What I Build When No One’s Watching

Not for the applause. Not for the front row seat.Invisible work. Quiet strength.

Brand building is about noise and flexing your muscles.

Building yourself is a different ball game.

You do it in the quiet alleyways — away from the spotlight, uncomfortable and vulnerable.

But these are the moments that shape us into who we’re meant to become.

I remember sitting in a clinic one afternoon, waiting for my name to be called. I looked up and saw a framed quote on the wall:“Who are you when no one is watching?”

It struck something deep in me . . . and it’s stayed ever since.

It’s easy to be performative when there’s an audience.When the spotlight’s on, you’re playing a part.But the real you emerges in private — at home, with loved ones, or in those quiet, unguarded moments. Just like that Michael Jackson song — “The Man in the Mirror.”

I’m far from perfect.There are days I wish didn’t exist.I’ve loathed the version of myself that shows up when I’m angry — spiraling over trivial things, or when someone overtakes me from the wrong side of the road. Anger is such an overrated emotion, unless you’re fighting for justice or defending the helpless.Otherwise, it burns more than it builds.But it has energy. A charge.And if harnessed right, it can fuel something greater . . . something that serves.

There is joy in giving.There is lightness in letting go, and a strange, quiet power in not chasing, not clinging.

I remind myself . . . daily, that every moment is a reset button. When I’ve done something I’m not proud of, that thought becomes my exit ramp. My soft landing.

Life is also about coexisting.It’s about understanding the differences. Be it religion, sexuality, beliefs, physicality, race, economic status . . . the whole 22 yards. Live and let live — otherwise the world would be such a boring place.

Additionally, never underestimate the power of gratitude. Not the mushy, Pinterest kind, but a real awareness that everything you have can disappear in the blink of an eye. A sobering thought indeed.

And finally —Discipline and commitment are easy to admire but harder to embody. But worth it. Always worth it.

And in the end it always boils down to that.You are not defined by a choice, but your life is a sum total of choices. Be judicious, smart, and stingy with time . . . and gracious with your choices.