Your Future is Worth Creating a Lesson from My First Car


I had a governor on my first car that probably saved my life.

My 1987, black V-8 Camaro was a machine. And for some reason my parents were gracious enough to allow me to drive such a beast.

It topped out at 120 mph and friends today recall our memories together of doing “j-turns” that I secretly learned by watching Secret Service videos. (My first vocational ambition was to be a pilot for them.)

The governor kept me alive, but I never dared remove it to see what the car was truly capable of.

I see the same thing in high-capacity leaders every week.

We’re grateful for the limits that protect us…
but those same limits can become silent barriers to what’s possible.

At some point, the governor stops being a safeguard and becomes a lie we’ve agreed to.
A belief that throttles our life back.
A quiet voice telling us, “This is as far as you go.”

So we settle.
We coast.
We drift.

I see you.

I hear your heartbeat for the future. To open up the throttle and see what is possible.

You don’t want to get stuck. You don’t want to drift into a mediocre marriage, afraid of being fully known.

But right now, fear is your governor. Your past is your governor. The story you tell yourself is your governor.

Here’s the truth:

You’re not broken.
You’re not behind.

You have infinite potential—and sometimes that very potential is what steals your peace.

But there is more gas in the tank.
You know it.
You feel it.

And the moment you begin to make amends with your past—through forgiveness, reconciliation, healing of wounds—your creativity, courage, and calling begin to unlock.

Your future is worth creating.

And it’s time to take the governor off.

When you are ready, I will ride co-pilot with you and help you navigate the road ahead.

Do you want to create your future together? I believe one conversation can shift your 2026. This may be the one you need to schedule today.

Be Strong,

Lantz Howard

www.lantzhoward.com

PS. What is your leadership scorecard? Take the free assessment.

PSS. Here is my #1 book recommendation from this year and how it has transformed my coaching business.


Coach Lantz Howard

Unlock infinite potential and learn from inside coaching conversations how the top CEOs, business owners, and athletes lead wholeheartedly—without losing their soul.

Read more from Coach Lantz Howard

How Living Fearless Transformed My Coaching Business This Year and Could Change Your Business As Well I read this book 3-4 times this year and it is filled with simple and deep truths that have set my heart free. — 10 Quotes from Jamie Winship 1) “God never comes to you in a formula, and he never will. You know why? He respects and loves you too much to talk to you that way. He’s creative in how he talks. He’s mysterious.”2) “The mystery of you. Trust me, you do not know yourself. If you did,...

Yesterday, I found out a good friend lost his job. Then hearing from another friend—overwhelmed by the crushing weight of a payroll deadline to ensure his team members were paid. In that tension, I’m reminded of a deeper truth: We can practice the presence of deep contentment, no matter our current circumstances. Simple, but hard. (Journal prompts below.) I’m grateful for every single one of you. For every interaction. For reading my ramblings. For listening to the podcast. For the coaching...

Where Is God When You Have a $90,000 Payroll to Make? Recently, a client said to me, “I want to know where God is when I have a $90,000 payroll due this week. Sometimes it feels like He doesn’t really care about my business.” If you’re honest, have you felt that too? Where is God when the pressure builds? Where is He when you enter a hard season, or when leadership feels like a lonely grind? This is the real work I do with the men I serve — not the church answer, not the Sunday-school...