A Weekly Pause to Move You Forward
“Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.”
— Epictetus
I walked into the Charles Schwab office alone this week, still holding onto last week’s realization, the one I wrote about in All In. Going all in is powerful, but only if you know what you are going all in on.
I’ve pictured the future many times, but mainly from a comfortable distance.
Build something meaningful. Take care of the people I love. Leave room for opportunity.
It’s a nice way to think, broad enough that every version of life still fits if you squint.
But about ten minutes into the meeting, the advisor, a woman with a calm, matter-of-fact way of asking questions that do not feel optional, looked up and asked:
“So, how do you define enough?”
The room went quiet as I paused, thinking how to answer.
Imagining a future is one thing. Answering for it is another.
I’ve made big decisions before. Moving countries. Shifting careers. Stepping into uncertainty without the luxury of perfect timing. But none of those choices required what this question did. I had to narrow the frame, say something out loud, and watch the picture change the moment the words left my mouth.
The Versions of a Life
As I tried to answer, I could feel how much everything depended on the specifics I named.
A small family or a bigger one.
A home built for quiet routines or one built for noise and gathering.
Travel as a break or travel as a rhythm.
A life anchored in independence or one anchored in proximity.
Some versions felt within reach. Others felt like they belonged to a different decade of my life.