Presence over performance

I last week’s blog, I wrote about discipline slipping quietly, especially in the small things that don’t announce themselves immediately.

I want to stay with that idea this week.
But shift the lens slightly with a personal story.

This week, I attended the funeral of someone I had never met.

The father of a close friend.

I was there for him when he needed me.
Nothing in return.
No expectation.
Just presence.

I watched my friend stand up and deliver a eulogy that was honest, composed, and quietly devastating.

I caught his eye and smiled when he needed it.

I hugged him afterwards and kissed him on the cheek.

I told him I was proud of him.

Another friend of ours had travelled four and a half hours by train to be there too.

No posts.
No announcements.
No “busy mate but I’ll catch up with you later”.

Just showing up.

This is what discipline looks like when it actually matters.

Not productivity.
Not performance.

Presence.

Before we go any further, let’s take a moment to debrief together:

Over the past week, or even the past year, where have you meant to show up for someone, but let it slide because something else felt more urgent?

Not because you didn’t care.
But because life made it easy not to be there.

No judgement.
Just signal.

We’re often disciplined with our work, our training, our schedules.

But relationships don’t survive intentions.
They survive action, often.

Showing up when it’s inconvenient.
Prioritising people over tasks.
Keeping the circle small and, most importantly, tight.

This is the kind of discipline that doesn’t get noticed straight away.

But over time, it’s the difference between isolation and connection.

Between knowing people and being known.

If last week was about noticing where standards soften, this week is about where they matter the most.

Your mission this week:

Reach out to one person who matters to you.
Not to ask for anything.
Not to fix anything.
Just to be there.

Then do it again.

Be there.

It matters more than you’ll ever know.

That’s enough for now.
More next Sunday.

Mike
Hold the line. Do the hard things.