Nothing Great Starts Great
Dear Son,
I used to think I had to be good at something before I started.
Now I know — you get good by starting.
Everything I ever did started badly.
My writing, my sobriety, my income experiments, my first email list, even learning to use a computer back in the '90s…
None of it was graceful. None of it looked promising.
But I showed up. Again. And again.
And every time I came back, I got a little better.
We live in a world that worships polish and perfection.
But the truth is, nothing great starts great.
It starts awkward.
It starts uncertain.
It starts with the wrong fonts and run-on sentences and a voice in your head whispering, “Who do you think you are?”
I think we should answer that voice with this:
“I’m the guy who starts anyway.”
If I had a son, I’d want him to hear this:
Don’t wait until you're confident.
Confidence is the reward for action — not the requirement.
You want to build something that matters?
Start ugly. Start scared.
Start now.
Because nobody remembers how perfect you looked when you began.
They remember that you didn’t quit.
Your old man,
Fred
📌 This letter was written by Fred Ferguson (GeezerWise). If it spoke to you, I’d love to hear back—just hit reply.
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—Fred [GeezerWise]