What's the point of this?

No music, no intro, this is The Morgan Snyder Show.

I spent the last week in the panhandle of Florida.

If you’ve never been, this is what you’re missing out on:

Beautifully clear water, fishes swimming all around you, the whitest, softest sand that you’ll ever walk upon, and 100% humidity.

You can’t get away from it.

When you’re away from the ocean, you’ll still be breathing water.

You can’t forget about the seafood. There is something very special about fried grouper, mango salsa, and eating tacos while looking over the bright blues and greens of the sea.

For a moment, you forget the world you left behind and in my case, lost in my own thoughts.

I start to think, “what if I lived here? What would life be like? Would I still love boogie boarding or plopping a chair down to read a book?”

When I was snorkeling and diving, watching schools of fish avoid my passing hands and jutting under cresting waves, I went even more existential. “I write social media posts. What’s the point? Is that really what I’m supposed to do?”

Then I thought about paying taxes next year, the car troubles of my 2011 Honda CRV, and how inadequate I feel when I’m around people who talk about all the Bitcoin they have or the Range Rover they drive.

I am what I am: not too long ago, a humble Spanish teacher who now write words on a screen for a living, and who still, from time to time, feels like he’s not going to make it.

Bills, bills, bills, dance studio fees, premier soccer payments, a healthy mortgage..

..a weight in my chest while I’m weightless underwater spotting cobia and Spanish mackeral.

I’m not sharing this for your pity, nor exaggerating for a good story.

These are the real things I thought about with a scuba mask on and my 5 y/o son yelling from the sandbar, “Dad! Take me out again! I want to boogie board!”

By the time we were coming home, delayed in Dallas for 3 hours before boarding a flight that didn’t take off until 10:30 pm, I had a different perspective.

Exhausted and wanting to finish The Amateur, I looked at my family of 8 in the row beside me and behind me, and thought, “Yes, it’s true that we have to make sure all these happen, and it sucks sometimes. But it’s worth it.”

Julie had Lewis laying down in her lap, Maggie on her shoulder, and she squinted in the darkness with a slight smile that let me know she agreed.

We have a short amount of time with these little people, and we’re making the best of it.

Far from perfect parents, but also recognizing we’re not too shabby, we’re giving them a life where they feel loved and supported, and they have a mom and dad they can depend on to do the right thing.

We’re not here for very long, some us don’t get hardly any time to live out dreams or create that ideal life we imagine in our heads, and the best we do is try to push forward and do the right thing.

Be good to people. Remember to be kind. Listen more than we speak. Keep sharing our stories. Lift up our neighbors.

Give where we can.

Chances are, even after decades of writing social media posts and books, producing podcast episodes, and helping hundreds of clients over the course of my “career”, I’ll be in my 70s and be relatively obscure.

I won’t have a Hollywood star. I mean, most people in Utah county who are active on LinkedIn probably won’t have any clue what I had been doing for 40 years.

“Oh, you’re that old satire guy from LinkedIn? That’s…cool.”

I can’t guarantee stardom, money or fame, no matter how hard I work.

I have to be ok with that.

It can’t stop me from writing the social media posts, from trying to break through all the noise of other copywriters, agencies, consultants, and quacks.

I am just me. I accept that.

And hey, while I’m swimming along in life, I get to be around people I love, eat tacos, and feel good about making it this far.

I guess that is the whole point of it.

..

Before you go, a couple of reminders:

I am still on the hunt for a couple people to record a podcast episode with me. It will be a little longer than the usual 6-8 minutes, but not that much longer.

We can cover your story, talk shop on all things marketing, or even about some creative habit you have that is helping you run your business. (or stay sane)

Thanks to the few that reached out already. I’ll be getting back to you shortly.

Also, on Amazon Unlimited, you can read my book, Keep It Light, for free.

It’s a year’s worth of content starters for the busy executive. These are posts that have got me millions of views over the last 5 years, and you can take the idea behind it and take it for yourself.

Build off one of my ideas, steal a line—whatever you want to do. It’s yours for the taking.

If you do read it and like it, please give it 5 stars. (along with this podcast)

My friends: Keep writing, keep pushing, and I’ll see you next time.