What’s Your Ian Jansen Moment?

Movement 01

The Moments That Stay With Us

There are moments in life that change us forever.

Not because they were dramatic.

Not because they made the news.

Not because everyone remembers them.

But because we remember them.

A moment where someone else's courage became a mirror.

A moment where we saw not only who they were—but who we wished we were.

I call these moments Ian Jansen Moments.

And I want to tell you about mine.

Movement 02

A Journey of Becoming

I have a belief.

Now, you don't have to agree with it.

But it has shaped how I see the world.

I believe we are all on a journey.

A journey of growth.

A journey of becoming.

I believe we're here to experience life in all its forms—the joy, the heartbreak, the victories, the failures, the love, the loss.

And perhaps the purpose of all these experiences is to slowly evolve into something greater.

Some people might call it wisdom.

Others might call it enlightenment.

I call it growing closer to godliness.

Not perfection.

Not holiness.

Just becoming a little more compassionate.

A little more courageous.

A little more loving.

A little more selfless.

One life lesson at a time.

One decision at a time.

One flower at a time.

Have you ever met someone who seemed wise beyond their years?

A kid who somehow understood things that most adults struggle to grasp?

They seem grounded.

Centered.

They don't get distracted by all the noise.

They instinctively know the difference between what's important and what's not.

They show compassion before they've been taught compassion.

They show courage before they've been taught courage.

I've always wondered if those people are simply older souls.

…People who have spent more time tending their gardens.

….People who have planted more flowers.

Movement 03

The Tests We Never See Coming

Because life gives all of us opportunities.

Tests.

Not the kind you take in school.

The kind you take in moments.

Moments where nobody tells you it's a test.

Moments where there is no warning.

Moments where your character gets revealed before your brain has time to negotiate with your fears.

And one of those moments happened to me when I was in high school.

Movement 04

A High School Lunch

I was probably fifteen or sixteen years old.

Sophomore year.

It was lunchtime.

I was sitting outside on the grass with a bunch of other students.

A pretty normal day.

Nothing special.

Nothing memorable.

At least that's how it started.

Then a group of older kids—popular kids—started making fun of a girl with disabilities.

At first it seemed harmless.

Then it got worse.

And worse.

And worse.

They turned her into entertainment.

They turned her pain into a lunch show.

And I remember feeling sick watching it.

I remember knowing it was wrong.

I remember feeling bad for her.

But I also remember something else.

I wasn't going to do anything.

Movement 05

When Fear Keeps Us Seated

That's the part of the story I don't love telling.

But it's true.

I wasn't going to step in.

I was scared.

I was worried they'd turn on me.

I was worried what people would think.

I was worried about becoming the next target.

I was worried about my social standing.

I was worried about myself.

And fear has a funny way of disguising itself as logic.

Fear whispers:

"Stay out of it."

"Not your problem."

"Someone else will handle it."

"You don't want trouble."

And I listened.

I sat there.

Quiet.

Watching.

Movement 06

Ian Stands Up

Then something happened.

A classmate of mine stood up.

His name was Ian Jansen.

Ian wasn't bigger than everyone.

He wasn't looking for attention.

He wasn't trying to become a hero.

But he saw something wrong.

And he couldn't let it continue.

He stood up.

And he unloaded on those kids.

I mean he absolutely let them have it.

No hesitation.

No committee meeting.

No polling the audience.

No checking which way the social winds were blowing.

Just action.

Pure action.

Then he did something I'll never forget.

He reached out his hand to the girl.

Helped her up.

And walked her away from the situation.

Simple.

Powerful.

Human.

And I sat there stunned.

Absolutely stunned.

Because in that moment I wasn't just watching Ian.

I was watching courage.

Real courage.

Not movie courage.

Not superhero courage.

Not social media courage.

Actual courage.

The kind that costs something.

The kind that puts you at risk.

The kind that says:

"I know there may be consequences, but this is more important."

Movement 07

Inspired and Ashamed

And then something happened inside me.

I felt inspired.

And ashamed.

At the exact same time.

Have you ever had that feeling?

Where someone's greatness illuminates your own weakness?

Not because they intended to.

Not because they judged you.

But because they showed you what was possible.

And suddenly you realize you chose fear when courage was available.

That's what I felt.

I remember thinking:

"I could have done that."

Not physically.

Not because I was brave.

But because I had the opportunity.

The opportunity was there.

The choice was there.

The test was there.

And I failed it.

Ian passed it.

Movement 08

The Seed That Stayed

Now here's the fascinating part.

I've thought about that moment for decades.

Decades.

I couldn't tell you what I had for lunch that day.

I couldn't tell you what class I went to afterward.

I couldn't tell you who won the football game that year.

But I remember Ian standing up.

I remember it vividly.

Because it planted a seed.

The thing about seeds is they don't announce themselves.

You don't hear them growing.

You don't see them changing.

But underground, something is happening.

And for years that moment stayed with me.

Whenever I found myself in situations where standing up was difficult...

Whenever speaking up carried risk...

Whenever doing the right thing wasn't the easy thing...

I thought about Ian.

Movement 09

Our Silent Heroes

And here's what I've realized.

We all have people like this in our lives.

Silent heroes.

People who changed us without ever knowing they changed us.

People who planted flowers in our gardens.

Teachers.

Parents.

Friends.

Co-workers.

Strangers.

People who modeled something so powerful that it became part of us.

And most of them never knew how they… or even that they… impacted us.

Ian probably went home that day and forgot about the entire incident.

For him it may have been Tuesday.

For me it became a life lesson.

That's the power we all carry.

We dramatically underestimate the impact we have on other people.

We think influence comes from speeches.

Titles.

Followers.

Money.

Fame.

But most influence happens in ordinary moments.

A child watches how you treat a waiter.

A friend watches how you respond during adversity.

A coworker watches how you handle success.

A stranger watches how you treat someone who can't do anything for you.

And without realizing it, you're teaching.

Without realizing it, you're planting seeds.

Without realizing it, you're helping someone grow their garden.

Movement 10

What Are You Planting?

The older I get, the more I believe that life isn't measured by what we accumulate.

It's measured by what we cultivate.

Character.

Compassion.

Kindness.

Courage.

Integrity.

Love.

These are the flowers.

And every day life asks us a simple question:

"What are you planting today?"

Because eventually we all face our Ian Jansen moment.

A moment where we can stay seated.

Or stand up.

A moment where we can remain silent.

Or speak.

A moment where we can choose comfort.

Or courage.

And those moments define us.

Not because they're big.

But because they're transformational.

Movement 11

Thank You, Ian

So today I want to do two things.

First, I want to say thank you.

Thank you, Ian.

You probably have no idea how much that moment affected me.

You probably have no idea how many times I've thought about it.

But you planted a seed that has been growing for decades.

And you've made me a better man because of it.

And second, I want to ask you, the listener:

What's your Ian Jansen moment?

Who planted a seed in your garden?

Who inspired you?

Who showed you what courage looked like?

Who changed your life without ever knowing it?

And maybe an even more important question:

Who are you becoming an Ian Jansen for?

Because somewhere, right now, someone is watching you.

A child.

A friend.

A coworker.

A stranger.

And they may remember something you do this week for the rest of their life.

One act of kindness.

One act of courage.

One act of integrity.

One flower.

That's all it takes.

And before you know it...

You've changed someone's garden forever.

Until next time, keep growing.

One flower at a time.

And never underestimate the power of your Ian Jansen moment. 🌱🎙️