There’s a version of me I strive to bring forward every day—not the perfect version, not the polished one, but the strongest, clearest, most grounded version. The version of me that can be counted on. The one that stays calm under pressure, makes the hard decisions, and puts others before myself when it matters most.
I work in a field where mistakes carry weight, where lives can hang in the balance, and where the difference between chaos and clarity often comes down to who shows up and how. The job demands a lot—physically, emotionally, spiritually. I’ve come to realize that just like lifting heavy things, this work requires internal strength too. If your back’s weak, you get hurt. If your mind or soul is fractured, it shows. And people can actually get hurt because of it.
Being the best version of yourself doesn’t happen by itself or by accident. It takes real intention, and it takes work. It’s in how we treat ourselves when no one’s looking. It’s in the early mornings when we choose the cold shower, the run in the rain, the difficult conversation, or the quiet moment with our own thoughts. It’s in saying no to the things that drain us and yes to the ones that keep us sharp, focused, and connected.
I think about my family often. If my wife or kids needed help—real help, in the middle of a storm, at the edge of a cliff, during a moment when the world is falling apart—I wouldn’t want the distracted, sleep-deprived, emotionally brittle version of me showing up. I’d want the grounded one. The one who’s done the work. The one who’s put in the time to get strong on the inside, not just the outside. That’s who I try to be, not just for them, but for the people I work with, the strangers I may never see again, and for myself.
You don’t always know when you’ll be called to the front. But you can train for it. You can become the kind of person you’d trust with everything. That’s the goal. Not perfection. Just presence, clarity, strength. The kind that comes from doing the deep work when no one else is watching.
That’s who I want to be. Every day. The best version of myself, ready for whatever comes next.
