“The only limit to your next level is the version of you that believes you cannot reach it.”

This week challenged every version of what I thought my limits were.

By every reasonable standard, slowing down would have made sense.

Yet somehow, I kept going.

Instead of heading into a restful weekend, I wrapped up the week with not one, but two Hyrox races.

To be very clear, I would not necessarily recommend back-to-back races. However, the experience reminded me of something important.

Many of the limits we believe in are far more mental than they are real.

Before we reach a physical limit, we often encounter a psychological one first. There is usually a moment where the mind begins to question whether we can continue, whether we still have capacity left, and whether the next level is truly possible.

Rest is important. Wisdom is important. Boundaries are important. At the same time, I think many of us underestimate ourselves far too quickly.

We assume we have reached our ceiling when in reality we may have only reached discomfort.

That realization stayed with me throughout the week.

Not every limitation is real. Some are inherited fears. Some are shaped by past experiences. Others are self-imposed ceilings we have unconsciously accepted over time.

Growth sometimes requires challenging the story you have been telling yourself about what you can handle, what you can achieve, and who you can become.

Once your mind expands, it becomes difficult to shrink back into old thinking.

This does not mean we ignore rest or push ourselves endlessly. It means we learn to distinguish between true limitation and temporary discomfort.

There is a difference between the two.

One protects you.

The other tries to stop you from growing.

Learning that distinction is powerful.

This week reminded me that there is often more in us than we initially believe. There is more capacity, more resilience, and more ability to adapt and rise to the moment.

Sometimes the next level is not waiting for a different version of you.

It is waiting for the current version of you to stop agreeing with limitation.

Thank you for reading this week’s letter. Remember that some limits are real, but many are simply illusions waiting to be challenged.

See you next week.

Cheers,

Derby Chukwudi

This week, I have been thinking about maybes. The things we are holding on to. The decisions we have not fully made. The answers we are still waiting for.

Maybes can feel harmless at first. They give us room, buy us time, and keep options open. Over time, maybes can become heavy because a maybe is not neutral.

It is a space between clarity and confusion. A place where movement slows and uncertainty lingers. The truth is, many of us are carrying more maybes than we realize.

Maybe this opportunity will work out. Maybe this relationship will become something more. Maybe this path will make sense eventually.

At the same time, it is worth asking a different kind of question.

Are we the ones giving someone else a maybe?

Keeping people in spaces without clarity. Leaving things open without direction. Hoping that time will somehow provide answers we are not ready to give. Because while hope can be powerful, hope without direction can also be misleading.

And there is a cost to that.

Research in behavioral psychology shows that people experience more stress from uncertainty than from known negative outcomes. In other words, not knowing where you stand can feel heavier than knowing the answer is no.

That is the weight of maybe.

It drains energy.

It creates quiet confusion.

It delays forward movement.

Not because the outcome is bad, but because the outcome is undefined, and sometimes what is keeping us in place is not the lack of direction.

It is our tendency to stay in maybe but here is where it becomes even more real.

Sometimes we call it “waiting on God” and sometimes, it truly is.

But other times, it is hesitation dressed up as faith as waiting on God is not passive.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” - Proverbs 3:5–6

Waiting means you are seeking, aligning, and preparing. It does not mean you are avoiding. And clarity does not always mean having the full picture.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” - Psalm 119:105

A lamp does not show you everything. It shows you the next step. Which means the balance is not between waiting and clarity.

The balance is learning to move with what you know, and trust God with what you don’t. Because often, God is not asking for perfect understanding.

He is asking for obedience in the next step.

So this week is less about forcing decisions, and more about building awareness.

Where in your life are you holding on to maybes?

Where are you waiting for clarity that may actually require a step of faith?

Where might you be unintentionally keeping someone else in uncertainty?

Clarity, in whatever form it comes, creates movement.

A yes creates direction.

A no creates release.

But a maybe often creates a pause.

While pause has its place, staying there too long can quietly hold you back.

As we move through May, I am thinking about this differently; not as pressure to decide everything, but as an invitation to notice.

To notice where clarity is needed.

To notice where movement is possible.

To notice where faith may require action.

Because sometimes what looks like waiting is actually an invitation to move.

Thank you for reading this week’s letter. Remember that sometimes what is keeping you behind is not confusion, but the comfort of staying in maybe.

See you next week.

Hello friends,

In a world that is changing rapidly, one question keeps coming up. How do you stand out?

With the rise of AI, evolving industries, and increasing competition, many people are trying to figure out how to remain relevant and make a meaningful impact.

This week, I kept coming back to a simple answer. Solve problems everywhere you go.

Not just in your job description. Not just when you are asked, but as a way of thinking, a way of operating, and a way of showing up.

Because the people who stand out are not always the loudest in the room or the most visible.

They are the ones who make things better.

Another way to think about solving problems is simply this: Add value.

Wherever you are.

In whatever you are doing.

With whatever you have.

At its core, solving problems is about improving something, making something clearer, easier, faster, or better than it was before.

They see a gap and think about how to fill it. They notice inefficiencies and find ways to improve them. They anticipate needs before they are clearly expressed, and over time, something powerful happens.

People begin to trust them.

They become known as someone who gets things done. Someone who brings clarity. Someone who adds value consistently. And that reputation compounds.

What is important to understand is that being a solution provider does not mean you have to be the expert in every situation.

Sometimes, you are the connector who brings the right people together.

Sometimes, you are the one with foresight who sees what others have not yet considered.

Sometimes, you are the person who asks the right question that shifts the entire conversation.

All of these are forms of adding value.

And in a world where many people point out issues, the ones who move forward are those who choose to engage with solutions.

It also requires a mindset shift from complaining to contributing, from waiting to acting, from observing to engaging because little acts build up.

The small moments where you choose to add value.

The quick solutions you offer.

The intentional effort to improve something, no matter how minor it seems.

Over time, these moments compound into something much bigger.

You begin to see every environment as an opportunity.

Every room you walk into.

Every team you are part of.

Every conversation you have.

An opportunity to leave things better than you found them.

So the question I am asking myself this week is simple.

Where can I add value right now?

Not in a distant future.

Not in an ideal scenario.

Right where I am.

Over time, the people who consistently add value position themselves differently.

They are remembered.

They are trusted.

They are called upon.

Thank you for reading this week’s letter. Remember that the people who position themselves as solutions providers are the ones who will be remembered.

See you next week.

Cheers,

Derby Chukwudi

The world is bigger than you think, and at the same time, it is smaller than you imagine.

This week stretched my perspective in a way I did not expect. There are moments that quietly expand how you see the world, where you realize there are entire systems, industries, and ways of operating that exist far beyond your current line of sight. Things you may have never encountered before, yet they have always been there.

It makes you pause and reflect on how much more exists beyond your immediate environment, your routine, and even your understanding. There is simply more happening than we know, more being built than we see, and more possibilities than we have allowed ourselves to imagine.

At the same time, I experienced the opposite in a very real way. Earlier this year in January, I met someone in Davos, and months later at the Sevens in Hong Kong, I met his friend of eighteen years. Completely different settings, completely different moments, yet somehow connected in a way that made the world feel much smaller.

Not in a limiting way, but in a deeply interconnected way that reminds you how closely linked our lives actually are. It made me realize that paths cross more often than we think, and that the distance between people, opportunities, and experiences is often much shorter than we assume.

What stood out to me most is that the ability to hold both of these truths at the same time is a skill that needs to be learned.

To understand that the world is vast, and still deeply connected. To expand your mind enough to see how much exists beyond you, while paying close enough attention to recognize how near everything actually is.

Because if you only focus on how big the world is, it can make you feel small or disconnected. And if you only focus on how small it is, it can limit your thinking and your reach. But when you learn to hold both, something shifts in how you move through life.

You become more curious about what you do not yet understand, and at the same time more intentional about how you show up, knowing that everything is more connected than it appears.

You begin to realize that in a world like this, every interaction carries weight. The rooms you enter, the conversations you have, and the impressions you leave can travel further than you think.

So this week, I am holding on to this simple reminder. Think wider than your current reality, and pay closer attention than you normally would.

Because the world is bigger than you think, and smaller than you imagine.

Thank you for reading this week’s letter. Remember that the world is bigger than you think, and smaller than you can imagine.

See you next week.

There is a kind of faith that waits and there is a kind of faith that moves.

This week reminded me of the difference.

Sometimes we think faith looks like having everything figured out. Clear plans, full clarity, and certainty about how things will unfold.

But more often than not, that is not how life works.

There are seasons where the path ahead is not fully clear. Where the demands are high, the schedule is full, and the margin feels thin.

And in those moments, the question is not whether you have everything mapped out.

The question is whether you are willing to move anyway.

This week was full in every sense of the word. At different points, I found myself wondering how everything would come together.

Not because I lacked willingness, but because the weight of it all felt real.

And yet, I made a quiet decision.

To trust.

To prepare.

And to believe that God would meet me in every step.

Not at the end, not once everything was done but in the process.

Doing this changed everything because faith that moves does not wait for perfect clarity.

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” — 2 Corinthians 5:7

It moves with trust.

It prepares with intention.

It shows up with belief.

It takes the next step, even when the full picture is not visible.

I am learning that faith is not just about what we believe.

It is about how we move.

Do we stay still until everything makes sense or do we step forward, trusting that clarity will come along the way?

Because often, the path is not revealed all at once.

It is revealed step by step.

In the preparation.

In the showing up.

In the willingness to move even when you do not have all the answers.

And somewhere along the way, you realize that what felt overwhelming at the start has come together in ways you could not have fully planned.

Not because everything was easy but because you kept moving with faith.

So this week, I am holding on to this simple reminder.

Faith that moves is faith that trusts God enough to act without having all the answers.

Even without full clarity.

Even without complete certainty.

Just the next step.

Thank you for reading this week’s letter. Remember that faith that moves is faith that trusts God enough to act without having all the answers.

See you next week!

Cheers,

Derby Chukwudi

There is always something about the start of a new season that invites ambition. New goals, new plans, new expectations. The desire to do more, become more, achieve more.

But this week, a quieter thought has been sitting with me.

What if the real power is not in doing more, but in focusing on less?

It is easy to approach a new quarter with the mindset of gathering everything at once. More goals, more commitments, more ideas. Trying to hold everything at the same time.

But when we try to carry everything, we dilute our focus.

And when focus is diluted, commitment becomes difficult.

Because commitment requires clarity.

It is hard to stay disciplined when your attention is scattered. It is hard to be consistent when everything feels equally important.

But when you are focused, something shifts.

Decisions become easier.

Discipline becomes lighter.

Commitment becomes natural.

Because you are no longer trying to do everything. You are choosing to do what matters.

I am learning that focus is not about restriction. It is about alignment.

Choosing what deserves your time.

Choosing what deserves your energy.

Choosing what deserves your attention in this season.

And then showing up fully for it. Not halfway. Not distracted. But present. Because presence is what gives focus its power.

When you are present, your work becomes sharper.

Your conversations become deeper.

Your impact becomes clearer.

This new quarter is not just an opportunity to add more.

It is an opportunity to refine.

To focus on what truly matters.

To release what does not.

To commit fully to what is in front of you.

There is a temptation to rush ahead and try to figure everything out at once.

But most meaningful progress does not come from rushing.

It comes from focus.

It comes from commitment.

It comes from being fully present in each step.

So as we step into this new quarter, I am asking myself a simple question.

What deserves my full commitment right now?

Not everything.

Just the right thing.

Thank you for reading this week’s letter. Remember that you do not have to carry everything at once. Focus on what is in front of you, and give it your full presence.

See you next week.

Cheers,

Derby Chukwudi

Dear friends…

We are already at the end of the first quarter.

It feels like we just said Happy New Year, and yet here we are, closing out three full months of 2026.

Moments like this are not just markers of time. They are invitations.

Invitations to pause.

To reflect.

To reset.

This year, I am committing to something simple but intentional.

Quarterly resets.

Instead of waiting until the end of the year to evaluate how things have gone, I want to create space every quarter to take account, review, and realign because the truth is, the year does not change our lives. Our actions within the year do.

And without intentional pauses, it is easy to drift.

So before stepping into Q2, I am asking myself a few honest questions.

• What did I set out to do this year?

• What have I actually followed through on?

• Where have I been disciplined?

• Where have I been distracted?

Not from a place of pressure, but from a place of clarity because clarity allows correction, and correction is what keeps progress alive.

For me, a quarterly reset has three parts.

1. Taking account: Looking honestly at what has happened. The wins, the gaps, the habits that have formed, and the ones that have slipped. It requires truth and self-awareness. “Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.” - Lamentations 3:40

2. Review: Understanding what is working and what is not. Identifying patterns, adjusting priorities, and making intentional decisions about what needs to change. “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.” - Proverbs 21:5

3. Resting and refueling: This is the part we often overlook. Growth requires energy, and energy needs to be restored. Taking time to rest, reset mentally, and refuel physically and spiritually is what allows us to sustain momentum.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” - Matthew 11:28

Moving forward is not just about doing more. It is about moving with clarity, energy, and intention.

As we close Q1, the invitation is simple.

Pause.

Take account.

Review your path.

And give yourself the space to rest and refuel before stepping into what is next.

Q2 is not just a continuation.

It is an opportunity to move forward with greater awareness and stronger intention.

Thank you for reading this week’s letter. Remember that progress is not only built in motion, but also in the moments we choose to pause and realign.

See you next week.

Cheers,

Derby Chukwudi

Many of us are asking for more.

More opportunity. More influence. More growth.

But very few of us are asking if we have the capacity to carry it.

This week, a theme kept showing up in different conversations.

Capacity building.

Three separate conversations, different contexts, but the same underlying message. If we are truly going to step into more, then we must first build the capacity to hold more.

It made me reflect on a simple but sobering truth.

Though we are made for more, we will not experience more if we do not have the capacity to carry more.

It is one thing to desire growth, but it is another thing to sustain it. Because growth without capacity often leads to overwhelm, inconsistency, or even burnout. And sometimes, what we call “too much” is actually a signal that we have outgrown our current capacity.

Here is the part that struck me most this week. Capacity is not just about ability. It is also about responsibility.

The more you are given, the more you are required to carry well. Opportunities, influence, resources, and even relationships all demand a level of stewardship.

So building capacity is not just about accessing more. It is about becoming someone who can be trusted with more.

So the real question becomes this: how do we build capacity?

Capacity is not built in comfort. It is built through stretching and flexing the muscle. Just like physical training, growth happens when you move beyond what is easy and stay there long enough for your body, mind, and systems to adapt. It requires intensity. It requires repetition. It requires staying power.

But beyond effort, capacity also requires structure.

As life expands, your time does not. Your energy does not automatically multiply. Which means if you do not become more intentional, you will quickly become overwhelmed. Capacity building is not just about doing more, it is about becoming someone who can carry more, sustain more, and steward more effectively.

This is where I started to frame it through what I call the 5Rs of Capacity Building.

Recognize: Everything starts with awareness. Where are you currently stretched? What are your limits? What drains you and what expands you? You cannot grow what you have not acknowledged.

Resist comfort: Capacity grows when you consistently choose what stretches you over what is convenient. Comfort maintains you. Discomfort pushes you to grow.

Repeat: Growth is not built in one moment of intensity. It is built in consistent repetition. Showing up again and again is what strengthens your capacity over time.

Refine: Pay attention to patterns. What is working well? What is inefficient? Capacity is not only built by effort, but by optimization. You must learn, adjust, and evolve.

Rebuild systems: Every new level requires new structures. The systems that got you here will not sustain you there. You must intentionally build processes that create efficiency, scale, and space for what is next.

Because ultimately, capacity is about space.

Space to think clearly.

Space to execute effectively.

Space to grow without constantly feeling overwhelmed.

And this kind of space is never accidental. It is built.

So if you feel like you are being called into more, do not only ask for more.

Ask yourself if you are building the capacity to sustain it.

Ask yourself if you are building the capacity to steward it well.

Because the life you are praying for will require a version of you that can carry it with both strength and responsibility.

Thank you for reading this week’s letter. Remember that though we are made for more, we will not experience more if we do not have the capacity to carry more.

See you next week.

Cheers,

Derby Chukwudi

There is a lot happening in the world right now.

Wars continue across regions. Oil prices are rising again. Markets are reacting to geopolitical uncertainty, and alliances between nations are shifting.

These are not just headlines.

These are moments of history in the making.

Years from now, people will look back at this period and analyze the decisions, tensions, and turning points that shaped the trajectory of nations, industries, and economies.

But beyond observing these events, an important question emerges.

What role do we play in a world that is constantly evolving?

It can be tempting to view global events as distant from our everyday lives. Yet the reality is that the forces shaping the world eventually shape our careers, our opportunities, and the kind of impact we can have.

Industries evolve. Markets adjust. New priorities emerge.

And those who pay attention early often position themselves best.

So how do we navigate a world that feels increasingly complex?

For me, it begins with a simple discipline.

Pay attention.

Not just to headlines, but to the deeper patterns behind them. To the forces shaping economies, technologies, and societies.

When we begin to pay attention carefully, we start to see how interconnected everything truly is.

Geopolitical shifts influence markets.

Economic transitions reshape industries.

Technological change redefines the skills the world values.

And this awareness invites us to ask deeper questions.

• How should I position myself in a changing world?

• What skills will matter in the future?

• Where can I bring meaningful value?

While we may not control global events, there are practical things we can do.

We can stay informed about what is happening in the world and develop a habit of understanding global dynamics rather than ignoring them.

We can invest in learning, building skills, and expanding our knowledge so that we remain adaptable in a rapidly changing environment.

We can think intentionally about how our work connects to the broader direction of the world and how our talents can contribute to solving real problems.

History is unfolding around us every single day.

And while we may not be the ones writing global policies or leading nations, we still have agency in how we respond to the world that is emerging.

So the invitation this week is simple.

Pay attention to what is happening around you.

Learn continuously.

And think intentionally about how you can position yourself to contribute meaningfully in a changing world.

Thank you for reading this week’s letter. Remember that understanding the world is not just an intellectual exercise. It is one of the first steps toward making meaningful impact within it.

See you next week.

Cheers,

Derby Chukwudi

Have you ever noticed that you may pass the same path to work every day but never really notice anything around you? Then one day something catches your eye and you’re surprised, as though it suddenly appeared. Meanwhile it had always been there. The only difference was that you finally noticed it.

How many details are we missing because we are not taking the extra effort to pay attention?

Which smiles are fading away without anyone recognizing the change?

What aspects of our society require our gifts and talents that we are simply too distracted to notice and do anything about?

Last week we talked about building things one brick at a time. For that process to work well, we must first learn to pay attention.

Earlier this week I felt a sharp pain on the top right side of my back. I did not notice it until I moved my hands in a certain way.

“Ouch!” I exclaimed. Where did that pain come from?

I tried to retrace my steps to figure out the source but I could not pinpoint it. It was most likely from a workout class, but I had not felt anything during or immediately after the workout, so this caught me off guard.

Once I noticed the pain, I booked a massage and made sure to take some re weack to normal.

Now imagine if I had not noticed the pain early. Or imagine if I noticed it but did nothing about it.

I would still be in discomfort and pain. That discomfort would slowly begin to affect other parts of my life and my ability to perform daily activities well.

That right there is the cost of noticing something but doing nothing about it.

It is not enough to identify a problem. It is even more important to take action once we see it.

So let me ask you:

What parts of your world have you stopped paying attention to?

What is one step you can take today to do something about it?

The new month arrived so quickly, and one lesson that has quietly followed me into 2026 is this: one step at a time is how every journey gets done. No one takes 10,000 steps at once, yet 10,000 steps happen when you simply begin. One move. One action. One brick at a time.

There have been several moments already this year when the weight of everything on my plate, or the sudden things that appear out of nowhere, looked visually daunting. In those moments, I catch myself staring at the entire mountain. And whenever I focus on the whole mountain, overwhelm comes quickly. Doubt creeps in. The mind starts whispering about impossibility.

But when I break the mountain into smaller steps, when I say “yes, this is big, but here are ten small moves I can make,” something powerful shifts. Excitement returns. Momentum returns. Suddenly the challenge feels less like a monster and more like a mission.

And almost every time I finally surmount the so-called impossible, I look back and wonder what I was even worried about.

It makes me question why the first emotion is often worry and overwhelm.

Each time I am tempted to stare at the mountain, I pull myself back to the step-by-step approach. Without fail, that rhythm leads to solid results, results that always silence my initial anxieties.

As we step into March, ask yourself what mountain feels difficult to climb right now and what is one small brick you can lay today. The goal isn’t to figure it all out at once. The goal is to begin. One brick at a time, the full picture always emerges.

Thank you for reading this week’s letter. Remember that you don’t need the entire path mapped out. Step by step, clarity comes.

See you next week.

Cheers,

Derby Chukwudi

We’ve just wrapped up Chinese New Year here in Hong Kong, and the city has been nothing short of electric: flowers everywhere, family gatherings, festive lunches, and this collective sense of renewal that always marks the season. It felt like the perfect backdrop to reflect on possibility, courage, and what it means to stretch beyond your normal limits.

Two weeks ago, I witnessed something extraordinary. A senior executive based in Hong Kong and a former Olympian completed one of the most demanding endurance challenges in the world: 7 marathons, on 7 continents, in 7 days.

Even writing that feels surreal.

I followed her journey in real time, alongside her friends and family, as updates rolled in from Antarctica to Africa, Australia to North America. “Incredible” doesn’t even begin to describe it. It was discipline, courage, spiritual strength, and pure human resilience on display.

And just when you’d assume she would rest, she didn’t. This week, we ran an 8km race together.

I still can’t understand it but I deeply admire it.

What struck me wasn’t only the physical accomplishment. It was the privilege of witnessing someone I know push through an “impossible” barrier. That observation alone shifted my internal definition of possibility.

Because I wasn’t just a spectator. I was a witness and witnessing expands you.

Key Shifts That Stayed With Me

1. Proximity multiplies belief.

It’s one thing to hear success stories from afar; it’s another to see someone within your orbit do something extraordinary. Witnessing greatness makes the gap between “them” and “you” smaller. And when that gap closes, your confidence grows.

2. Audacity is a habit, not a personality trait.

People who do the impossible aren’t always the strongest or most gifted. They are simply the ones who practice boldness. Vision mixed with audacity turns limitations into logistics.

3. Hard things don’t need a dramatic purpose to be worthwhile.

Sometimes you take on challenges simply because you want to stay sharp, alive, and expanding. When toughness becomes a lifestyle, difficulty stops being intimidating, it becomes normal.

4. Resistance is information, not a verdict.

Hard does not mean stop. Hard means pay attention. Resistance helps you locate your next level; it doesn’t disqualify you from reaching it.

5. Preparation is the true engine of impossible things.

There is no feat without foundations. The people who make the extraordinary look effortless have spent countless quiet hours preparing. Their results are loud because their discipline is silent.

6. Possibility is contagious.

When you see someone break a boundary, you unconsciously grant yourself permission to do the same. Their courage becomes an invitation. Their victory becomes data. Their momentum becomes fuel.

Witnessing her journey reminded me that the “impossible” is often just something you haven’t seen up close before. Once you do, your mind stretches. Your faith stretches. Your appetite for growth stretches.

In the Year of the Horse, a year symbolizing speed, progress, endurance, and breakthrough, it feels fitting to rethink what “impossible” even means.

Thank you for reading this week’s letter. Remember that impossibility is often just unfamiliar territory waiting to be explored.

See you next week.

Cheers,

Derby Chukwudi

Love is kind and thoughtful, and is not jealous or envious.

Love does not brag and is not proud or arrogant.

It is not rude. It is not self seeking.

It is not provoked nor overly sensitive and easily angered.

It does not take into account a wrong endured.

It does not rejoice at injustice, but rejoices with the truth.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails.

• 1 Corinthians 13:4- 8

When people think of love, they often think of romance. Grand gestures. Butterflies. Declarations.

But Scripture teaches us something deeper.

Love is not merely erotic. Love is not merely emotional. Love is not seasonal.

God Himself is love.

Before we can love anyone else well, whether spouse, friend, family, or community, we must first receive love from Him.

It is impossible to give what we do not have.

Yet much of our world operates on broken love. A love that tries to satisfy others when the source itself is empty. A love filled with gifts but disconnected from true understanding. A love that seeks fulfillment but has never first been filled.

No wonder so many hearts feel disappointed. No wonder so many feel empty.

Our misunderstanding of love keeps us chasing feelings instead of anchoring ourselves in truth.

God calls us to come and be full.

To receive love. To be transformed by it. Then to extend that love outward.

February may be known as the month of love, but love was never meant to be seasonal. Love is sacrificial.

The Father expressed His love by sending His Son. The Word teaches us that the greatest form of love is to lay down our lives for one another.

That does not always mean literal death. It means posture.

How do we show up for people.

How do we forgive.

How do we support.

How do we choose patience over pride.

How do we remain steady when tested.

We are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

People will know we belong to Him by our love. Not by how loudly we speak. Not by how much we give materially. Not by how visible we are. But by how we love.

Thank you for reading this week’s letter. Remember that love is not defined by fickle sentiments or by positive life occurrences. Love is defined by being tested through every situation. In all things, true love remains present and isn’t chased out.

See you next week.

Cheers,

Derby Chukwudi

This week, my mind has been circling around something just as foundational: the art of showing up.

People often say that 80% of the job is simply showing up.

And honestly, it’s true. Because the person who shows up is the one who gets to see what comes next.

The person who stays home never gets to see the possibilities, the connections, the clarity, or the breakthroughs waiting on the other side of presence.

We often limit the idea of “showing up” to work, meetings, deadlines, and deliverables.

But there is a deeper layer we often overlook:

How well do you show up for yourself?

The priorities you said were important,

The habits you said you wanted to build,

The vision you claimed for 2026,

The conversations you decided you would initiate,

The ideas you said you would execute,

The spiritual disciplines you said mattered,

The boundaries you promised yourself.

Showing up is not just external. It is internal alignment.

I’ve learned something about myself over the years. I try my best to show up, and when I genuinely can’t, I communicate in advance.

Dependability is not perfection.

Dependability is clarity and consistency.

And deeper than that, dependability is a reflection of how you view yourself.

Because how you show up says a lot about how you view yourself, and it becomes the template of how others should view you.

Think back to your 2026 intentions.

• What did you set out to accomplish this year?

• What conversations did you commit to having?

• What habits did you promise yourself you would build?

• Where are you showing up, and where are you hiding?

Momentum does not magically appear.

It forms when you choose presence again and again and again.

Thank you for reading this week’s letter. Remember that showing up is an art, and every day is a blank canvas.

See you next week.

Cheers,

Derby Chukwudi

To be fair, it didn’t feel as long as previous Januarys have felt, but it’s still surprising that the first month of the year has wrapped up this quickly.

As I sat down to write this week’s letter, one thought kept resurfacing:

Take stock of everything.

Every year, so much happens to us and around us and we often breeze through without truly absorbing the depth of our experiences. We move from moment to moment without pausing long enough to notice what is shaping us, strengthening us, stretching us, or even draining us.

Reflection is not a luxury. It is a necessity.

How would you know you are growing if you never realized the areas where growth was needed?

How would you experience gratitude if you never acknowledged the moments where you once lacked it?

This is why taking stock matters.

Here are three simple ways I encourage you to choose from as you begin this practice:

1. Daily Highlights: For the second year in a row, I am committing to capturing one highlight from each day for all 365 days. It is my way of holding onto the little things that could easily slip away.

2. Review Your Calendar and Photo Gallery: You would be surprised how much memory rests quietly in your calendar entries and photo albums. A meeting reminder, a location tag, a candid photo. They pull you back into moments you may have forgotten.

3. Good Old Journaling: I have fallen off this rhythm recently, but journaling has been my long-time companion. Putting words to thoughts helps you see what you were too busy to feel.

Choose your path and commit to it.

If you want to grow and deepen gratitude, if you want this year to feel intentional rather than accidental, then you must know what is happening in your life.

Thank you for reading this week’s letter. Remember that taking stock of everything in your life is the first step you need to take to make the changes you want to see.

See you next week.

Cheers,

Derby Chukwudi

A town that, for one week, becomes a living intersection of ideas, influence, power, hope, and sometimes, chaos.

A place I only ever read about…

…until this year, when I was selected as part of the Davos Future 40, a cohort of 40 young leaders to represent a group of 20,000-member Global Shapers Community at the 2026 World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting.

As someone who has spent years thinking about identity, narrative, leadership, and influence, being here was more than a milestone, it was a mirror.

Davos is louder, more dynamic, more intimate, more political, and more human than I imagined.

It’s a place where CEOs quietly queue for coffee beside activists, where Heads of State weave through narrow streets while creators record interviews, and where a session on the future of AI can sit right across from a late-night DJ set in a country house.

There isn’t just one version of Davos.

There’s:

• the polished stages you see online,

• the formal sessions inside the Congress Center,

• the bilateral meetings tucked away in private houses,

• the pop-up cultural experiences,

• and the conversations that happen in hallways at 7am or during shuttle rides

And the most surprising part?

Despite all the structure and prestige, what stays with you most are the people: their curiosity, their openness, and the unexpected insights that happen when worlds collide.

Davos was not just about big names in one place, it was about the quality of dialogue and the depth of curiosity people brought into every room. Here’s what stood out most:

1. Influence starts with preparation, not access.

You can be in the same room as leaders but what matters is how you show up, what questions you ask, and how you listen.

2. Dialogue is an act of leadership.

Not every session had answers, but every meaningful session honed better questions.

3. Stories shape influence.

A pre-Davos workshop reminded me how the narratives we carry shape not only how others see us, but how we see ourselves.

I’ve shared highlights, clips, and reflections from sessions and moments that struck me most on my Instagram and LinkedIn so you can see and feel the energy of the week.

You may not have been in Davos with me but the questions that emerged there belong to all of us:

• What rooms are you preparing for?

• Which narratives are shaping your influence?

• How are you showing up in the spaces you already occupy?

Leadership isn’t about where you are, it’s about how you become someone capable of shaping what comes next.

Thank you for reading this week’s letter. Remember that we all have a role to play in shaping the future we want to see.

See you next week.

Cheers,

Derby Chukwudi

How many times have we held onto the wrong story about a situation, not because it was true, but because it felt familiar?

How often do we take a moment, a conversation, a challenge…and interpret it through old assumptions, old fears, or old patterns that no longer serve who we are becoming?

In transparency:

I spent the first few weeks of this year saying, “It’s been such a full year… there’s so much going on.”

It sounded harmless, even casual. But underneath, I had quietly equated full with overwhelming and that wasn’t accurate.

These few week has been full, yes but full of purpose, full of movement, full of opportunities I once prayed for, full of expansion.

Not overwhelm. Increased capacity.

Not pressure. Preparation.

A conversation with my mindset coach helped me see that the story I was repeating to myself wasn’t matching the truth of my reality.

And that’s the thing about narratives:

They don’t just describe our lives…

They define our lives.

They influence how we move, how we show up, and how others experience us.

Because the stories we tell ourselves eventually become the stories we tell others about our mission, our value, our work, our identity.

If we carry a story of overwhelm, we speak from that place.

If we carry a story of worth, we lead from that place.

If we carry a story of purpose, we walk into new rooms with confidence.

So the real question for this week is simple:

How will you reframe your story?

What will you stop repeating?

What will you start declaring?

And which narrative actually matches the life you’re building?

Thank you for reading this week’s letter. Remember that if we will make a change, we will need to rewrite the stories we tell ourselves.

See you next week.

Cheers,

Derby Chukwudi

A house built on the wrong foundation will eventually collapse.

As we kick off the year, this is the word for us: Set your foundations well.

What are foundations?

Foundations are the essential elements that allow you to build steadily without fear of crashing, burning out, or failing to finish the race. They are what hold everything else together.

These elements look different for everyone.

For me, foundations are systems and they are critical to my posture, positioning, and approach to life. They include cultivating my prayer life, staying hydrated because water is life, reading consistently, fellowship and communion, and keeping daily gratitude notes.

These are simple, even basic things.

But as we learned last year, the small things are the big things. They are what create the structure that allows you to soar. Without them, there is no uplift.

So here’s my question for you: What foundations do you need to set in January so that you can thrive and move with momentum for the rest of the year?

It may feel like a waste of time, or too basic to focus on these things, but remember it is the small building blocks that make up the mansion in the end.

Thank you for reading this week’s letter. Remember the foundations you lay this month will determine the course you walk for the rest of the year.

See you next week.

Cheers,

Derby Chukwudi

It still feels surreal that 2025 is over. And yet, here we are, turning the page and stepping into a new year.

As I shared at the beginning of last year, new beginnings often feel like an invitation to refresh, reset, and begin again. Around this time, I find myself reading many New Year letters filled with excitement, intention-setting, and bold declarations for what’s ahead.

But one thought has stayed with me:

If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.

A new year doesn’t automatically require new goals. Life isn’t a series of clean slates; it’s a continuation. A journey, not a destination.

After reflecting on 2025, I noticed something important: there were key areas where I showed up with real consistency. As I planned for this year, I found myself saying “The goals are still the same.”

Not because there’s no room for growth, but because consistency compounds.

By keeping the same core goals, I don’t have to rewire my brain or manufacture pressure around “new” ambitions. Instead, I can build incrementally on what already works, refining rather than reinventing.

That mindset alone feels grounding.

I’d love to know how you’re approaching this year. Are you changing all your goals, maintaining them, or quietly continuing what already works? Hopefully not doing nothing at all.

In addition to this reflection, here’s one habit tip I’m carrying into the new year, inspired by Atomic Habits by James Clear.

For every new habit you want to add, attach it to something you already do consistently.

For example:

• If you want to read more, read two pages after your morning coffee.

• If you want to pray or journal more, do it right after brushing your teeth.

• If you want to stretch, do it immediately after getting out of bed.

The goal isn’t intensity. It’s consistency. Small actions, repeated daily, quietly shape the year.

See you next week.

I’ll aim to keep this letter short, but impactful.

Around this time of year, we’re flooded with recaps, highlights, and reflections from people around the world trying to capture the kind of year they’ve had. I’ll be sharing mine as usual on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Before I get into that, I want to pause briefly to reflect on my letters this year and to thank every single person who has read, shared, or responded to them.

Last year, I wrote 33 letters. On the surface, that sounds impressive. But it dawned on me that my goal had been to write weekly. And if I wrote 33 letters, it meant I didn’t write for 19 weeks.

You might say, “Don’t beat yourself up.” And thank you truly for that reminder. But that wasn’t the point for me.

Setting a goal to write weekly was really me saying: I want to be consistent in this one thing.

And the truth was, I wasn’t.

I’m sure there were legitimate reasons during those 19 weeks because life happens. But reasons don’t change the fact that consistency was missing.

So this year, I decided: come rain or sunshine, I will write 52 letters.

There were weeks I didn’t have it in me to write a single word but I found a way. Not because I was chasing the number 52, but because I was chasing consistency.

And for that, I’m deeply grateful for the discipline to keep going, especially in moments when stopping would have been easier.

Another thing I’m proud of this year is my 2025 Daily Highlights.

I created a note on my phone called “Daily Highlights.” The goal was simple: to write down a few highlights from each day; happy or sad, personal or observed. Just moments worth remembering. The intention was to do this consistently for 365 days.

Today is Day 364. Tomorrow, I’ll complete it.

This practice has helped me keep perspective and hold onto moments that could have easily been forgotten as life moved fast.

I’m sharing all of these for two reasons:

1. Whatever goals, aspirations, or dreams you have for 2026 will depend on your ability to stay consistent especially in difficult moments when giving up feels justified.

2. In a few days, I’ll be releasing a compilation of my 52 letters as an e-book on Amazon. If you’d like a copy, send me a note.

Congratulations on completing 2025. Thank you for riding with me this year.

I can’t wait to keep the momentum going.

Happy New Year in advance.

See you in 2026!

Cheers, 🎉

Derby Chukwudi