The world has a funny way of telling us who we should be and when we should be it.
“Get married by this age.”
“Have your career figured out by that age.”
“You should’ve healed from that by now.”

Everyone has a mental checklist for your life, and half the time, they don’t even know what they want for theirs.

Here’s the truth: having big goals isn’t bad, but when those goals aren’t yours, when they’re shaped by the expectations of others, they can lead you down a dangerous path. And before you know it, you’re living on someone else’s timeline instead of your own.

The Invisible Clock

A lot of us are living under this invisible clock; this pressure created by culture, community, social media, family, and all the voices we allow to matter.

But progress isn’t a straight freeway with exits and GPS guidance.

If you’ve ever driven in Tucson during monsoon season, you know what I’m talking about. One minute you’re cruising down a normal street, and the next, there’s a full-blown river running through the intersection. So what do you do? You take a detour.

Does the detour mean you’re lost?
No.
You’re still on the road. You just had to go around some obstacles to stay safe.

Life is exactly like that.
You’re not behind, you’re navigating your own route.

What’s The Real Problem?

We think that feeling “behind” comes from not moving fast enough. But that’s not it.

It’s not the speed that weighs you down, but rather, it’s the weight you’re carrying.

The weight of expectations.
The weight of comparison.
The weight of perfection.
The weight of finances.
The weight of trying to impress everyone and yourself.

If you really want to get to the root of why you feel stuck, you have to humble yourself enough to ask honest questions:

• What am I carrying that doesn’t belong to me?
• What do I secretly want but pretend not to want?
• Where am I lonely?
• Where am I numb?

Write your answers down with no filters. Writing reveals truths you don’t say out loud. Then pray about it, reflect on it, or talk it through with someone you trust. Some of the best advice comes from unlikely voices.

Naming a weight gives it a handle. And when something has a handle, it becomes easier to lift.

Comparer vs. Learner

There are two voices inside us:

The Comparer:

This voice looks at everyone else’s life and whispers,
“Why aren’t you there yet?”
“Why didn’t you do this sooner?”

The comparer isolates you.

The Learner:

This voice looks at someone succeeding and asks,
“What can I learn from them?”

The learner trains you.

My dad used to tell me, “If you want to be smart, hang with the smart kids.”
Your environment shapes who you become. Your influences shape your mindset. Your circle shapes your future.

Stop measuring your life against someone else’s highlight reel. Instead, measure yourself against your own values, your faith, your beliefs, your goals.

Write down your values. Then at the end of the day ask yourself:
“Did I live true to them?”

That’s what matters.

Small Steps, Big Impact

Anyone who knows me knows I don’t do New Year’s resolutions. I break them every time. Lose weight. Learn a language. Make an album. You name it, I’ve broken it.

But through those broken resolutions, I learned something: big goals need small steps.

Let me explain with an old story.

When my church used to do baptisms in the Gila River in Winkelman, Arizona, I learned quickly that running into the water was a terrible idea. The current was strong, especially for an 11-year-old desert rat like me.

My parents, who grew up around the ocean in La Paz, Mexico, taught me something simple:

“You can’t run through a river. You take small steps.”

And once you understand that, crossing becomes possible.

Life works the same way. The river is your goal. The steps are your process.

If you want to lose weight, saying, “I’m going to lose 100 pounds” is overwhelming.
But saying “I’ll lose 7 pounds this month” is achievable.

Small steps create big wins.
Big goals without small steps create failure.

God, Don’t Move That Mountain!

A lot of people say Christians use God as a cop-out, and to be honest, I get it.
We often pray for God to remove the problem instead of asking Him to strengthen us through it.

There’s a gospel song called “Lord, Don’t Move the Mountain” by Mahalia Jackson & Doris Akers. The line that shook me years ago says:

Lord, don’t move my mountain
But give me the strength to climb
Lord, don’t take away my stumbling blocks
But lead me all around

Sometimes God doesn’t take away the obstacle because He wants you to grow through it, not run from it.

Faith isn’t just about being rescued.
Faith is about building rhythm.
A steady tempo between you and God.

That rhythm comes from simple, daily connection:

• Have you prayed?
• Have you read the Word?
• Have you worshiped?

Spiritual growth isn’t rushed. It’s rhythmic.

Finding Inspiration In Loneliness

When I visited New York City, I noticed something strange: even in a place overflowing with people, there are moments when the sidewalks are completely empty.

Life works the same way. Some seasons are crowded. Others are quiet.

Quiet seasons can feel like failure, but they’re often where the real growth happens.

Loneliness can be painful, but it can also be productive. I like to think of loneliness as my office/studio.
Songs get written there.
Sermons get shaped there.
Character gets built there.

Social media has warped the sense of connection. Parasocial relationships replaced real ones. We see everyone else’s life, but no one sees ours.

Loneliness shouldn’t be romanticized, it should be utilized.

Use solitude to grow, to create, to heal, then step back into the world better than before.

Weekly Song Recommendation

Here’s a song for y’all to listen to! This one is from one of my favorite bands, Switchfoot. The song is called “Dare You to Move”.

Move forward. Take your step. Let God guide you into who you’re becoming.

“¹⁴ The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” – 2 Corinthians 13:14 (ESV)