By the time we’ve made it, we’ve had it.

The line captures a paradox of ambition: the moment we finally “arrive” at a long-sought goal, the experience can feel diminished because the struggle, anticipation, and sense of possibility that fueled the pursuit are gone. It suggests that success is often most vivid in the striving rather than in the possession, and it warns against postponing enjoyment or meaning until some future milestone. Read this way, the quote aligns with a business-minded but reflective outlook often associated with Malcolm Forbes: achievement matters, but so does timing, vitality, and the capacity to savor life while building it.