Oh boi, here we go again. Another speech. Another vision. Another five-year plan that somehow has been in development for twelve damn years. Another person explaining what they’re “about to do.” Instead of moving in silence and showing the fruits of their labor. Do not get it twisted, I love a good vision and I do not mean to come off as insensitive, angry, or jaded. I love ambition. I love hearing somebody talk about their dreams.
But at some point, my dude…
WHERE THE HELL ARE THE FRUITS?
Because anybody can talk, ANYBODY! Your cousin can talk. Your ex can talk. Your coworker can talk. That motivational dude on Instagram standing in front of a rented Lamborghini can DEFINITELY talk and up sale it effortlessly. Shoot, even I can talk a good game if I so choose to. The difference is whether all that talking eventually produces something.
Because if you’ve been hearing the same person talk about the same business, the same transformation, the same financial goals, the same relationship plans, the same spiritual awakening, the same book, the same career change, and the same “big move” for YEARS… At some point you have to stop applauding the announcement and start examining the evidence.
What the hell are they actually doing?
I’M TIRED OF HEARING ABOUT THE DAMN SEED
“I planted a seed.” Cool, but did you water it? “I’ve been watering it.” Ok, so…scratches head, Where’s the plant? “I’ve been working on it.” you been working on it for 3 years now, where’s the damn harvest?
Because apparently some of y’all are farming exclusively in the imagination. You have talked about the garden. You have described the garden. You’ve created a vision board for the garden. You’ve told everybody what the garden is going to look like. You’ve even named the damn crops. But somehow… AIN’T NOTHING GROWING.
Now, before somebody gets defensive, let’s be reasonable. I’m not saying every seed turns into a forest overnight. I get it, growth takes time. Sometimes you plant something and circumstances interfere. Sometimes there’s drought. Sometimes there’s storms. Sometimes you plant the wrong thing and have to start over. That’s life.
But if it’s been years and all you’ve got is another speech about what you’re about to do? Baby…sugar dumpling, procrastinator! Something ain’t right in that garden.
POTENTIAL AIN’T PRODUCTION
This is where people get themselves in trouble. They fall in love with somebody’s potential. Not their behavior. Not their consistency. Not their results. Their potential. “They’re going to start that business.” “They’re going back to school.” “They’re going to get serious.” “They’re going to leave that toxic relationship.” “They’re going to change.” “They’re going to save money.” “They’re going to finally pursue their dream.”
Okay. Wonderful. WHEN?
Now do not give me another inspirational answer. Tell me what you’re doing today that makes tomorrow believable. Because potential is possibility. Action is evidence. Consistency is credibility. Results are confirmation. Just like Christopher Robin said ” I often get to where I am going when I leave where I am at”. You cannot keep treating someone’s future self like they’re already that person. At some point, you have to evaluate the person standing in front of you. Not the person they keep promising they’re going to become.
A SETBACK IS NOT THE SAME AS A PATTERN
And before somebody starts screaming, “Danli, you’re judging people!” Naw. I’m observing patterns. As much as many have a hard time believing this, there’s a difference. Somebody can genuinely try, fail, learn, adjust, and try again. That’s respectable. You tried. It didn’t work.
You figured out what went wrong. You changed your strategy. You kept moving. That’s called being human. However, there is also another type of person. The person where every year you hear something along the lines of: “I’m about to start.” Next year: “I’m still getting everything together.” Year three: “I’m waiting for the right opportunity.” Year four: “People don’t support me.” Year five: “Something always happens.” Year six: “God is preparing me.” And it seems to just continue each year. And at some point…
THE MOVE HAS BECOME A MYTHOLOGICAL CREATURE! Everybody’s heard about it. Nobody’s ever seen it. That’s not a setback anymore. That’s a lifestyle.
STOP ARGUING WITH PEOPLE ABOUT THEIR ACTIONS
Here’s the beautiful part. You don’t actually have to argue with somebody about whether they’re serious. I have learned that you can find out a lot by just watching them. That’s it you ask. Yes, the secret is to watch.
Watch where their time goes. Watch where their money goes. Watch what they prioritize. Watch what they sacrifice. Watch what they consistently do when nobody is watching. Watch whether they actually make changes when they say they want something different. Because people can control their mouths.
They can polish their image. They can tell you whatever story sounds good. They can give you a TED Talk from the front seat of a parked car (like most youtube videos these days) But eventually… behavior starts snitching. Trust and believe behavior is one hell of a snitch.
THE FRUIT REVEALS THE TREE
You don’t have to convince me you’re serious. Show me that you are serious. Not because I demand perfection. Not because everything has to be successful. But because there should eventually be some evidence that your words and your actions know each other.
For if the actions and words do not align, well that is a major flaw and shows that you can not be trusted. So show me something like a completed project. A new skill. A changed habit. A healthier relationship. A business that actually exists. Something. ANYTHING!
The fruit doesn’t have to be enormous. But there should eventually be fruit. Because if the only thing growing is another explanation… then Houston we’ve got a problem. haha
AND YES, I’M TALKING TO YOU TOO
Now here’s where I take the knife and turn it around. Because this isn’t just about everybody else. Sometimes we’re the damn problem. Yes, I am not perfect and I am sure you are not either. So let he without sin cast the first stone (throws rock). Admit it, ometimes we’re the ones talking. “I’m going to start writing.” “I’m going to leave.” “I’m going to heal.” “I’m going to stop procrastinating.”
Cool. But when? Sometimes, I am convinced that we talk to ourselves just to hear it outloud and then the internal self doubt sinks in. Because announcing your intentions can feel productive without actually requiring you to produce anything. You can spend so much time talking about the person you’re becoming that you forget to actually become them. And that’s a trap.
STOP ANNOUNCING THE HARVEST
I am about to get very personal and direct. So if you are one of those very sensitive people who feel attacked because someone is speaking directly to you instead of talking circles around the issue. Move on or suck it the heck up. You don’t need another announcement.
What you need is movement. So get up and DO! Stop thinking about what you want to do and do it. Nothing happens when the great idea stays in the mind. You don’t need another motivational speech. You need to find the discipline to continue when things start to get hard. To keep pushing when you realize that people you do not even know are your biggest supporters. You need discipline.
You don’t need another vision board. You need to build that vision and turn it from a piece of paper with pictures to an EIN number, having a website with products, and actively selling your services and yourself. You need to work the damn field and not on some slave stuff. Plant. Water. Prune. Learn. Fail. Adjust. Try again. Repeat. And then shut up for a minute and then pick the cotton…joking
Let the fruit talk. Because when you’ve actually built something, healed something, changed something, created something, or accomplished something… You don’t have to spend all day convincing people. They will be able to finally see it for themselves.
SO WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?
The next time somebody gives you a beautiful speech about everything they’re going to accomplish, don’t automatically worship the promise. And please do not automatically attack them either. If you listened to anything in this passage, you should now know to observe first. Then ask yourself: What has actually changed?
What has been built? What has been completed? What has been learned? What has been sacrificed? What has improved? What has been produced? And most importantly… Is the person’s life beginning to resemble the story they’ve been telling me? Just like I said earlier, anybody can talk a good game.
Anybody can describe the championship. Anybody can talk about the business. Anybody can explain the six-figure plan. Anybody can talk about becoming healed, disciplined, successful, loving, spiritual, financially responsible, emotionally intelligent, or transformed. But eventually…
The scoreboard has to show something. The field has to produce something. The tree has to bear something. And after years of hearing the same damn speech? Don’t get hypnotized by the words. Look for the fruit. Because talk is cheap. Excuses are abundant. Potential is everywhere.
But consistent action? That’s rare. And results? Results don’t need a microphone. They introduce themselves. So go ahead. Talk your talk and I hope you are walking that walk too. So that you don’t be surprised when somebody eventually looks at your tree and asks: “Okay… but where the hell are the fruits?”
Relax your mind, it’s all in Divine Time. Keep growing. Keep healing. Keep protecting your peace. Join the Warriors of Love community and subscribe to the Divine Time YouTube channel for more conversations centered around authenticity, self-growth, love, and spiritual awareness.
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@danli_divine?si=dDtZwawylOrWAyaS
