Daily Motivations - Courageous Living: How to Face Challenges Head-On

Episode Date: June 26, 2024

This Episode is sponsored by Equanima Check out Equanima on Kickstarter and join the movement towards a more emotionally connected world. Below https://kickstrs.com/equa-podcast This Episode focuses on fostering inner strength, building confidence, and taking proactive steps to navigate challenges, whether they are personal, professional, or emotional.

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Please play responsibly. If you have questions or concerns about gambling or someone close to you, please contact Connex Ontario at 1-866-531-2600 to speak to an advisor free of charge. BidMGM operates pursuant to an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario. Courage is designed to move. Which is why one bold action can completely transform your life. It's why one step forward can create space for you to experience and obtain things you've never had before. I've been sharing with you quite a bit lately how I've essentially rediscovered Greg McCune's idea of essentialism. Redefining focus, cutting away excess, refusing to operate at 65% on many things,

and instead focusing 100% on the thing that means the most to me. Going all in on the right thing. It might seem small, but I promise you, in our worlds, it's not.

And the other day, I was in the car talking about how, basically, when you go all in on that thing that feels right, alignment's the word I've used many times. But that thing that's right for you, when you give it the attention and time and energy it deserves, the universe seems to hear you. It's like it gives you strength back. And obviously there's a pragmatic element to it, right? It's like what you water is going to grow. You can only improve what you focus on. But that relationship between attention, effort, and life seeming to help pave a way for you when you go all in, it's so strong that it makes me think

there might be more to it than that. It blows my mind how quickly, after realigning, things happened that haven't happened in years. It's like you commit to something, and life arms you for the journey. You lock in, and you are, in your own way, provided wings. And I'm explaining this to Jules, who's riding shotgun. She goes, I love when that happens.

It's like courage creates vibration. One of those light bulb moments, right? Exactly. The vibration of courage. Courage creates space for everything you need. That courageous act. And by the way, everyone knows what that is in their own world. That thing they should be doing.

Or that thing they've wanted to do. Depending on the season of life, maybe it's going faster towards something. Maybe it's slowing down a pursuit that isn't quite right. Maybe it's less, maybe it's more. Maybe it's solitude. Maybe it's putting yourself in more social situations. Locking in on one thing or exploration and discovery. It's different. It changes. But you know what that is.

Because you think about it. Because your soul communicates with your mind. Whatever it is, it's an arm's length away. The extended hand of courage doesn't mean the pursuit or task before you will be easier. In all honesty, it's probably the opposite. You are voluntarily stepping out into the storm. But what courage does, despite the chaos or voluntary turbulence, courage gives you a chance. It puts you in the game and allows you to tell and show the world who you are. I sometimes laugh at the disconnect that once existed between my actions

and who I wanted to be. Big plans, big goals, but I was only willing to take minimal risk. The world simply can't hear you from inside your house. It can't translate a dream into a reality or transform hope into tangible progress if it remains tucked away in the back of your mind. Not until you find the courage to set it free, to give it to the world, to start that ripple effect or vibration that will lead you hand in hand into the unknown. When you own that for yourself, the lens through which you look at life adjusts alongside you.

Everything is now in the context of how to create that storyline. The same things you once walked right by become props in the play of your life. The right people become wind at your back and the wrong ones fade back into yesterday's chapter. Life wants to push you forward. It wants to be an ally. So let it. Allow it to be the wind wind at your back. You have incredible thoughts, brilliant ideas. There are game-changing opportunities that need you to breathe life into them. So here's a thought. I want you to wake up a few minutes earlier this week. If you're a

coffee drinker, get yourself a nice cup, sit in a comfortable spot. And for those few moments, get out of your head and into your heart. Paint a picture of what lights you up, a could be reality. And then choose one courageous act that will take you to that day, that will bring life to that vision. Not tomorrow or the next day, but today. Right now, this very moment. And watch how that consciousness, that decision infiltrates all areas of your life. Watch how it acts as a brush, painting seemingly a black and white landscape and puts color into it.

It's the start of everything. The power you've always had, the sound of strength, the heartbeat of your future self. It's the sunrise before a new day and the sunset that gives way to a sky full of stars. It is the vibration of courage. From your fingertips to God's ears, from your soul to the world, it's where you were meant to go. So my friend friend go there What if things don't end up like they're supposed to?

What if this work, this energy I've invested doesn't pay off? What if I stay average? What if my story was never meant to be unique? What if I try and I fail? What if my friends stop calling? What if I let my family down? What if people don't like what I have to say? What if my idea is a little too out there? What if I'm pushing things too far too quickly? What if the worst possible scenario happens? What if I lose everything? What if success is for someone else? What if I'm meant to work, to pay bills, and to sleep? What if the starting role is just too much for me? What if I was a born follower? What if I never find happiness? What if I don't choose the right path? What if I get lost? What if I can never be as good as the person standing next to me? What if a life of meaning will always be something I'll have to stare up at?

Wishing, dreaming, or what if I just change the way I look at the world? What if today is just the beginning? What if I decide who I'm going to be and become it? What if my actions can create a ripple effect that will transcend space and time? What if impossible isn't fact? What if it's opinion? And what if I don't buy it? What if this new world means that existence starts with me? What if I can be the one people look up to? What if my past got me here, but has no effect on where I can go? What if every single day is a fresh start?

What if I can be the one who defies the odds? What if my dreams become the standard? What if my ideas change how people see reality? What if the term difficult is nothing more than a cop-out? What if my doubters ignite the flame that is my success? What if my fear of mediocrity overcomes my fear of the unknown? What if second place is no longer an option what if I make the choice to live every second of my life like it's a miracle and what if that's exactly what every second is what if it's time to start living like it to start thinking like it to never sell myself short? What if nothing good happens until I believe it?

What if I stopped wasting my time trying to convince others? Because I am the only one who must be convinced. Thank you. your emotional landscape and find peace in your daily life. They just launched a Kickstarter campaign, giving you a unique opportunity to support our mission and gain access to exclusive game cards. Check out Aquanima on Kickstarter and join the movement towards a more emotionally connected world. Their link is in the show note below. I read something this morning

that said at some point in your childhood, you and your friends went outside to play together for the last time and nobody knew it. It seems to me that many of life's last times elude us. We aren't aware of the pages turning or chapters ending.

The phases of life essentially blend into each other, one fading into the next. In fact, we don't even realize the extent to which things have changed until we peer back over our shoulders. See, life is happening to us now. While we plan, hope, and pray for better days, 99.99% of life consists of the time that exists between the so-called pivotal life events. The average, the ordinary, the things that we pay no mind to. So what's the relevance? Why does this matter? Well, because the sun coming up in the morning is life. Pouring your coffee is life. Small talk with your loved ones is life.

The art you're creating, music you're listening to, the workouts at the gym, they are life. And not in a so you better be grateful or else kind of way, but in a if you don't understand this, contentment will be incredibly hard to capture kind of way. I have a lot of favorite quotes, but this one tops them all. Character Andy Bernard from The Office, he says in an episode, I wish there was a way to know you're in the good old days before you've actually left them. And I can't get over how that statement proves itself to be true repeatedly. Over and over again. How it's not until we peer over our shoulders that we realize how lucky we were.

How much fun we had. How much the time meant. I recently went to a wedding for one of my best friends from childhood. had how much the time meant. I recently went to a wedding for one of my best friends from childhood. And funny enough, we only lived in the same state for four years, from fourth grade to eighth grade before I moved across the country to Massachusetts. And I thought, as I flew to the wedding, you know what, I should post a picture of us as kids together, you know, say congrats. And I quickly realized on the plane ride that I don't think we have any, right? It's

essentially only memories. It's the stories that we still to this day laugh about, those events that shaped our childhoods, the things kids go through that change the way we look at the world. And all that happened so fast. I think it remains so precious because we were so fully immersed in it. It was such a simple time, pivotal, and gone in a snap. I had no idea it would mean anything 20 years later, but that's life.

It seems to go by in an instant. Which is why I think we need to find that sweet spot. Respect for the duality between sometimes sacrificing the present for a better future, an ability that makes humans remarkable creatures, and also enjoying and realizing how precious the ride, how beautiful the now. Whether the current season is ideal, a struggle, or in between, to feel something at all in its own unique way is a miracle.

And if we look, we'll find that there is good here. There's growth here. There are moments that you'll look back on and smile at knowing that they shaped you and played a role in who you're becoming. So the point is, as we make our way through life, it's highs and lows. Perhaps look around and make an effort to see the beauty in the journey. Understand that nothing is forever. The people you talk to, places you go, the things you do, they will all dissipate. And while sure, the now may not be perfect,

and in some cases even a stepping stone along the way to a better, wiser, stronger you, the idea shouldn't be to long for the enjoyable part, but to realize you are in it. To know that some of these things we take for granted will be missed when they're gone. Let's not fall into the trap of letting life go by while we waited for it to begin. Let's, as Andy Bernard stated, remember that the good old days are right now. And embrace today as the truly incredible gift, opportunity, is a mirror that reflects how you feel. And if life is consistently mirroring back images that aren't ideal, perhaps it's time to chip away, not at the world, but at yourself.

It's time to work. And sometimes, that's roll up your sleeves and be better work. It's get up a little bit earlier work. It's hit the gym, or study, or give more work. But sometimes it's acknowledging that if in this chapter of your life you find everything around you intimidating or too distant or out of reach, it's not because the world is too big, but rather you've let your own image get too small. It's the identity that needs the maintenance.

We do things because we see ourselves as doers of those things. Soccer players play soccer. Writers write. Painters paint. No one who's ever identified or introduced himself as a runner, has ever broken a world deadlift record. No, runners do runner things. Bodybuilders do bodybuilder things. People who view themselves as small do small things, and people who see themselves as capable or strong, daring, adventurous,

larger than life, well, you get the point. We're out there overanalyzing all these details, trying to decipher code without realizing that we've already won or lost. You gave yourself permission to run 50 yards and then became Sherlock Holmes trying to figure out why the world wouldn't let you reach yard 51. We go as far as we allow ourselves to go. We do as much as we allow ourselves to do. We become who we allow ourselves to be. And I'm not saying the other variables don't matter. Of course they do. I'm saying over time, those variables become blocks for us to build ourselves up or build walls around ourselves

that keep us down in one place. If the world feels bland, give yourself permission to seek out the beauty. Be someone who finds joy in life. If the world feels lonely, give yourself permission to connect with others. Be someone who brings people together. If the world feels chaotic and confusing, give yourself permission to break it down. Be someone who turns big things into small, manageable things. If the world feels sad and disheartening, give yourself permission to uncover what makes you smile.

Be someone who who in the darkness of night can find that light switch because for every reason to be sad there's one to be happy for every reason to be weak there's one to be strong so on and so forth of course it's not the easiest to remember when we look out and don't like what we see. But knowing that the solution is internal, knowing that you decide who you are, where you're going, and where you stop, as much as humanly possible, it puts fate in simplification. Not because you can't handle the complex, but because too much noise drowns out the meaning.

It gets in the way of the things that actually make the difference. Our blessing and curse is the finitude of our time. So by default, that makes the word no a gatekeeper to the contentment we feel in our lives. What are you keeping out? What are you saving space for? Clarity is not a luxury, but a necessity. And when one has limited capacity, they must both cherish and protect it. So why does this matter? It matters because when you simplify things, the path is never as intimidating.

The problem is never unsolvable. The opportunity is never too far away. It matters because we dress the solutions up in irrelevant detail and then call them the problem. We don't see things as what they are. We see them as stories. We tell ourselves. We see too much. And it just so happens that the biggest leaps forward one can take in life are the result of not secret formulas or hidden answers, but in freeing ourselves of that excess. Saying no to the wrong things so that we can say yes to the right things.

Underneath the stacks and accumulation of nothing is something. There's something to the notion that the road to recovery is always a single decision away. That it's already there. But you just haven't been able to acknowledge, to choose it. When life becomes convoluted, there's this tendency to think, I am the problem. I am broken. I am incapable of X or Y or Z. And it's like, no, you've just let so much in that what was once obvious is now buried. You're looking at the giant ocean before you, forgetting that a very tiny boat can traverse it. Basics.

Let's ask the question, where is it I most want to go? And what would one step in that direction look like? Sometimes we have to go knowing that mile 10 will have its monsters. And mile 50 will have its setbacks. But to not take step one in anticipation of those future problems. Of something way down the road is letting that excess in simplicity is the goal simplicity ask yourself can you start right beginning grants you one of the greatest weapons to possess an ability to adjust the ability to adapt an ability to adjust, the ability to adapt, the ability to utilize the now. And this is not to dismiss the pain and difficulty associated with our most challenging times.

It's to remind you that during those times you feel lost or closed in, you don't need to reinvent the world to your left and right. It's not bigger than you. So much of the time it's about composing yourself enough to reach out for the light switch that will illuminate the path just enough for you to look up and walk right there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom. Viktor Frankl. So much of life comes down to how we arrange and internalize what we see.

Our realities will always be comprised of what we choose to look at. That's not to say the unfortunate or quote unquote bad things aren't present, but whether or not you choose to keep them in your life, in your field of vision, that's on you. Here are two ways I like to explain this. The first was explained to me as a curtain hung from a stage. And this curtain has holes and tears all throughout. On the other side of the curtain, there's an auditorium, some chairs, aisles, a few lights. But depending on which hole or tear you chose to look out of,

you'd see a different piece of that picture. And it can be said that the curtain is life, and the hole you choose to look through makes up your reality. The little piece of information you choose to consume. Because life is certainly complex, right? There are too many images and variables for us to notice all of them. That's impossible. We'd collapse in on ourselves. We have to pick a few. Which means that our entire existence from the time we're born to the time we die is dependent entirely on which details we choose to focus on. Which ones we use to tell our story. Which leads me to the second example. Let's say you decide you're going to walk to your car.

You open your front door. You walk down your driveway, right up to your car, open the door, and get in. Your story was, I'm going to my car. And so everything you experienced was related to that. In the sense that you didn't notice the driveway of the person seven houses down. You weren't looking for that. And you didn't notice the potholes across the street.

You weren't looking for that either. You didn't think about the funny-shaped cloud over your head. That wasn't on your mind. Why would it be? All these things weren't part of the story, right? And the idea is we are very selective of the things we pay attention to. We use a small fraction of the world to tell our stories. And this matters because when we are down or stuck or disappointed

or whatever it is, it's not that you don't have a reason to be where emotional creatures and things happen, but it is true that you don't have to stay there. That the little hole you are looking out of from behind the curtain may not be serving you.

Your viewpoint may not be the best viewpoint, but it's in your control, right? You choose what hole you want to look through and then use life to create supporting details. When you're focusing on the negative or why you aren't good enough, you'll find things that support that narrative. Choose a different story and you'll start seeing different pieces that support it. I'm sure you've all heard how when you're looking to buy a car, you start seeing more and more of that car on the road. It's not because they suddenly appeared overnight on 95. No, they've always been there. They've been in the mix.

But now it's become a part of your story. You're looking through a new hole in the curtain. Therefore, your focus has changed. And that's what I mean when I say reality is a choice. The details will match your beliefs. Believe you are incredible. you'll find evidence. Believe this is just the beginning of something beautiful. And you'll find the details necessary to bring it to life.

You get what you focus on. So focus on the things that will propel you forward. Because trust me, they're there. A good plan, violently executed now, is better than a perfect plan executed next week. That's from George Patton, general in the United States Army, integral to the Allies' victory in World War II. So why? What makes this statement so powerful? Well it rings true because we have to move beyond the idea that we can manufacture greatness with one swing of the bat, one stroke of the pen. That if we wait for the right moment, perfection will come. The light will turn green, the

stars will align, and the path will emerge. I feel like I could scream this from every mountaintop and it wouldn't be enough. Life is not a perfection game. Life is an adjustment game. And I'll speak anecdotally here. In my experience, looking over my shoulder, reflecting, you know, those times that I'd clung to perfection, rationalizing my immobility by saying, hey, you're not ready. This isn't good enough. I'd only have to dig a few layers down to see that my not moving wasn't out of some loyalty to excellence No, I was standing still because of fear A fear of going, of starting, a fear of the unknown

Perfection is the biggest con there is It's a scam It says, wait here, your perfect moment will arrive. Hang tight, the right time is coming. No, there are no perfect beginnings. There's merely the courage to move into something new, or the regret that will ultimately come from wishing that you did. And sure, a part of it's almost counterintuitive. It's like, why isn't it beneficial to wait?

Why would you want to take the leap before you're ready? Here's how I see it. One of the most important distinctions to understand is that between the thinker and the doer. The thinker who ponders, who reflects, who studies and studies and studies, thinking he or she can create for him or herself a perfect jump-off point. Thinking they can obtain for themselves all the necessary information, all the answers before they begin the journey.

The truth is, greatness is forged through repetition, via wheels on the road. And yes, you are terrible at first, completely unsure at first, you get lost at first. But this becomes the knowledge that shapes the journey. When you go before you're ready, two important things happen. First, after falling down and feeling embarrassed and insecure, you get back up, you look around, and you go, wow, okay, I'm still here. That sucked, sure, but it wasn't as bad

as my brain told me it would be. Next, you learn from the exchange. You can start doubling down on what works and eliminating what doesn't. And eventually, as you take this confidence and wisdom onto the next step, repeatedly the curve becomes exponential. In doing, you begin stacking bricks, creating a foundation. Those experiences that humbled you become what you lean on. They're what turn into the experience,

the knowledge, the credibility. And see, thinking you can skip all that ugly stuff by waiting on the ledge for perfection to arrive in your hands, that will be your undoing. That's just as crazy as a sailboat waiting for the wind to stop. It's like, no, you need that friction, that resistance to reach your destination. And no, we cannot control everything.

Yes, there are powers beyond us. But if you go now, you learn to use and navigate them. The greatest gift we can give ourselves is permission to go. It's looking a year ahead and dreaming of the moment we pause and say, wow what a year. The twists and turns, the lessons, the highs, the lows, the peak moments all brought me here and how different here is from back there how far I've come knowing by the way that life was never asking me for perfection but rather a willingness to start to dive in to adapt along the way I know a lot of

people with businesses that exist in their minds but not in reality. A lot of people in shape when they close their eyes but not when they look in the mirror. A lot of people living their best lives when talking about the future but not when they pull up to work on a Monday morning. We shorten the gap between our ideal existence and the present moment by going, by stepping now. Even when we can't imagine how the process will unfold. Because let me tell you, life will bend and twist in ways you can't even fathom. It'll take you places that ignite your soul, show you things you never dreamt of seeing.

But you have to put yourself in position to receive that from life. The world wants to help people who help themselves. So give yourself the gift of progress, of momentum. If a dream is only worth the action one is willing to take to bring it to life, let that action start now. Move beyond the illusion of perfection and towards the opportunity to take the imperfect every single day and transform it into greatness. Every time your mind says you're not ready, let that be your invitation to step forward.

See life may not be a race, but that doesn't mean time will politely wait for you. We must say goodbye to perfection. As we evolve, as we grow. I can guarantee you, it won't be missed.