The Version of You You Haven’t Met Yet

How to Break Out of Our Box—At Any Age

When we had our first child, I looked down at our tiny, beautiful newborn boy and had a thought I’ll never forget:

“He could become anything… an astronaut… a future president… an engineer… or end up living under a lifeguard tower.”

In that moment, I realized something deeper:

We’re all born with infinite possibility, but spend most of our lives slowly building walls around ourselves.

Everything comes down to choices, courage, and perspective.

We’re made to grow. To reinvent.

To chase what’s possible instead of just managing what’s safe.

But most people don’t.

They let life slowly shrink their dreams—until the box they live in is barely big enough to stretch their arms.

This week’s edition is about breaking that box.

And proof that it’s never too late.

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The Daily Choice to Reinvent

Here’s what I’ve learned after building multiple companies and watching thousands of others do the same:

Every day, you wake up with a choice—stay the same, or evolve.

We live in the single greatest moment in history to reinvent ourselves:

• AI allows you to explore the world and any concept 24/7, more accurate and faster than ever.
  
• The best teachers in the world have published their lessons on YouTube.
  
• You can start a business / book / adventure  with a laptop and Wi-Fi.
  

But… most people act like their whole future was locked in at 25.

The truth? Your potential doesn't have an expiration date.

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Proof It’s Never Too Late (Or Too Early)

Let me give you some examples that will blow your mind:

He was a janitor scraping by to feed his family.

Started writing horror stories in his free time.

Threw his draft in the trash… his wife found it and asked him to finish the story.

The story was Carrie, and sold over 400 million books.

Stephen King — age 26 when he became a novelist.

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He was broke, 62, and living in his car.

Pitched a fried chicken recipe from diner to diner.

Built a global fast food empire.

Colonel Sanders — age 62 when he launched KFC.

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He was selling milkshake machines in his 50s.

Saw something special in a small burger joint.

Turned McDonald’s into a worldwide brand.

Ray Kroc — age 52 when he scaled McDonald’s.

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She was a journalist with no tech background.

Started a blog in her 50’s.

Sold it to AOL for $315 million.

Arianna Huffington — age 55 when she built Huffington Post.

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He sold his first company at 47, unsure of what came next.

Started a domain registry from scratch.

Turned it into GoDaddy.

Bob Parsons — age 50 when launched GoDaddy.

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She raised kids on a farm and never took an art class.

Picked up a paintbrush at 78.

Her work now hangs in world-famous museums.

Grandma Moses — age 78 when she started painting.

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He was a retired teacher with a story to tell.

At 66, wrote about his impoverished Irish childhood.

Won the Pulitzer Prize.

Frank McCourt — age 66 when he wrote Angela’s Ashes.

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She lived in a quiet village and kept to herself.

Sang on a talent show stage at 47

Her debut album broke UK sales records.

Susan Boyle — age 47 when she became a star.

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He sold siding for decades.

Returned to comedy in his 40s.

Became a stand-up legend.

Rodney Dangerfield — age 46 when he came back to the stage.

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He was a war veteran trying to ease his pain.

Tinkered in his backyard lab to find a cure for morphine addiction.

Invented Coca-Cola.

John Pemberton — age 55 when he created Coca-Cola.

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She trained as a figure skater, then worked in journalism.

Designed her own wedding dress.

Then at 40, built a global fashion empire.

Vera Wang — age 40 when she became a designer.

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He ran a small store in Arkansas.

At age 44, bet everything on a new kind of retail.

Built Walmart.

Sam Walton — age 44 when he started Walmart.

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She was on welfare and battling depression.

Wrote in cafés between caring for her daughter.

Created Harry Potter.

J.K. Rowling — age 32 when she became a novelist.

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He never sang before. 

Filled in last-minute for a friend at a school talent show.

Four years later, hit #1 globally.

Benson Boone — age 18 when he sang for the first time.

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Each of these people made a decision: "I'm going to become someone new."

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5 Methods for Staying Curious and Learning Fast

The gap between who you are and who you could become isn't as wide as you think. Here's how to bridge it:

1. Learn Fast, Learn Often

We're living in the age of infinite teachers. ChatGPT, Claude, and other AI tools can explain any concept at your exact level of understanding. Want to learn quantum physics? Python programming? Hit song writing? Ancient philosophy? You now have a tutor available 24/7.

Ignorance is now simply a choice.

2. Commit to Consistent Daily Practice

Small, daily actions compound into extraordinary results. Instead of trying to master something in huge binges, dedicate 20-30 minutes every single day to your new pursuit. This consistency rewires your brain faster than sporadic intense sessions (similar to how small daily workouts outperform 3-hours of exercise once per week). 

Your future self will thank you for the compound interest of daily progress.

3. Embrace the Beginner's Mind (Kill Your Ego)

Here's the brutal truth: the biggest barrier to learning new things isn't lack of ability—it's ego. 

Your ego is the enemy of reinvention. 

The further you get in life, the more respect you've likely gained, and it becomes harder to be willing to look stupid. But the people most willing to look stupid are the ones who learn fastest. They become unstoppable.

In 100 years, everyone alive today will no longer be around… so don’t worry about what they think. Go try new things.

4. Put Yourself in New Environments

Go where you don’t belong.

Attend a conference in a new industry.

Travel somewhere unfamiliar.

New environments force new neural pathways and expose you to ways of thinking you'd never encounter in your usual circles.

New context = new wiring.

5. Start Before You're Ready

Perfectionism is the enemy of progress. You don't need a perfect plan, the ideal moment, or complete knowledge before you begin. You need one thing: the courage to start badly. 

Start clumsy. Start uncertain. Just start.

Clarity comes through action.

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The Science of Reinvention

Here's what neuroscience tells us: your brain remains plastic throughout your entire life. Every time you learn something new, you're brain rewires itself. It’s not age that limits us, it’s stagnation. 

The people who keep growing are the ones who stay curious. They ask better questions. They seek out discomfort. They choose learning over pride.

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Your Move: Start Now

You don't need permission to become someone new. You don't need credentials, connections, or a perfect plan.

You need one thing: the decision to begin.

What’s one thing you’d try if you knew you couldn't fail?

Don’t wait for someday.

Spend 30 minutes today taking the first step.

In our connected, AI-powered, resource-rich world, failure has become a temporary inconvenience, not a permanent sentence.

Because there’s a version of you you haven’t met yet.

And they’re waiting for you to show up.