Your World Within Podcast by Eddie Pinero - BELIEVE YOU CAN MAKE IT | Best Motivational Speeches Compilation | Listen Every Day

Episode Date: November 4, 2022

"If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves" - Thomas Edison

It may be that our greatest gift in life is that we're always one decision away from transformation. We're always one decision away from a new path with new experiences, new beliefs, new identity, one decision away from a totally different life. It's almost incomprehensible. That all the days leading up to now, everything we knew ourselves to be can be discarded and left. with one swing of an axe gone. What is more miraculous than that?

We live at the intersection of two imaginary worlds, right? The past and the future. Past is gone and essentially meaningless. Yet as the provider of our identity, it still rules over us. Our sense of who we are comes from our collection of past memories. That imaginary world of yesterday, like the elephant tied to the chair with the rope. It hasn't realized it's strong enough to break free.

It doesn't know that what confines him is not the rope, but acceptance of a lie. And that's what the past, that's what identity is, a lie. We are not yesterday, we are right now. And from the trivial things to the significant things we get wrapped up in that lie, we overlook the gift of control we have over our future. What does it mean to say I'm not a mourning person?

That in your past you hadn't conditioned yourself to wake up early? Okay. What does it mean to say, oh, I let people walk all over me? That in your past you didn't stand up for yourself? What does it mean to say I'm awkward or shy or I struggle with writing or running or public speaking? So maybe you did. But what does that have to do with right now? What does that have to do with realizing that

the control you have over your life. Because simply realizing you can disconnect from these narratives that they are not you is a superpower. Realizing that calling yourself a bad student because you fail the test, it's like never taking off your raincoat because it rained yesterday. It's like, no, the sun is out, adapt. And once you realize right now is the beginning of the rest of your life,

you can start making little changes. changes. Identify not who you were, but who you'd love to be, and move towards it. Read the power of habit and atomic habit so that you can understand change isn't crazy or big or scary. It's moving little things in your life around so that they work for you, not against you. Start waking up and thinking about not what has happened, but what can happen, not what can go wrong, but what can go right. You are always one decision away from a totally different life because you're always one decision away from change from walking away from the narratives that you have accepted and so remember that but remember it not just when things are fine

remember it when you're struggling when you feel restless or uneasy unsure uninspired sad angry not content with the reflection in the mirror when you feel that negativity you're not looking at what can be you're looking at what you have been and there's no room at the table for that distraction. Not when you can reach out and start building something new. Not when you can put on a new pair of shoes and walk down a different path. You are always one decision away from a totally different life. And that decision should be first and foremost to choose future over past. Your next step over the last one, choose Choose your ideal world and start building.

In John Maxwell's book, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, he talks about momentum, and how the saying, if you can't take the heat, then get out of the kitchen, doesn't quite get it right, advocating that it should instead be, if you can't create the heat, then get out of the kitchen. And being that we are all leaders in our own lives, I think he hits on something that none of us should overlook. The power of momentum, of not waiting but creating. Reminding ourselves that we are not spectators, sitting in the stands and simply reacting to, or complaining about the events taking place below. No, we have the ability to change the things we do not like

and create the ones that don't yet exist when we know they should. Too much of the time we react to that metaphorical heat in the kitchen, as John alludes to. Forgetting that we can dial it up or down. We're not only characters that have been created, we are ourselves creators. And I talk a lot about mental shifts that have changed my life, and there are plenty. But perhaps the most important was the realization that I can do something about the things I don't like. And I know that sounds simple, probably even obvious. But I look back at various stages of my life and am blown away by the amount of things I tolerated for years and years simply because I gave it no thought.

There were so many questions that I never asked, so many opportunities I never explored, until I realized, hey, you can stop accepting those things you don't want. It's amazing the power of a simple list that was created, two columns, left side, all the things that bothered me, that I wasn't happy with, or that I knew should be there that had been lacking. And then on the right column, what I'm going to do about it, every single item. Each one, what's the step I'm going to take? And I just poured my heart onto that paper, and it's like you look down and feel like you have finally moved into the driver's seat. There's something incredible about knowing that you have taken control, something satisfying, knowing that you're not just accepting what falls out of the sky and lands in your hand.

Especially since we seem to have this proclivity to box ourselves in. Human beings are amazing in their ability to adapt. But the danger is when we adapt to and normalize a reality that falls short of what matters to us. The danger is in forgetting that nothing happens without momentum. And momentum is self-made. One of my favorite stories is about a man walking through the circus. And he sees these enormous elephants, each with one end of a rope, tied around one of their legs, and the other end of that rope connected to a chair.

The man, as he's walking by, he's curious, asked one of the trainers, Hey, isn't that dangerous? Couldn't the elephant easily break free and get away if he wanted? And the trainer says, no. See, we started doing this when they were baby elephants. And when they were babies, they were babies, they were babies. babies, they couldn't physically break free. They weren't strong enough. And so over the years, as they grew and became bigger, stronger, it never dawned on them that by simply pulling on that rope or

walking away, they could break free. These chains might as well be invisible. And that's what they were. Mental. The rope wasn't keeping the elephants to the chair. The elephants were keeping the elephants to the chair. And there's something there in that message for all of us. For some of us in this particular moment, maybe it's big picture. For others, maybe we're at a season of life where it's simply creating momentum in some type of smaller capacity. And I travel through these ups and downs personally all the time. I think that's a healthy thing. It's a sign that you're looking for that growth. you're checking the world around you for those imaginary ropes.

Recently I went through a period where I just felt too long had gone by without something significant happening. I needed to create momentum. And so I asked, well, who was I reaching out to? How was I pushing myself? What was I doing that scared me? What was I doing that was growing? How could I take things up a level? All these little levers of opportunity are all around us.

But we have to know to look for them, to see them and pull. And it's truly an incredible thing. You do that and you start to feel the movement underneath you, the momentum, the excitement, because you're trying new things, you're taking new risks, talking to new people. And that's how that snowball grows. We have to realize that we are mighty big elephants, perpetually tied to these. comically small chairs. We have to create that heat in the kitchen because we're not only capable, we are ready.

We are equipped to move forward. See, the moment is never going to be perfect. The momentum will never come to be on its own. Those things wait. They wait for you to stop watching life go by. and click start on the stopwatch. Yeah, time has always ticked away, but it will never mean as much as it's about to now.

Tick, talk. Whispers the opportunity. Signifying that in order to evolve, we must decide we are bold enough to go where we have not yet gone and strong enough to leave some things behind. To choose to accept some discomfort and it's impermanence, instead of a regret that is forever. And that's a trade that demands we look into the future

and find value in the unseen. It's a move that says the seconds ticking by mean too much to dishonor them by not making the most of what's around you. And those answers are always there. At the end of the day, that's what it's all about. We make decisions without even realizing we're making them. To accept the current moment as fate is to choose what you're given over what is possible,

over everything that's out there available for you. It's never too late to pull on that rope around your foot. To be who you, as the saying goes, might have been. Know that in your world, nothing consistently shows up or exists without your stamp of approval. That will always be true. Nothing carries on without you allowing it to do so. And that understanding will be the difference between the ground level and the exponential heights

you are capable of reach. The creation, the email, the phone call, the ride, the book, the period of time, the step out, the door, any and all of life's seemingly unremarkable characteristics. within them is your ticket to greatness. Just know that you have to be the one that winds the clock. You are the sun around which everything else revolves, the architect that makes something of value from them. There will always be momentum where you decide there should be momentum.

So pick your head up, open the door. and step out into the world of potential that await. Remember what's yours to control and what's not what must be let go. Remember that nothing is so futile as attempting to move the immovable or change the unchangeable. Remember that your greatest strength

is focusing your time, talent, and efforts, exhausting your effort, energy on that which you can control. And sometimes this distinction hurts. But to fail to see it is to shackle oneself to delusion. Right? You can complain about the weather all day, but to complain about it, to focus on it, to be stuck in it is not going to change it. Your time would be better suited looking at how to adjust yourself to it. And that's what life repeatedly tells us.

There's plenty we aren't happy about, plenty we wish we could change. But to stay there in that space is to forfeit your greatness, your strength. Why? Because there is so much you can control. So much you can do. You can always position yourself to succeed. But that calls for first separating what's yours and what's not.

There are people I wish were different. There are situations I prayed were alterable. There are outcomes that are given without my asking. That's just life. And a losing mentality is to fight that, to feel anger or resentment at the people that let you down. Why couldn't they be how I want them to be? It's to dwell on the situation that occurred despite your wishes.

Why couldn't it have just happened my way? It's to refuse to acknowledge the outcomes that have already materialized. Why couldn't it just have evolved differently? All that, as hard as it is to see, is embracing a mentality of victimhood. It's walking down a path that has no desirable destination in store for. in store for you. When you accept the unchangeable, you then become the architect of your reality. Sure, people, places, and outcomes weren't always the best, but now you ask, how can I navigate around it, or better yet, use it to my advantage. It is, to use the famous metaphor, not shaking your fist at the wind, but building sail

for your boat, creating a path to take you somewhere new. So let the energy, the time, and emotion that's wasted on the immovable dissolve. The question worth asking is, where do you most want to be, and how can you get there? And while those details outside the scope of your control can feel like a bottomless gap in your way, I promise that what's around you is enough to build a bridge over it. There's enough there for you to find your way. So long as we learn to separate the gap from the bridge, the details from the solutions, when all you see is why you can't go or how it can't be solved or how impossible something is.

It's not that you are looking at an unfortunate truth, it's that you are looking at the wrong supporting evidence. When we stop seeing the details and outside circumstances as the deciders of fate, we win. When we place our eyes upon the controllable, when we step into what is ours to move and shape and transform, we finally see that the journey to something bigger is not only possible,

It is inevitable. What if the so-called detours in our lives weren't detours at all? What if they were the way? And all that time spent worrying, analyzing, critiquing was nothing more than an inability to realize the perfection of the moment. The greatness that completely oblivious to us. we've stumbled upon. Sometimes we can fall into the trap of looking at life in a way that I believe is

too linear. And I certainly think we benefit from simplicity for a variety of reasons, clarity, the ability to make something repeatable, the gift of focus. But here's the thing, truth is so rarely black and white. And that begs the question, well, what do we make of all that nuance in detail, all that other stuff?

The surprises, twists, turns, mistakes, sudden goodbyes, unexpected hellos, the cutting away and the taking on. Because life is messy, unpredictable. And our greatest lessons seem to come from places we least expect them to. Our most memorable moments are often somehow dropped into our laps. It's the whole John Lennon notion that life is what happens while you're busy making other plans, right? And it's interesting to me that I've spent a decade pointing at this metaphorical mountaintop, pouring myself into a methodical plan, just to see again and again that the value continuously comes from the places I did didn't anticipate.

Where if I kept my eyes closed or even blinked for a second, I might have missed it. Seems like the important things often dress themselves up as mistakes, problems, setbacks, and detours. So why bring all this up? Well, in case you're like me, and you have that tendency from time to time to beat yourself up, For the times you fell short, let yourself down, the times you swung and missed. For anyone who thinks a deviation from the original path is in some way of failure, you know, my goal is to remind you that these things, every single one of them,

they all come together to make you, you. And the more days I collect, the more I realize they are not only part of the chapter, but integral to the storyline. They're the character development. See, somewhere, at some point along the way, you'll have situations that change, things that come and go, relationships that fall apart,

forever things that ended up being rather temporary. And that animal brain will tell you that, you know, this was somehow a total loss, that your days were wasted, your time was stolen, It won't highlight for you how much you actually learned or that that point in time gave life to the next thing, which became the next, which opened the door to the next, that it was all part of this critical evolution. The thoughts you think, wisdom you now hold, none of that is ever realized without you having

taken the path you took. And so I ask, was that a detour? Or was that you being exactly where you needed to be? Then there will be ideas. The ones you thought you had ironed out, nailed, hit out of the park, the plans that would change the narrative, rewrite the story. But ultimately, time just wouldn't allow them to live up to that potential. fade away and leave you no choice but to pick yourself up and move on. And your pride, your emotions

will absorb all that and tell you, hey, it was all for not. Another failure, a giant L. They won't show you how learning to brush yourself off and start again is a muscle, a skill. And that being as all people fall, the ones who never love, learn to get back up are at a tremendous disadvantage in life. They won't explain that you're more courageous now than you've ever been up to this point in time, that depersonalizing our miscalculations and carrying on, well, it won't just help you succeed. It will be the reason you do, the X factor, the wind beneath your outstretched wings. And so I ask, Were those miscalculations detours?

Or were they the wisdom that you needed more than anything else? And then of course, there'll be the times you just don't know. Perhaps these are the hardest, you know, stuck, unsure. And it's bad enough that you have no idea. But then you look around and it always seems like everyone else has it all figured out. Everyone else has it down. At least that's the message our brains like to create. You're alone in this.

This is all you. It doesn't tell you that in reality, no one knows exactly where they're going or what they're doing. And the ones who think they do are very often redirected and for good reason, as is the entire point of this message. Right? It doesn't tell you that you don't feel. Find yourself until you get lost.

That life is not some predetermined checklist or series of qualifications. It's an adventure. Where some corners are turned, only for you to realize that the contents just around the bend aren't what you wanted. And some bridges are crossed only for you to see that maybe you were wrong about what you thought was important. And that, contrary to how you might originally feel, is a beautiful thing. The times you're unsure remind you to keep your eyes open, to enjoy what's around you, capture the value, explore the vastness of a world that will eventually offer up all the pieces required to build what you need.

And so I ask, was being unsure a deal? detour or the necessary starting point to live a life true to yourself. Perhaps we've been looking at this whole thing the wrong way, a little too black and white. What if what we need to do is, while in pursuit of whatever it is we're pursuing, give ourselves a little more love, a little more understanding, because one cannot be their own greatest critic if they forget to also be their own biggest fan. The two are inextricably linked, making it not okay to be so caught up in the former that one forgets the latter. Life is messy. So forgive yourself when your plans from time to

time mimic the pulse of the very world we are trying so desperately to navigate. Be there for yourself because every step is important every moment matters and again I ask what if the so-called detours in our lives weren't detours at all what if they were the way and all the time spent worrying analyzing critiquing what if they were nothing more than an inability to realize the perfection of the moment, the greatness that we've stumbled upon. If these walls could talk, they would remind you of the things that you sometimes forget. Yeah, those elusive things you tend to walk right by. It's not that you've chosen to ignore them, it's that, well, people are complex.

And we have a tendency to skip over some important things. as we remain fixated on our problems, our perceived inadequacies, that finicky negativity bias. The one that states, if you went to a restaurant 100 times, had 99 incredible experiences, but something went wrong on the 100th,

well, that restaurant would forever be known to you is the place where things go wrong. We are wired. not to see the good but to identify and avoid the bad. And if these walls could talk, they would unveil to you the brilliance that exists slightly out of frank. They would suggest you look over your shoulder and take a peek at how far you've come, because my friend, you've come a long, long way. It's funny how slow progress moves.

It's interesting how our lowest moments force us outside of ourselves. Push us to step into those shoes we didn't know we're sitting in the closet, unworn, waiting for the day we'd take on that new role, waiting on you to see that who you were yesterday is not correlated to who you. you can be today. And if these walls could talk, they'd fill you in on a very important statistic. They'd tell you that you've stood face to face with some of the biggest curve balls life can throw.

You took on struggle and hardship that rocked you to your core, and as you stand here now, your success rate through all that comes in at well 100%. You are literally undefeated in your ability to move through adversity. And every time you did, whether you knew it or not, you walked into that closet and put on a new pair of shoes. You became something new. Sometimes progress is so slow that it feels like pain and it looks like stagnation, but it is anything but. And if these walls could talk, they would remind you of that truth. they would beg you to see what you've become who you are.

If these walls could talk, they would remind you of life's ever-changing, transformative nature. All the times they witnessed you upset about people and things coming and going, as you tried to hold on to that which perhaps no longer served you, wishing you could make permanent those things, things that were just meant to be transitory, shooting stars across the sky of your life. But something doesn't need to be forever to be meaningful. And thank God, because nothing is forever. And as we make our way into that vast unknown, we have a choice. We can live in the shadow of a particular moment in time, or we can cherish the value that those moments offered to us. They gave you just enough to take a new step forward, and sometimes a new step in that direction that's calling you is the difference between nothing and everything.

So if these walls could talk, they would tell you to keep your head up and be thankful for those shooting stars in your life, for they made you who you are. And the path forward would be impossible without them. If these walls could talk, they would ask you about those times you came home, sat down in your room, and wondered how you could ever be enough. They'd call attention to that seemingly non-stop battle with imposter syndrome. They'd ask when you will feel like you've learned, seen, or traveled enough to gain some semblance of authority in your own life. They'd wonder when you'll give yourself permission to be that. You've come so far, endured so much, you're not the same person you were a year ago. Now, if you could just stretch a little further, if you could just extend a little higher,

if you could see all the new shoes you've worn and the shooting stars you've collected along the way, you would know that you are designed to overcome. External pressures, obligations, criticism, none of it matters. This is between you and yourself. And if these walls could talk, they would ask you when you'll see what they see. The brilliance, the magnitude of your potential,

when will you be you? Marcus Aurelius wrote, Remember how long you've been putting this off. How many extensions the gods gave you and you didn't use them. There is a limit to the time assigned to you. And if you don't use it to free yourself, it will be gone and never return. See, today is precious because it is the only one you get.

Each second unique in its own way, a measurement of opportunity. represented by a single tick from the watch you're wearing, and if these walls could talk, they would tell you that they've seen people come and go, that you aren't the first and you most definitely won't be the last. And every single soul that stepped inside wish they'd found that courage a little sooner,

wish they'd looked back a little earlier, wish they'd found the inspiration amidst the chaos and turbulence of their day, day lives and if these walls could talk they'd hope that maybe this would be it for you the next step in your evolution and what's most incredible is that you get there not by becoming something you've not yet become no in this moment it's about noticing who you already are instead of the one mistake or reason to shrink into yourself. How about shining a light on those 99 reasons to expand? When it hurts, know that it's hurt worse and you've persevered.

When you experience loss, know that it's not about what's gone, but what you now have and will keep with you forever. And most importantly, know that you can always step into a new pair of shoes. You can always reinvent, recreate, you are never defined by something that happened in the past. The wake of the boat does not drive the boat, and so with this in mind, chart your course to new horizons. Understand that the map you need has nothing to do with externalities, but rather the solutions that already exist within you. So take a second and peer back over your shoulder. Look at that you in the past standing at the bank of a river,

hoping, praying for help, a lift for some technology to get you across, knowing as you stand here now that you have traversed oceans. Look, the context changes. And yes, it will always change, but your ability to endure, it does only one thing. it multiplies. You have everything you need because you couldn't have gotten to this point

without accumulating the knowledge and expertise to take one step forward and miracles. They are merely the culmination of those courageous steps. And yes, when we are stuck, when we're at that coastline looking out at foreign horizons,

I get that the answers seem big, sometimes even bigger than we are. I get that the mind wanders right to the potential disasters, to the what-ifs and the worst case. But if these walls could talk, they would let you know that you've come this far, endured and accomplished all this. Not because you've left mountains or jumped oceans, but because when you were at your worst, You found it within yourself to carry on the exponential compounding of what has made you great and what will continue to make you great.

Look, if these walls could talk, they'd show you how the difficulties of years past have become stepping stones. So commonplace, so easily solvable, that they no longer even warrant your attention. That by moving forward, you have faced your obstacles, taken the value from them and made them obsolete. If these walls could talk, they'd remind you that you are not only ready, but made for everything that awaits.

Why is this battle you versus you? With all the complexity, all the obstacles out there, why are you your greatest opponent? Well, to put it simply, because all those obstacles and all that complexity still can't tell you no. They can't say enough is enough. They can't look back at you and say let's just settle for what we have now. No, only you can do that.

The world may create the landscape. It may construct the terrain and those obstacles. But you are the sole decider. on where along the way you stop. You decide how far you want to go and how much you are willing to endure. When it comes to your advancement or limitation, you are in the drivers.

I just picked up a copy of Will Smith's recent book, and one of the ideas that stood out to me was resilience. And this part in the book, it's actually kind of uncomfortable to get through, but incredibly powerful. He's talking about his childhood and the polarity of his father's personality. A man who would do anything to provide for his family,

he took pride in that and saw it as his primary responsibility. But simultaneously was their greatest source of pain. And he mentions his father, hitting his mother from time to time. In one particular example, struck his mother in the face so hard that it knocked her on the floor. And as she stood back up, she said something along the lines of, you can hit me, but you can't hurt me.

And that was the first time Will understood as a child, the difference between what the outside world inflicts upon us and how we choose to react to that occurrence. That understanding is power. And so why you are the author of your story. In the sense that every single thing dropped at your feet, every situation, every occurrence, they come with an implicit question attached, a question that you and only you are responsible for answering. The question is, what does this mean? And how you respond to that question determines whether you go left or right at that metaphorical fork in the road.

Does the occurrence detract from your ambitions or is it a multiplier? Does it confirm your doubts and insecurities or is it your reason to rise to the occasion? An opportunity to stretch, to evolve. That's a gift. That's an invite. Not some sort of divine punishment. But the challenge is removing the layers until you arrive at the value. And it's hard.

But you get there by saying yes. You get there by choosing to see the value. And here's a quick example. My favorite thing about athletics, which was for me a ton of running. Now I throw more interval training in there, but the same concepts apply. It's a chance to remind myself

that I don't negotiate with my weakness. I don't give myself an opportunity to rationalize with the voice that wants me to quit, that question, that fork in the road, I answered it. I charted its course before the workout started, knowing this is going to be uncomfortable at times, but it's where I need to go. There will be no more thinking from here on out. And so today's workout, for example, switching deadlifts, burpees to school. squats, to core, you don't think.

You see the next requirement, the next task, and you simply say, yes, you don't need your mind for this. In fact, you go before your mind even knows where it's going. Because that dotted line has already been signed. And that was the breakthrough for me. When you separate what you have to do with the hurt associated with doing that thing, you free yourself. After all, what's there to hold you back if you can't talk yourself out of doing things? See, we tend to think our greatest adversity is the pain or the confusion or the unknown. But it's like, no, those are the byproducts of doing anything of significance.

The adversary is the voice that begs you to slow down because of those things. And if you can figure out in your own life, how to create space between the two, how to separate the task and the discomfort often brought about by the task, there's nothing that will ever be able to slow you down. And look, I'm not saying that you walk around without ever utilizing the power of that brilliant mind you possess.

The one's ability to think is everything, but what I am saying is there is a time to shut it off. There is a time in which to avoid, thinking, we simplify. Action, reaction. One more mile, okay, end of story. One minute of jump squats next. Roger that, period.

It's taking the emotion out of the process, refusing to leave the door cracked for the inner dialogue that says, hey, maybe you don't do this, maybe you slow down. Are you sure you can handle what's next? No, all of that is tuned out. It's assignment, go.

Next, go. Next, go. You know this is the right thing. You did your thinking before grabbing the sword, shield, and stepping into the arena. Now guess what? It's instinct. It's doing what has to be done. And what has to be done hurts. And look, you didn't have to accept that. You didn't have to step in. you could have stayed home but somewhere along the way you looked in the mirror and said the difficult path is the one with the value

and now here you are face to face with hungry lions clashing swords with your adversaries there's no turning back now now is when you parse out pain from the objective the pain is now part of the audience. It's not with you or in you,

it's watching from above as you do what you came here to do. So yes, those swords clash, but the eyes remain focused on what's ahead. And yes, those lions roar, but that's background noise. When you simplify your world into objective and action,

objective action, objective action, there is time for nothing but forward progress. And sometimes that is all that is required of us. In the face of adversity, in the face of pain, self-doubt, in the face of discomfort, can you break your world down into nothing but one single step forward? One more set, one more rep, one more session, one more attempt, Just one more. No rocket science, no negotiation.

There's nothing to figure out here. It's walking the path before you. It's the discipline to carry on. It's one more swing of the axe. Audience or no audience. Lions are no lions. You are bound to the universe at your feet. And that simplified concentration is why you're.

You will succeed. Everyone wants to change the world, but no one wants to change himself. This was written by Leo Tolstoy in reference to people's proclivity to point out at the world and project blame rather than to point in at themselves and ask, why? What can I do? How can I be better? Which when you think about it is basically a shark forfeiting its bite, right? Or a bird giving up its wings.

Our personal agency is without a doubt our superpower. Yet, from my vantage point, sometimes feels like we're walking away from that superpower, a tiny step at a time. Little by little, day by day, we're allowing greatness to fade while bringing about the death of the hero. And well, that's a pretty big claim.

What could I possibly mean by this? It's funny when people ask me what I'm most proud of. My mind pretty quickly goes to my work, the brand that I've dedicated the last almost decade to building. But I don't think that's right. I think it's a product of my answer, but it's not my answer. What I'm most proud of is shipping away at the monster that is the victim mentality. You know, my default when things went wrong for so long was to feel bad for myself. It was easier to be the victim and sulk than it was to keep taking the hits.

It's like a cheat code. When you can just bask in your sorrow and hate the world, you don't have to do anything. It's like a giant ibuprofen for the discomfort that is life. But it relieves this symptom, not a thing. not the cause and to understand to overcome this worldview is like being gifted with a new pair of eyes and what I learned was that self-pity it gets you nothing it leaves you resentful disappointed envious wandering down a path that is not your own what I learned was that my story needed a hero that's why as I grew I spoke about the power and the beauty of doing the

thing. Running in the rain, chasing the metaphorical fireflies, taking the last train home. See, until you immerse yourself into that vast unknown, you stay in a cell of your own making. You build walls of limitation and you exist entirely within them. And as time has progressed, I look back, there are two things worth mentioning. One is that we find life's meaning in the difficult thing. And two, there is a fundamental misunderstanding, and even from time to time contempt, for what the difficult thing means, for those who speak of the difficult thing, as though hard truths are in some way inconsiderate. Like diverging from the comfort of one's feelings implies a lack of empathy. But that's wrong. If you love someone, if you love someone, if you.

If you care about someone, if you care about yourself, you say what is true. And what is true is that the shelter and the temporary comfort of victimhood is a high, not worth the withdrawal, not worth the suffering. It got me nowhere, it will get you nowhere, and that is a reality that will never cease to be true. We live in a world that's been shaped entirely by those who found the courage to do the difficult thing. Everything around us is a product of the courageous decision to take the now and bend it. And that means taking hits. It means being criticized. It means by definition

you are choosing to be uncommon. You're choosing to change things. Yourself and by default, the world around you. There's nothing wrong with being common. Quitting is relatable. Failure is relatable. Falling short is relatable. We're all human and we've all been there. But these stock features of humanity, they are not worth celebrating. We don't put on pedestals the familiar. No, we put on pedestals the times that we've reshaped the familiar. And a world of participation trophies is a world that has disincentivized that which makes life worth living. It cripples the very pursuit that ignites the soul, a push towards the extraordinary. It's time we resurrect the hero. See through the facade of short-term comfort that leads to long-term emptiness. In a world where

attention is currency, it's time we acknowledge the payment we receive when we play victim buys only despair. Sure, we're flawed. That's That will always be true, but we are capable of manufacturing greatness. We're capable of capturing hearts and captivating minds. If you could only see within yourself that story unwritten. If you could feel the greatness that awaits, the roads to be traveled, and mountains to be climbed, there would be no debate. There'd be no hesitation about that march to the belly of the beast.

only to show that our demons exist solely where we allow them to. Resurrection the hero. Fight those battles that light you up. Blaze your trail through the valley of darkness. Take that path unknown to the common man, unseen to those who live within the confines of what is. Resurrection that hero because you need you, because the world needs you.

There's no time to be down or sad or dwell on the mistakes of yesterday. There's too much on the line to pretend that settling was the plan all along. Or to point at the obstacles with disdain and hatred while life rotates around you. No, resurrect the hero. Resurrection your answer. Resurrection the person you were meant to be. It may not be. simple or intuitive, it may cause you to give more than you knew you had. It may not be easy.

But my friend, Easy never changed the world.