10th Grade Peter was an Absolute Idiot!
Greetings from seat 10A, on my way from NYC to LAX to give a few keynotes on customer experience to some big companies.
So I was having a conversation the other day with an old high school buddy. We were talking about how we've changed since high school. He's become very successful in Hollywood, (like, you totally know his name) and I've had a tiny bit of success here in NYC.
I mentioned how much I cringe when I look back at 10th grade Peter - The kid who never knew when to shut up, the kid who wouldn't be diagnosed with ADHD for another 20 years, the kid who was constantly saying and doing awkward things, and the kid who had very, very few people who could tolerate him in his life, let alone people who he considered friends.
My buddy asked what I would have changed, if I could go back in time today and change things. I thought for a bit and answered:
Absolutely nothing.
Here's why: You can't hate the experience that shaped you, if you love who you've become from it.
In other words, wasting time hating on who you were or the things you did in the past is pointless, if you learned and grew from them.
I know that literally everything I am today, for good and for bad, is based on how I grew up, and every one of my actions in the past has molded me into the very person I am today. And despite whatever shortcomings I may still have (or whatever thousands of shortcomings I believe I have even though they're not real, thank you Imposter Syndrome,) I know that overall, to quote Dell Griffith from Planes, Trains and Automobiles, "I like me."
In the end, this 10th grade major screw up wound up turning into someone relatively OK. I'm proud of who I've become, and will keep striving, every single day, to continue to improve. For me, for my daughter, and for you.
Thank you for continuing to allow me into your lives. It's never, ever taken for granted.
Much love,
-Peter Shankman
PS: Boosa was kind enough to extend their battery pack promotion after they saw how many people picked up their Mega Power Bank from my last email. Grab it here - Use code SHANKMAN for 10% off.
As always, all my other discounts and links to the things that run my life are on my LinkTree.
Peter Shankman
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