Sometimes the right questions can pull out truths you did not even realize you were carrying. Recently, I went through an exercise: ten questions, one at a time, designed to get past the surface. The answers surprised me, not because they were unfamiliar, but because they showed me patterns I had not fully noticed before.
What I Discovered About Myself
When asked when I felt the most aligned in life, my answer came without hesitation: right now. I am living in harmony between my work and my family. That alignment is not about perfect circumstances. It is about balance, presence, and gratitude.
As I thought about the future, I imagined a natural shift: Chase in college, Quinn close behind, and me stepping into a season where retirement starts to feel near. My picture of that stage is simple. Long walks with Karen, still doing meaningful work but only with the clients I enjoy, and traveling to see the kids. It struck me how ordinary yet fulfilling that vision is.
When asked what I would want to master by then, my answer was not something brand new, but what I already do. Marketing, web, and social media pushed to the next level of speed, precision, and creativity. My drive is not about finding new mountains to climb, but sharpening the tools I already use.
The Core That Shows Up Again and Again
The biggest surprise was how every question circled back to the same truth: my family is my North Star.
When I pictured what lesson my kids might take from me, it was simple: always keep learning, be creative, enjoy the process, and surround yourself with good people. When I thought about how I would want to be remembered, I did not imagine trophies or milestones. I imagined Scrabble games with Chase, Uno with Quinn, coffee with Karen, and quiet talks with my parents. It is the everyday interactions that carry the most weight.
Even the advice I would give my younger self, “Believe in yourself. You are good enough,” is less about chasing more, and more about trusting that the love, consistency, and growth I value now were always enough.
A Life That Already Feels Full
The final question asked me what future moment I would want to witness. My answer surprised me: I did not have one. I realized everything I truly want to see, the kids growing up, Karen and I walking into new seasons of life together, the small daily rhythms, I can actually see if life gives me time. I do not need a window into the impossible. I just need to live long enough to enjoy what is already unfolding.
The Mantra I Will Carry Forward
At the end of the exercise, I distilled everything into one mantra I can carry with me:
“I am enough. I grow with creativity and purpose. My true success is found in the love I share, the moments I live, and the family I walk beside.”
It is not flashy, but it is true. And it is a reminder that sometimes, the big revelations are not about who we could be. They are about finally recognizing who we already are.
