In Part 1, we talked about being willing to experiment. Today, we’re building on that as we talk about being willing to work really hard. Now, I know this doesn't sound fun, right? Like, who needs more to do? But I want to reframe that for you, because hard work, believe it or not, actually has more unbelievable benefits than you could ever imagine. So many people come up to me at book signings, out in public, or even in coaching calls, and they say, “Christy, I want to do what you do. I want to be a speaker.” I always respond by asking, “What do you want to say? Who have you spoken to? Who have you talked to? Have you spoken for your local church? Have you spoken for a local community group, or even just a book club or ministry?” They say, “No, no, no. I want to speak on big stages. I want to be a professional speaker.” I'm like, “I hear you, but that's where you start. You start by being faithful in the small things. You start by working hard when no one's watching. You start with the humility of someone who’s willing to do the hard work in the beginning for the payoff later on.” What areas of your life do you need to work really hard in because you're in a season of just getting started? If you've got this idea in your head about a life that you want to lead, it's going to take hard work. But we can't just coast through life and expect to wake up one day with an amazing marathon time, amazing business, amazing career, amazing marriage, amazing kids or amazing friendships. It takes hard work. It takes being willing to be faithful in the things that don't seem like they matter—those small, insignificant things, and those things that are too unimpressive to post about on Facebook. It’s about just showing up and being faithful in the small things that no one ever sees. It's that hard work that not only creates the result you want, but also creates the person in you that you want to be. [share]The results that you want to achieve and the person you want to become will happen when you put in the hard work.[/share] I'm a different person today, not because of the big stage, but because of who I became when no one was watching. It was speaking at Kentucky county libraries on a Friday night for three people, or family reunions, or high school reunions, or the events where it was seated for 5,000 and three people showed up. The results that you want to achieve and the person you want to become will happen when you put in the hard work. It happens in the small things and in the day-to-day grind. It happens when you're showing patience to your kids when you don't want to because they're driving you insane. It happens when you want to snap at your spouse, and you want to be short with them and be hateful, but instead respond with kindness. It happens when you give your time and energy. It happens when you in everything you do, even if no one ever knows it's you. It’s what happens when you show up with excellence, even when you don't get credit. That hard work is what leads to the results you want in a life that's true to you, where you become the person that you want to be in that life. I promise you this: If you want to live a life that's true to you, and if you want to lean into the life God has for you, it's going to take hard work. Journal Questions: What hard work do you need to do right now? What hard work have you been putting off? What hard work is staying between you and the life God has for you? Write that down and then join us for part three of this series: 5 Ways to Be True to You.