Hi ,

I really want you to read this slowly.

One thing I’ve come to understand over time is this: you don’t become a leader the day people start calling you one. You become a leader the moment you start seeing yourself as one.

Until you begin to think like a king, move like a king, and carry yourself like a king, you will never truly lead. And here’s the part many people miss, you don’t have to be an influencer, have a large following, or sit at the front of a room to be leading people.

You are already influencing someone.

I carry this consciousness in my own life. I’m always aware that there are people watching me, listening to me, picking things from how I live, how I speak, how I react, how I move. Whether or not it’s true in a visible way, I choose to believe it. Because when you live with that awareness, you move differently.

Leadership comes with a silent sacrifice.

You don’t just act based on feelings. You don’t say, “I feel like doing this” or “I feel like responding this way.” You start asking deeper questions: What does this represent? What message does this send? If someone copies this behaviour, where will it lead them?

And this doesn’t only apply to people who lead others. It applies to self-leaders too. Every person should be a self-leader. Even if you don’t command a team or run an organisation, you are still responsible for the direction of your own life. That alone makes you a leader.

What worries me about our generation is the type of examples that are growing louder. Everywhere you look, people are glorifying excess, exposing everything, flaunting money, celebrating shortcuts. And the younger ones are watching. They’re learning. They’re forming beliefs about what “success” looks like.

Somewhere, a young boy is thinking school doesn’t matter because he sees people make money without structure. Somewhere, a young girl is learning that her body is her biggest asset because that’s what gets applause online. And it’s not entirely their fault. It’s the examples they keep seeing.

That’s why your life matters more than you think.

You may not control how people interpret things, but you can control what you put out there. The way you dress, the way you speak to people, the way you respond to pressure, the values you carry, the discipline you show, the respect you give, all of it is sending a message.

So start asking yourself:  

If someone was building their life based on the way I live mine, would they be better off?

That question alone can reshape the way you move.

You were made for more. And part of that “more” is influence even when you don’t see it, even when you don’t feel ready.

So today, don’t just try to be successful. Try to be an example.

Have a great week ahead.

Your Fave,

Darasimi.