The Next Right Mile

This weekend reminded me that life is meant to be lived from the inside of the moment, not rushed through or managed from a distance, but experienced as it’s actually unfolding.

I flew to Santa Barbara to visit my daughter and watched her compete in her first ever college track meet at Westmont College, a Division II program. It was a 70 degree Saturday afternoon. Blue sky. Calm air. One of those days that feels generous just to be in, the kind that invites you to slow down without asking.

She ran the 3000 meter race. There was no spectacle and no buildup. Just a start line, a steady rhythm, and a group of runners ready to see what the day would bring. The simplicity of it was part of what made it meaningful. Nothing extra. Just presence, effort, and the willingness to step in.

What made the moment even more meaningful was knowing this was not the path she had been on for years. Aspen was a competitive dancer throughout high school, not a distance runner. Running entered her life gradually. We ran the Chicago Marathon together a couple years ago. We shared a few Austin half marathons along the way. Last fall, she was invited to join the Division II Westmont College cross country team. This spring, she was invited to run track. Each step unfolded naturally, one invitation at a time, without force or pressure.

I stood there as her dad, fully present. Watching her warm up. Watching her settle in. Watching her step into something new with quiet confidence. There was nothing to fix or manage. Just the simple privilege of being there to witness it.

There was something deeply grounding about the experience. The simplicity. The effort. The honesty of it. A 3000 meter race invites you to stay with yourself, to find your rhythm, and to keep moving forward one step at a time. It doesn’t ask you to rush. It asks you to remain engaged.

What stayed with me had nothing to do with time or placement. It was the way she showed up. Calm. Committed. Open to the experience. She wasn’t chasing a result. She was meeting the moment exactly as it was, and that was enough.

It reminded me that living fully often looks simpler than we expect. It looks like showing up with intention. Like engaging with what matters without needing everything to be perfect. Like choosing presence and letting the experience unfold instead of trying to control it.

There is a pace to life that creates clarity instead of pressure. A pace that allows you to notice what matters and respond to it. A way of moving through the world that leaves room for growth rather than filling every space with urgency.

Watching her run, I felt a renewed appreciation for how clarity often follows action. We don’t need the entire season mapped out to take the next step. We only need to be willing to participate fully in what’s in front of us, trusting that the path reveals itself as we move.

She didn’t need answers for everything ahead. She only needed to step onto the line and run the race she was in. That felt like a lesson worth holding onto.

So much of what we want becomes available when we choose engagement over hesitation, when we stay present instead of postponing, and when we trust that showing up is enough to move things forward.

People connect to effort. To sincerity. To someone who is willing to be in motion and learn along the way. That kind of presence carries its own quiet strength.

I don’t have this all figured out, and I don’t need to. What I know is this. Life responds when we stay awake to the moment. Clarity builds through intentional action. Meaning grows when we honor the days as they unfold.

Standing there in Santa Barbara, watching my daughter run on a perfect Saturday afternoon, I felt grateful. Not just for the race, but for the reminder. These moments are the point.

So here’s the question I’m carrying forward. Where in your life are you ready to show up fully and engage with what’s already here?

You don’t need certainty. You don’t need a complete plan. You only need one intentional step that reflects the life you want to be living.

And if you’re noticing a desire for more clarity, steadiness, or intention in your own life, you’re invited to schedule a consultative coaching conversation. A space to slow the pace, get clear, and take the next right mile.

Life is for the living. And sometimes, it offers that reminder on a 70 degree afternoon, right when you’re ready to receive it.

Clarity doesn’t require rushing. It requires engagement.

If you’d like to talk through what your next mile is, you’re welcome to schedule a conversation with me.