April 13, 2026- The path we carve out

A man is worked upon by what he works on. He may carve out his circumstances, but his circumstances will carve him out as well.

~Frederick Douglass

Our work is formative. Our work will change us. Among the most important choices we will ever make is the work we choose to pour our time and energy into. There are plenty of circumstances outside our control, but so many of our current conditions are a product of yesterday‘s choices. The work we chose to do, the energy we chose to give that work, the attention we devoted to the work we were doing – this formed us into the person we are today.

We are not a river. We do not flow mindlessly through our lives, destined to be pushed away from the hard spots while carving through everything that is soft in our path. If we choose, we can focus our work directly on the hardest stone we can find. We do not have to go directly where gravity and momentum take us. Through perseverance and resilience, we can carve out whatever path we choose. Like that river, the path we carve out will come to define us.

How much of our time and energy are we allowing to be chosen for us? How much are we giving away? How much of our path is being carved out by momentum? Let’s take back every moment of our lives that we can. Let’s choose work that forms us into a better version of ourselves.