The Airport Conversation

A few monthss ago, I met a man at an airport bar during a long delay.
He was dressed like someone used to moving fast. Nice shoes, laptop bag, watch that probably cost more than the flight. But his eyes looked tired in a way that had nothing to do with sleep.

We started talking. Within minutes, he told me he was on his third connection that week. Different cities. Same meetings. Same conversations. Same results.

He laughed and said, “Funny thing is, I used to love airports. Now they just remind me how far I travel without really going anywhere.”

That line stuck with me.

He talked about his business, his success, the house he built, and the vacations he half-enjoyed because his mind never stopped racing. “Everyone says I’m living the dream,” he said. “But I don’t even know whose dream this is anymore.”

I asked him if he had ever written a letter to his future self.
He looked at me like I’d asked him if he’d ever tried skydiving without a parachute.

“Why would I do that?” he asked.

“Because sometimes the person you’re becoming has answers the person you are doesn’t want to face,” I said.

He sat quiet for a long time. Finally he said, “I think I’m scared that if I wrote it, I’d realize the life I’ve built doesn’t fit anymore.”

And there it was. Not burnout. Not boredom. Just the quiet fear of confronting the truth.

We didn’t talk about strategies or hacks or habits. We just sat there, watching people race to their gates. He eventually smiled, nodded slowly, and said, “Maybe when I land, I’ll start writing.”

Your Turn to Write

You don’t need an airport delay to realize you’ve been circling the same destination.
You just need a moment of honesty with yourself.

If your Future Self could meet you at the gate, what would they tell you to stop rushing past?
And if you could write one letter that changed your direction, what would it say?

Because every plane takes off for somewhere.
The question is, are you flying toward your future…
or away from it?