The Lesson Beneath the Tracks

by Curtis Davis — CEO, Champion’s Voice

The train shook beneath my feet as it carved through the heart of Sri Lanka, steel wheels humming a rhythm older than the villages we passed. Warm wind pressed against my face as I stood in the open doorway, leaning out just far enough to feel alive, but not enough to tempt fate. Below me, the rails stretched forward like a story still being written. Ahead, jungle and tea fields unfolded like pages turning themselves.

It was supposed to be just another train ride.
Another day of travel.
Another adventure my younger self, a kid with limited resources and even more limited vision could’ve never imagined.

My wife and I were living in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, teaching at an international school and exploring Southeast Asia during school breaks. Sri Lanka was one of those breaks which was one more chance to experience a world that once felt impossibly far from where I started.

I had no idea that stepping into that open doorway would give me a lesson I would carry for the rest of my life.

The Ride That Became a Mirror

Seven hours on a train sounds long until you're living inside it.

Villages appeared and disappeared like quiet chapters clay homes, tin roofs, children waving with the kind of joy most adults lose somewhere along the way. Farmers paused to offer a nod that felt like a blessing.

And then there were the men maintaining the tracks.

Every few miles the train slowed just enough for me to see them clearly barefoot at times, tools older than they were, kneeling in the dirt, tightening bolts, clearing debris, aligning steel.

They worked without applause.
Without an audience.
Without their names ever being known.

Yet without them, none of us would reach our destination.

Something about that quiet sacrifice stayed with me. Not because it was dramatic but because it was deliberate.

“The world is full of people who will never be seen, but without their work, nothing ever moves forward.”
— Curtis Davis

Somewhere around the third hour, I realized I wasn’t thinking about where I was going. I wasn’t checking my phone. I wasn’t rushing anything.

I was simply there in the present, grounded, alive.

I sat down once, but it didn’t last long. Something pulled me back to the doorway, back to the wind and being a participant in the moment instead of a passenger passing through it.

I’ve always appreciated the journey.

Growing up with so little made every experience feel like a blessing. Every country, culture, every new horizon still feels like a gift. And standing in that doorway, I felt that same childlike wonder return.

The Moment That Shifted Everything

I took a photo leaning out of the train maybe to capture the moment, or to remind myself later that it was real.

But the real shift wasn’t in the picture.
It was in the perspective.

I’ve traveled across continents from the Great Wall of China to Machu Picchu… from gorilla trekking in Uganda to sitting on the edge of Devil's Pool in Victoria Falls, from floating in the Dead Sea in Jordan, to West Papua New Guinea, where I swam with rays and sharks. Every moment has been a blessing I never take for granted.

But the men on the tracks taught me something new.

They weren’t chasing anything.
They were living.
Showing up with pride and purpose even with little.

Their presence reminded me that gratitude isn’t passive, it’s perspective.

Our blessings don’t separate us from others; they connect us more deeply to the humanity we share.

The Lesson Beneath the Tracks

As the train rolled on, the metaphor grew clearer:

There are forces shaping your life even when you can’t see them.

People who help you stay aligned.
Moments that quietly guide you.
Lessons that prepare you long before you know you’ll need them.

Just like those tracks beneath the train,
your life is being built, maintained, and supported even when you're unaware of the work happening beneath your feet.

I thought about the seasons when I felt behind.
When direction felt uncertain.
When progress felt slow.

But standing in that doorway, I realized:

You’re not off track.
Your track is being prepared.
And your pace is your purpose.

You’re not late.
You’re not lost.
You are exactly where you need to be to learn what’s meant for you.

“The path beneath you is being built in silence. Trust the quiet construction.”
— Curtis Davis

Life Doesn’t Wait for Arrival… It Flows Through the Present

Travel humbles you and expands you all at once.

That train didn’t slow down for me.
But my mind did.

And in that stillness, I heard the voice that has carried me my entire life from poverty to possibility, from fear to faith, from limited vision to global perspective.

My inner voice.
The quiet one.
The true one.

It reminded me that purpose isn’t a destination.

Purpose is presence.
Purpose is gratitude.
Purpose is awareness.
Purpose is the willingness to stand in the doorway of your own life and feel the wind on your face.

On that train, I wasn’t chasing purpose.
I was recognizing it.

What This Means for You

You don’t need to cross oceans to learn what I learned that day.

Maybe you’re in a season of uncertainty.
Maybe you’re waiting for direction or clarity.
Maybe you’re wondering whether you missed your moment.

But hear this:

Life isn’t waiting for your arrival.
It’s happening right now.

The blessings, the lessons, the alignment is unfolding beneath your feet.

Just because you can’t see the entire track doesn’t mean it isn’t being built.

Sometimes you simply need to slow down long enough to feel the wind and notice the work being done on your behalf. Trust the quiet direction your life is taking.

Full-Circle Reflection

When the train finally stopped seven hours later, I stepped onto the platform different than when I boarded.

Not because my circumstances changed
but because my perspective did.

That’s the power of slowing down.
That’s the power of presence.
That’s the power of listening inward.

Somewhere between the villages, the workers, the fields, and the open doorway…
I heard my voice again.

The quiet one.
The true one.
The one that had been speaking the whole time.

Sometimes the journey doesn’t give you a new voice.
It simply gives you the stillness to hear the one you’ve always had.

If you’re seeking clarity, direction, or courage to move forward, I’d be honored to walk beside you.

My 1:1 coaching is designed to help you hear your own inner voice, trust your path, and live with more gratitude, presence, and purpose.

When you’re ready…
your next step is already on the tracks.

For Coaching, Mentorship, or Speaking Inquiries

Email Subject: I Am Ready to Begin

legacylounge@champions-voice.org