You're Not Behind

You're Not Behind: Releasing The Lie That Everyone Else Is Ahead Of You

Feeling the midweek drag and that quiet panic that whispers you’re late to your own life? We’re pressing pause on hurry and rewriting the script that says speed equals success. Together we unpack the lie of falling behind, the highlight-reel trap of social media, and the pressure of five-year plans that life never signed. What if your slower pace is not a setback but a strategy, one that grows deep roots, equips you for weight, and builds something you can actually sustain?

We walk through a clear reframe: comparison erases context; context restores truth. Instead of chasing other people’s timelines, we choose alignment over acceleration, intention over impulse. You’ll hear piercing questions to reset your focus. Who am I measuring myself against? What standard did I borrow? Am I chasing purpose or chasing pace? and a fresh take on detours and delays as developments and protections. When you’re anchored in calling, other people’s wins stop intimidating you. When you can encourage yourself, discouragement loses its grip.

This reset is part perspective shift, part practice. We speak life out loud with grounded affirmations that honor the season you’re in: you are not behind, you are in process; your pace is intentional; your journey is unique. We close by leaning into community the kind that grows through shared stories, honest reflections, and real connection, so you don’t carry the week alone. Take ten focused minutes to breathe, refuel, and step back into your week steady and clear.

If this resonated, share it with someone who needs a Wednesday lift, subscribe for more resets, and leave a quick review so we can keep growing this community together.

Chapters

• 1:42 Welcome And Midweek Check-In
• 3:27 The Lie Of Falling Behind
• 5:02 Comparison Erases Context
• 6:06 Timelines, Detours, And Deep Roots
• 8:24 Alignment Over Speed
• 10:07 Encourage Yourself Out Loud
• 12:01 Community And Closing Blessing

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:51

Hello everyone, welcome to another episode of the Who Am I Podcast, where once again I'm your host, Jeff Hopgood. So before we jump into today's reset, let me ask you something. Is this week already wearing you down? Be honest, be honest. Does midweek feel heavier than it should? Are you feeling drained mentally, emotionally, maybe even physically? Did Monday start off strong? But somewhere along the way your energy started dipping. If that's you, then you are in the right place. See, midweek has a way of pulling from you without you even noticing. The responsibilities begin to stack up, the deadlines they do not slow down, the expectation keeps coming. And sometimes by Wednesday, your tank is lower than you realize. See, this space is for that. This is not about pushing harder. This is not about pretending you're not tired. This is where you refuel. This is where you reset your perspectives. This is where you recharge your mind and steady your spirit. This is where you recharge your mind and steady your spirit so you can finish the week strong. So if you're feeling drained, if mid-week feels heavy, if you're just trying to hold it together, take a breath. You're exactly where you need to be. Let's focus. So let's talk about the lie of falling behind. See, there's a silent pressure that creeps in around Wednesday. You look at your goals, you look at your timelines, you look at everyone else's progress, and suddenly your pace feels slow. You begin to scroll social media, you see all of the announcements, the promotions, the engagements, businesses launching, milestones being celebrated, and without even realizing it, your mind whispers, I should be further. I should have more by now. I'm running out of time. But let's pause that narrative for a moment because most of what you're comparing yourself to is only a highlight reel, and it's never the whole story. See, what you don't see is you don't see the debt behind the business. You don't see the anxiety behind the success, and you don't see the sacrifices behind all of the applauses. This is something I want you to hear me and listen. Comparison is dangerous because what it does, it erases the context. And when you erase the context, you distort the truth. So I have to let you know you are not behind. You're not behind at all. You're in process. You are in process. See, here's the pressure of timelines. See, some of you aren't comparing yourself to strangers, you're comparing yourself to where you thought you'd be by now. See, a lot of us have those five-year plans. You had a vision, you had a deadline in your mind, and life did not cooperate with what you had planned. But here's what we don't talk about enough. See, growth rarely follows our schedule. Sometimes detours are developments, sometimes delays are protections, and sometimes the slower path builds deeper roots. See, if you had arrived faster, would you have been ready? If you had gotten it earlier, would you have been able to sustain it or to keep it? See, there are lessons happening right now that the future you will thank this season for. See, here's a moment to reflect. I want you to quietly ask yourself, who am I measuring myself against? Ask yourself, what standard did I adopt that wasn't mine? Ask yourself, am I chasing purpose or am I chasing pace?

SPEAKER_01: 5:37

Be honest. Are you truly behind, or are you just being impatient? Think about it for a second.

SPEAKER_00: 5:48

See, we have to reframe our way of thinking. So reframe your mind and tell yourself you're not late, you're being layered, you're not behind, you're being layered. Every experience, every setback, every redirection, every closed door, it's layering strength, it's making you stronger, and it's layering perspectives, and most importantly, it's layering wisdom. See, there are people who move faster than you, but they burned out. There are people who arrived early but they weren't equipped.

SPEAKER_01: 6:35

There are people who rushed and regretted it later. See, speed does not mean success.

SPEAKER_00: 6:47

Speed is not success. True success is in alignment. See, the truth about your pace is that you don't need someone else's timeline. You need clarity on your calling, you don't need acceleration, you need intention, you need to be intentional about everything you do in your life. See, midweek comparison makes you question your value, but your value was never attached to velocity. Let me say that again. Midweek comparison makes you question your value, but your value was never attached to velocity. See, your worth is not tied to your speed, you are not failing because you're moving differently, you are not lacking because your journey looks different. You are building something sustainable, and sustainability requires a solid foundation. So hear me clearly. Hear me. You are not behind, you are not late, you are not missing out, you are not running out of time, but what you are doing, you are growing, and growth takes time. See, midweek pressure does not get to redefine your progress. Comparison does not get to steal your confidence, you don't need to catch up, but what you do need to do and have to do and must do, you need to lock in. You need to focus and you need to remember who you are and whose you are. Because when you're aligned, pace doesn't panic you. When you're anchored, other people's wins don't intimidate you, and when you're confident, you celebrate others without questioning yourself, because you are not behind what you are becoming, you have to encourage yourself. If people don't congratulate you, encourage yourself. If people don't say you're doing a great job, encourage yourself. If people don't see the 10 pounds that you lost, encourage yourself. You have to learn how to encourage yourself because if you can encourage yourself, you will not become discouraged easily, you will not be easily discouraged. If someone does not applause you, encourage yourself. So just say this with me. This is where we encourage ourselves, and say this with me. I am not behind, I am not late, I am not missing my moment. My pace is intentional, my growth is real, my journey is unique. I release comparison, I release pressure, I release unrealistic timelines. What is meant for me will not pass me. What is building in me will prepare me. What is ahead of me will meet me ready.

SPEAKER_01: 10:28

I trust my timing, I trust my development, I trust God's plan for my life. I trust my path, and I trust the purpose that God is calling for me to be. And I am exactly where I need to be, and I am still becoming.

SPEAKER_00: 11:07

So before we move forward, I want you to pause for just a moment. Take a breath. Wherever you are, whatever you carry, this next part is for you. Let's speak life over ourselves out loud if you can. Because what we say in this very moment has the power to shift how we walk into the rest of our day. Let's begin with our affirmation. I am not defined by my past or limited by my mistakes. I am growing, learning, and becoming who I was created to be. I have values beyond titles, roles, and expectations. I choose honesty over fear and growth over comfort. I am allowed to change, heal, and evolve. I walk with purpose, clarity, and courage. I am becoming more aligned with my true self every day. And who I am is enough. So as we close today's episode, I want to thank you for taking this time for yourself. If something you heard inspired you, challenged you, or made you pause and reflect, please, I beg of you, don't keep it to yourself. Share this episode with someone who may need it. Invite them into the conversation. See, this podcast grows when we grow together. As I always say, I cannot do this without you. See, we grow together through shared stories, honest reflections, and real connections. See, every listen, every share, every conversation helps create a community, a community rooted in purpose, a community rooted in faith, hope, and truth. So until next time, pause, reset, continue, keep reflecting, keep becoming, and remember you matter. This is the Who Am I podcast with your 10 minutes to refocus and let's walk this journey together.