Give This Moment Everything You've Got

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There are moments we experience—and messages we receive—on this journey of life and leadership that can forever transform how we live, how we lead, how we love, and how we show up in the world.

And there comes a time when the curtain closes on a chapter… and the next one begins.

For many of us, these transitions aren’t easy. Letting go of a job, a title, a routine, an environment, or a relationship can feel like leaving behind a piece of ourselves—especially when our heart, identity, and soul have been so deeply tethered to the process, the mission, and the people.

T.J. Oshie knows this inner battle well.

This month, the Washington Capitals right wing—an admired leader, a Stanley Cup champion, and one of the NHL’s most clutch performers—announced his retirement after 16 remarkable seasons. But it wasn’t just his accolades or highlights that made his retirement message resonate. It was the lesson he carried all the way to the end of his playing career:

“Back in my younger years, my dad, along with the other coaches, would always put up a laminated quote on the door. The quote read, ‘Today I will give all I have, for this moment may never come again.’ That has always stuck with me because that is the only thing I’ve ever had full control over," Oshie said.

"No amount of skill, size, or speed could control how hard I worked. That was only up to me.”

Oshie went on to thank his family, teammates, fans, coaches and the game of hockey—and he made one final promise:

“The moment my skates touched the ice, I gave you everything I had.”

This isn’t just a message about hockey. It’s a message about life and leadership.

In a world full of turbulence, transitions, and uncertainty, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed—to spiral, to fear, to second-guess, to shrink. But the truth is, every day, we have the unique opportunity to center and ground ourselves in what we can control: Our attention. Our presence. Our effort. Our attitude.

Some days, the energy won’t be there. Some days we will be good, and some days we will not. The rhythm will be off. The body will feel fatigued, and the mind will feel overwhelmed. The team will be out of sync. The environment will feel heavy. We will be yearning for a crack of light amidst the darkness.

But it’s in these exact moments and days—the uninspiring ones, the unseen ones, the dark ones, the inconvenient ones—where true leadership and character are forged.

We don’t need to be flawless. We just need to be real—to show up flawed, human, and more than enough in our sacred nature. With focus. With humility. With heart. With empathy. With courage.

To give what we can, even when it doesn’t feel like much. Because that “not much” might just be everything—and a saving grace to someone else. It might just be a gentle reminder to ourselves for why we do what we do.

You may not control the scoreboard, the outcome, or how others receive your work and impact. That’s not truly ours to control. But we do control how we respond to this moment in our living and leadership. You do control whether you fully show up—with presence, grace and effort—and stay committed and disciplined to growing, to learning, and to transforming lives around you.

So give this moment—and the next one, if it comes—everything you have. Not in fear of what tomorrow brings, but in gratitude for what today holds.

Because when that final chapter closes, and you step away from the role, the title, the job, the team, or the career… you’ll be able to look back like T.J. Oshie did, with little regret, no “woulda, shoulda, coulda”—just deeper peace and clarity.

Peace and clarity in knowing you gave your best to the process, to the people, and to the craft.

And that—leadership and presence—is transformational and felt long after the chapter ends, the curtain comes down, and the sun sets.

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