Just Show Up
My father has always been about subtle guidance rather than forcing an idea or perspective into existence. I learned almost everything I could from him simply by example. Growing up, he was often on the road—busy providing for his family the best way he knew how.
It wasn’t until I moved away to California that I began to see my father not just as “Dad,” but as another human being—one with his own dreams, flaws, and history. That shift is a unique moment in life, when your parents go from being authority figures to people you can connect with on a different level.
One summer, I was living in Venice, CA for an internship with Ubiquity Records in Costa Mesa. My dad happened to be nearby, consulting in Irvine. We started catching dinners together, talking more like friends than parent and child.
He shared stories I’d never heard—like how Newport Beach was where he learned to sail as a kid. At one point, he pointed across the water:
“My uncle used to live there. He owned all of this land.”
I was stunned. There was so much about him I still didn’t know. But I didn’t press—his stories arrived on his own terms. Now in my twenties, building my own path, I found his advice landing in a way it never had before. I was finally ready to receive it.
One night, he told me something I’ll never forget:
“You can do a lot of different things in life, but one that will carry you through is to just be consistent.”
Memory is tricky—maybe the words were a little different—but that’s how they’ve stayed with me. A simple message, delivered casually, that has shaped how I approach everything.
The Power of Consistency
Consistency is the lesson I want to pass on. If you show up—over and over—your efforts will eventually bear fruit, no matter the field.
In work, for example:
If you’ve built a reputation for showing up and delivering, people give you grace when you fall short. They know it’s out of character. In contrast, if you cut corners, even valid excuses sound hollow. Trust is built on repeated action. Action is the currency—and consistency is what backs it.
In health, the same truth applies. Anyone who’s tried quitting smoking or starting an exercise routine knows the difference between an occasional push and a daily habit. You don’t have to go big. Commit to something small—a mile walk each day, ten minutes of stretching—and stick with it. Years ago, I set a low bar for myself with jogging, and it turned into running five miles every morning.
The key: don’t try to conquer the world. Set realistic expectations, then notice how momentum builds when you hit your rhythm.
Consistency breeds confidence. Nobody is an expert at the start, but repetition reveals what you’re truly capable of.
So just bring yourself.
It doesn’t have to be your best every day.
Just show up.
Be consistent.
Your experience—and your life—will rise from there.
