One Moment. One Life. One Legacy.

We were at the top of a mountain in Split, Croatia a few weeks ago. The Adriatic sparkled below. The sun warmed my face. I was surrounded by family, joy, and that rare sense of stillness that comes when you’re fully present—grateful, content, and in awe of the world around you.

Then someone called my name. I was stunned.

A man walked toward me with his wife and young daughter. “Scott,” he said, “it’s Aravind.”

It took me a moment to place him—it had been nearly 20 years.

“I don’t think I ever thanked you,” he said. “You gave me my first break. That chance you took on me—it changed my life.”

Nearly two decades ago, I had recruited Aravind straight out of college into investment banking. I mentored him, helped him prepare for the rigorous interview process, and supported him in landing that all-important first job. He spent a decade in investment banking and now runs a financial services group in Switzerland.

A few days later, he followed up with a message that stopped me in my tracks:

Getting that first investment banking break changed mine and many others’ career trajectory. We owe it to you. My dad was just saying the other day how lucky I got with that first opportunity.

That encounter brought me back to a lunch I had just a few months earlier with Ido—the very first analyst I ever hired. As we shared memories and laughs over lunch, he looked me in the eye and said,

“You changed my life. That was one of the biggest breaks I’ve ever had.”

That’s when it hit me.

I didn’t set out to change lives. I just made time. I answered a call. I shared advice. I followed up. I said yes, even when it would have been easier to say no or ignore.

I made helping others a priority.

And when I reflect on what I’m most proud of in life, it’s not titles, deals, or accolades. It’s moments like those. The lives I’ve touched. The people I’ve lifted. The hearts I’ve impacted.

That’s my legacy.

Not a plaque on a wall. Not a line on a resume. But the echoes of encouragement, the sparks of belief, the doors opened for someone else.

That’s what The Life Is Too Short Guy is all about.

Minutes Matter. Don’t waste them.
Live Today. Don’t Wait For Tomorrow. Tomorrow isn’t promised.
Lead With Kindness. Smile Often. Say Yes.
And perhaps most of all – Can’t Make It Alone. We all need someone in our corner.

I want to challenge you:

 Who can you reach out to today?
 Who needs your encouragement, your time, your network, your belief?
 What small act can you take that just might become someone else’s turning point?

Write the email.
Make the call.
Mentor the student.
Open the door.
Say the words.

Because one day, maybe 20 years from now, someone might tap you on the shoulder halfway around the world, look you in the eyes, and say,

“You changed my life.”

Standing on that mountain, I felt the full weight, and beauty, of that moment.

You never know how far one act of kindness can go.
One moment. One life. One legacy.

Go change a life. Today!

Keep smiling,
Scott