Real Stories of the Normal 40

I Never Know Who I’m Going to Meet When I Hit “Join Meeting.”

Today, meet Paul.

For almost three years, I’ve opened my calendar to people who never thought they’d be here—elite performers, executives, entrepreneurs, career military, physicians. High achievers who have spent decades building success but now feel restless, stuck, or called to something more.

I’ve met with more than 1,000 professionals, each carrying a story—some standing at the edge, some in the fight, some who have made the leap.

Every conversation is different. Every story is worth telling.

This is one of them.

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Paul grew up in a small town in South Dakota, the kind of place where a good job was something you chased. You worked hard for it, earned it, and when you got it, you held onto it. Security wasn’t just the goal—it was the finish line. Once you built stability, you kept it.

And that’s exactly what Paul did, and he did it well.

He became the CEO of a growing company near his hometown. He was responsible for strategy, innovation, and driving growth in a field that was shaping the future of farming. His work mattered. His team mattered. His leadership was recognized. The growth was there. By every standard, Paul had made it.

And that outward success came with something else—a weight. A pressure.

When you have a job like Paul’s, you don’t let go of it. It’s too good to risk, too responsible to question. So he didn’t. Instead, for years, he convinced himself this was exactly what he wanted. That this was enough. That questioning it—looking for something more—was reckless. That change was irresponsible.

But when we talked on March 29, 2024, something had shifted.

At first, it was just a whisper—a feeling he couldn’t quite put into words. A restlessness. A heaviness. He felt trapped. Not because his life was bad or that his job wasn’t important. Not because his career wasn’t working. But because he had spent years moving forward, only to realize he wasn’t sure he wanted to keep going in the same direction. He didn’t think this was going to be the best work of his lifetime.

“It’s like I’ve built this thing I’m supposed to be proud of,” he said, “but I’ve worked myself out of choices.”

That was the dilemma—Standing inside a life that looked exactly the way it was supposed to—but wondering if it was still what he wanted.

I asked him about his dreams. If he could do anything, if nothing else mattered, what would he be chasing?

He was quiet for a long time before he finally answered.

“I don’t know. How bad is that?”

Well, let’s be honest, that’s why he was here. That’s why so many people book this call. They’re not calling because they have a clear vision of what they want next and are compelled to share. They’re calling because they feel something bigger inside, but they don’t know what it is. They only know it’s no longer what they are doing.

Paul wasn’t looking for permission to leave. He wasn’t even sure leaving was the answer. He just needed to know: Is there something more for me? Or is this as good as it gets?

At one point, he sighed, almost to himself, and said: “I just don’t want to screw this up.”

That’s the fear. Not failure. Not risk. Regret. The real question wasn’t, “What should I do?” It was, “What if I get this wrong?”

And that’s the thing about people like Paul. They don’t make reckless decisions; their success isn’t an accident. They don’t just throw away what they’ve built. They weigh every move carefully—they don’t want to get it wrong.

But what happens when the cost of standing still becomes heavier than the risk of moving forward?

That’s why Paul booked this call. And here’s what I know: once you let yourself ask these questions, you can’t unask them. You can push them down, bury them under routine and responsibility, but they don’t go away. They grow.

I still check in on Paul—he has a great story. He hasn’t made one massive, sweeping change, but that was never the goal. He’s making small trades, ones that shift his reality just enough to create space for what comes next. The next right decision. The next step toward something he chooses, not something he simply follows.

Someday, you’re going to get to meet Paul. And when you do, you’ll hear the rest of his story. For now, this is as much as I can share. But Paul is up to something.

Most people never even get this far—they never muster the courage to ask for a call or do the work of getting clarity on what’s next for them. Most people wait. They wait for certainty, confidence, and someone to show up and say, “Here, do this.” But that person never shows up, so they wait…wait until they feel ready.

Paul didn’t wait to call, and isn’t waiting to act.

And neither should you.

Because the life you want is possible. Finding it won’t be easy, obvious, or free.

It will be a trade. The Trade of a Lifetime.

It’s your ball, boss.

Pass or shoot.

If you’re ready to ramble, find me here: https://linktr.ee/lon.stroschein

Today, be up to something.

#normal40 #thetrade #uptosomething #jfds