I Don’t Say This Enough

Read time: 3 minutes

There’s something I don’t talk about enough.

And there's someone I don’t talk about enough either.

My mom.

Most of the stories I’ve shared with you tend to centre around my dad.

His boldness in business, his charisma, his larger-than-Life presence.

And those stories have shaped so much of who I am.

But when it comes to how I move through the world—how I see people, how I listen—a lot of that comes from my mother.

She’s the quiet force behind so many of my values.

And the way she’s led our family, mostly behind the scenes, has always been with intentionality and grace.

She’s not loud or showy. But she’s real.

She’ll tell you when something doesn’t feel right. She’ll tell you when you’re out of line. She’ll tell you the truth—even if it’s not what you want to hear.

And at the same time?

She’ll do more for you than most people ever would:

• Pick you up at the airport at 5 AM.

• Help you run across town for a shipment you forgot.

• Invite you to dinner, make you feel at home; remember your favourite tea.

Put simply, she’ll treat you like family whether you’ve known her for a decade or a day.

Because that’s just who she is. Honest. Generous. Real.

And watching her as I was growing up taught me one of the most important lessons I’ve carried with me into my coaching, my relationships, and my Life:

The power of acknowledgement.

Now—let me be clear. I’m not talking about compliments.

I’m not referring to the typical “You look good today” or “I love your outfit.”

Acknowledgement isn’t flattery. It’s Truth.

It’s naming something you genuinely see in someone—and saying it out loud.

It could be how someone always makes time for others.

How they stay grounded under pressure.

How they lead with love even when they’re tired.

That kind of acknowledgement? People feel it. Because it’s real.

And when it comes from someone like my mom—someone who’s not afraid to say the hard thing—it lands even deeper.

Because it’s not sugar-coated. It’s not performative. It’s the genuine truth.

And I think we need more of that.

Especially in a world that rewards politeness but avoids realness.

Especially in a culture where we scroll past thousands of highlight reels but rarely pause to say what we really see in one another.

I’ve carried that lesson with me everywhere I go.

Into my coaching sessions, into my friendships, even into passing conversations with strangers.

Because here’s the truth:

We live in a world obsessed with diagnosing what’s wrong.

How to fix yourself. How to be better. How to “optimize.”

But not everything needs fixing.

Some things just need to be seen.

That’s why acknowledgement matters. And not just on birthdays or big milestones.

Right now. On a regular day. In the middle of someone’s messy, ordinary Life.

One of my favourite things my mom always said was...

She meant it about laundry, dishes, paying a bill.

But I think it applies here, too.

If you can notice someone’s goodness in under five minutes?

Say it now.

If someone’s been showing up for others in ways that go unnoticed?

Tell them now.

If someone’s been quietly growing, healing, trying?

Acknowledge them now.

Because those words stick.

They become part of someone’s memory. A moment they replay on hard days. A truth they didn’t know they needed until you said it.

I was reminded of this again recently during a session, when I acknowledged a client for something they didn’t even realize they were doing.

Their eyes welled up.

They told me, “No one’s ever said that to me before.”

And that moment changed the course of our entire session.

Because when someone feels seen, they start to see themselves differently, too!

So today, I want to acknowledge my mom.

Not just for raising us well, but for modelling what it means to be a real human being.

For reminding me that you don’t need to always agree with someone to love them.

For teaching us to speak with kindness and listen with care.

For leading by example, even when no one was watching.

And that acknowledgement—true acknowledgement—isn’t just what’s rare.

It’s what’s real.

So, with that—I want to pass that invitation along to you:

Who could you acknowledge today?

Not because they need fixing. But because they deserve to be seen.

Pick one person. Text them. Call them. Look them in the eye and tell them what you see.

It won’t cost you much.

But it might mean the world to them.

Thank you for reading!

Much love,

Julian