I want to talk to the person who’s frustrated right now because they’re coming back from an injury, an illness, or just a season where life forced them to slow down.

I know how tempting it is to want everything back immediately. You wake up feeling a little better and your first thought is, “Maybe I can jump right back into where I left off.” Trust me, I understand that feeling. I’ve had it more times than I can count.

But here’s something I hope you’ll remember.

You don’t have to rush your comeback.

Somewhere along the way we’ve convinced ourselves that taking it easy is weakness. That if we aren’t pushing as hard as we can, we’re falling behind everyone else. But healing doesn’t work that way. Your body isn’t asking you to prove how tough you are. It’s asking for a little patience.

One thing I’ve learned through running is that fitness isn’t nearly as fragile as we think it is. A few days off or even a couple of weeks don’t erase months or years of hard work. The same is true for so many passions in life. Your abilities don’t disappear overnight. They’re still there. Sometimes they just need a little time to wake back up.

The hardest part isn’t usually physical. It’s mental.

We start questioning ourselves. We wonder if we’ll ever feel the same again. We compare ourselves to where we were before everything happened. That’s when frustration starts taking over.

Instead, I want you to compare yourself to yesterday.

Can you take one more comfortable step than you did before? Can you move with a little more confidence? Can you finish today feeling like you still have something left in the tank?

If the answer is yes, then you’re making progress.

Healing isn’t supposed to be dramatic. Most of the time it’s quiet. It’s made up of ordinary days that don’t seem very exciting until one day you look back and realize how far you’ve come.

I’ve also learned that trust takes time to rebuild. After you’ve been injured or sick, it’s normal to wonder if your body is going to let you down again. But trust doesn’t come from one big workout or one perfect day. It comes from hundreds of small moments where you show up, listen to your body, and let confidence grow naturally.

So if today is an easy day, let it be easy.

If today is a walking day instead of a running day, that’s okay too.

You’re not failing.

You’re not losing everything you’ve worked so hard to build.

You’re simply giving your body the opportunity to become strong again.

Remember, this isn’t just about getting back. It’s about staying back.

Be patient with yourself. Your comeback doesn’t need to be fast.

It just needs to last.

Episode Summary – “Who Told You That You Needed Permission?”

In this episode of Still Becoming, I explore a question that has been quietly shaping so many of our lives: Who told us we needed permission to believe in ourselves? Somewhere along the way, many of us learned that confidence wasn’t something we could simply have. Instead, we began believing it had to be earned through accomplishments, perfection, or the approval of others. We wait until we’ve proven enough before allowing ourselves to dream bigger, speak confidently, or believe we’re capable of something extraordinary.

I share how this has shown up in my own marathon journey. As I continue training toward ambitious goals, there are moments when I genuinely believe I can achieve something I’ve never done before. But almost immediately, another voice appears telling me not to get ahead of myself, not to be arrogant, and not to believe that someone like me deserves a dream that big. I’ve realized those thoughts aren’t based on my physical ability—they’re based on a story I’ve carried for years.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that confidence and arrogance are not the same thing. Arrogance says you’re better than everyone else. Confidence simply says you believe you’re capable of becoming the person you’re working so hard to be. Too often, we shrink ourselves because we’re afraid of how others might perceive our ambition. We apologize for our dreams before we’ve even given ourselves a chance to pursue them.

The truth is that many of us aren’t actually waiting for permission from other people anymore—we’re waiting for permission from ourselves. We tell ourselves we’ll finally believe once we lose weight, gain experience, run faster, make more money, or reach some imaginary milestone. But every time we reach one goal, our minds simply move the finish line again. The confidence we were hoping would arrive never does because certainty was never the missing piece.

Running has reminded me that confidence cannot depend on the last workout, the last race, or someone else’s opinion. Some days I feel unstoppable, and other days doubt tries to convince me I don’t belong. The circumstances haven’t changed—only the story I’m telling myself has. Real confidence isn’t something we feel every day. It’s a decision we continue making, even when fear is loud.

I close the episode by inviting listeners to ask themselves one simple question: Who are you waiting on? Maybe the permission you’ve been searching for has been in your hands all along. You don’t need to wait until you’re fearless or perfect before believing in yourself. Believe before you’re certain. Keep showing up before you have all the answers. You’re still becoming, and that’s exactly why you deserve to keep moving forward.

In this episode of Still Becoming, I explore a feeling I have struggled to put into words: I feel confidence growing inside me, but I am not always sure I am allowed to have it.

The confidence is there. I feel it when I complete a difficult workout, when I reflect on everything I have overcome, when I write something meaningful, or when I imagine what I may still be capable of accomplishing. There are moments when I truly believe in myself and feel proud of the person I am becoming.

But almost immediately, another voice appears.

That voice questions whether I have earned the right to feel confident. It warns me not to get ahead of myself. It reminds me of past failures, difficult races, unfinished workouts, and people who may be more accomplished than I am. It makes me worry that confidence will sound like arrogance or that believing in myself will make failure more painful.

I have realized that this is not simply a lack of confidence. It is a struggle with permission.

Somewhere along the way, many of us learned that being proud was dangerous. We may have been taught not to brag, not to take up too much space, or not to celebrate ourselves too openly. Maybe we were criticized when we became excited or reminded of everything that could go wrong. Over time, confidence stopped feeling safe.

Because of that, we often soften our pride with disclaimers. We say we are proud, but immediately explain why the accomplishment was not that impressive. We acknowledge that we are talented, but quickly point out how far we still have to go. We shrink ourselves before anyone else gets the chance.

This shows up strongly in my running. I can recognize my discipline, experience, resilience, and potential, yet still believe I need a future result before I am allowed to trust myself. But confidence is not certainty. It does not mean I know I will succeed, never struggle, or always perform well. Confidence means I trust myself enough to move forward without knowing exactly what will happen.

Real confidence is not believing that I will never fall. It is knowing that falling will not erase me.

A bad race does not erase my ability. A difficult workout does not erase my progress. Someone else’s success does not reduce my value. Fear, disappointment, aging, or failure do not take away everything I have built.

Confidence and humility can exist together. Arrogance needs to feel superior, while confidence simply recognizes personal worth. Real confidence can be quiet. It can mean showing up again, accepting a compliment, sharing something without insulting it first, or believing you belong before the world officially approves of you.

I am still learning how to hold confidence without apologizing for it. I am learning that I can be afraid and still believe in myself. I can remain humble without becoming small. I can pursue something extraordinary without feeling ashamed of wanting it.

I do not need permission from my past, from strangers, or from a future result.

I am allowed to believe in myself.

And so are you.