The Small Decisions That Quietly Shape Your Future!

[00:00:00] Have you ever planted something and then checked on it way too soon? Maybe the next day with your children. They're so excited. They want to see if it's growing yet. Or maybe just a few days later. Or perhaps a week later. And almost as if staring at it long enough might somehow make it grow faster.

[00:00:27] I think we do something like this with life. We start a new habit. We begin working on a relationship. We start showing up differently. We're praying for something. We make new decisions to grow. We start going to the gym, taking care of our body. And not too long afterward, we find ourselves looking and wondering,

[00:00:55] Is anything actually changing? Because from where we're standing, everything still looks the same. The challenges are still there. Responsibilities. They're still there. The work is still there. And sometimes the result we're hoping for seem nowhere in sight. But what? What if?

[00:01:26] What if the most important growth in life happens beneath the surface first? Think about it. What if roots are forming before fruit appears? That's the way it happens, isn't it? What if strength is being built before results become visible?

[00:01:51] Because with the more experience in life? Because with the more experience in life that I gain, that I'm blessed with, the more I realize that many of the things people want most, for example, strong marriages, strong families, strong faith, strong character, they are usually built very quietly.

[00:02:16] Or nobody notices. Or nobody notices. One small decision at a time. One tiny decision at a time. One step at a time. Hey, one step at a time. And perhaps that's good news because it means your future isn't waiting for one extraordinary moment. It's being shaped by the ordinary moments you're living right now.

[00:02:46] So settle in. Grab your person that you want to cuddle with today. Grab a healthy snack. And settle in. Come settle in for a moment. Because I think this conversation may encourage someone who feels like they've been doing the right things without seeing results yet.

[00:03:09] Ooh, that's better, right babe? She founded an architectural concrete company. He founded a hundred million dollar clothing company. She took the world by storm as a social media star. He took the world by storm as a famous serial entrepreneur. Together we started a business.

[00:03:38] And had babies. Now we're figuring out the best ways to do both. Join us as we learn from other entrepreneurs going through the same life struggles. As they share their life hacks about success, love, kids. And everything in between. Hello, my friend. And welcome back to Becoming Unshakeable. The Legacy Conversations bonus series. A special edition brought to you by the Entrepreneur Parents Podcast.

[00:04:06] A community of strong families building unshakable legacies. I'm your host, Ildiko Ferenci. And today I want to have a conversation about something that I think discourages a lot of people. It's that space between effort and results.

[00:04:30] Where it could be looked at as a space of planting and harvesting. Or faithfulness and visible results. Believing in it. Believing in it. And then finally, the prayers are coming true. They're coming. They're visible.

[00:04:54] And there's also the space between becoming and finally seeing what God was building all along. I think that's the beautiful space, isn't it? Because that's where people, that's where they get tired. It's where people start questioning themselves.

[00:05:23] It's where people wonder if all of their effort, is it actually making a difference? That's the question. That's a question many of us have asked. And if you've ever felt that way, I want you to know you're not alone. Because I know we felt it.

[00:05:47] One of the things that we notice about people, including myself, is that we love proof. We love proof. We love seeing the progress. We love knowing our effort is paying off. Your investment is paying off. The hard work is paying off. You want to see it. You want that proof. And honestly, there's nothing wrong with that.

[00:06:15] The challenge is that some of the most valuable things in life don't grow where we can immediately see them. Think about the things that matter most. Trust. Especially after it's been broken. It's going to take a while. Character. Wisdom. Faith. A strong marriage. A close relationship with your babies.

[00:06:43] None of those things happen overnight. None of them happen overnight. In fact, most of them grow so slow that while they're happening, you barely notice. That's what makes growth so frustrating sometimes. Because while we're looking for fruit, God may be growing roots.

[00:07:10] And roots don't get much attention. But they're the reason everything else survives. The roots. The roots. Because of the roots, that's what produces the beautiful fruit. The beautiful flowers. I was thinking about this recently.

[00:07:34] No parent wakes up early one morning and suddenly has a deep relationship with their child. That relationship is built over years in the infant stages. It is now proven the most important years to build a close relationship with your children

[00:08:02] is in the infant stages, right? Zero to ten. Those are powerful years. Give or take a little. Bedtime conversations. Car rides. Meals together. Showing up. Listening. Apologizing when necessary. Not sweeping it under the rug. Not pretending we're perfect.

[00:08:27] Because I'm telling you, when they are older, they will remember those moments. They will remember the moments that they felt hurt and we didn't apologize. Or the moment you hurt someone they loved deeply and didn't apologize. Another thing that is so important is being present. Actually being present. Not, I'm here.

[00:08:56] Being present. That means not doing anything else, but being with them. You can include them in the things that you're doing, right? But it's not simply going through motions. That's not connection. That's not being present. And the same is true for marriage.

[00:09:22] A strong marriage isn't usually built in one extraordinary moment. I could feel people yelling amen out there. Yes, yes. It's not. It's not one moment. It's built in thousands, millions of ordinary moments. The check-in. The encouragement. The forgiveness. The apology.

[00:09:51] The decision to stay connected when life gets busy. To include the person you love in building. In learning. It's great. In the gym. I'm going to go work out on my body. See you later. I'm going to go work. I'm going to go get knowledge. I'm going to go work on my faith. See you later. Especially as the head of the house.

[00:10:18] We have a big responsibility. Gentlemen. It's nothing to be ashamed of. Because there's a lot of influences pulling you away. Sometimes it's family. Out like. I'm not talking about your holy covenant. Sometimes it's outside family. Sometimes it's outside friends. Sometimes it's coworkers.

[00:10:47] And what's interesting is that while those moments may seem small at the time. Right? Those important moments where you choose to stay connected. Where you choose to do all the things that we listed. That we talked about. They're quietly building the most significant thing. For what matters the most.

[00:11:18] And I wanted to. I want. What I wanted to add. Was that. Never feel. Don't. Don't feel ashamed. This isn't shaming anyone. It's never too late to change if we start today. We say this all the time. It's never too late to change if you start today. Maybe you. You're doing things wrong. You're not going in the right direction. You're walking backwards. It's okay to turn around and start walking forward. You know where you need to improve.

[00:11:47] You know it. Especially if you pray. You know where you need to improve. Don't try to deny it. Don't try. Let's not try to pretend that we're perfect. Because we're not. We're not. Right. And the beautiful part is exactly that. That it's never too late to change. So when we're putting in those steps. And we're really making an effort.

[00:12:17] With raising our little ones. Building our marriage. That thing that's so significant. I think this is. This is especially true inside families. Because legacy isn't usually built in the moments everyone remembers. It's built in moments that seem completely ordinary.

[00:12:44] It's built on a Tuesday night. When you're tired. But choose to stay present anyway. How about. It's built when you put your phone down. And look someone in the eyes. And listen. It's when you listen instead of reacting. It's built when you keep your word. It's built when you apologize.

[00:13:13] When you choose connection. Instead of moments of convenience. Nobody. Nobody takes a picture of those moments do they? Nobody posts those moments online. And yet those moments. They are the ones that quietly become the foundation of trust.

[00:13:42] And the foundation of the dream relationship. That you're building. Gosh. What are we doing here? Right? We're building a legacy. It's a foundation of legacy. Because long before people see the fruit. Roots are being formed beneath the surface. You're making the investments. Right? You're filling the bank account slowly but surely. Hmm.

[00:14:15] Hmm. Have you ever looked back at a season of your life and realized the things that changed you most didn't feel significant at the time? Right? They felt ordinary. Maybe it was a prayer you kept praying. I've been there. I could say I've been there.

[00:14:42] It could be a conversation you finally decided to have. Or perhaps it was showing up day after day when nobody would have blamed you for walking away. It could even be in those moments when you decided. Because you have to decide.

[00:15:09] You decided to choose patience when you wanted to. When you wanted the. I wanted to say when you wanted to see the quick results. Right? You chose patience instead of wanting to see those quick results. At the time, those moments, they didn't, they don't feel, it doesn't really feel like it's life changing.

[00:15:39] It doesn't. Not in the moment. But when, how about this? When life plays out a little and you're looking back, those, it changed everything. Because that's how growth works. It's not going to be that one giant moment. That one giant thing that you do. It's not.

[00:16:08] It's through the ordinary moments, repeated faithfully. Thinking back. Well, I remember when we first launched the Entrepreneur Parent Podcast. People see what it has become today. But they didn't see the beginning. They didn't see the learning curve. But we're still learning. But they didn't see the uncertainty.

[00:16:40] They didn't see the late nights. They didn't see the moment where it felt like we were pouring our hearts into something without knowing what would happen. And there were times it felt like very little was changing. I know you guys could relate to this in business.

[00:17:10] When you're building something. Feels like very little is changing. It's like, it's like if you stop, nobody would notice. But looking back now, I realize so much was happening beneath the surface. We were learning. We were growing. We were becoming. Building relationships. Building trust. Building consistency. Consistency.

[00:17:42] Even when one of us couldn't show up, the other was there. Right? Consistency. The roots were growing long before the fruit appeared. And I think that's true for so many areas of life, isn't it?

[00:18:03] Sometimes what feels like a season of little progress is actually a season of deep preparation. What I love when we read Galatians chapter 6 verse 9. Let us not become weary in doing good.

[00:18:30] For at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Isn't that good? That is good. Wouldn't you pay for that advice for someone to tell you that? Guess what? It's in the book. So you don't have to. It's free advice. It's there. Just read it. It doesn't say the harvest comes immediately.

[00:18:59] It says there is a proper time. A season. A process. And I believe that's something many people need to hear. Because sometimes many... Listen. God is working in places we cannot see yet. We can't see it.

[00:19:26] Sometimes we can't even understand it. Sometimes roots are growing. Those roots are growing beneath the surface. Preparation is happening before the promotion. The chapter is being built before the opportunity arrives.

[00:19:56] Sometimes doors are being closed that you wanted so desperately to open. And then something else amazing. Then you... All of a sudden... The other doors open wide and you see where you were supposed to be the whole time. They were talking about your name. They were talking about your name. Your name was being mentioned in rooms you didn't even... You didn't even know about. Because you were so focused on the ones that were closing.

[00:20:26] Those relationships. God was saving you. He was building roots. And just because you can't see the growth yet, it doesn't mean it's not happening. Know that, friends. And perhaps the aha moment today is stop measuring your progress only by what is visible.

[00:20:58] We could fall into that trap. Some of the most important things happening in your life right now, they may not be visible yet. Your patience is growing. Wisdom is growing. Faith is growing. Resilience is growing. Your beautiful family is growing. You are growing.

[00:21:28] And growth doesn't... It doesn't always announce itself. It happens quietly. One decision at a time. Self-discipline. We talk about this all the time. One day at a time. Maybe you fall back three, but you keep going. You don't give up.

[00:21:54] All those acts of faithfulness at a time. And eventually, what was happening beneath the surface becomes impossible to ignore. Some of you may be frustrated because you can't see the fruit yet. But maybe this season isn't about fruit.

[00:22:25] Perhaps it's about the roots. The strong roots. Perhaps God is building something deeper before he builds something bigger. Maybe he's strengthening your character before expanding your influence. That is so important. You've got to have the right character. Everything happens with time.

[00:22:54] You have to learn the lessons. Right? He's building your foundation before revealing the next chapter. And if that's where you are today, don't mistake hidden growth that you can't see for the absence of growth. Because there's a difference.

[00:23:19] Some of the most important things happening in your life right now, they may still be beneath the surface.

[00:24:00] Yay. Please don't judge anything. Just write it. Just write it honestly. So let's start. Where in my life am I becoming discouraged because I can't see results? Name it. Write it down. Where in my life am I becoming discouraged because I can't yet see the results?

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[00:25:23] Symbiotica's Shilajit is next level wellness. And honestly, you may never go back to drinking coffee. Click the link below down in the bio and get your Shilajit today. What small decisions have I been making consistently that may be creating growth beneath the surface? What do you think that is? Maybe you're not even noticing. Maybe you haven't even noticed.

[00:25:52] Just doing it. What small decisions are those? Maybe you're working on your health. You've become a... You just become a parent. You know, you're being... You want to be around for your children. Not just while they're little, but when they need you as adults. I still need my mom. Right? Maybe it's trying to get healthier. Self-discipline. Going to the gym.

[00:26:23] Eating healthier. Maybe it's cussing less. A lot of people are talking about this right now. We were talking about this years ago. It's why we decided years ago to have a clean podcast. There was nothing for us to listen to. We had babies. And for me, I always needed something in the background playing. I needed to dig into someone with the same mindset.

[00:26:53] With the same beliefs. And there was a lot of people out there. But they were dropping bombs. I couldn't listen to them anymore. Not with the babies. My son might get upset, but... There was some people that he looked up to. I could see his face drop when he'd hear the bombs. He knew...

[00:27:21] He knows that's not from God. Those words are not from God. Jesus would not be saying those words. Would he? And I know... I get it. I get it. The architectural concrete company. I get it. The tougher you are, the meaner you are, the stronger you are. You drop the bombs. Right? Ah. But that stuff is contagious.

[00:27:51] We don't want our little eyes around us listening to that stuff. Especially when we're doing self-development. How to be better. How to work on our faith. And then... Bomb. Bomb. Oh, come on. We may try to sweep it under the rug and pretend it didn't happen. But you look to the left or the right. And you see the jaws dropped open. And the eyes wide open.

[00:28:17] And going, mommy, what did he say? Little babies, toddlers. We want to... We want to enrich our lives. We want to learn. We want our children to learn. Anyway. Back to the questions for the journal. But real quick. Seriously. Let's stop classing. This is...

[00:28:47] This is now... This is now a challenge. Okay? It's going to be hard. But find some eloquent language. Find a different way to show power. Use powerful words. Dig into that. Dig into... Dig into... Bible verses. How did Jesus persuade people? Try to think of it that way. I'm telling you. When my husband cusses, I look him in the eyes and I say, God bless you.

[00:29:17] Would Jesus talk like that? Oh, he gets mad. He gets mad. But, you know, I got little ones. I don't want them to talk like that. I don't want them to talk like that. I don't want them to be hot-headed. I don't want them to lose their temper. Did you guys hear about that? That good man that lost his temper outside of the car? I know there's little ones listening, but it cost him his life.

[00:29:49] Cost him his life. We have to be level-headed. We have to be level-headed and we have to choose the words that we say wisely. Okay, back to the questions. Am I measuring success only by visible outcomes? Ooh. You can still be successful just because it's not showing yet, right?

[00:30:18] Is this something that you do to yourself? Write it down. What areas of my life require more patience right now? I think we all can name at least one thing. What areas of my life require more patience right now? Ooh, I remember. I remember praying for my baby. Just one. Please, God. Just one.

[00:30:48] Please. Please. Please. I always wanted children. And then I got a little angry. Not angry. I don't know if it's, well, frustration. And then I just figured, and the enemy wanted me to believe, ah, it's not for you. Just chase success. Chase money. Chase things that, chase other things. Distract yourself.

[00:31:17] How about distraction? That's, that's a plan of the enemy. Distract you from your purpose. But it was, it was a test. I wasn't ready. I wasn't ready yet. I wasn't ready yet. I had to plant the seeds. I had to, I had to build my roots before I was ready. My mind was in the wrong place. My husband's too. We weren't ready for children yet. And then all of a sudden, surprise, surprise.

[00:31:47] Surprise. And I'm telling you, two years before, after I had already buried the idea, I went to a seminar. My husband has a VIP, what is it called? He did an infomercial for Tony Robbins in the beginning of Tony Robbins' career.

[00:32:11] And that awarded him lifelong, if he wants to go to an event, we could go with the family. And we went to an event and it kind of sparked that, you know, I'm going to put all my trust in God. I wrote a letter to my unborn child and I started praying again.

[00:32:32] It ignited that, that relationship with God to be open and to, to, to keep, to keep trying to be faithful. And all of a sudden surprise, just a couple of years later, it was funny because I was looking at an image.

[00:32:57] I was looking at an image of us standing with Tony Robbins and those things are long and you got to do crazy things. You got to yell and jump. And it was exhausting. I was looking at this sweaty picture of us standing with Tony Robbins and it was my son's birthday. That's what the, the image said when he sent it to us. It was on, it was on my son's birthday. What? What?

[00:33:27] What? What? Years later, just this year, I looked at the, the date stamp. I was like, no way. God, you are so awesome. You are so funny. You are so funny. You're so great. You're so amazing. He's so beautiful. He's so powerful. And he also has a, a sense of, of humor. Like he wants you to just see, see, I did that.

[00:33:55] Remember when you promised I had, I had to wait for the right time. Okay. Okay. Okay. Back to the question. We only have one more. What would change if I trusted the process a little more? What would change if I trusted the process a little more? Would you work harder? Would you put more into building your roots?

[00:34:28] Would you not give up and walk away? Some people do. You heard the story three feet from gold. My children have one episode about it on their podcast. It's so good. Someone on three feet from gold. You know, the story he worked so hard and someone else got it. Someone else, someone else that didn't give up. He was so close.

[00:34:57] He was three feet from gold. Okay. Partners, prayer partners, prayer warriors. Let's come together in prayer. Heavenly father. Thank you for working in places. We cannot always see. Thank you for the growth happening beneath the surface.

[00:35:21] Help us remain faithful when progress feels slow. Help us trust you when the results are delayed. Give us patience during the process. Give us wisdom during the waiting. And remind us that every act of faithfulness matters. All of it. It all matters.

[00:35:49] Help us keep planting good seeds. Good ones. Ones that our children and our spouses can see. Help us keep showing up. Help us keep becoming the people you created us to be. I'm going to repeat that one because I don't want to fumble it.

[00:36:17] Help us keep becoming the people you created us to be. In Jesus name. Amen. Look, friends, if you've been feeling discouraged lately. Don't quit simply because the results haven't arrived yet. I know it's tempting, but that's the enemy. We're fighting a war way bigger than we even understand. Don't assume. Don't assume nothing is happening.

[00:36:46] Don't underestimate what God can do through years of faithful consistency. And sometimes it may happen in the blink of an eye. That's not impossible either. But sometimes it takes years because we need to be fully prepared. Right? If he would have given us that gift years ago, we would have blew it. And it only comes one time.

[00:37:11] You see those people that got the gift early and they blew it because they weren't ready. Listen, some of the strongest families, the strongest marriages, the strongest leaders, the strongest people. They were built during seasons when it looked like very little was happening at all.

[00:37:39] I'm going to tell you, keep showing up. Keep planting. Keep planting. Keep trusting. Keep growing because the roots matter. They're the most important. The future rarely changes in a moment. It changes through the small decisions we make when nobody's watching. Remember who you are when nobody's watching.

[00:38:08] That's when the big, those small decisions, that's what matters. Friends, if this episode encouraged you today, share it with someone who may need this reminder.

[00:38:22] And if these conversations have been helping you and growth, healing, strength with your family and to build an unshakable legacy, please leave a kind review and five stars. It helps more families discover these conversations and become a part of this community. And don't forget to listen together as a family to the Entrepreneur Kids Legacy Show.

[00:38:51] Again, they do such a great job. It inspires me. It plants seeds in me. With Daniel and Destiny, they are planting seeds. And they're having conversations with the next generation of strong, faith-filled leaders. And how? How are they planting these seeds?

[00:39:15] Through the conversations about courage, about leadership, character, family, business, and legacy. Leaving something that matters. Leaving something that matters. Something that truly matters for the next generation. And that starts young. We got to plant those seeds when our children are little. We need to also be that example.

[00:39:43] So just every conversation that you surround them with, and they're watching you plant those seeds. They're watching you, your roots grow. So may you have patience for the seeds you are planting today. Trust the growth happening beneath the surface.

[00:40:09] And may your faith remain strong during the seasons when results, when they're not, when you can't even see them yet. They're not even visible. Never underestimate what God can do through a life built. One faithful decision at a time. One step at a time. God bless you. Glory to God always. We love you.

[00:40:36] We're proud of you for showing up, for planting, for growing strong roots, and for continuing to build an unshakable legacy. This is Becoming Unshakable by the Entrepreneur Parent Podcast. We love you. God bless you. Have an incredible day. Build those roots. Strong. Be patient. It's coming.

[00:41:01] Thank you, beautiful friends, for listening to this important message from Mama. Share with someone you love and care about. Oh, and we'd love to personally invite you to listen to our podcast. It's for young future leaders ready to change the world and be a light in the dark. Listen together as a family.

[00:41:27] It's called the Entrepreneur Kids Legacy. God bless you. Good job. And remember, you are the hero of your story.

[00:41:57] Because every legacy begins with a hero. And that hero is you. This podcast is for inspirational and educational purposes only. And it is not intended to replace professional advice, legal advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The views expressed are based on personal experience and faith-based insight and are meant to encourage reflection and growth.

[00:42:27] Always seek the guidance of qualified professionals regarding any questions or concerns you may have about your health, relationships, or business. Thank you. Thank you.