Dear Younger Fred… success won't feel the way you think it will…
When you're 19, you'll make yourself a promise…
"When I can buy my first home… I'll feel like I'm on top of the world."
"When I make $80,000 a year… I'll finally feel successful."
"When I hit that milestone… everything will get easier."
It'll feel logical at the time.
You'll attach happiness to numbers.
You'll attach peace to outcomes.
You'll attach identity to achievements.
So you'll grind.
You'll push.
You'll chase.
And what happens when you hit those milestones?
No cinematic moment.
No scene from a movie.
No instant transformation.
Just a quiet exhale.
A brief pause.
A subtle whisper —
"Okay… made it."
But underneath that whisper sits something nobody talks about:
Relief.
Relief that you didn't fail.
Relief that the sacrifice wasn't for nothing.
Relief that the younger version of you would be proud.
But relief isn't the same as fulfillment.
Relief doesn't last very long.
And once it fades, you'll notice something you aren't prepared for —
your problems don't disappear… they just evolve.
Your mind will quietly move the goalposts:
"Maybe $100,000 will feel better."
"Maybe a second property will feel real."
"Maybe when I have kids…"
"Maybe when I retire…"
"Maybe… maybe… maybe."
It'll take years to realize this truth:
Success on paper doesn't guarantee peace in your heart.
You'll learn that the joy doesn't come at the peak.
It rarely arrives at the finish line.
It shows up in the meanwhile.
In the moments you once rushed through:
A morning coffee in silence.
A deep conversation with a colleague.
Having a client who trusts you — and is truly thankful.
Hearing your son say, "Dada… I wove you."
Rediscovering your spouse over dinner… not as a parent, but as a person.
Those are the moments that unexpectedly make life feel rich.
Those are the moments you'll miss when you're older.
Those are the moments success was supposed to be about in the first place.
But you won't know that at 19.
At 19, you'll think success is loud.
Later you'll learn it's quiet.
At 19, you'll think success feels like winning.
Later you'll learn it feels like belonging.
At 19, you'll think success is about being "ahead."
Later you'll learn it's about feeling whole.
And eventually, you'll look back and say:
"The target was never the reward… the journey was."
If you only live for the milestones, life becomes a checklist.
If you live for the moments between them, life becomes an experience.
So here's the real question, Fred…
Now that you're older and wiser…
What part of the journey are you rushing through today?
Baaaaam — that's it for today.
See you next Thursday.
Stay curious,
Fred
