Why Does the End of the Year Make Us Question Our Worth?

Dear Lovely Human,

First let me say thank you to all 15,000+ of you now subscribing and giving me the attention of your Fridays. Thank you….with a huge heart hug.

Some years teach. They don’t deliver.

This week, I sat with someone who whispered what so many high achievers feel but rarely say out loud: “I didn’t do what I said I would this year… and I’m ashamed to admit it.” I understood that confession too well.

There’s something uniquely painful about watching a year slip in a direction we didn’t choose, despite our best discipline, hustle, or intentions. It’s as if we believe our effort alone should be powerful enough to control life.

But the truth is that years have personalities of their own. Some stretch us. Some humble us. Some reroute us when we aren’t ready. This reflection is for anyone staring at unmet goals, wondering whether it means they fell short or whether life was quietly reshaping them for something they couldn’t yet see.

As leaders, we are paid to predict, plan, and execute. As Gen Xers, we pride ourselves on grit and self-reliance. So, when a year ends and the ledger of our goals doesn't match the reality of our lives, why do we experience it as a loss of identity rather than a shift in circumstance?

Effort deserves compassion, not judgment.

What is the latest news in AI & Emerging Tech?

1. Australia Enforces World-First Teen Social Media Ban
Australia is now banning social media for children under 16 — a bold move welcomed by parents and questioned by tech giants. Leadership sometimes looks like drawing a hard line early.

2.The AI Advertising Paradox (NYU Stern)
AI-generated visuals are changing what grabs attention — and what people trust. A smart read if you’re building a brand in a world where “real” is getting harder to define.

3. My absolute favorite AI tools I personally introduced into my daily workflows this year:

Gamma replaced my Powerpoint
Napkin turned all my ideas and workflows into crisp visuals
Veed is the video tool for that AI avatar of me above.

4. Andreessen Big Ideas 2026
What’s coming in 2026 for tech builders? The early signals are already here.

5. Something ominous is Happening in the AI Economy
The last time so much wealth was tied up in such obscure overlapping arrangements was just before the 2008 financial crisis.

How can I stay ahead in Learning and Development?

1. Great Innovators Create the Future… and Selectively Forget the Past
The best innovators don’t just add new habits — they delete old ones that no longer fit. Innovation is as much subtraction as it is invention.

2. Palantir Thinks College Might Be a Waste
Palantir is betting on talent over traditional credentials hiring high-school grads into a fellowship instead of waiting for degrees. Whether you love it or hate it, it’s a signal that the career ladder is being rebuilt.

3. Turn Anything Into Audio + “Ask Your Book”
This is the “make your content talk back” workflow: upload, listen, and query what you’re learning in real time. A strong tool for busy brains who learn on the move.

4. Whoop vs Skool (Community Platforms)
A useful comparison for anyone building community as a product: tools matter, but so does the business model behind them. Worth watching if “community is the moat” is part of your strategy.

5. WhatsApp Communities + Blueticks
Communities are powerful — but without systems they become noise. Blueticks is the kind of tool that turns “lots of messages” into something scalable and manageable.

 How do I broaden my Global Worldview? This month we explore Turkey ( Part 2)

From Turquoise Shores to Golden Peaks

Elira felt like she had crossed into a different country without crossing a border. Two days ago, she was in Kaş on the Mediterranean coast. The air there smelled of jasmine and sunscreen. She had spent her afternoon jumping off wooden platforms into electric-blue water, eating fresh calamari, and watching the sun set behind a Greek island visible in the distance. It was the Turkey of the travel brochures: relaxed, hedonistic, and thoroughly Mediterranean.

Now, she stood on the terrace of a stone mansion in Mardin, overlooking the vast Mesopotamian plains that stretched endlessly toward Syria. The air here was dry and hot, carrying the heavy, earthy scent of cardamom and baking bread. The architecture wasn't white-washed but golden limestone, covered in intricate carvings that looked like lace made of rock.

The call to prayer began, not from one minaret, but seemingly from a hundred at once, rolling across the flat plains like thunder. In Kaş, time had felt suspended in a permanent vacation. Here in the East, time felt heavy, ancient, and serious. Elira realized that while the West of Turkey looks toward Europe and the sea, the East looks toward history and the origins of civilization itself.

Here are the essential places to visit to experience this dramatic duality:

The West: The Turquoise Coast (Aegean & Mediterranean)

Where the vibe is European, the water is crystal clear, and history is Classical.

• Ephesus (Efes): One of the best-preserved Roman cities in the world. Walk down the marble Curetes Street to the Library of Celsus. Tip: Go at 8:00 AM sharp to beat the cruise ship crowds and feel like you own the city.

• Kaş: A bohemian fishing village turned chic getaway. It lacks large resorts, preserving its charm. Visit Kaputaş Beach nearby—a canyon cove with water so turquoise it looks photoshopped—and dine in the jasmine-scented courtyards of the town center.

• Alaçatı: On the Aegean coast near Izmir, this town is famous for its stone windmills, white-washed houses with blue shutters, and bougainvillea-lined streets. It is the windsurfing capital of Turkey and has a distinct Greek-island feel.

• The Blue Lagoon (Ölüdeniz): Famous for its calm, dead-still waters even during storms. It is a paragliding hotspot; you can fly from Babadağ mountain and land right on the white sand beach.

The East: The Golden Plains (Southeastern Anatolia)

Where the vibe is Middle Eastern, the landscape is dramatic, and history is Ancient.

• Mardin: A city built of honey-colored stone clinging to a hillside. The entire old town is a UNESCO World Heritage candidate. Lose yourself in the Abbaras (arched passageways) and visit the Deyrulzafaran Monastery, where Aramaic (the language of Jesus) is still spoken by the monks.

• Göbekli Tepe (Şanlıurfa): The "Zero Point in Time." This temple complex is 6,000 years older than Stonehenge and 7,000 years older than the Pyramids. It completely rewrote human history, proving that religion existed before agriculture.

• Mount Nemrut (Adıyaman): A remote mountain peak famous for the colossal stone heads of gods erected by King Antiochus I in the 1st century BC. The best time to visit is sunrise, when the sun creeps over the horizon and lights up the stone faces in glowing orange.

• Gaziantep: The culinary capital of Turkey. Visit for the Zeugma Mosaic Museum (the largest mosaic museum in the world) but stay for the food. This is the home of world-famous pistachio Baklava and incredible spicy kebabs.

Not every effort turns into evidence.

Progress isn’t always visible.

Plans don’t equal worth.

And finally…..

🎯 What can I do to Impact, Live Sustainably and Make the World a Better Place?

1. A Photosynthesizing Sea Slug
A tiny creature that steals chloroplasts and turns sunlight into energy — basically nature doing science fiction. It’s wonder, and a quiet reminder to stay curious.

2. US May Ask Tourists for 5-Year Social Media History
The border conversation is shifting from “where have you been?” to “who have you been online?” It’s a privacy line that leaders, parents, and Gen Z will feel differently.

3. One Tree Fed Us for 32,000 Years
A story about land, stewardship, and what gets lost when something sacred becomes “property.” It’s history — but it reads like a warning label for modern life.

Your fans,
— Sal & the Gleac team

P.S. Meet some of the lovely humans in our Gleac community making waves around the world!