Good morning, my friends. I’m walking along the boardwalk here on Toronto Island.

It’s a beautiful day, and a thought came to my mind, so here’s a video for you to enjoy.

Adapted Video Transcript

The same success strategies that worked for your parents do not work for young people today.

And for you, younger folks, the sooner you accept today’s reality and adapt to the changing landscape, the better prepared you’ll be for a more joyful existence.

It used to be…

It used to be that one could save and put a reasonable down payment on a house and sell it for much more at retirement. Now, the average home in Toronto, where I live, is more than a million dollars.

The house my parents bought for $60,000 in the 1970s is now worth over a million. How can people afford such inflated home prices without stress, burnout, and financial trouble?

You would go to university, get a degree, and then be guaranteed a decent job. Sadly, not anymore.

So many young people go to university and graduate with a mountain of student debt and an entry-level job at Starbucks as a minimum-wage Barista—not their field of study.

There’s nothing wrong with being a barista, but people often have much more talent to offer the world in the long term.

Respectfully, I wouldn’t have had my coffee this morning if it hadn’t been for baristas. But is that what you aspire toward, or are you compromising?

If you aim to hold a minimum-wage job trying to live in one of the most expensive cities in North America, then fantastic—go for it!

If not, your success requires a new strategy and a different formula from your parents’ formula from a different era. — Do you catch my drift?

It used to be that you would work in a career, work your way up the ladder, and plan to return at 65, but that strategy rarely works these days.

I’m a perfect example.

I was packaged off early. Packaged off is code for “being replaced by somebody much cheaper and many years younger.”

So, I found myself at 54 with no job, unwilling to return to that same rat race.

Read Have the Guts to Leave Your Job at the Height of Your Career Success. My Story Will Inspire You

I was forced into a compromised semi-retirement years ahead of schedule, and, of course, that forced me to reinvent myself and tap into more creativity as I figured out what to do differently.

And that’s the journey that I’m on, and that’s the journey that so many others are involuntarily tossed into.

In conclusion

So, continue the dialogue, my friend. Collaborating with others, you can discover new world strategies like digital creation, remote work, or skill-based freelancing.

If you go online and weed through the bull-sh*t, some people are finding genuine success.

As you watch my video, take in the stunning scenery and the sailboat behind me. It’s just so beautiful out here—incredible. People are walking along the park here, which is lovely. Let this peaceful setting inspire you as we discuss the journey to success.

This is my favourite spot to shoot videos and talk. It’s a boardwalk and a wonderful place to be. The sun is always at a fantastic angle, and I was on my boat riding and thinking.

Today, in early retirement (eh!) I felt like producing a spontaneous video about success. — go figure!

I’m not selling anything. I’m sharing my little tidbit of wisdom with you as I walk and talk up and down a boardwalk along the lake. In fact, I may craft a few more of these ‘inspirational’ reels. I’m grateful for your time and attention, and I hope my words can bring some value to your life.

That’s my story. Keep loving, learning, and living the proud life, my friend, because the cold winters in Toronto are coming.

In love and creativity

Daniel~Ibrahim