My ‘One Word’ this week is: PERSPECTIVE

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐠𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐬 𝐈 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐬:

One at 26.

One at 43.

Because they gave me, early in life, the most powerful edge we all need:

𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄

At 26, I was young, building my career in NYC, and had just committed to a woman I had spent five years getting to know as a friend.

𝐀 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫.

In my mind, there was no way she was going to stick around.

But she did. Without hesitation.

She was in med school, and I will never forget sitting in my kitchen, telling her,

“I may never be able to have kids. So if you are going to break up with me, do it now.”

She looked at me and said, “We’ll adopt. I want us to build a life together. That’s what matters most.”

That moment taught me something that changed my life.

𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐚 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐦.

Fast forward 17 years.

Now it was her turn.

𝐀𝐭 𝟒𝟑, 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫.

𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞, 𝐰𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐤𝐢𝐝𝐬, 𝟗 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝟏𝟐.

And the fear hit different.

I remember being in the shower before we told the kids, looking up and pleading,

“𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞, 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐧 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐙𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐚 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥.”

We made it.

We are both still here.

And I will never take that for granted.

Those two experiences rewired my life.

Because while I was climbing the corporate ladder, chasing titles, promotions, and big wins,

𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐧’𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬.

❤️ The only thing that lasts is love.

❤️ The relationships you nurture along the way.

❤️ The people you show up for and who show up for you.

And here is the truth.

𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞.

So if you are young and chasing success, do not forget to chase what matters more.

💪 Time.

💪 Love.

💪 Presence.

💪 People.

I hope you never get the gifts I did.

But if you do, may they give you the same thing they gave me.

𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄