“What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

What Lies Inside

“My choice was the culmination of many years of pain!”  Ryan Schwab said with his characteristic, steely gaze.

Sometimes It’s hard to know where internal determination comes from.  And, up to this moment, all I knew was that from the first instant I met Ryan, personal resolve radiated from him.

“I’ve always been an athlete.”  Ryan continued.  “I love playing team and personal sports.  I loved sports so much that I allowed injury to go unhealed.  This became a great problem for me over time!”

I could see the sincerity in Ryan’s eyes as he spoke.  And, he became the personification of what Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.”

“One day, I just knew that I needed to take a hard look inside.”  Ryan explained.  “I had an amazing wife and children. Their faces were there, inside of me, tattooed on my heart.  It was the first time something, someone, was able to supplant the past and move into first position in my life!  I knew I had to let the pain of the past go, to stop allowing it to control my life.  I chose them!  I chose what lies inside of me!”

To say that this one moment was the totality of Ryan’s decision would be to sell his internal strength short; not allow the fullness of his internal strength to shine.  Here’s how he stokes what lies inside, so it continues to grow and give him strength.

First, Ryan schedules personal time with his wife and kids.  For example, they sat down and created a plan to schedule specific adventures with a purpose.  They spend their vacation time in international locations, so their view of the world is continually expanding.

Second, Ryan choses to give back.  He does so by coaching others, one-on-one.  He says, “Others have allowed me to develop internal fortitude and it means a lot to me to do the same thing for people who have faced the same challenges I’ve faced.

Third, Ryan keeps his eyes focused on the inside.  “I learned early on that there is never just one decision point!  So, it is essential for me to spend a few moments at the beginning of every day to dig deep.  To remind myself that the strength to have a future with my wife and children is already within me!”

Finally, Ryan practices shielding.  “I don’t allow what people, those living on my outside, to alter who I am on the inside.  I know who is in my heart!”

That statement was our conversation’s capstone, Ryan’s life defining statement, the demonstration of his deep-dive-understanding that true power lies within.

“My choice was the culmination of many years of pain!”  Ryan Schwab said with his characteristic, steely gaze.

Sometimes It’s hard to know where internal determination comes from.  And, up to this moment, all I knew was that from the first instant I met Ryan, personal resolve radiated from him.  

Now, Ryan has taught you and me that we too can know that, what lies behind us and what lies in front of us, pales in comparison to what lies inside of us.