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My grandmom always warned me about greedy people.

Stay away from those who want too much, she’d say. Too much money, too much success, too much everything.

For years, I listened.

Ambitious people made me nervous. All that wanting, all that push - it felt exhausting just being around them.

Last Tuesday I met Tuan.

Founder of Reflective Learning. Twenty years crushing it in HR. Now starting fresh with something completely new.

Within five minutes of talking, I knew exactly what my grandmom meant about wanting too much.

Tuan wants everything.

More impact. More opportunities. More ways to help people win.

And for the first time in my life, being around that energy felt… incredible.

Desire feels like a gift that a threat.

There’s something I couldn’t name about his presence until now.

Desire.

Pure, shameless, beautiful desire.

During our conversation, he laughed about himself. “I might be thinking too much about the future, but I can’t help it - I see everything in terms of potential.”

People who live in tomorrow can seem stressed, intense. Hell, I get overwhelmed just thinking about next week sometimes.

But Tuan seems different.

His future-focus doesn’t feel frantic. It feels generative.

Like he’s standing in possibility and inviting everyone else to join him there.

“Khuyen, you must play to win. ”

I’m his complete opposite. I’ve been content staying in the game, showing up, keeping things moving. (Infinite Game vs Finite Game, for those nerds out there)

Twenty years of experience distilled into three questions that actually work.

I think what set him different from other ambitious people I met.

He doesn’t just want success for himself.

He genuinely wants everyone around him to win too.

That changes the entire energy.

Instead of feeling like competition, his desire feels like invitation.

My reflection:

Holding back desire isn’t humble.

It’s not virtuous or grateful or zen.

Sometimes it’s just fear dressed up as wisdom.

For years I’ve told myself I was being thankful for what I have. Not wanting too much. Staying grounded.

Really? I was playing small because wanting more felt dangerous.

Wanting more meant risking disappointment. Wanting more meant possibly failing publicly (which I am) Wanting more meant admitting I wasn’t satisfied with where I am.

I sensed something different with him.

Desire isn’t greed when it comes from expansion, not acquisition.

When you see potential everywhere and refuse to settle for less than what’s possible.

When your wanting includes wanting others to win alongside you.

He can’t help but think about the future because he’s actively building it.

And being around that energy makes me want to do something great too.

Something bigger than just staying in the game.

It’s time to play to win.

(Maybe my grandmom was wrong about ambitious people.

Or maybe she just never met the right ones.)

with all my love,

Khuyen

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