Have you ever walked away from something important and thought, “Well… that didn’t go the way I planned.” Maybe it was a presentation. A meeting. A conversation you wish you could redo. You replay it in your mind on the drive home, “Yep, I blew it!” So you start beating yourself up.
You talked too long.
Or you forgot something important.
And you lost your train of thought.
And somewhere in the middle of all that replaying, a quiet voice whispers:
That was “meh!”
I had one of those moments recently.
I was leading a group of men and sharing about purpose. And that’s my wheelhouse! Something that matters deeply to me. But afterward, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had missed the mark. I felt like I had talked too long, forgot some announcements, and drifted off track a bit.
If I’m honest, I walked away feeling pretty discouraged.
Maybe you’ve been there too.
Why We Feel It So Deeply
The interesting thing about moments like this is that the person who feels the weight of those situations the most is usually the one who cares the most. You are passionate about wanting to make a difference and have an impact.
Leaders feel it.
Teachers feel it.
Parents feel it.
Business owners feel it.
Friends feel it.
Anyone who pours their heart into someone or something eventually walks away from an experience thinking, “I could have done that better.”
But over time, I’ve learned something important. People rarely remember the small imperfections we obsess over.
They remember how something made them feel.
They remember the connection.
The encouragement.
The sense that someone cared enough to show up.
Often, what feels like failure to us often looks very different to the people who were there.
What People Actually Remember
What if I asked you, “What teacher from your early years through high school was your favorite teacher?” Your answer wouldn’t have to do with the details they taught you about a certain subject. It would have been a teacher you felt cared.
And sometimes the real lesson in moments like this isn’t about the talk, the meeting, or the presentation. It’s about humility. It reminds us we’re not performing. We’re simply showing up and doing our best with what we have.
I definitely feel this for others, but for some reason, it is harder for me to believe that for myself.
When Discouragement Shows Up
There’s another reality worth remembering that I definitely feel. Discouragement often shows up right after I step out to do something meaningful.
The moment you try to lead…
The moment you try to help someone…
And the moment you step into purpose…
That’s often when the voice of doubt shows up the loudest. But growth rarely happens in perfect moments. It happens in the “meh” moments.
The ones where we reflect, learn, and show up again the next time, we will be a little wiser and a little more grounded.
Give Yourself Some Grace
So if you’ve recently walked away from someone or something thinking,
“Well… that could have gone better.”
You’re not alone.
My wife will tell you I live there too often. She reminds me regularly,
“Quit beating yourself up.”
Take the lesson.
Give yourself some grace.
And keep showing up.
Because purpose isn’t built in perfect moments.
It’s built on faithful ones.
2 Corinthians 12:9
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
The “Stop the Replay” Challenge
This week, when you catch yourself replaying a moment you think you messed up, pause and ask: “What did I learn, and how will I do it differently next time?” Then stop replaying it. No one else is. Replace regret with growth. Jesus has got your back. So be it.
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