Daily Motivations - DREAM

Episode Date: July 20, 2024

The Episode is Sponsored by McNICHOLS McNICHOLS is offering complimentary samples of their materials. You can request a sample today  Visit  mcnichols.com/samples Remember, the journey to achieving your dreams is just as important as the dreams themselves. Speech By Eddie Pinero

Get ready for Las Vegas-style action at BetMGM, the king of online casinos. Enjoy casino games at your fingertips with the same Vegas-drift excitement MGM is famous for when you play classics like MGM Grand Millions. Or popular games like Blackjack, Baccarat, and Roulette. Download the BetMGM Casino app today. BetMGM and GameSense remind you to play responsibly. BetMGM.com for T's and C's. 90 plus to wager. Ontario only.

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. This episode is sponsored by McNichols. McNichols is the leading supplier of specialty metals and fiberglass, including perforated metal, expanded metal, wire mesh, grating, and flooring products. With 19 metals service centers in cities across America, their coast-to-coast branches are stocked with a wide variety of products in numerous materials, styles, patterns, and sizes. In addition to their vast inventory, McNichols offers value-added services

such as custom cutting, fastening, welding, and polishing. Striving daily to provide customers with superior service quality and performance, McNichols proudly serves a range of industries, from construction to metal fabrication, with the highest quality specialty metals tailored for any application you may require. To get you started, McNichols is offering complimentary samples of their materials. You can request a sample today by visiting mcnichols.com slash samples. Their link is in the show note below. Tomorrow is the most dangerous word in your vocabulary. Because while it's a symbol for hope, it can just as easily be the reason that your dreams

remain little images in your head. Tomorrow diminishes the significance of the air that you're breathing right now. It tells you that someday you can begin your journey, and that you can just wait and make yourself comfortable until then. Tomorrow masks itself as an escape for those held down by fear, those resistant to change. It encouraged you to be content where you are, stating that you have your whole life to get where you want to be. And for some, tomorrow lasts forever.

It evolves into regret, into immobility, into an excuse to never really do what you were meant to do. Tomorrow can be worse than failing because often it implies that there was never a beginning, there was just a vision, just an idea being put off for a better time that never came. There will never be a moment in your life more precious than the one you're living in. Your heart beating in your chest, the air in your lungs, the blood in your veins. They're giving you an opportunity to make a change, to become who you want to become, to live, to inspire, to achieve.

Because who really knows how many tomorrows you'll get? And the last thing you want is to look back on your life thousands of days from now and wish you had the courage to do what you wanted to do. To wish that you understood how fast tomorrows come and go and that all you will ever have is the present moment. Every journey starts with a step. That courageous act of moving forward, not knowing what tomorrow will bring Only knowing that you'll be further along then than you are now That you'll be stronger, wiser, smarter Because you didn't wait for tomorrow, you didn't wait for anything And that is the difference between I am and I wish I was.

It is the difference between dreaming and truly living. Life gives us infinite options. We have an unlimited number of opportunities to do anything we want. Anything. Only that's not always how we see it, right? People are very one-dimensional in terms of the lives they lead. And that's a part of life I've always been very intrigued by. How we intentionally restrict and limit our reality. Why do cookie-cutter expectations of how things should be precedence why is that

more important than a life of meaning to put that into context I'm talking about people who hate their jobs but rationalize by saying they're building a resume or people scared to move out of relationships they aren't happy with you know people I know right now in law school don't even want to be lawyers. These folks are sleepwalking. They've settled. And my question is, is maintaining individuality that scary that you'd live every day unfulfilled so that you can proudly proclaim that you fit into the bland, average norms that you've

decided are required of you. But look, I completely understand the safety of pursuing a path that will socially validate your existence in the short term. You jumped on the first train you saw. It's the train everyone's jumping on. You're comfortable with the destination. This provides the illusion that you must be on the right track. And it would be if it weren't for that burning question that always reveals itself in

times of constraint and unhappiness what if what if you did things differently so now you're on this train with everyone else, all going somewhere you don't really wanna go, together, bragging about it. And maybe you just wonder, right, what would've happened if you waited? What if you took another train? What if you weren't so worried about fitting into these black and white expectations that you did what you wanted?

Right, seems ridiculous to do what you want. And the truth is, it takes balls. It takes courage to let these trains go by one by one and wait for yours, right? Believe that your train is on its way. There's no proof that it is. There's no message everything's going to work out. There's no safety guarantee. That's why so many people jump on that first train right to

Mediocreville. To be different, to be great, start by looking at people who have done great things. They all have the same message. Believe in yourself. Trust your ability. It's not hidden. It's not a message that's hard to find. You just have to want to find it. Steve Jobs talks about believing that the dots are going to connect in your future, driving towards something without proof. Muhammad Ali says he never feared his opponents because he had faith in his ability over everyone else's. Richard Branson says that fulfilling lives are only for those brave enough to find them. Their messages are exactly the same. Trust your ability. I don't think any of these guys would

be caught dead on the first train. Look, things generally work out. If you have the mindset, if you have the work ethic, you're already ahead of 90% of the world. Bet on yourself. If you follow the crowd, you'll get lost in the crowd. Just because validation isn't right in front of you, it doesn't mean it isn't there. It doesn't mean it's not coming. Believe that. Know that it is. Be okay with taking the last train home. That is the train you want. That is the experience worth waiting for. So I dealt with something today that kind of knocked me off my feet a little bit. One of those unfortunate things that pops up really sets you back, especially when you're working and really

driving towards something. And obviously this isn't specific to me. You know, everyone has to deal with things that they don't want to. No one has smooth sailing all the time. But I was sitting in my living room, you know, pissed off, angry at the world, thinking about all the ways that this unfortunate situation is going to be detrimental to what I'm trying to do. You know, really feeling defeated. But the more I thought about it, the more it became evident that I was wasting my time. Because realistically whatever happened, it happened.

I can't change that. But what I do have control over is the way I internalize the situation. My perspective. Do I want to see this circumstance as good or bad? You know, that old glass half full, half empty concept. So I began thinking about how I can take this unfortunate situation and rather than suffer because of it, you know, how I can benefit from it. Make it an advantage.

When you really think about what a setback is, it's kind of a unique thing because it's an opportunity to take a step backwards and re-approach the challenge that you're facing. But this time to come back better than before. To show the universe why it's going to take more than that. It's time to dig deeper now. Time to push yourself to the next level. The world wants to keep throwing problems your way? Good. You'll just keep finding ways to get better.

In life, so many of us are lucky to have the freedom to pursue our passion. You know, and we do that tirelessly. But a big part of that is the ability to be agile, to adapt, to find ways to win when you hit a roadblock. A lot of the times that ends up being the difference maker. One of the reasons I love doing this work is because I talk to so many amazing people. I hear so many great stories about these brave individuals battling illnesses, tough times, but still making a point to run, to work out, to excel in their daily lives at work with their family.

And again, it just puts everything into perspective. Why shouldn't I be able to transform my situation? Which, by the way, pales in comparison to what some of these people are dealing with. This is life. You know, here are your puzzle pieces that are assigned to you. Now figure it out. Nothing can't be solved or made better. So I hope anyone listening to this, going through that rough stretch,

I hope you can take that step back and really re-examine what it is that's in front of you. Don't be torn down by it. Grow from it. Because when the dust settles, you'll come out way stronger than you were before and I assure you that the dust will settle it always does The End Fear is an integral part of life. It's a natural reaction to be afraid of something that we believe to be dangerous.

In specific situations, it keeps us from harm, right? We don't put our hand near a flame for fear of being burned, and that's a good thing. That's its biological intent. It's part of the reason our species was able to evolve and flourish. But just as it helps us, it can be our biggest obstacle. It becomes easy to see everything is that flame that will burn our hand. But just as it helps us, it can be our biggest obstacle. It becomes easy to see everything as that flame that will burn our hand. We fence ourselves in, we create a comfort zone,

because a comfort zone is safe. And because of this, we miss out on some of life's greatest opportunities. Most things worth having live outside of our comfort zone, on the other side of fear. Everyone deals with being afraid. It's who we are. The difference lies in how we handle it. Quoting Peter McWilliams, he says there are two types of people. People who experience fear while trying to grow themselves and expand their comfort zone. And people who feel fear just thinking about expanding their comfort zone. Never acting because they're scared of the unknown.

It's the exact same fear that is felt by both types of people. Those who act and those who hide. The difference is that one grows and one doesn't. One creates a life of adventure, of passion. The other a life of regret. It's funny because you start to hear these things so much that they come across as cliche, right? Fear is the great barrier.

How many times have we heard that? But when was the last time you woke up and did something about it? Made an effort to do exactly what you're afraid of. Put yourself on the front line. Put yourself out there. These are the experiences that shape our character, where we prove to ourselves that, hey, maybe it's not so bad. Realistically, the worst that could happen is that you don't meet expectations.

It's that you fall on your face. In which case, you pick up your pride, you look yourself in the mirror, and you get ready for round two. Because round two means you come back more prepared, knowing what to expect. That's why it's been said that even if you fall on your face, at least you're moving forward. Eventually you'll adapt. This new challenge will become part of you. It becomes okay. It becomes comfortable. And look, just like that, you've expanded your comfort zone. Now you can move on to the next chapter.

So remember, the people you admire, the people who have done great things, lit the path for us. It's not that they weren't afraid, it's that they used their fear as a tool for growth, not a crutch. It's part of the reason we have such awe and fascination with the great minds of history. Imagine Neil Armstrong looking back one last time before stepping into the spacecraft that would take human beings to the moon for the first time. Jackie Robinson suiting up for his first game with the Dodgers. The American colonists signing the Declaration of Independence. We don't

think about it often, but just imagine if these people gave in to the fear they must have felt overcoming these obstacles. What would we have? How different would life be? So my ask of you is that you find a way. You find a way to get to the other side of fear because that's where dreams become reality. It's where your world can change if you just allow it to. So typical Tuesday morning, I was up spending some time reading, checking out some videos online,

and I came across one that really hit home for me, to the point where I wanted to make it the central theme for this week's video. And basically it was a short monologue by Robin Sharma. For those who don't know him, he's a sharp guy, he's got a lot of content on the internet. And what he said specifically that caught my attention was that to have the results that only 5% get, you need to have the guts to do

what only 5% are willing to do. And this really got the wheels turning in my head because there are only so many ways you can articulate personal courage, you know, only so many ways you can talk about being fearless. But in my eyes this puts it in the perfect context because it shines a direct light on the fact that success and overcoming social fears are directly linked. And I'm sure as you walk through this thought process, the concept will resonate with you. Right? 95% of people live for Friday.

Immediate pleasures like TV, fast food, drinking, you drinking. These are things that are commonplace in society, in the world we live in. And I'm not standing here pointing a finger saying it's inappropriate. My message goes deeper than that. What I'm saying is that if you want to be at the top in whatever it is that you do, or as Robin alluded to, the 5%, you have to sacrifice some of these pleasures

that the greater population indulges in. And this is where the guts comes in. Because anytime you deviate from a norm, anytime you put yourself above a social standard, people do not like it. It becomes personal, which results in criticism, the cynical outlook, or the haters, as we commonly refer to it today. And that's not easy. It's never easy walking one way when the larger group is walking another. That's not rocket science. But it's also why so few people can do it.

Let's face it, if you're going to do something of significance, you need to expect negativity. People trying to tear down what you're building up. Because like it or not, that's just how the world reacts. And the way I see it is that you can handle it a few ways. You can live your life in a way that conforms. You can shy away from that criticism. Or just take it head on. Learn to accept it thrive on it

because you'll never be able to please everybody you know so why not have the courage to do what you believe in have the guts to be called abnormal take it as a compliment I've mentioned before that the way you perceive something makes or breaks you think about how powerful that statement is in this context. You can look at the negativity, the haters, as a reason to change your approach, throw the towel. Or you can see it as a sign of progress, an anticipated part of your journey.

You can use it as a building block or a stepping stone for further success. Those are two polar opposite outcomes, by the way. All derived from how you choose to internalize the world around you. When you get through it all, you'll be happy you hung in. I can promise you that. That you have the guts to look past the norms in your surroundings. That you have the guts to be something different. Decisions, decisions. Isn't that what it ultimately comes down to?

Is it a dead end or a new beginning? An obligation or an opportunity? Because today can be whatever you want it to be, whatever you decide it is. And when you lay your head on the pillow at night, that's what makes all the difference. Imagine for a second being on a beach, dragging your foot and creating an indented pathway in the sand. And when you finish taking a bucket of water and pouring it into that very same channel you just sculpted, the water is gonna follow the path that you laid out. It will flow

within the confines of the channel that you just made. And the way I see it, life is just like that water. It flows within the boundaries placed before it. And how you decide to see the world creates that channel that contains the water. It's the driving force behind everything in your life, guiding every single thing that comes through. Have you ever thought about how small the details are that sway our perception of reality? How different people interpret the exact same event in different ways? Why do some people rise

when criticized and others crumble? Why do some see fear when criticized and others crumble? Why do some see fear in hardship when others see opportunity? Why do some aspire to build and others to tear down? See, everyone has the same clay. People just decide to sculpt, to mold it differently. Your external world is a reflection of the internal decisions you make. Decisions that dictate everything. Decisions that take what the world throws your way and transforms them according to

your viewpoint. Life runs right through your moat every day. That channel in the sand that you created, that you direct. You control how events unfold because you decide how they will be handled and harnessed. You choose the map that will take you to your final destination. So decide what you want and let it transform your perspective. Own it, become it, accept nothing less. Envision a boat making its way through the water.

Moving further and further from sight. Just a tiny object amidst an enormous ocean. Its journey comprised of endless possibilities, unlimited potential. Its destination could be anywhere in the world. And while observing this boat as it glides over the water, nothing is more apparent than the freedom it contains. The beauty in knowing that it sheds no light on where the boat has been, nor on what has brought it to this point.

You won't see the wrong turns taken, the mistakes made, nor the obstacles that were overcome to get here. What you will see is a seemingly fresh start, where every second of every minute is a new opportunity for the boat to go where it wants to be. Its wake has no impact on its course. This is one of the most beautiful things about being alive. Every single day provides a blank page in your story for you to fill out as you see fit. Old habits, friends, mistakes, expectations, they exist in whatever capacity you allow them to. But they are not you. They are not indicative of your potential.

You are the captain of your ship. Set sail. I was running around this morning, trying to get a head start on some things. Decided to stop in, grab a quick coffee. So I'm standing in line, door opens, two gentlemen walk in, stand in line right behind me. We start chatting back and forth, and basically one of them starts talking about how he's had a rough morning. Dealt with some unfortunate things, and was basically capping today off as a bad day. Which on the surface is pretty ordinary. You know, we all have rough days, they're real, and this happened to be one of them.

But it also happened that as he said this, I was looking at the clock, and it wasn't even 7 a.m. Now, I don't know this guy's situation, it's absolutely none of my business and I have no intention of delving into it, but internalizing all this sort of got the gears turning in the back of my head. You know, I'm thinking about how much the day is left. The sun is still coming up as this conversation is happening, so I grabbed my coffee and I walked outside, started to think about all the reasons that today is good, which is sort of an awkward activity at first, right? It's not something we consistently walk around talking to ourselves about.

But as I gave it some thought, I immediately saw the benefit. Today is good because for starters, what I'm left with at the end of the day is directly correlated to the decisions that I make throughout the day. Think about how powerful that is in itself. You know that feeling when you have a blank page to write or paint, or there's a movie that you've been dying to see, the opening credits first come out,

the first note is played at a concert. I'm living that, right? I am personified opportunity just walking down Beacon Street. If I go left, everything that happens will be because I went left. Think about the power that's contained in that. I mean, it opens the door for unlimited opportunities. Today is good because it's right now. I may have made some rough decisions last week, last month, last year, but guess what? They don't exist where I'm going. In fact, they don't exist at all. Maybe yesterday, but not today. They've played their part. They've provided their wisdom.

Now they can disappear. Today is good because statistically, I shouldn't be here. Because so many people were robbed of today. Because I get the opportunity to see the sun come up. And because the time will come when that will no longer be the case. Today is good because I have friends and family to share it with. This ridiculous ride. Chock full of ups and downs and all that stuff in between.

Right? I'm certainly not capable of sitting here and dissecting the meaning of life. But I do know that whatever it happens to be it's substantially better when shared when enjoyed and today that's what I'm going to do today is good I'd like to think there's a lot in store down the road you know some of it will push me forward some of it will cause me to stop, make adjustments, but I'll be damned if it will take the joy out of my day. Not today. I have something very different in store and I plan to see it through. I have the ability, the resources, the determination. I can't think of anything else I'd need.

So coffee in hand, here I go When I was a little bit younger, my grandfather would make a point to pull me aside every so often and say, Eddie, you are stronger than you think you are. You know, at the time, it didn't really resonate with me, right? I kind of smiled, acted appreciative, and moved on. But then that thing called life happens, you know, and you start to see the ups and downs, you experience the hardships. And no one's there to tell you how to act or how to handle it. But your response is what makes all the difference. And I look back now to that message

and can't help but wonder if I'd be where I'm at today without it because it's not just a reminder. It's not something that goes on a sticky note and hangs on a wall. It's so much more. It's the reason that I can navigate through change, through loss, the reason I don't fear failure. See, nothing ever happened that I couldn't get through. And you don't realize that unless you look back. If you decide to rise to the occasion, you will. You're 100% capable of doing more than you ever imagined. Reality is a narrative. And you are always stronger than you think you are.

Life is not some puzzle to be solved. It's never about hiding or worrying or eliminating all bad fortune. It's about knowing that you can and will get through everything. That nothing can push you down and keep you there. Maybe the worst is yet to come. Maybe it's not, but the best of you, that is undiscovered. And through the very hardship that you once feared, you'll be able to paint a portrait of the new you brushstroke by brushstroke and see back then I didn't get that I didn't know that growing up men enduring difficulty I didn't know what I was truly capable of but years have passed and now I know that I am stronger than I thought I was and while

life is not certain my my confidence stands alone. It's the reason that I run towards my dreams, never away from them, and neither should you. Don't forget that. Because during even the worst of days, the darkest of nights, you are always stronger than you think you are. There's a world you know and there's a world that you don't. And the world you know lays out everything for you perfectly. You know where you need to be, what's expected of you, how to think, how to act. The world you know tells you what's possible. It tells you when you've done enough. Because of this world, you can be sure that you'll get through the day. But I'm not interested

in waking up every morning with the goal of just knowing that I'll get through the day. Victory lies outside of your daily routine. It exists in the beliefs that aren't commonly held, in actions that are rarely taken. It lives in the world that you don't know, it requires risk. It requires you to turn your back on the word normal and to move towards something new. It means you burn your own trail rather than follow the footsteps of others. And yes, embarking in a journey like this, it does create extra pressure.

It does put weight on your shoulders. But I can promise you this, once you have made the trip, you will see the best things that life has to offer. You'll push yourself to places you didn't know existed. You'll step, accomplish, keep moving. As far away from average as possible. Straight toward the top, where you innovate.

You turn potential into excellence. You translate emotion into art. You'll exceed expectations again and again and again. Seek out what you don't know. Once you find the strength to stare the unknown in the face, guess what? It's not unknown anymore. Now it's part of you, the very part that's going to push you to the next unknown, and the next, and the next, and the the next and breathe life into you, allow you to live to the fullest.

This is how you create excellence. It's how you create a life worth living. So forget the world you know. It means nothing. It's a mirage. It's an illusion. Greatness awaits in the shadows where people are unwilling to go. It lives in the world that you don't know.