After 40: The Revealing Truth About Being "Behind"

I remember joining Facebook before it was open to the general public.

Back then, it felt like a neat way to connect with others across universities.

You could check out what others were doing, what their interests were, and how far removed they were from you in social circles.

It was the first time that I actually saw the Kevin Bacon effect in a graphical format.

Then, the platform started to take off.

Nearly twenty years later, it’s become a living, breathing, digital timeline…one that’s quietly documented the lives of my peers.

I’ve watched classmates go from undergrads to CEOs of their own companies.

I’ve reconnected with old friends who are now venture capitalists, published authors, wealthy investors, public speakers, and savvy entrepreneurs.

Want examples?

• One of my old undergraduate TAs helped launch Mint, which became what is now Credit Karma.

• Another one of our undergraduate interns for our research team went on to co-found Coinbase.

• Others are running thriving multi-million dollar companies, supporting global movements to fight climate change, making noise across every category imaginable.

And then…there’s me.

For the longest time, I felt like a spectator at a Nascar race.

• I’ve worked my butt off.

• I’ve built a life I’m proud to call my own.

• I’ve checked every box in the list provided to every immigrant parent when they step off the plane.

But the more I looked around that social media app, the more I realized that I didn’t see my impact. I didn’t see my legacy. I didn’t see my achievements.

I felt like the vast majority of my social network had left me behind.

You don’t feel it at first, that creeping sensation of being invisible, of being late to your own party.

It’s like standing in a tar pit as the vultures circle overhead.

The more I scrolled, the more convinced I was that it was too late to start something meaningful.

But here's the kicker about all that:

Some people build fast and break things (sexy).

Some build loud and bring the noise to the party (also sexy).

But some of us build silently…with depth, purpose, and meaning (super boring).

And when you do it like that, even a small digital footprint can become significant (super sexy).

That’s why when I turned 40, I started creating without a single clue where I was going.

Not to compete with my peers, but to contribute my perspectives.

Not to catch up with those who had already built empires, but to catch myself before I drowned in my own mid-life crisis (or is it quarter-life now?)

It took me a few years to figure out a few things, but even after all that time, I know I’m just getting started.

Give yourself a runway that’s longer rather than shorter.

Next, I’ll share with you how I busted through the “I’m not creative” mental block.

Because even once I wanted to share something with the internet, I had no idea where, or how, to get started.

And that’s what stops most even before they begin.