Authenticity and Trusting What You've Built
- Vera Jo Bustos | Coach VJ
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
Authenticity and Trusting What You've Built
A couple of months ago, I was coaching the Idaho State softball team ahead of their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. They would enter as underdogs.
But a "dog" is still a "dog." Is it not, David?
Most people who know the story, know the first underdog in history.
David.
The one who defeated Goliath with a slingshot and a stone.
Yet, few remember the prologue to the story. That is what I focused on with Idaho State. Not the ending, but the beginning.
It was Saul, who tried to prepare—if not outright protect—David with a helmet, body armor, and a heavy sword. David felt like an impostor; the sword and the armor weren’t true to who he was, or what he had prepped for.
Taking a few practice swings, he could barely lift the sword, much less swing it with any force. Courageously, to Saul's dismay and the army's ridicule, David took off the armor, gave back the sword, and took his weapon of choice.
Let’s pause here for a moment. Can you imagine the ridicule David was facing in that moment? The lack of belief from his leader? The laughs and sneers from his peers? How did he remain courageous enough to face Goliath, with a weapon that no one thought could actually get the job done?
Faith.
Belief.
Mental Lesson: Authenticity and Trusting What You've Built
David had faith in something bigger than himself, and the belief in his skill set with his slingshot. He chose to face Goliath with what he knew best. Not what others thought was best for him. Not what society deemed appropriate.
Not whatever other opinions were out there. David was authentic to himself, trusted his preparation, and had the belief (and the faith) that he could do the impossible. His belief never wavered.
What about the Goliath in your life? What are you changing about yourself to meet the demands of what society deems appropriate? Where are you armoring up because you feel like you’re not enough? Where are you showing up as less than your best because you’re afraid for the world to see who you actually are?
David didn't need the sword or the armor. He didn’t depend on anyone else’s belief or validation. To thine own self, David remained true to who he was with the slingshot that he had built his confidence with. You've already got your version of that sling. The reps you've put in. The skill you’ve trained. The question is whether you believe what you've already built is enough to bring into the fight.
Next Rep
I'm reminded of a story that Alan Stein Jr. shared about Kobe Bryant.
Kobe was doing very basic ball-handling drills, basic enough that an elementary athlete could do them. Don't get me wrong, the intensity he brought to those drills was at another level, but still, they were extremely basic.
Curious, Alan went up to ask, "Kobe, you're the best in the world, why are you doing these basic drills?" Kobe gave a sly smile and said, "Why do you think I'm the best in the world?"
In the same way, David's confidence in the sling came from the thousands of reps that nobody saw or celebrated. His confidence was built in the dark long before his moment in the spotlight.
What's the skill you've quietly built that you keep undervaluing because it isn't flashy? Will you have the discipline to keep building on that skill, to stay your true self when it becomes boring, monotonous, and not cool to outside voices?
Final Buzzer
Kobe didn't perfect his handle on a Saturday night in a gym full of cameras. He perfected it in a hundred empty gyms, on a thousand ordinary mornings, running drills a kid could run, until his hands knew what to do before his mind gave the order.
David didn't build his aim in front of Saul's army. He built it in a field, alone with his sheep, on days nobody was scouting him for the biggest fight of his life.
The spotlight only reveals what was already built in the dark. It doesn't create it. That's the part the armor can't fake.
Your presence, your instinct, your particular way of doing the work, gets built rep by rep, in the presence of one, and long before anyone hands you a giant to face.
Keep building there.
Trust what you find when the lights come on.
And one last reminder to both of us:
The world needs your presence, not your perfection.
Challenging you head-on and always in your corner,
— Coach VJ
This is the work I bring into locker rooms, boardrooms, and team environments.
If you’re looking to bring a mental performance message on confidence, pressure, and belief to your team or organization, you can connect with me here.
Check out my speaker tour dates here.
I also offer 1-on-1 mental performance coaching. You can learn more or book a conversation here.
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