Most people skip the most important step. They know they need to change. They feel the gap. They see the problem. So they jump straight to solutions. New habits. New strategies. New frameworks. And then they wonder why nothing sticks. Here's what they missed: Assessment. The deep, honest look at who you're actually being right now, not who you think you are, not who you want to be, but who you're operating from in the moments that matter. Why does assessment matter so much? Because you can't shift from an identity you haven't named. You can't change a pattern you don't see. You can't select a new way of being if you're not clear on the current one. Think about it: If you're trying to lead differently but you don't see that you're operating from a "prove myself" identity, you'll just keep proving yourself in new ways. If you're trying to create something bold but you don't see that you're operating from a "stay safe" identity, you'll sabotage yourself every time you get close. If you're trying to relate differently but you don't see that you're operating from a "fix everyone" identity, you'll keep attracting people who need fixing. The identity you're operating from is invisible to you. But it's running the show. Assessment makes it visible. It's the moment you step back and ask: ✅ Who am I being right now? ✅ What identity am I defaulting to when the pressure is on? ✅ Where did this identity come from and was it built for what I'm facing now? ✅ Is this identity serving me or is it the ceiling? This isn't about judging yourself. This isn't about finding what's "wrong" with you. This is about seeing clearly and letting it be exactly as it is. Because once you see the identity you're operating from, you can choose whether to keep it or shift it. Here's what assessment reveals: 🔍 The patterns you keep repeating and why they keep showing up 🔍 The beliefs that are driving your behavior even when you don't realize it 🔍 The identity that was built for a previous version of your life and why it's not working anymore

Why taking a stand is where the shift becomes real. You can assess your current identity. You can select the new one you want to step into. But here's where most people stall: Taking a stand. What does it mean to "take a stand"? Taking a stand is the moment you declare the identity you're stepping into, not just to yourself, but out loud, in the world. It's the moment you say: "This is who I'm becoming." "This is how I'm showing up now." "This is what I stand for." It's not a promise. It's not a goal. It's a declaration of identity. And the moment you take that stand, everything shifts. Why is this step so powerful? Because identity only becomes real when it's witnessed. When you keep it internal, when it's just a thought, a desire, a plan, it stays abstract. It's easy to talk yourself out of. Easy to abandon when things get hard. Easy to forget when the pressure is on. But the moment you take a stand, the moment you say it out loud, to someone who matters, it becomes real. You've drawn a line. You've claimed it. You've made it public. Now you have to live into it. What happens when you take a stand? 🔥 Clarity emerges — The fog lifts. You know who you're being now. 🔥 Accountability activates — You've said it. Now you have to show up as it. 🔥 Energy shifts — Your nervous system registers the commitment. Your body knows this is real. 🔥 The world responds — Opportunities, conversations, and synchronicities start aligning with the identity you've claimed. But here's the catch: Most people won't take the stand. They'll assess. They'll select. They'll think about it. They'll journal about it. They'll talk about it in therapy. But they won't declare it. Because declaring it makes it real. And making it real means there's no going back. That's exactly why it works. Taking a stand is the moment you stop being the person who wants to change and become the person who is changing. It's the moment the shift moves from concept to commitment. From internal to embodied. From someday to now.

I was intrigued by the word entrepreneur long before I ever knew what it really meant. Looking back, the mindset was there early in middle school and high school dreaming up backyard businesses like a makeshift putt-putt course, selling pencils or erasers, or mowing lawns to earn what I wanted. With a tiny allowance that barely moved the needle (a quarter a week toward a $16 video game will do that), I learned quickly that if I wanted something, I had to create it myself. By high school, I was running a small landscaping business, mowing over 20 lawns a week, and by college that work funded a large portion of my education. That was my first real shift from kid to creator. In college, despite internships and traditional career paths, the nine-to-five office model never really fit. What did fit was my lifelong connection to team sports. I leaned further into that world playing intramural football, then playing and coaching for a semi-professional football team, despite never having played organized football before. During and after college, I coached middle school and high school athletes and found real meaning in helping young men and women grow into who they were capable of becoming, not just in skill, but in how they showed up on the field of play. That period marked another turning point in how I learned to support real change, both in myself and others. Even while coaching, my entrepreneurial drive never slowed down. I was investing in real estate on the side buying, fixing, and renting homes, constantly problem-solving how to create income while balancing a modest coach’s salary. Eventually, I found my way back into landscaping through an opportunity with a property manager. It almost fell into my lap. I started the company with $700 and a cheap old truck and got rolling. Before long, I had built it into a business with 27 employees. Each stage required me to become a different version of myself, operator, leader, decision-maker, not just do different tasks. I was constantly reinventing who I was.

This week we will wrap up the Parts series. Following along with our class - Deeping Relationship with Parts This part I believe brings the richness of this Parts series. Speark to the Part and sense into how it responds to you from an experiential noticing. You can begin by asking simple, open questions—then responding with care. For example: - “How are you feeling right now?” - “I really get how scared you feel.” - “It makes sense that you’d be angry.” Complete this sentence: “When I turned toward the Part with care, I noticed ___.” (One word or short phrase is perfect.)

Following along with Day 3. We can ask the part what it's job is and sense or listen to it's response. Complete this sentence: “I sense this Part’s job is to ___.”