A letter to myself 10 years ago

Life is unpredictable, but the best is always yet to come.

Hey dude,

It’s hard to believe you’re 36 now.

The last 10 years have been pretty wild. We’ve learned a lot about life together. About how to parent, how to take risks, how to fail, and how to exit uncomfortable situations.

The situation you’re in right now… it’s going to pass.

Your dad is going to end up clean and sober. He’ll have another couple heart attacks, but he’ll be resilient and find a way to power through.

He’s actually going to end up re-married and living a life he never thought possible.

So keep doing all that you’re doing to push him forward.

You’re going to end up a girl dad. To TWO little blonde girls. We’re not really sure where the blonde comes from, but it’s adorable.

I know, I know, it’ll be an adjustment at first but believe it or not, they’ll end up showing an interest in sports and playing hockey. It’s really special.

You’re also a few years away from a global pandemic that will change everything in your life. The sports world will come to a complete stop, and it will give you the time and space to think about what’s best for your career.

You’ll finally make a run at getting into hockey operations with the Maple Leafs, and have your skillset and hockey IQ validated by the front office, but it just won’t end up working out.

So you’ll jump to a role in tech sales. You’ll make double what you’re making in sports, but you’ll learn what you DON’T want to do with your career. And the high pressure and stress will be so immense that you’ll start smoking weed every night again to cope.

And unfortunately this will coincide with some tough times in your marriage. It doesn’t end up working out the way you had hoped. You’ll be forced to separate and only see your kids half the time. But the time you do spend with them will be absolutely incredible. It all ends up working out.

Here’s where it gets a bit crazy, my man.

You start working with a coach and she helps you visualize what you actually want in life. You give up smoking weed AND you give up alcohol. And the clarity of thought leads you towards what you were always meant to do.

You’ll quit your job and completely bet on yourself and the gift you have of helping people become the best versions of themselves.

Along the way, YOU will become the best version of yourself. And as a result, the world will bring you to your soulmate… she was just living in Montreal the entire time.

The next 10 years are really going to test you. Nothing about it will be easy. Keep your chin up. Keep that calm, steady demeanour that has always guided you.

The best is yet to come.