You’re Already Winning

The success most people never notice.

(Representation of me winning my day, skin care and editing)

The success most people never notice.

A while ago, I was on a coaching call with one of my clients. She was in the middle of moving houses, and for almost three weeks her life had been turned upside down. Boxes were stacked everywhere, meals were wherever she could find a clear space to sit, and the routines that usually helped her feel grounded had disappeared.

The first thing she said when we got on the phone was,

“Ben, I feel like I’m failing.”

I asked her what she meant.

She told me she wasn’t exercising the way she normally did. Her nutrition had fallen apart. She felt like she was letting herself down.

So I asked her a few questions.

“What did your workouts look like before the move?”

“About forty-five minutes.”

“And now?”

“About ten.”

“What did your nutrition look like before?”

“I was eating three whole-food meals and two snacks every day.”

“And now?”

“I’m still eating three really good meals. I just don’t seem to have time for the snacks.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle.

She laughed.

“What?”

I said, “Can I tell you what I see?”

“Of course.”

“I see someone who is moving houses, living in uncertainty, surrounded by boxes, and still finding ten minutes to move her body. I see someone who is still nourishing herself three times a day. I don’t see someone who’s failing.”

She was quiet for a moment.

Then she laughed again.

“I never thought about it like that.”

She wasn’t failing.

She was adapting.

That conversation has stayed with me because I don’t think she’s the only one who measures herself that way.

I think many of us do.

At the end of the day, we don’t naturally remember what we accomplished. We remember the workout we didn’t do, the email we never sent, the meditation we forgot, the healthy meal we didn’t make, or the phone call we meant to return.

We measure ourselves by what we didn’t do instead of what we did.

The truth is, we do our best every day.

Our best just doesn’t look the same every day.

Some days your best is finishing a project, getting to the gym, making a healthy dinner, and reading before bed.

Other days your best is getting everyone fed, making it through work, taking a shower, and finding ten quiet minutes to yourself.

Both are real.

Both count.

I’ve done the same thing for years.

I used to move the finish line every time I got close to it.

Lose ten pounds.

Then twenty.

Build the business.

Write the book.

Launch the book.

Next up, become a bestselling author.

Then what?

There was always another milestone waiting for me before I allowed myself to feel like I’d done enough.

The irony isn’t lost on me now.

Some version of my younger self would have been incredibly proud of the life I’m living today.

I just forgot to ask him.

Maybe that’s what healing asks of us.

To measure ourselves honestly.

Not against yesterday.

Not against someone else.

Not against the version of ourselves that has more time, more energy, or fewer responsibilities.

Just honestly.

Because if we only measure ourselves by what we didn’t do, we’ll always feel like we’re behind.

Sometimes the most important thing we can do is stop long enough to notice that we’re already moving in the right direction.

2 Things To Do Today

Thing 1. Breathe

For the next two minutes, breathe gently in through your nose for 4.

Pause softly at the top of your inhale for 4.

As you rest in that pause, ask yourself:

What did I do today that I haven’t given myself credit for?

Don’t search for something extraordinary.

Simply notice what comes.

Then breathe out gently through your nose for 4.

Continue at your own pace, allowing that question to return with each pause.

What deserves to be acknowledged is often already there.

We simply have to pause long enough to see it.

Thing 2. Take Inventory

Before your head hits the pillow tonight, write down three things you did today.

Not tomorrow’s list.

Not the things you didn’t finish.

Just three things you did.

Maybe you made breakfast.

Maybe you drank enough water.

Maybe you went for a walk.

Maybe you chose patience when it would have been easier to react.

Maybe you simply kept going on a difficult day.

Measure today honestly.

You may discover you’ve been doing better than you’ve been giving yourself credit for.

Today’s Mantra

I honour the effort I gave today.

Today’s best is enough for today.

Let’s Talk

What’s one thing you’ve done recently that you haven’t stopped to acknowledge?

I’d love to celebrate it with you.

Until next time, one breath, one kind action, repeat.
🧡 Ben

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Its here - my book 2 Things To Do Today- Healing Without the Hustle is offcially available for preorder - If you like what I am sharing and resonate with the message I would appriciate you picking up a copy or 2 at amazon and sharing it with your community. My Mission is simple spread the word that people are not broken and that real human healing can come from simple small acts of self love that then ripple into our families and communities. Pick up your copy with the links below.

Order from Red links below

In Canada:

Amazon

In the United States:

Amazon

A Gift I’d Love to Give You

There’s another reason I’m excited about this launch.

I’d love the opportunity to meet many of you.

One of the central ideas in this book is simple:

“The way we breathe is the way we live” (Jeff Sorenson- Breath Army)

The way we breathe often reflects the pace we’ve learned to survive at.

Fast.

Shallow.

Guarded.

Always preparing for what’s next.

Over time, that breathing pattern becomes the way we move through life.

The beautiful thing is that the opposite is also true.

As we begin restoring a more natural rhythm to our breathing, many people discover more ease, more energy, more clarity, and a greater sense of trust in themselves.

So everyone who pre-orders 2 Things To Do Today will receive a complimentary 60-minute Breath & Nervous System Assessment with me.

Together we’ll:

• Assess your breathing patterns.

• Explore how your nervous system responds to stress.

• Experience a guided breath session.

• Build a simple breathing practice designed specifically for you.

You’ll leave with practical tools to help reduce stress, restore energy, improve your breathing, overcome limiting patterns, and reconnect with your body’s natural rhythm.

Think of it as experiencing the first chapter of the book, together.

Simply pre-order the book, then email me at ben@lifttorise.ca or send me a private message here on Substack with a copy of your receipt.

I’ll personally send you the booking information.

One of the things I’ve loved most about writing on Substack is that this has never felt like an audience.

It’s felt like a community.

You’ve celebrated with me.

Encouraged me.

Challenged me.

Shared your own stories.

Many of you have become friends.

This book may have my name on the cover.

But every page was shaped by the people I’ve had the privilege of walking beside over the last 16 years.

If it reaches the people it’s meant to reach, it won’t be because I wrote it.

It will be because a community decided this message was worth carrying.

I can’t think of a more beautiful way for this book to enter the world.

With breath, love, and gratitude,

Ben ❤️