I got some shocking advice from my 4-year-old recently.

She was talking to her mom when the idea of Mommy and Daddy being old came up.

Now, our daughter is wise beyond her years.

We talk to her like an adult, not treating her like a baby unless she needs the love and attention every toddler needs.

Because of this, she’s become more confident, thoughtful, and unafraid to speak her mind.

So, when the conversation turned to wishing we were younger like her, she said something that stuck with us:

“Mom, you can’t grow down, you can only grow up.”

At first, it sounds like a simple, cute, mixed-up phrase you could easily dismiss.

But when you really think about it, she’s already learned a lesson many adults avoid facing:

You can’t go backward, no matter how much you wish you could.

You can’t grow down.

Time is the one thing you can never get back.

The world keeps turning, and too often people look at the dark side of that truth. Letting it weigh them down instead of letting it become a powerful reminder.

Instead of wishing for something else – you need to live the life you have now.

Use this current season of life as your launch pad.

Stay positive, work with the resources you have, and rely on the support system and team around you.

Always strive to be the best version of yourself, even when you stumble or hit rough patches.

That’s where your real strength is built.

Because at the end of the day, it’s not about wishing for a different past.

It’s about building your future and your legacy with the time you have.

You can’t grow down.

But you can grow forward.

And you can do it with intention, excitement, and the drive to become the person your younger self would have admired – and the person your children will one day thank you for becoming.

To your Legacy,

Chris Witmer
Founder, Legacy Wealth HQ