NFA Finance

If you could relive one year of your life, which one would it be?

If I could relive one year of my life, I wouldn’t choose one.

That might sound strange. I’ve had some incredible years. Years filled with money, cars, excitement, freedom, relationships, business wins, and moments I’ll remember forever.

I’ve also had years that nearly broke me.

But I wouldn’t go backward—not even to relive the good parts.

Every year cost me something, but every year taught me something too. The wins gave me confidence. The losses gave me wisdom. The mistakes sharpened my instincts. The hard years forced me to become stronger, more independent, and more honest with myself.

If I went back and changed even one decision, I might lose something that came from it. I might not have the same perspective. I might not understand people the way I do today. I might not have the same hunger, resilience, or willingness to trust my gut.

You don’t get to relive only the perfect moments. You have to take the entire year—the stress, the uncertainty, the bad decisions, and the consequences that came with it.

I’ve already paid that tuition. I don’t need to take the class again.

I’m 47 years old, and I don’t feel like my best days are behind me. Honestly, I feel like I’m just getting started.

I’m building businesses. I’m building my platforms. I’m opening another dealership. I’m creating something every day. I’m becoming more disciplined, more focused, and more comfortable being exactly who I am.

Even now, while selling a house myself and dealing with buyers, brokers, real estate agents, attorneys, showings, surveys, and everything else that comes with it, I can feel myself learning. The last couple of weeks have been wild enough that I’ve joked about writing a book—but this is exactly how life works.

You go through the experience first. You understand what it meant later.

There were probably times in my life when I thought I was living my best year. Looking back, some of those years were great—but they weren’t the destination. They were another piece of the education.

That’s why I wouldn’t relive any of them.

Nostalgia can fool you. It shows you the highlight reel and conveniently edits out the confusion, pressure, and problems. It makes the past look safer because you already know how the story ended.

The future is uncomfortable because it hasn’t been written yet.

But that’s also what makes it exciting.

I don’t want to repeat a story whose ending I already know. I want to see what happens next.

I want to see what another year of discipline does for my businesses. I want to see where hundreds more videos, blog posts, conversations, and calculated risks take me. I want to watch my daughter grow into the person she’s becoming. I want to see what happens when all these years of experience finally collide with the focus I have today.

Maybe the greatest year of my life was never supposed to happen when I was 25, 30, or 40.

Maybe it happens at 48.

Maybe it happens at 55.

Maybe the point is to keep building a life that makes the next year more valuable than the last.

I’m grateful for where I’ve been. I’m grateful for the people, the memories, the victories, and even the failures. They all helped build the person writing this today.

But I don’t want another trip through yesterday.

I’m too interested in tomorrow.

And if I keep doing this right—staying consistent, trusting my gut, thinking for myself, and betting on my own ability—the year I’ll someday wish I could relive may be the one I’m living right now.

— Nicholas Francis
Modern Day Dealer