The "unless" situations
Overheard someone saying, “I don’t get mad easily — unless you give me a reason to.”
It’s like saying, “I’m always happy — unless something unhappy happens.”
Anyone can be calm unless they’re in a troubled situation.
Anyone can train unless they’re feeling low.
Anyone can love unless their partner is being annoying.
Anyone can teach unless the student isn’t getting it.
Anyone can write unless the mind is stuck.
And the worst of all...
Anyone can chill unless something needs their attention.
It’s not about who we are in perfect situations.
It’s about who we are in the unless situations.
After all, life is imperfectly perfect.
Batman’s girlfriend once said — and later, Batman himself repeated:
“It’s not who you are underneath, it’s what you do that defines you.”
Taking it one step further:
It’s not what you do when things go right. It’s what you do unless they don’t — that defines you.
So please, don’t think of yourself as a patient person if you lose it the third time you have to repeat something.
If you’re a calm person, you’ll figure out how to stay grounded when everyone around you is panicking.
If you’re serious about your training, you’ll figure out how to show up even when you don’t feel like it.
If you truly love someone, you’ll figure out how to hold space for their bad days — and your own.
If you’re a good teacher, you’ll figure out other ways to reach your student when one way doesn’t work.
If you’re a driven writer, you’ll figure out how to write through the fog — until the words start making sense again.
And if you’re someone who values rest, you’ll figure out how to pause — even when the world seems to demand your attention.
Life is hardly ever ideal.
That’s not a pessimistic view — it’s an invitation. An invitation to live without waiting for the ideal scenario. An invitation to figure it out.
Especially on the bad days.
Especially when you think you don’t deserve to.
Especially when your mind is overwhelmed with worries.
Especially when you’re overthinking every action you’ve ever taken.
Especially when you don’t feel your 💯%.
Just give your 💯% for the day.
“On the days you have only 40%, and you give 40%, you gave 100%.”
— Jim Kwik, brain coach
Who knows, your 100% tomorrow might turn out to be 200%. 🙌