You stayed
You stayed after the excitement faded. After progress slowed. After the easy answers stopped working.
You stayed when the meetings got quieter. When fewer people clapped. When the work stopped being impressive and started being necessary.
You stayed when being right wasn’t enough. When effort didn’t guarantee outcomes. When certainty failed you.
And you stayed when leaving would’ve been easier. When quitting would’ve preserved the story. When staying meant carrying the mess instead of narrating it.
That’s when the work began to count.
And that’s when staying changed you.