enjoy the process. 

This thing is for life.