three quotes to help you show up and trust the process

—use them when you're ready

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I was so unhappy in my corporate job that I got physically ill before realising I had taken on a mental disease.

In December last year, I did something I never thought I'd have the courage to do—I quit the traditional path that society, my parents, and peers set out for me. The path I convinced myself I'd enjoy. The path I forced myself to try to enjoy just because everyone else was walking it without moaning.

It was a nightmare—and each day I lived and accepted I was just a passenger in my own car, crawling through the weekdays just to feel alive on the weekend.

So, I decided to change everything.

Four months ago, I started working for myself.

I doubt I'll ever go back to an office job.

Am I earning loads of money? No.

Am I certain about next month's income? No.

But I've never felt more at peace with life.

I've discovered the only thing I can control are my inputs—how hard I work, what actions I take, and how I show up each day. I can't control whether I'll be rewarded for my effort. This is not up to me—and I've learned to leave this part to the universe.

I'm enjoying the freedom to be where I want and do what I want.

And for the first time, I've taken full responsibility for my life.

When you work for yourself, you can't hide from this responsibility. Your success depends entirely on showing up, letting go of outcomes, and trusting the process.

Today, I'm sharing three powerful quotes that have guided me through this transformation and can help you take the leap you've been thinking about.

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase" — Martin Luther King

Everyone wants to see the whole staircase before they take the first step.

You're not going to climb a staircase if you don't know it's going to take you safely to a landing platform on the next level.

Maybe you've seen those staircases that you climb and there is no platform at the top. When I was in Malaysia I saw one of these. There was a huge crowd. Nobody was climbing. Most people are scared to climb them because they think they'll fall off at the top. I'm sure if there was a small platform with barriers around it—more people would have climbed it.

We like to know where we are going and what we will get before we take a first step. But most things in life you just don't know—and you never will. But this should never stop you from climbing the staircase.

You can't always be in control of everything.

Here's how it works.

1. The more you want to control outcomes, the more your happiness is tied to these outcomes.

2. The more your happiness is tied to these outcomes, the more dependent you become on achieving these outcomes.

3. The more dependent you become on achieving these outcomes, the unhappier you become when the world doesn't give you what you think you deserve.

4. The unhappier you become when the world doesn't give you what you think you deserve, the more likely you are to throw in the towel and give up.

I've taken the first step because it's all I can do right now.

I have no idea what's at the top of my staircase.

I just show up each day, take one more step forward, and let the universe decide what I'm going to get for my effort.

And if it's nothing? Good. I will try again in a different way—it's my only option if I don't want to be homeless.

It feels good—and I don't feel under pressure to achieve anything because the universe will decide for me.

I'm confident I will be rewarded at some point for my effort.

• You can only control how you act.

• You can move your body forward if you want.

• The rest isn't up to you.

The staircase without an end might be scary to climb—but the more steps forward you take, the more comfortable you become climbing higher without seeing a destination.

You will find what you want if you just continue climbing and never stop.

“Do your work. Then step back. The only path to serenity.” — Lao Tzu

The last four months are the first time in four years I haven't been earning a stable income—no money wired to me at the end of the month.

I am back at square one now.

Weirdly, I feel so comfortable in the current uncertainty of my life.

I know this wouldn't be the case if I was just sitting back, doing nothing, and expecting success, money, and clients to fall out of the sky and into my lap. Now, I know I'd be panicking if I was being lazy about my life. I would be fully aware that the reason I'm not where I want to be is completely down to me.

Uncertainty feels good when you show up for yourself.

Control your inputs, show up where it matters, and then sit back.

It's reassuring to know you did all you could to get the outcome you wanted. When you show up for yourself in the best way possible, you don't feel on edge. Your mind rests. Your body relaxes. You feel good about yourself.

You enter a state of serenity because you've done your part.

In life, this is all you can do—your best.

It doesn't need to be every day, but it should be most of the time.

Expect nothing more of yourself.

And how do you know you've done your best?

You know you've done your best if you can end the day and honestly say "I could have done nothing more today", without lying to yourself. You sleep much easier at night knowing you are in control of the inputs. Then, the rest isn't up to you. There is nothing more you can do.

Showing up for yourself when your life is so uncertain makes you untroubled because you are trying your best—and this is all you can do.

“The universe buries strange jewels deep within us all, and then stands back to see if we can find them.”— Elizabeth Gilbert

It's tragic so many people live their entire lives standing on buried treasure without ever digging deep enough to find it.

You only scratch the surface of what you're capable of achieving because nobody has ever told you it's you're capable of far more than you are allowing yourself to experience right now in life.

But let me tell you a few things:

• You are allowed to want more.

• You don't have to settle for the things you have now.

• Just because your life is better than most people's, doesn't mean you can't want to reach another level of success or happiness.

The universe gives us all a chance at success.

Not everyone gets the same starting line—some of us start much further ahead (like me). But you can always elevate and reach a higher level if you're willing to show up for yourself and do your best.

You won't be rewarded when you feel you should be.

But if you continue digging, you will eventually find your jewel.

Some people dig slower or stop altogether because they're too bust looking across at all their neighbours who spent just 10 minutes digging until they found their jewel. Meanwhile, you've been there for 7 years and still haven't found anything.

You give up because you're too busy comparing your effort to someone else's. I did this way too much—and it drained me, made me feel sorry for myself, and destroyed my self-confidence. Don't do it.

If you don't get something as quickly as you expect, you blame it on a skill deficit.

But that's what controlling the inputs is all about.

If you're not good at something—and you want to get good at it or want the outcome you're seeking, you must continue digging—and you are probably going to have to work harder than most people.

You can never fail if you continue to dig.

You only fail if you tie your effort to an expected outcome.

And then as soon as you don't get the outcome you want because you're too impatient, you give up.

If you want something, don't stop digging—it's not an option.

The power of letting go

When you combine these three philosophies, you create a virtuous cycle that will propel you into a new life:

1. Show up with your best effort every day

2. Let go of your attachment to outcomes

3. Trust that the universe will reward your persistence

4. Gain confidence to show up even stronger tomorrow.

It's not blind optimism or wishful thinking. Maybe it's delusional—but you need to be sometimes. I'm reminding myself of these three quotes because they help me navigate uncertainty while maintaining my sanity and purpose.

Show up for yourself as much as you can.

Let go of any expectations of what you think you deserve.

Trust the universe will reward you at some point in the future.

You will be amazed at how far this mindset takes you.

I hope this was good to know.

Talk soon,

Stefano

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