2.1.1 Foundation Series: Essay 1
Related: Introduction to the Foundation Series
Welcome
Welcome to my first blog post, and thank you for joining me on this adventure.
This essay launches my Foundation Series, a collection of personal reflections on the people, experiences, and values that have shaped my life. It is more than a blog post. It is a living journal, a legacy project, and a way to pass down life lessons to my three daughters. It may also offer insight to fellow travelers seeking understanding, purpose, and identity.
As my wife, Hanna, and I raise three young girls under six, we are watching their natural curiosity come alive. They are beginning to ask bigger questions about life, meaning, and what matters most. This blog is my way of giving them something real and lasting to hold on to. And it begins with a theme that has lived inside me for decades: writing my book.
The Seed Was Planted Early
The dream of writing a book took root when I was a teenager. At fourteen, I launched my first business working with exotic animals. School was difficult because dyslexia and ADHD made traditional learning a struggle, yet outside the classroom I discovered confidence through creativity, resilience, and a drive to bring ideas to life.
Before I graduated high school a semester early, my dad and I embarked on a trip to Southeast Asia. He surprised me with a three-week itinerary through Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia so I could visit a zoo in Malaysia with strong bloodlines of a species I was passionate about. That journey lit a fire in me. My love for animals shifted from wanting to own a menagerie to wanting to help preserve wildlife in their natural habitats.
Just a month after turning eighteen, I returned alone, spending six months across Indonesia and Australia. Much of that time was deep in the remote jungles of West Papua (then Irian Jaya), including the Asmat region. It was there, in moments of solitude and raw exploration, that I began to reflect on identity, faith, and the kind of life I wanted to build.
Journaling the Journey: Where the Book Began
Nearly every night during that trip, I wrote. My dad gave me advice that stuck with me: “You think you will remember everything now, but you will not. Write it down.”
So I did. I wrote hundreds of pages during that first adventure, followed by thousands more across the decades. I captured stories, quotes, reflections, and meaningful moments. From the beginning, I hoped to turn these writings into a book.
One night in Asmat, I met Bishop Al, who became a lifelong friend. When he asked what I was writing, I said I was working on a book. He encouraged me. Months later, when we reconnected, he asked if I had finished. I told him no, that parts no longer felt relevant. He offered a warning I have never forgotten:
“Be careful. The longer you wait, the more you may begin to doubt what you once knew. Eventually, you may not create anything at all; not because you lack inspiration, but because you are afraid something better might come tomorrow. And then tomorrow never comes.”
Thirty Years Later, I Am Finally Beginning
In the three decades since, I have kept writing. I built outlines, jotted notes, and brainstormed chapters. I also delayed. I waited for the perfect time, the ideal format, the fully formed idea. I let perfectionism get in the way of purpose.
That changed last year. I decided to begin, not with a finished book, but with a blog. I began not to build an audience but to leave something personal and lasting for my daughters. I drafted this essay, outlined my topics, and still hesitated until now.
The Lesson: The Power of Starting Before You Are Ready
- Starting creates clarity that planning alone cannot provide.
- Momentum is built one step at a time, not by waiting for certainty.
- Imperfect beginnings often lead to unexpected opportunities.
Practical Takeaways
- Do not wait for the perfect time. Begin with what you have.
- Focus on progress, not perfection. Small steps count.
- Celebrate the act of starting. It opens the door to growth.
Two Questions to Explore
- What story or message do you want to leave for your loved ones?
- What meaningful project have you delayed because the “right time” has not come?
Further Resources
When I first shared this series with a small circle of trusted friends, they offered the kind of honesty I value: it will not be for everyone, and that is okay. One friend also encouraged me to add a simple guide for readers who want to go deeper. The resources below were chosen after this essay was written. This section will not shape my future writings; it exists for reflection and may offer you added insight and a simple framework. Consider these a starting point: read one, share a conversation, and try one small step this week.
- Try Something New for 30 Days by Matt Cutts (TED). A short, energizing talk that lowers the bar to getting started and shows how small, consistent actions build momentum.
- Atomic Habits by James Clear. A playbook for turning intention into identity-based habits so starting becomes sustainable.
My hope is simple: be willing to start before you are ready. Do not wait thirty years, as I did, to begin writing your own book.
Live. Lead. Love.
Billy
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Beautiful Billy, my friend. You inspire me in countless ways. I am deeply grateful that you shared your journey with me and i am on board captain. All the best.
Bobby, thank you, my friend. Your encouragement means a lot. I’m grateful we get to share the journey. Glad to have you on board!
Truly inspiring Billy. A vision envisaged about 30 years ago is taking shape into reality.
Antony, thank you. You said it well: a thirty-year vision is finally taking shape. I am grateful for your support and for the work we’ve done together.
hurray !
you took the most difficult step Billy,, now keep going and enjoy !
Thank you, Hamza; and, will do, my friend!
Hello Billy!! I am impressed with your ability to start something out of the ordinary!! And I am grateful that you have invited me to be a part of this small project. I look forward to reading your blog and getting to know your thoughts and the stories you will share.
My Best Wishes to you
Vinit, thank you for the encouragement. Starting before perfect is the practice. I’m glad you’re part of it and I look forward to your reflections as the series unfolds.
Oh Billy that’s absolutely you!!! It is a remarkable achievement to have a dream come true. I had always heard about you by Ravi who remains a great admirer of you and got inspired by your way of implementing the various tasks while supporting others to achieve theirs. When me finally met, it was like we had always known each other since ever! Ad majora my friend!
Vita, your note made my day. Thank you for believing in the dream and for the way you and Ravi have cheered and challenged me over the years. When we finally met, it felt like we were picking up an old conversation. Here’s to the work that lifts others.
Billy, If you’re writing your book now, now is the right time for it. I’m looking forward to reading more my friend.
John, thank you! Starting is the work, so now is the right time. Thank you for cheering me on. I’m glad you’re along for the read.
Congratulations Billy! Very inspiring.
Can’t wait to read and navigate your experiences.
Keep inspiring!
Michelson, thank you for the encouragement. I am glad you are along for the journey, and I look forward to sharing more stories and lessons. Let me know what resonates as you read.
Hi Billy, look forward to your world of experiences!!! My Best wishes !!!
Thank you, Siva, for the kind wishes. I look forward to sharing more stories and lessons from the journey, and I am grateful you are along for it.
Well said Billy! Progress over perfection.
Jim, thank you – you’re awesome!
Makes me smile just walking along side of you❤️ Thank you for sharing your story.
Vicki, thank you. It means a lot to walk alongside each other. Your note made me smile, too. Grateful you and Tim are here.
Beautifully put. As a fellow scribbler, I could not agree more. Writing happens now, not in the future. And since the invention of the written word, I think it remains unsurpassed in its ability to transmit a part of our spirit to others, for as long as the record lasts. I’m excited to follow along.
Pete, thank you. From one scribbler to another, I agree: the work happens in the now. I love how you put it about writing carrying a piece of our spirit as long as the record lasts. I’m glad you’re along for the ride and I welcome your thoughts as the series unfolds.
Billy, way to go!
Love your style, content, and future writings! Thank you.
Father Forliti, thank you for the encouragement. I’m glad the style and themes are landing. I’ll keep writing, and I’d love your thoughts as the series unfolds.
Cao Pi (the son of Cao Cao, my favorite historical figure and a hero of the Three Kingdoms period) once wrote in his Discourses on Literature: “Indeed, literature is a great enterprise which outlives the dynasties and an eternal achievement. Life has its end; glory and joy fade with one’s passing. Both are inevitable. Nothing compares to the infinity of literature.”
As an emperor, he also said: “Under heaven, there is no undying state; no unexcavated tomb.” Yet he affirmed that articles carrying ideas can transcend life and death, survive dynastic changes, and be passed down through the ages.
Therefore, I believe your act of writing is a truly precious and eternal asset for your children—something no one can replace or take away.
A close friend of mine also has ADHD, which has troubled him deeply. It made him afraid of difficulties and social interactions. After engaging in in-depth conversations with you and your father, and witnessing your father-son bond, I understood why you have the courage to overcome such challenges. You carefully learn about each other’s situations, listen to each other’s opinions, do your utmost to understand and help one another, and openly express “I love you.” My friend and I have never had such a father-son relationship.
After hearing your father talk about his own father, I realized the love he gave you was inherited from his father—for he also had a father who was like a good friend. This is a beautiful cycle of happiness. When I returned to my country, I told my friend about your father-son relationship, as well as the words my father said to you a week before he jumped off a building: “I wish my son knew me more.” My friend sighed and said: “Everyone hopes others will know them more, but few are willing to invest time and energy in knowing others.”
Your strength comes from being understood, cared for, and helped—that’s why you are willing to understand, care for, and help others. What a blessed life that is! Now it’s your daughters’ turn to receive your love, grow strong, and love the world!
Perfectionism has also held me and my friend back. We pursue “getting it right in one go” for many things, and end up never starting at all. Your father is extremely wise. Mao Zedong (another my favorite historical figure) once said in On Practice—one of his most important works: “Practice, knowledge, again practice, again knowledge. Each cycle of practice and cognition advances to a higher level. This is the view of the unity of knowledge and practice in dialectical materialism.” Perfection cannot be achieved from the start; ideas can only be verified, mistakes corrected, and understanding refined through practice. So your father’s advice is absolutely correct, and we are delighted that you finally started publishing articles after thirty years. As long as you take action, it’s never too late—especially for your daughters.
I have long wanted to leave something that passes on ideas to my own daughter. I created content on Bilibili (Chinese Youtube) that integrates the wisdom of the Three Kingdoms history with insights for work and life, but I stopped updating it four years ago. I have always hoped that through the stories I tell, my daughter will develop a love for that period of history and those figures, and use their wisdom to guide her own life. Your writing has given me great motivation, and I hope to take this opportunity to start again.
I’m so delighted to learn more about you through reading your blog. Over the past fourteen years, you’ve given me a great deal of help, and now you’ve offered me even more inspiration in this way. Grateful to have a friend like you, Billy!
Hongjian Xu
Hongjian, your message moved me in a way that is difficult to describe. Thank you for the depth, the history, and the heart you brought into every line. The way you wove Cao Pi, your father, my father, and the Three Kingdoms together with your own journey was incredibly meaningful. I read your note slowly, more than once, because it carries a weight that deserves time and care. My dad was over this evening, and I shared your words with him as well.
I am humbled that my writing encouraged you, especially in your hope to leave something lasting for your daughter. Your reflections about practice, perfectionism, and the courage to begin again speak directly to my own story. I agree with your insight that writing becomes an inheritance of ideas, a gift that lives far beyond us. Your daughter will one day read your words and understand her father in a deeper and more tender way. That is priceless.
Your honesty about your father, and about the words he shared before his passing, touched me deeply. You have carried that pain with wisdom, and you have honored your father by trying to understand others with more patience, compassion, and effort. That is a legacy in its own right. My dad learned love from his own father, and I try to carry that forward to my daughters. If anything in that cycle has offered you comfort or inspiration, I am grateful.
I also want to encourage you in your desire to start creating again. Your content about the Three Kingdoms, your admiration for Cao Cao and Mao Zedong, and your ability to connect history with life philosophy are rare. You bring a perspective and depth that many people would benefit from, including your daughter. Beginning again is its own form of courage. You already have everything you need inside you.
Thank you for allowing me to know more of your journey. Fourteen years of friendship is something I do not take lightly. Your message was a powerful reminder of why I value you so much. I am grateful for you, Hongjian, and honored that our paths continue to cross in meaningful ways.
With respect, admiration, and friendship!