Sean McLaughlin shares actionable lessons from the options desk.
In the Spirit of Sharing: A Letter to My Son (and Traders Everywhere)
By Sean McLaughlin
December 24, 2025
When I wrote this letter to my eleven year old son, I had no intention of sharing it with anyone but him. But after I wrote it, slept on it, then revisited it this morning... it dawned on me that there are lot of traders and subscribers of mine who might benefit from this message.
So I share it with you as well.
Take from it what resonates for you and ignore the rest.
With love to you, my Spirit Animals,
Sean
Dear Son,
Merry Christmas. I love you so much and am so proud of who you are becoming.
As your father, I try to model all the things I want you to become as you grow into a young man. Whether by asking me questions, or just watching how I carry myself in the world, I hope that you learn from me.
But the truth is, I’m not perfect. Never have been and very likely never will be. I make mistakes. The truth is, all adults make mistakes. Every adult you’ve ever come across or will come across in your years ahead makes mistakes. As frustrating as it might be to learn that people you might look up to are not perfect, take comfort in knowing that mistakes are how we all learn – regardless of our age.
If you learn to embrace mistakes as learning opportunities, there is literally no limit to how high you can climb in this lifetime.
Your mom and I believe that you are here on this Earth to accomplish great things. You are here for a reason. What that reason (or reasons) is might not be clear to you at the moment. But pay attention to clues. They will likely land for you at random times and in unexpected places. The places you visit, the activities you participate in, the books you read, the people you form friendships with, the classes you excel at, where you direct your love, the sports you succeed in, the art that you create — all are fertile places that are likely to drop clues of your greatness in the years to come. Pay attention.
Just remember that whatever your path, there will always be obstacles. Always. This might feel like a hard and inconvenient fact, but when you choose to embrace obstacles as opportunities, your whole mindset shifts. It moves you from feeling like a helpless victim, to one who has all the power and confidence to find a new path. And the more you exercise these muscles, the more working past obstacles will become a core part of who you are as a man.
In the years ahead, listen to your intuition. When it guides you to take chances – go for it. When it cautions you to hold back, take a moment to reassess. The more you start listening to your intuition, the more you’ll find that it will be your most excellent guide. Learn to trust it, and you’ll go far. I have no doubt.
As you approach your teenage years, always remember who YOU are. It is normal at your age for social pressures to mount for you to feel as though you are expected to be something or someone that doesn’t feel natural to you. Resist those feelings.
You are who you are. You are nobody else. And you are loved for being exactly who you are. Always remember that.
I am so incredibly amazed at who you are now and who you are growing up to be.
I love you with all my heart,
Dad
Christmas, 2025
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Sean McLaughlin | Chief Options Strategist, All Star Charts
