Memories Are Made of This

Welcome to the 127th edition of “In Touch”. As always, I would love to continue the conversation so please hit reply and let me know what you think.

Story of the Week: “Memories Are Made of This”

Last week in Tulum, Mexico, Bert Meulman – an investor and former CEO I had met at my hotel – asked me what I had seen so far and I had to admit something I wasn’t proud of. While I had enjoyed my time offering mentorship to a unique individual there, I had seen nothing. I had spent two and a half days at the hotel, working one-to-one with my mentee.

He looked at me and said something that stayed with me. “If you leave Mexico like this, you’ll only remember the mentorship… and not even in detail. In a few years, you won’t remember this hotel or what your room looked like. We only remember the things we actually go out and experience.”

I told him I had thought about visiting Chichén Itzá, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, but it was three hours away and another three back. Too far, too tiring, too much trouble. He smiled and said, “That’s exactly why you will remember it.”

So, I went. And he was right. Those six hours of travel and that one hour on site will stay with me far longer than anything else from this trip. Standing there, I understood why people fly from all over the world to see it. It’s not just the extraordinary Pyramid of Kukulcan but the sense of history and human effort behind it that stops you in your tracks.

It reminded me how often we avoid things that require extra effort… in life, in our work and with our teams. We stay where it’s comfortable, close and convenient. Yet the most meaningful experiences are almost always located a bit further away.

So maybe take a moment this week to ask yourself: What is the “big thing” you’ve been postponing because it feels inconvenient or time-consuming… and how much richer would your story be if you finally went ahead and did it?

Words of Wisdom

“Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.” Helen Keller

“One day you will wake up and there won’t be any more time to do the things you’ve always wanted. Do it now.” Paulo Coelho

“In the end, we only regret the chances we didn’t take.” Lewis Carroll

A Question to Ponder, dear friend.

What “big thing” have you been postponing because it feels inconvenient?