What They Didn’t Say at His Funeral.

I just left the funeral of a friend’s husband.

He had just turned 40. The very next day, he was gone.

And as I sat in the sanctuary, packed wall to wall with people who loved him, I thought, "This is a man who made an impact."

But not in the ways we often measure success.

No one talked about how much money he made. No one listed off his titles or promotions. No one read his resume.

You know what they did say?

They talked about how well he loved.

How big he lived. How he connected people. How he made them laugh.

They talked about how he made them feel. 

It made me pause and reflect.

Not just on life—but on leadership. On legacy. On the way we show up in our businesses, our families, our communities.

People spend so much time chasing titles and timelines, myself included at times.

But at the end of our story, what people will remember most is how we made them feel.

And as leaders, we have an opportunity every single day to pour into our homes. To show up in our kids’ schools and friends. To serve our clients with love. To lead our teams with intention. To connect our communities with compassion.

Here's what I know to be true—It’s hard to love others well when you don’t feel loved yourself.

It’s hard to create joy when you feel heavy. It’s hard to connect people when you feel completely alone.

If that’s where you find yourself right now, please hear me.

You’re not stuck. You’re not broken. And you are not alone.

Whether it’s coaching, counseling, or simply carving out space to reflect—this is your invitation to reset.

To let go of the titles and accolades.

To re-center your mental and emotional health so you can lead from a place of love, purpose, and service.

Something impactful and beautiful is waiting for you on the other side of doing the work.

The legacy you’re leaving? It matters.

Not just in your career, but in your character. Not just in what you build, but in who you become.

So today, I want to leave you with this: Don’t focus so much on who you’ve been that you forget to choose who you’re becoming.

Because life is too short. Today, right now in this moment, is a perfect time for a fresh start.