Your World Within Podcast by Eddie Pinero - Best Motivational Speeches Of 2022 (So Far) | Morning Motivation | Start Your Day Right

Episode Date: November 11, 2022

"If you really want to do something, you'll find a way. If you don't, you'll find an excuse." - Jim Rohn

What makes human beings different from birds, cats, dogs, and chimps is that we understand the finitude of life. We get it, how temporary, how fleeting it all is. But we do, however, as we get caught up in the trivialities of our day-to-day, need to be reminded of that fact. That there is no forever in this world. Because sometimes we wait like we can afford to wait. wait. And we drag our feet like there will be a next time. There are no next times.

For me, especially when it came to doing the things I knew I needed to do, but was worried about or nervous to begin. I had to adjust my mindset. I had to learn to see missed opportunities as tangible, as though they're real. And that's the hard part. It's easy to dismiss something that never happened. Oh, I didn't go. End of thought, end of story.

It's easy to rationalize that as insignificant. How could something you didn't do be important? But when you view what you need to do or where you want to go as an already existing path, then to not walk down that path is very real. a decision. The next question is, well, what if I'm not ready to walk down that path? I'd catch myself thinking that all the time. Right? Well, here's the deal. For the big things in life, we simply never feel ready. There is no fully prepared. There will never be a fully prepared, because we learn as we go. How could we know all there is to know and understand all there

is to understand when the path is the teacher. It's like expecting a seed to grow without ever having planted it. Life is about being in motion, letting the world shape you. It's less about being handed a map as it is about being the Lewis and Clark of your own story. Understanding that what awaits is intimidating, it's unknown, sometimes terrifying. But simultaneously, the adventure. That thing in your heart and your soul that pulls at you, that asks you to be a little bolder, a little stronger,

ask you to unshackle yourself from the worry and begin your pursuit. That is your frontier. And sure some will simply watch that clock tick away. They'll never set out on the journey. they'll stay where they are, citing the difficulty, maybe the irrationality of that which they don't know. It's all crazy, right? They'll say they'll spend their days a little safer every step, a little more predictable, but they'll also never truly see the show. They won't understand how beautiful those views are and how the darkness of those valleys become our strength. Time should have been their reason to go,

and instead, it was the story that never came to be. Like Jim Rohn has alluded to, you think going is expensive, wait until you see the cost of not going, of not trying, of not walking down the path that will unlock your mind and change the way you see the world. You know what that is for you.

Let's be honest, we all do. It's not about answers, it's about commitment to willfully embrace, that which we do not understand. We don't get how those pieces stack up. But it's about letting yourself be the student and life the teacher. This I believe when our finite time is up on this rock rotating around the sun will be what makes us smile, makes it all worth it. The memories we made, the adventure, the times we thought we were done but somehow kept moving, thought we'd lost, but somehow found a

That's our power. And if we're the authors of our own stories, the only thing truly unimaginable is the refusal to pick up that pen and open the book. Don't deprive yourself of the opportunity to explore the depths of your imagination. Don't hide from your greatness. Don't let what could go wrong cheat you out of all that can go right. As the saying goes, you only live once, but if you live it right, once is enough. So don't stay because of the clock, go because of the clock, live because of the clock.

Its hands are pointing you to that place you most need. What if I fall? The man asks. Looking nervously over the edge. Oh but my friend, a voice responds back. What if you fly? A little quote heard not too long ago demonstrating our proclivity to maintain. to preserve, to protect, to move away altogether from the risk for fear that we might lose our grip on the status quo.

Completely forgetting to think about what life could become if things worked out. Forgetting that life is a game of trade-offs. And to fixate on never losing what you have means forfeiting the possible. It is that simple. To stay is a refusal to go. We need to constantly reinforce the idea, the truth, that what we aren't doing is a decision. And while we place our energy and efforts on minimizing the falling and the failure, someone else is stepping into it. They're capitalizing on it. Falling again and again and again until they can't. can fly, because the danger is not in falling, it's in never taking to the sky.

It's becoming only a fraction of the person you are capable of becoming, with the required sacrifice and courage. It's an understanding that we're not wrong for initially thinking small, playing to not lose, thinking only to protect, protect, protect. That's how human beings arrive out of the factory, right? stock and you can thank millennia of evolution for that. You're not weak for being scared. You're not less than for shaking when you stand face to face with the adversity of life. Again, this is what being human is. But what we also possess is the ability to understand these default limitations

and transform them. To understand being scared of the world around us was incredibly valuable forever ago, right? When we roamed around hunting and gathering, it made sense not to inquire further when there was a shaking in the bushes. It made sense not to rashly run into the cave. It made sense to fear deeply the prospect of being abandoned by your small tribe that was the only reassurance separating you from the vast unknown lurking in the darkness, the wilderness. But anyone listening to today must also understand that these biological drivers are outdated. The lions in the bushes are no more. The caves are generally metaphorical,

and one's quote-unquote tribe should be carefully and methodically chosen. Civilization provides that cushion, and what a luxury. So when life pushes back and it will, and you feel like you're on that ledge, you will want to turn back. Not because you're weak, but because you've forgotten that the voice in your head screaming in fear

can't see the upside. It's blind to the possibility. It only sees downside. It only says, hey, this might bring about discomfort. There are things out there you don't know, foreign entities, possibly adversaries. Why would you even? contemplate taking that leap and that's where you step in and provide reassurance.

Yeah, things could go wrong, but the wrong steps are one, usually reversible and two, provide the wisdom that I need. It gives you a chance to inject into the conversation that if things go right, your life changes, that this could be the beginning and that we don't live until the excitement about what life can become if things work out is greater than the fear of what life would regress into if they didn't. Without upside, there's no hope. Without hope, there is no purpose. And as Victor Frankel has said, life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose. We're all operating within the same parameters, same playing field. But the difference is we have different soundtracks, interpretations, and narratives playing behind our eyes.

He may see the world collapsing and spend the rest of his life mourning what is gone, while she may see this same devastation and bring herself to wonder, well, what can I build in its place? What can arise from the wreckage? Same circumstance, different stories. line, different result. I often cringe when I hear mindset misinterpreted as this magical thing that becomes reality the second you close your eyes and make a wish. The law of attraction, as far as I'm concerned, is not magic. I think this whole song and dance is much simpler than that.

We act in accordance to the things we believe. And if you believe you're not good enough, If you believe you're not worthy, if you believe more is out of the question, what incentive do you have to change? None. It's much easier to default to hating the world when that's your perspective. But when you can find the discipline, even for a moment, to pause and ask, well, what if things got better? What if my life could be more?

That spark. has suddenly given you a reason to take another step forward. It's made an argument as to why that discomfort just might be worth it. The magic isn't that you wished for it, and so it was. The magic is that you saw it as a possibility, and in doing so incentivize yourself to move towards that outcome. It's hard to gravitate towards something that has not yet been built. It's hard to stand with conviction in defense of a life that hasn't yet materialized.

But that, my friends, is the beauty and mystery of life. You don't get what you want until you start living like you already have it. Like you can touch it, taste it, like it's real. So when the journey feels impossible, know that you are on the right track. You're competing against some very formidable adversaries, your very DNA. You're competing against the people around you that don't understand. You're competing against the obstacles that make you question whether that conjured up castle in the air existing only in your head could ever come to fruition.

That is some resistance. But as you step forward into the haze, your single, solitary acts of courage will begin to tell a story, to take shape. The once make-believe will become tangible. You'll see the pieces coming together and you'll see yourself as the one capable of assembling them. An architect of sorts, a designer, one with courage and self-belief. The truth is you will never completely mitigate fear. That will be with you forever. It's par for the course. You just need to remember that the power of purpose of meaning, the value of upside and opportunity is greater than that nagging voice of fear. It's not about closing your eyes

to who you are or where you've been. There's beauty and all that. It's merely about opening them to all you can become. favorite quotes is sometimes success is simply hanging on when others would be letting go the reason is that it reminds me how frequently the advantage is in not stopping it's in consistency it's in showing up when I run particularly long distances almost like clockwork I can break it down to feeling good at the usually a little rough stretch in the middle and then somewhere on the second half I catch a second wind or a second blast of energy the question just becomes

when will you hang in long enough to capture it because you don't know when it might be where it will show up you don't know when you'll find that nice rhythm again that makes the sport so enjoyable to me and when I say you know you can pull an infinite amount of life lessons from running, this is one of them. That depiction of trusting that the road ahead has everything you need to cross your finish line. Even when the short-term chaos is all you can see and feel, even when it's hard to look up and imagine. Right? Because it's easier said than done when you're tired and worn down to continue on, right? When you're in the trenches. There's an uncertainty to the road ahead, but each footstep is a shot on target.

Each step forward is saying, I'm worn down, but I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere. And life can present an almost eerily similar narrative, right, whether personally you're at a low point, whether you've been working and working and working and haven't seen the result you're looking for, whether you're uncomfortable and starting to wonder whether this reward is really worth the high price tag. You need to remember that second wind, that second blast of energy, just enough momentum to ease your worry and recalibrate your journey. It's there.

It's waiting. But you know the rules of life. It won't come to you. You must go to it. Through the storm into the night beyond the comforts of home. most sadly don't arrive. Not because they couldn't, but because they ultimately let go. They looked too far down the road at the distance to be traveled and forgot that their only job

was to hold on. Through the doubt, the pain, the worry, no miracle. Just a willingness to fight each battle as it presented itself. To let time stack up, to let the distance over your shoulders. shoulder accumulate. See, the thing about stopping is that you never know when that much needed second wind will arrive. There's a saying that many of life's failures had no clue how close they were to success when they gave up, when they turned around. Now, I'm not suggesting the road will be perfect, or that it won't come with its adversity, mistakes, and lessons. But what we always

have control over is the ability to push forward until we finally come face to face with that which we so desperately needed it's there I could say it a million times and it wouldn't be enough the pieces exist will you hang in long enough to collect them when the road is intimidating will you hold on when you run into those moments of self-doubt will you hold on? When you feel small, navigating the ups and downs of life, will you hold on? Because if the answer is yes, you'll find yourself crossing some finish lines that will blow your mind. You'll get from life that which most can only dream of. And again, not because of the miraculous, but because you knew that the second wind was coming,

you knew it would be there for you so long as you kept moving forward. Holding on when most would be letting go. There's a haze that circles around our most important moments. And I say haze because often the things that will be most meaningful in our lives or that will best position us for future transformation or success They don't accurately depict the value that they ultimately provide. In fact, a lot of the time we get the opposite impression. The answer is deceptively masked as the problem.

The thing we are most inclined to run away from. It's often unclear to us that the pain we're experiencing will become the purpose. The loss will become the strength. We can't always see that losing the job will become our reason to find ourselves and the work that will be most meaningful. We don't always understand that losing someone that was a big part of our lives will ultimately create a little space that will bring about connection with others who will lift us up and make us better. We aren't always aware that falling short is incredibly powerful. because it's what most often prompts us to look in the mirror and ask that magical question, how can I be better?

Again, we see it in a million different ways, different contexts, the solutions masquerade as problems, or as has been famously put, the way often presents itself as the obstacle. Which means we have to operate with a sense of awareness and understanding. that often eludes us. Sometimes the reality is that it hurts to let go. But if it's not right for you, it hurts to hold on as well. The difference is when you do find the strength to let go,

you simultaneously create space for the things that will make your life better. And I've noticed, you know, as I've navigated this crazy place well into my 30s, that the discomfort I've experienced in the past, It rarely utilizes my future as its benchmark. Right? When I'm uncomfortable, it's because something has gone awry in the now. This moment hurts.

In this moment, I feel less than. In this moment, I feel lost. In this moment, I am X, Y, or Z. It's all generally immediate, emotive responses to what's happening. Which is why I advocate so strongly for pious, for pausing, pulling back, taking a breath, and assessing the whole picture in totality. See, I've made decisions in my life that have set me back a year, right, that destroyed me emotionally, totally altered my plans.

And I look back on some of those decisions now with all the pain they brought and I think, you know, was there another way? Did I make the right move? Did I need to endure all that? And I'm not going to pretend, you know, I know how some parallel universe would have unfolded if I acted differently. But as I reflect back, I still think that I made the right choice. I don't see another way. Sometimes there are no easy decisions.

Sometimes life is about choosing the least bad option. I've talked about having to step back in order to leap forward. or stepping sideways in order to ultimately advance. Sometimes the thing we need just looks like discomfort, the sheep in wolves' clothing, where you have to seek out monsters in order to destroy the ones that live inside of you. The reason, one, I think this is so important,

and two, I'm so passionate about sharing it with others, is because, again, our instincts drive us away from the things we need most. It's just how it is. Humans are more emotional than we are rational. And there have been plenty of times where, you know, just being reminded, Eddie, I get that this is challenging, but where do you most want to go? Eddie, you're playing defensive, which I'm sure minimizes problems now,

but will never propel you forward with your career. Eddie, you're dragging your feet and calling it perfectionism. Could it in fact be fear? I've had a lot of these little, and sometimes not so little, epiphanies over the course of the last decade. When people ask me about speaking, which being that I do it for a living would make sense, right? Tips or insights, whatever it is, I'm being completely sincere when I say that I wish I had some formula I could proposed, right? That would make you go from zero to 60 in three months. But the truth is the biggest bang for your buck is stepping right into the terror. The thing you're most inclined to run from.

And that was it for me, right? Shear terror. Actually shaking nights where I stayed awake, reciting keynotes into hotel mirrors. Couldn't he? And I'd, you know, wrap up, the event would be over. I'd just go back to the room and collapse in bed because I hadn't slept the night before, right? That's how it started. And the more times I didn't give myself a way out, the more I saw past the fear, put emotions aside, and reiterated to myself

that underneath all that discomfort was value, the better I became. The less dramatic each speaking engagement became. And the terror evolved into excitement. Eddie, please get through this, eventually evolved into Eddie, how can you make this speaking engagement more exciting, more fun, more captivating than the last one? I recently spoke at the MGM Grand Arena and it was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. And I'm sure you can imagine, not necessarily because of the event. But it prompted me to think back to all those times I wanted to say no.

so badly with all my heart with every fiber of my being but didn't it was just a proud feeling like you get those moments from time to time where everything becomes a single snapshot it all makes sense right because over times I truly didn't understand why I was moving forward I just did I just knew I'd burn the boats there were no other options and when you collect that W you quickly remember And so all this, to emphasize the very important point, that it may not be speaking at the MGM Grand Arena that you're North Star, maybe it's something totally different. But I want to remind you that the road to wherever you most want to be is not perfectly paved and decorated with flowers. It won't always be sunny with clear blue skies, and to take it even further, the paths that's the past. that are paved with flowers and clear blue skies

are often the wrong ones. In a world of trade-offs, we know that the best things often require the greatest sacrifice. The beautiful things are often derived from a willingness to endure prior turbulence. And should you find yourself amidst all that in the thick of it, it's essential to know

that should you choose to do so, you can transform the case. chaos into something incredible. Realistically, that pain of loss we can't do anything about, right? Nature has made it so that we feel every sense of what's been taken away. But nature doesn't do such a good job of reminding us of the infinite value that can now move into our souls, be used to open our eyes so that we may see the world as we've never seen it before. The There is such power and the ability to view that fleeting emotion, the discomfort of now, in terms of what it will ultimately become.

As the saying goes, the hardest thing and the right thing are often the same thing. So be your own judge, your own critic. Decide what best points you to that place amongst the stars you long to be. understand that the road won't be pain free and those who try to make it so miss out on a lot of the brilliance available to us. That haze that tries to conceal what's most important is only effective if we keep our eyes close, if we aren't honest with ourselves. But if you know, one, what's most important and two are committed to one day arriving there, the short-term obstacles, become a relatively small price to pay.

Life is perspective. So during the good times, find gratitude, and during the difficult times, find the opportunity. When you have the answers, when you know, be proud of your knowledge. And when you don't celebrate all the time, the wisdom to come. When the sun is shining, cherish the warmth on your skin, and when it's not, learn to run in the rain. When you're focused, appreciate the clarity. And when life feels chaotic,

embrace the chance to manufacture order. When people come into your life, value the ride that you'll share. And when they leave, take note of all they gave along the way. When you win, reflect back on all the hard work that made it possible. And when you lose, take in the lessons that even winning can't provide. When things go as planned, revel in your ability to execute. But when your plans and life's plans diverge, Remember that some things are simply outside of your control. And now, this moment, is a chance to identify and utilize the things that are in your control.

Henry David Thoreau, it's not what you look at, it's what you see. So see the world as you'd like it to be. Never turning a blind eye to reality, but realizing how much control you have, over making reality your own. We are the builders. The world around us merely provides the components and the pieces. And if one were to live as though there were value in every moment, they would inevitably find themselves looking for that value, perhaps even when it was difficult to find, most

elusive. When most would hang their heads and walk right by it. I look out my window and see a world that is neither valuable or valueless, I see a blank canvas in which we are tasked with making that decision. Life is a roller coaster ride. It has ups and downs, the obvious and the unexpected. And while some think nothing of the high points and dwell on the low points, there are an abundance of resources, of beauty, of children.

joy reserved for those who understand how great the highs are and how valuable the lows, who take what comes, not as walls to live within, but as parts to assemble, not as antithetical to their hopes and dreams, but as the very foundation they will build those hopes and dreams upon. This world is not for you. just as much as it is entirely yours. It calls for you to be that arbiter. For what you decide will inevitably take. The most important promises are the ones you make to yourself.

Of all the people on planet Earth, it's most critical that you believe you. That when you commit, you show you up, when you make plans you follow through. When you tell yourself you'll do something, you actually do it. Here's what's interesting. Being that this is, I believe the North Star, I'm consistently chasing down this standard, trying to be better and better and better at following through. I clearly think we all should, but keeping promises to yourself is different than keeping promises to others.

When you let other people down, especially those close to you, you feel the social repercussions. And for human beings, negative social repercussions are painful. We care greatly about our reputation. Don't want to let others down. don't want to be known as the person who doesn't show up. And that's incentive enough to push us towards following through with others. But with yourself, where do the repercussions go? What are the consequences?

You tell yourself, today is the day. I'm starting, beginning, trying something new. And then you don't. There's no phone call with someone on the other end saying, Hey, where were you? Hey, you promised. Hey, you owed me this. No, when we break promises to ourselves,

it seems like the situation, after maybe a second or two of disappointment, just floats away into the ether. It feels as though there is no substantial cost. But I actually think those broken promises stick around. I think we wear them. We feel them. We see them when we look in the mirror. And sure, maybe there isn't that friend or family member

staring us down with disappointment in their eyes. But how we see ourselves changes. Every broken promise to yourself reinforces the idea that not having high standards is okay. Every time we let ourselves down, it supports a narrative that being let down is normal, par for the course. If you don't show up for you, it begs the question,

why should others show up for you? Why should others follow through when you wouldn't even do it for yourself? I've always believed that so many facets of life start internally and are projected out. How you see yourself, treat yourself, is the sun around which all that other stuff revolves, right? Like the world will notice and act accordingly. It will conform to the standards you create for you.

So let's work on those standards. Let's make it so there's skin in the game. So that when we break promises to ourselves, say, ah, not today, or, this is good enough for now. that we understand the magnitude of those decisions because they're not insignificant. They're crucial. And sometimes we have to highlight the consequences of what we don't do. Sometimes we have to make ourselves truly feel the opportunities we let slip away.

As though we did actually hold them in the palms of our hands. There is a price to letting yourself down. and perhaps there's power in quantifying it. There's an idea that, you know, life isn't really you versus anyone or anything else. It's you versus you. And just like you would never let a stranger talk down to you or tear you apart,

why would it be okay for you to talk that way to yourself? Right? Like if a friend says he's going to meet you for coffee at 7 a.m. every morning and never shows up In what world would you keep driving there, sitting down, waiting, brushing it off, and, you know, rinse, repeat? Of course not. You'd look around and go, this is crazy, I don't deserve this, I'm better than this. Your defenses would kick in, you'd make adjustments. And just as you shouldn't tolerate it from someone else, you shouldn't tolerate it from yourself.

Because you're better than that. Growth is a game of one, identifying what's important. Two, creating small steps that move you in that direction. And three, following through on those steps. Right, that's the formula. Being there for yourself when you fall. Hey, get back up, right? Falling is an indicator of progress, courage, and strength.

Being there for yourself when you don't want to. Hey, I know you're tired. I know this doesn't seem fun right now, but you committed and think about how good it's going to feel when you're done. Being there for yourself when you know there's more in you, but that voice in your head is tempting you to pack it all in or call it a day. Hey, it doesn't matter what that voice in your head says. There is no negotiating.

you already made up your mind. See, there's power and simplicity. Find a target, aim, shoot. And although life is turbulent, there are certainly highs and lows, we are at our best when we decide what's important, initiate the journey, and show up. When I set the alarm clock,

it can't be about rationalizing sleep. That beeping can't be about, X many hours. No, it merely signifies a promise. It cries out, hey, remember what you said right before you closed your eyes last night? Well, time to bring that to life. So sure, that means be careful of the promises you make to yourself. Don't take them lightly. But once they are etched into the universe, they must be law. And I'm not talking about failure to adapt or try things. I'm not talking about being stubborn.

I'm talking about the initial follow-through that precedes all that. Will we do what we said we would do? And I'm not emphasizing, you know, making this the standard because life should be some perpetual boot camp, but rather because discipline is freedom. Because when we go to bed at night knowing we set goals and meet them, we see ourselves as winners. People follow through on who they believe themselves to be.

It's an endless feedback loop. You see yourself as a winner. You carry yourself as a winner. You carry yourself as a winner and other people see it. They treat you as such and around and around it goes. So when you feel like skipping or procrastinating or quitting on yourself, Remember that it's not just that immediate moment at stake. It's not a little thing.

It's one brushstroke on the mural that is your current reality. It becomes you. And again, you wouldn't let other people talk down to you. So stop doing it to yourself. You wouldn't allow being stood up by others. So stop doing that to yourself. Become the king or queen of your own empire. higher, rule over yourself like it all matters because it does.

To keep the promises you make to yourself is playing offense. It's essentially building a bridge to the outside world so that you may go shape it, as opposed to merely putting up your hands and living at life's mercy. Never forget how much control you have, how powerful you are, and that you don't need to convince others, you need to convince yourself. During the highs, the lows, the ups and the downs, the sun and the rain, you need to be there for you. I had a friend recently told me consistency is more important than intensity.

Interesting, I thought, right? Put it in my back pocket and moved on with my day. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized how valuable those words are, how necessary. I think because typically my brain associates the acquisition of more with an increase in intensity. It's like you want more, okay, find a way to give more, to be better. That's the equation my brain was familiar with. And while not necessarily wrong, what it can do is diminishing. the power of showing up, it neglects the compound effect.

The reality is that consistency over time becomes intensity. A snowball rolling downhill doesn't just increase in size, it increases in speed. Intensity is second to consistency, because consistency creates intensity. Consistency is the majority. material from which everything else is made. And we forget that. Thinking about how much bigger, better, stronger we'd like to be, why can't I just leap a mile?

Well, my friend, it turns out you don't have to. Miles are comprised of single steps. I wanted my run yesterday to be about three-fourths intensity. Decided the goal would be to land just under eight minutes per mile. 59 would put me in a good spot for my plan for the week. But as happens, from time to time, the sun, the heat, my body weren't about it, right? And halfway through the run, I'm a little higher than I wanted to be, averaging about 801, 802 per mile, a little above my mark. And I thought to myself, you have to be better.

You have to make a move right now. You have to find something in there. But did I? Did I have to find anything? Because it turns out I was right on track and didn't see it. What I needed to do was simply hold the eight-minute pace, 801. Just hold it.

That keeps me in the game. Then we kick it up at the home stretch. And the last sprint will be enough to get my cumulative average down to $7.59 per mile. No miracles, forget the intensity. All the world is asking of me is consistency. Show up, step by step, keep myself in the game. It's amazing that when you're hurting, the mind plays highlight reels of everything you lack, everything you're not doing, right? It's reaching. We get so

uncomfortable or impatient that we think we need to perform magic tricks. And it's like, no, keep showing up. Keep yourself in line. The intensity is a derivative of the consistency, and it will make its presence known. So during those first seven miles, I showed up, I committed, and I held on, right? Understanding the assignment, big picture. Thought only about consistency, staying calm, and then, as planned, picked it up at the last mile, hit that goal. See, these little mental games are packed with value. They reinforce bigger picture truths.

Show up, put in the work, find your rhythm, and hold. Don't stress yourself out looking at finish lines you have not yet crossed. Don't let the delta between where you are and where you want to be intimidate you. That's precisely the reason people quit and walk away. They get so caught up in where they are not that they forget little steps over time are what bring about change. They don't understand that the snowball is increasing in velocity as well as it rolls down the hill. That by staying focused, their output becomes the avalanche. So when you have to, when you feel like the world is increased in size and its obstacles in number, know that there

is value in holding the 8, the 801, the 802. Know the power of simply getting on base, of getting up again and again and again, of putting yourself in position to succeed. Because your time to sprint will arrive. And when it does, you'll be battle tested and prepared. But the sprint only matters because you stayed steady, stayed consistent throughout. Step, step, step.

So remember when the rest of the world is talking about the shortcuts, the life hacks and the secret solutions that will change your reality, they're missing the mark. Because one brick at a time, one step at a time, one day at a time, you're building something that can't be manufactured overnight.

You're committing to the process and will ultimately experience that, which can only be experienced by those who paid the price, those who didn't panic or over-analyze, but put one foot in front of the other consistently, every single day. There's vulnerability that comes with risk. I'm not sure we can get the full extent of it from a book or a video.

Rather, we only understand it once we, experience it firsthand, where you step further out into the world, a short distance beyond what was once the status quo, whatever that looked like for you. And suddenly you become susceptible to criticism and rejection. You feel things you've never felt, see things you've never seen. Sometimes it feels like you're taking off your armor and marching directly into battle. And it makes sense in the beginning. But there is always, always a point during the heart of the storm where we look around and ask why. It's like a hangover, right, where there's this internal tension, frustration,

knowing that the whole thing was self-induced. You could be comfortable right now. Comfort was always an option. but you chose differently. And as you push through something becomes evident. It takes time, but all things of value do. You realize that life is now offering you things previously unavailable. As though your ticket now permits you to relocate

from the bleachers to court side. The lock has come off the door. And immediately, you see why there was a cost associated with leveling up. up. After all, what is value, if not scarce? If this were easy, what would it mean? If it were always accessible, where would the significance exist? If everyone could snap their fingers and arrive here, what would be special about it? What's remarkable is that it is reserved for the few willing to make the trip. And oh, the things we learn about ourselves. along the way. In the book Unbroken, Hillenbrandt tells a story of Louis Zamperini,

a runner who went to fight in the Second World War, his plane is shot down, and almost the entirety of the book navigates the horrors he endures. First being rescued in the Pacific, then tortured in Japanese POW camps, where he sees many around him die and even comes within inches of losing his own life on a handful of occasions. And when he's finally rescued at the end of the war, and I'll never forget this, he's asked about what he went through, and he says he'd rather die than go through it all again. And I'll tell you why that's so meaningful to me. Because it shows you what human beings can endure when we take things one day at a time,

an almost unfathomable amount of pain and suffering and sacrifice. We are so strong and so powerful when we, as Louis did, take the battle day by day. And sure, looking at the horizon, it's an ocean to traverse. But broken down, merely droplets of water. Certainly manageable. Now, of course, we are not POWs, and I'm certainly not equating our adversity to his, but the reality is we are in our own context, in our own ways, fighting our own battles. We're all navigating personal obstacles.

And it's critical to know that, one, you are capable, and two, the other side is worth it. We forget, because it's easy to forget. Because we are wired to avoid discomfort. Because no one wakes up and intuitively thinks, man, I'd love to do the hard thing today. But what we learn is to love deeply is to take off the armor and allow the heart to be vulnerable. To seek out the adventure is to embrace the possibility of losing one's way.

To dream of a place amongst the stars is to risk, falling short and being reminded of our imperfections, our mortality. One might understand this and think only of the adversity of what can go wrong, perhaps create lines in the sand that they refuse to cross, and sure they play conservatively, their hearts won't be broken, their maps won't be necessary, their pride won't be crushed. But for what? What kind of existence is one where you never play the game because there was a possibility of defeat?

We can all endure what is required to live fully, every single one of us. Yet so many will never leave the harbor because we struggled to see the journey as a collection of manageable pieces. You deserve more and you're capable of getting more. Don't deprive yourself of it. 1,000 heartbreaks is worth finding that someone who lights you up. In 1,000 miles in the wrong direction is worth uncovering that place you were meant to be. 1,000 swings and misses is worth finding your place amongst the stars.

Vulnerability is not a burden, it's a staircase to the moon. Why not make today the beginning of your ascent? As you open your eyes, your feet hit the ground, you step out of bed, maybe as you sit and reflect with your coffee at the kitchen table. I want you to do me a favor. This is something that brings me substantial peace of mind, and I'm thinking it could be of value to you as well. I want you to take those things that you consistently think about, right?

The ones that have been bothering you or troubling you consistently come up in your mind. The ones that you thought about yesterday and the day before and the day before, you know, the so-called problems. Not so positive narratives. Stories about why you can't. And instead, think about each one's corresponding ideal, what the perfect situation would look like if you could turn each quote unquote problem. around. The perfect story, the most exciting narrative. And then ask, what can you do today to move one step closer to the place you want to be? How can you make those ideals real? And the reason this is valuable is because it reminds us that we are not powerless. Quite the opposite. It shows you how new and exciting and untow

your future is. This is your opportunity to remind yourself that you are not yesterday. You are not your past, you are not your mistakes, you're not any of those things, even though our minds often trick us into believing it's so. It's kind of like running around the same block over and over again you become so accustomed to it that you forget you can take a right out of your street and go anywhere you want to go, see anything you want to see. Every morning is a fresh start. An opportunity to connect new dots.

And you can point that compass, any direction you choose. You are shackled to nothing, bound by no one. And admittedly, that can be hard to hear. I remember the first time I had that realization that most of my limits were self-imposed. That I was complaining about the work I did. The places I spent my time and who I was spending it with. It bothered me from the second I opened my eyes in the morning until I closed them at night,

until I realized that I had more control than I could even imagine. And that detaching from the past, yeah, it would hurt, it would be scary, sure, I would lose some things. But what a world to gain. What a story ahead. For some reason, things seem so messy and complex that we overlook our ability to simplify and change them. If it doesn't bring value to your life,

you have the power to fix it. And maybe not overnight. But human beings are resourceful, resilient. If you have an outcome in mind and you believe in it, a step in that direction every day will be. come to mean everything. It's defining. So no, this is not just an ordinary morning. This is the beginning. This is where you are blessed with the opportunity to move away from the old and towards the ideal. We sat around in a circle on a beautiful fall morning to build dream catchers.

something, to be honest, I never saw myself doing in a million lifetimes. The feathers and strings and beads and glue stretched out on a blanket in the middle of the circle. As we built, we took what we needed piece by piece. And it's safe to say, mine was far and away, the least, let's say, aesthetically pleasing of the group. Black and bright yellow string wrapped around the top, above which an assortment of random beads sort of dangled carelessly below. It wasn't the most beautiful dream catcher ever made,

but it was mine. After a quick Google search, I learned that some Native Americans believe that the air at night is filled with dreams, both good and bad, and that the purpose of the dream catcher is to protect from the bad ones, the nightmares and the evil spirits. Interesting, I thought, putting it away,

expecting that to be that and life to move on. But a few days later, on the flight home, I got up mid-flight to grab a charger out of my carry-on overhead. And in the same side pouch was, you guessed it, that little black and yellow dream catcher. One of the dangled strings had snapped. My sloppy craftsmanship already was causing the top to loosen up.

But something compelled me to grab it along with my charger and I sat back down. I had 8.5 hours to kill. Put my chair back and closed my eyes. The previous week had been an important one. A complete break from my typical day-to-day routine. and probably more important, some forced introspection. I like to think of the trip as briefly leaving the heart of a city, which when you're in a city, you obviously know you're there,

but you can't really grasp the magnitude and scope of the place. Not until you leave it and see it from the outside. The gorgeous skyline with the lights and buildings that extend into the clouds, A picture you only get from a distance. That skyline from five miles away just doesn't feel like it could be the same place you live in. You navigate every day street by street, with carhorns and cafes and people talking, coming and going. It just kind of flips life upside down for you. It presents new perspectives and questions, and I felt like that's what I'd done, stepped outside that metaphorical city.

And I had picked up a solid handful of new questions. There were plenty of firsts for me. Met some incredible people, tried new things, went new places, explored new foods. All made me realize that, you know, my worldview had slowly over time, as tends to happen when unchecked, collapsed in on itself. That there was so much more, so much hope and opportunity, so much left. to the extent that the flight back didn't feel like the end of a trip. It felt like the beginning of something new.

Like I wasn't leaving these things. I was taking them with me. But here's the deal. Beginning only matter if you make them matter. Things only change when you make them change. When I was in junior high, one of my teachers would sometimes joke that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Half serious, but the point is important.

It's not what we intend to do. It's what we breathe life into. It's what we allow to take shape. Let's say that little dream catcher in my hand was a magical entity that sucked out of the sky all the bad dreams and nightmares and left me with only the good stuff.

Let's say it was the gateway to all that was powerful, meaningful, and important, because removing what I don't want is critical. But what I'm then left with is mere opportunity, not guarantee. Dreams are only potential, and life is only what we make it. So growth must be a team effort between me and this little black and yellow defender of worlds, watchmen of the night. A duo. And we agreed, it reminds me of what truly matters and I show it that I'm not afraid to make something of what remains.

Of those ideals granted passage to the space behind my eyes, I have to live up to my end of the bargain. And sure, it will be messy at times. Shaky, sloppy, ungraceful. But that isn't a problem. It's par for the course. Plus my lack of elegance will get no sympathy from my unraveling black and yellow ball of string and disordered beads. The goal is not perfection. It's organized chaos.

It's a commitment to the unknown to taking the pieces and building something with them even when we don't understand what it will become. And as the pilot's voice interrupted my sleep through the inner, calm, letting us know to prepare for landing, I realized the magic of where I'd just been and how it would evolve into the road ahead. That when we know in our hearts, life is pointing us a certain direction, when we've separated the good dreams from the bad, we are halfway there. Now we must have the courage to realize what's possible. To be strong enough to stand up, when we have something to say, to embrace what calls to us to explore where our paths may lead, to get up and dance when the music plays, to stop holding back tears when they must fall,

to smile when our hearts intend, to leave the old stories and narratives behind, and to step beyond our egos, and towards our authenticity, This is how we make sure that the dream catchers work is not in vain and how we make the most of this gift we've been provided. And so we sat in a circle on a beautiful fall morning to build dream catchers. Maybe not to collect the bad dreams, but to remind ourselves that it was okay, no, necessary, no, everything to let ourselves make the good dreams, reality. We are, in some ways, helpless to what occurs around us. There are things that are beyond our control.

But the gift we possess, our power, if you will, is the ability to determine what we let in, how we internalize the externalities. We are responsible for being the gatekeepers of our minds, protectors of our worlds. There's a little saying that I aim to live by. It's incredibly simple. Basically, the idea is, if something is not a net positive on your life, start working to eliminate it. If there's a person that is draining, creating more negative than positive, then they don't deserve to be in your world. Stop letting them in. If there's some place you're going that doesn't align with what you value. Start working to eliminate that destination from your day to day.

Stop letting it in. If you find yourself constantly thinking about worst-case scenarios, it's always, well, what if this is, goes wrong or that goes wrong. If you find yourself missing the opportunity and instead spotlighting the problem, start working to identify and isolate those thoughts so that they can be eliminated. Stop letting that stuff in. The great part about having so much control over our lives and our perspectives is that we get to choose what gets our time and attention.

The tough part, though, and it is tough, is that it means we also have to ask ourselves questions that perhaps we don't want to ask. We have to be honest with ourselves. Like truly honest, and the reality is sometimes it hurts to do that. To ask, how am I contributing to this pain, this struggle? What am I letting in that needs to be kept outside the gate from now on? And what we often find is that the answers are there. The opportunity is there, sometimes even in plain view.

But our attention is often diverted from it and instead allocated to the things that don't even serve us or align with who we are. We've habitualized finding the problems and not the solutions. I can list examples of this over the course of my life, life all day, right? Epiphanies where I realized I needed to defend the thoughts that enter my mind and better cultivate a world where I can succeed, where I can be happy. Money, for example, to switch from seeing it as a scarce resource, something that everyone's fighting over, how to outmaneuver

the guy to the right of me, how to get my hands on this elusive object. Nope, block that mentality at the gate and let in instead the idea that money is merely an exchange of value. How can I be more valuable to more people? Where value goes, wealth follows. Or as I've talked about before, the injuries I deal with so frequently, right? Keeping the poor me, or I can't deal with this, or whining, I'm willing to put in the work, why won't life let me succeed? Keep all that outside the gate and let in

here is an opportunity to get better in other areas. I can't lift. Maybe I'll take a month or two to crush cardio to eat better, to build mental acuity. Find a way. Or maybe it's that person who made their way into my life that over time became a net negative.

That we've gotten to the point where our coexistence takes away more than it has. They no longer belong inside the gate in my world, right? only let in people who do make your life better. And we have control over all of this. It's about accountability. It's about personally understanding the authority you have over what comes in and what stays out. A very few things in life are just because. Things exist in our day to day because we have somewhere along the line allowed them to be there.

So take some time to see yourself as the gatekeeper of your world. Audit what you're letting in and what you're keeping out. To do so will set you up for a life on your terms. A life that's not wasted or even merely endured, but one that's lived to the fullest. Remove the lifelines. Eliminate plans B, C, and D. Let the curtains close and the lights dim.

See, the beginning of something new requires the ending of something current. So make life propel you into Chapter 2. Let the door slam and lock behind you throw away the key. With the boats burned and turning back off the table, we have to make it work. We have to figure it out. Well, how, we might ask, with only these pieces, with only this circumstance, with only these resources.

Well, it's funny how when walking away is no longer a possibility, so many other possibilities are born. When we're stuck between the wall and our demons, We roll up our sleeves and do that which we have been, let's face it, running from. We fight. We become proactive. We take initiative. It was always there.

We just never had to. So if you can't do it on your own, make life make you. Because the bottom line is there are new horizons that await your arrival. They are always there. But they require you to make the trip, to look out over the vastness of what's before you and convince yourself that what's ahead can become your new normal. And oh, how I wish we weren't biologically preconditioned to preserve, to stay safe, to stay the same. How I wish we weren't constantly being pulled to stay right where we are. Our minds, they love it here.

With the rest of the world, the change, the hope, the progress, all on the other side of that window, all outside, all foreign to us. You don't need any of that, it'll tell you. Or maybe, after you conjure up a little courage, it might compromise. It might say, fine, it's worth a try, put one foot out the door, but don't forget, you can always come back to me. You can always retreat. It's warm here, safe here, it's predictable here. The mind wants you to know that when things get tough, mediocrity, and comfort are always right behind you, ready to embrace you with open arms.

And it's for this reason that those boats must be burned, that the door must be locked, and that chapter must be closed. The journey before you, it's going to be difficult. There's no question about that. Anything of value brings difficulty. And when faced with the adversity, the only way to defeat it is to know there is only one way. One option available to you. And that one option is forward.

It's through. There is no backwards or compromise. there is no safety. Not if you want from life, that which is extraordinary. Not if you want the things we covet dream of, whether they're interpersonal, financial, career-oriented, health-related, maybe you just know in your soul that right now ain't it? Any move to something better will present to you its obstacles.

And my advice, if it's what you really want, is to have decided before you started that there is no other way. There's no negotiating with yourself. Because if you allow that door to be cracked, life will kick it open. So point the compass north and dismiss any notion that what's comfortable is more important than what's meaningful. When you're cold, nothing is more appealing than that warmth. But warmth is deception, a short-term ploy for you to forget.

what really matters, an illusion. See cold subsides, but victory is forever. Knowing that you pushed forward when most wouldn't is forever. Transforming potential into strength when your knees shook is forever. So burn the boat. For no other reason that there is no way forward so long as there remains a way back. Make life make you win. And where most would look around and see evidence of defeat, you'll find again and again in the same quote-unquote evidence. The tools to build ladders to new beginnings and bridges to new worlds,

there's a saying that I love. That most of life's successful people were too ignorant of the odds to know their accomplishments were consistent. at one point impossible. And I love it because it highlights that there was never a fallback option, a concern for the statistics. There was no worry or exhausted energy on what if. Rather, it was constant building and adjusting.

Finding ways over, through, and around the walls that inevitably stand before us. There was no way home. So they pushed forward into their greatness. And so can you, whatever shape, form or color greatness looks like in your eyes, whatever mountain top appeals to you, if you want it, if you're willing to decide before you go that you will one day stand amongst the clouds peering out at that world you deemed wasn't against you but for you. Anything is possible. Had a window seat on the plane a few days ago. And during the descent, I watched as we lowered into a thin layer of clouds, which anyone who's flown before knows creates turbulence.

The plane starts to shake. For a brief moment, can't see anything outside the window, only white. And no matter how many times I've watched this happen, and at this point probably in the hundreds, I can't help but feel a little uneasy. Heart rate increases a little bit. It's just an uncomfortable thing. And here's the deal. Not only is a plane going through turbulence safe, a quick Google search will explain to you that no plane was ever brought down by turbulence.

They were built specifically for that to endure it. And I know that, I understand it, I believe it. I guess that faint nervousness, I feel, highlights the divide between my mental capacity to understand something and, you know, my physiological reaction to it. It shows, to put it simply, that often what's necessary will be uncomfortable. It will get easier over time, But the point is there's a very real biological resistance associated with doing what's necessary.

Even when we know the necessary thing is the right thing, even when we know we're capable of enduring the journey, right? Just like that plane was built specifically to endure turbulence. Well, in your own world, so were you. And yeah, that world might shake. Yeah, you might look around and see an unknown, providing no clarity or visibility, at least in the moment. But that feeling of discomfort should not be interpreted as negative. A sign to stop or turn back.

As a signal that the world is too much. No, it's where you close your eyes and remind yourself how much you can handle, despite life trying to make you feel to the contrary. You were built to overcome. made to push into uncharted territory, to take your losses and uncover the hidden away value within them. Sometimes to grow,

it's required that we learn not to resist that trembling, but to see it as the courage to say yes when it would have been infinitely easier to say no. And that's what this is about. Nothing groundbreaking, no secret formulas, just the reminder we often need but don't hear enough, that during the ascents and descents of life, and there are and will be many, know that you were built for the turbulent.

You can harness the chaos, you can get through to the other side. What's required is simply that you remember who you are and what you're capable of. Because again, when visibility is limited and our world's shake, it's easy to forget. You will not lose because of the challenge. You will win despite it again and again and again. And sure, stepping up to face that adversary, you may never detach from that nervous feeling in your stomach or the shaky hands, but that's okay.

That's your indicator, that you're alive, that you weren't tricked into submitting to a very beatable opponent that you didn't turn away from the things that meant the most. 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. 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. 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 realized 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. 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 happens 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 shape. 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 too 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, and finite ride that it is. When you're at your lowest point, you are, often without realizing it, positioning yourself to arrive at your highest point. Potential energy accumulating to propel you through an atmosphere of new beginnings. See, I believe our adversity is life asking that we submerge and dive deep, sometimes very deep, just to remember how badly we need that oxygen above. So that when we again come up for air and we will, we notice the warmth of the sun on our face

and the calming sound of the waves crashing on the beach. You don't make the most of what's around you until you recognize that what's around you is the opportunity. And so life reminds us. A taxing reminder. Right? It rarely gives without first taking away. It rarely opens new doors without closing old ones.

and that, to put it simply, can hurt. They don't teach you in school that growth is painful, but as it turns out, a life without growth isn't much of a life at all, and so we must dive deep. We're given no other choice. Without night, there is no day. Without suffering, there is no beauty. Without those depths below, there is no.

there is no surface above. Our submergence is our transformation. The cocoon that separates who we were from who we will be. But unlike the butterfly, it doesn't just evolve once. Our journey requires that we are continuously growing a new pair of wings. Life is chaos. Life is unpredictable. Life is hard, but you were built to not only endure in its arena, you were put here to excel, to learn the rules and then expand upon the rules. Sometimes break the rules. You were put here to take the difficulty

and provide meaning to it. Peace by piece is if it were the construction of a rocket to the moon. Little pieces of at one point frustration and confusion and chaos combined, reused, and transformed into exactly what you need them to be. Emergent properties. You just have to be willing to see beyond the now and assemble. To come up for air and soak in all that awaits at the surface like you've never done before. The other day, I was texting with a friend of mine. Out of nowhere, she goes, what's wrong?

And I'm thinking, nothing, right? I haven't said anything. You know, what do you mean? She's adamant, right? She goes, something feels off. I thought about it and realized, yeah, she's pointing out something I've known for a little bit here. Something is off. I'm hiding from myself.

Feel a little burnt out, a little tired. Certain areas of my life had become unevenly distributed. In fact, I was flirting with that thing. I've always feared doing most. Simply going through the motions. That scared me. I don't want this. Right? I've come too far to feel like this. I'm better than this.

How do I fix it? How do I solve it now? Figure it out now. But eventually came to realize the now part Just might be the whole problem. Fix the now. Like it's a headache, and me shaking my fist at the sky will be ibuprofen. No, battling imperfection is a fool's errand.

It's setting yourself up for disaster. We are humans, not gods. We are perfectly imperfect. And when something is off, don't fight, listen. don't retract expand here is the opportunity I'm under the surface diving down into the depths of my own soul

hear what it has to say so that when I come up for air and I will the sun will warm my face like it never has the crashing waves will offer a symphony to my ears that I've never heard and I'll see that the world I'm taking in is more a reflection of me than of it. As that saying goes, you don't see the world as it is.

You see the world as you are. And how lucky to have taken a step back, a trip below the surface, to realize again that I am the painter, not the critic. My world had become black and white, not because we live in a black and white world, but because sometimes we forget to put the color in.

Sometimes we don't give ourselves permission to expand beyond the parameters we've created for ourselves. So with the breath and the oxygen will come a new appreciation, a liberating gratitude. There's nothing so sweet as remembering that both the castles in the air and the chains at our feet are imaginary. And hey, you get to choose which one to believe in. See, what time has taught me is that there is strength in our vulnerability.

In the times we fall or lose ourselves. And I know the inclination is to panic, perhaps assess too quickly, to not hear but talk, to not listen but attempt to solve, which leads to the application of band-aids on bullet wounds. When we are low, when we are lost, it's our chance to better understand ourselves. It's the metaphorical equipment room where we stock up prior to our next descent. And if I could emphasize one thing, it would be that our perceived understanding of life, it oscillates. Sometimes we feel like we get it.

We do. And sometimes we feel like we're sprinting with our eyes closed. It's a riddle we will never fully come to solve. But I do know one thing. We can't change the unpredictability of the world. But by observing, by listening, by getting back up, we can change ourselves. By recognizing our strength, we can utilize the downtimes. as they are the education we've been longing for.

Remember, the world does not and will not ask perfection of you, so don't ask perfection of it. You were built to endure, to overcome, and to recreate yourself. Losing your wings will never be the problem. It's forgetting that they must be regrown. That is the problem. So step out. rise to the surface of your world and breathe.

Take in the surroundings that will become your resurrection story if you left them. In a way, the world 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. Let's get up a little bit earlier work. It's at 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. Writers 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. Body, do 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 over-analyzing 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. 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, permission to uncover what makes you smile be someone 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 Not just humanly possible, it puts fate in your hands, which is right where it should be. Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom. Victor Frankel. So much of life comes down to how we arrange and internalize what we see.

realities will always be comprised of what we choose to look at. Now 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 in 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. 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 consider. soon. 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's 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 little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a lot of 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. 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. Use what you have where you are.

A friend of mine at one point found himself in his mid-20s, fighting his way back from what he refers to as a pretty substantial setback that had occurred. He was basically rebuilding his life. Okay, found himself looking up at an enormous mountain to climb. Unsure what he would do for a little.

living, how he would make ends meet, very much lacking direction. And as he pondered, he got a job as a pizza oven repair guy. Learn the ins and outs of the craft. As he showed up every day, I still focused down the road, still contemplating what would be the best move for his future. And as sometime passed, he started to realize he was mastering the very niche craft that he was showing up to do every day. was acquiring a very specific competency in quickly becoming great.

After a little bit of time, he started thinking, hey, I could branch out on my own here. I could start my own pizza oven repair business. And he did. And after not too long, hired an entire team to work with him, then progressed into delivering and installing new ovens all over the country and is currently working on some new technology as well to supplement the install and repair part of the business. The guy's doing incredibly well.

And it's interesting because you're having a conversation with him about his success, and it's like, how on earth did you find yourself doing what you do? It's so specific. And he'll tell you, he worried, he pondered, he thought about business degrees and careers. trajectories and all that. But the difference was that he didn't take the moment for granted.

He saw the value where he was with what he had. Where, you know, he could have seen it as a bridge job or a chapter in the story or however you want to describe it. He saw it as an opportunity. He saw the present as the answer. Show up and give everything you have to be. being great now. Because when you're competent in a craft and ambitious, as he is, that's a scary combo. The world becomes yours. Use what you have where you are. And you will,

because of this monster, see doors unlock that perhaps you never thought possible. There are pieces around you now that will push you to grow and evolve. The problem is we very often dismiss them. What my friend turned into an empire, a success story, could just as easily have been an obligation while he waited for the world to give him something different. And sure, I think it's important for me to emphasize the point isn't to stay where you are forever if you're unhappy. Of course not. The point is that there's value in aiming to be exceptional at whatever whatever it is you are doing, whatever you are committing to, even if it appears mundane. The point is that so much potential is sewn into our day to day, it just tends to blend in

and not feel important, at least at first glance. You know, doors open for people who are great at what they do, and people who are great at what they do live with a curiosity, consistency, and intensity. that others might not. It's amazing how when we feel that we are gaining competence in something or excelling in something, it becomes enjoyable,

which highlights the fact that, you know, so often our stagnation is a byproduct of us standing in our own way, choosing not to grow. I mean, I can't explain how trivial what I do now felt when I first started in 2014, sharing my thoughts into a microphone, making little three-minute videos,

uploading them to the internet, right, to an audience of my immediate family for $0.00. You know how dumb my rational brain was trying to convince me that was? You know how easy it would have been to move on and simply look back on that period of time as my little YouTube experiment? But again, there is this strange phenomenon that when you inject yourself into something

and vow to get better at it, it lifts you up, it excites you, it brightens your world. I had, as I've talked about, so many times found that intersection of what I love and what adds value to others. And that was everything. And the solution appeared not because, you know, I bumped into someone that had some life-changing opportunity for me. It wasn't because I found this shortcut or secret formula. No, I just used what was already sitting in my little apartment on Calm Ave, in Boston. It's incredible how often our answers are right where we are. That's why as I've progressed

through this journey, I understand balance. I understand the value of sure, looking at that horizon, having big plans and ambition, but also cherishing the opportunity at our feet now, looking around, because again and again and again the opportunity is disguised as triviality is the stuff we walk right by. Always remember that there's something around you that can be transformed into opportunity

even if it's small. And if you choose to look for it, you will empower yourself everyday things. I can throw off examples for days. The internet, incredible resource, leverage it. whether it's connecting or sharing or creating or learning,

your day-to-day effort, like my friend with the pizza oven installation repair company, that world doesn't exist if he doesn't take the little things incredibly seriously. Show up to whatever you do with the tenacity that will propel you to new height, whether it's in that same field or it carries you over to another. or utilizing your network. There are people you know today right now that can contribute to your momentum or seek them out.

Time, the 30-minute blocks that we deem insignificant or downtime between one event and another. Think of the compounding of turning that into a push-up session every day or your 30-minute audiobook time. And sure, all of these examples are sort of sporadic, they're contextually different, but they have one very important common theme and that's opportunity being squeezed out of resources

that we already possess. It's instead of walking by the pile of bricks every morning picking one up at a time and beginning to stack them. I'm a firm believer that the difference maker for so many is not IQ. It's not going to this or that college. It's not your background. It's, did you recognize the opportunities surrounding you?

Did you find the value or the excuse? Because both will always exist. And that's what we have to understand. The details around you can be your reason for staying right where you are or for doing the unimaginable. So understand the power of utilizing what you have where you are. Make a point to look for the tools within reach. They say what's trash or junk to one man can be treasure to another.

We'll understand that your eyes are capable of seeing both. You have to leave them to the value. You have to become comfortable with pausing, letting the emotions subside and asking, how can I win here now with the pieces that are available to me? because they are available. And if you're willing to pick them up, you can undoubtedly, as Thoreau said,

build your castles in the air. If someone were to tell you life is easy, they'd be incorrect. If they were to tell you there's a specified path to contentment, they'd be misinformed. If they were to tell you there's a book of hand answers to every question you'll come across, it'd be misled. The point is not that life is easy, predictable, or defined.

The point is that despite the fact that it's none of those things, you're capable of making something from it. That from a seemingly endless barrage of unknowns exists the pieces to build something truly extraordinary. I came across a quote a few years ago from Abraham Maslow and a concept that was in Ernest Becker's book, The Denial of Death. And the idea is we are simultaneously gods and worms. Every once in a while you come across an idea that changes the way you see things. That's definitely one of them, right? A duality that is perpetually under tension. God. pods and worms.

We're animals, we're flesh and bone eroding by the day. We're given a temporary stay on a giant rock rotating around the sun, while simultaneously equipped with the power to not only be aware of that finitude, but to transcend it, to dream, to see things that are not yet there. Our minds are miraculous. We are both gods and worms. So what do we do about this? How about use the fact that we're going to die,

the fact that in many ways we don't have control, the fact that life is messy and unpredictable and often a maze of complete chaos, to, rather than shrink because of it, take off the guardrails and reach for the heavens. To put things into existence that do not yet exist, why not go all in? After all, the thing about living is the saying goes,

is that no one makes it out alive. No one hops on the roller coaster to constantly look at their watch to dwell on its temporary nature. No, it's to enjoy the ride. And what is our time here? But a few short rides around the sun. So when it feels like life is too big, when the day overwhelms or disintegrates into chaos,

don't fixate on the rocky nature of the world around you, but on your ability to take it all and make it mean something. Cherish the idea that although everything around you is dictated by natural laws and constraints, your mind is bound by nothing. And where you seek answers, you will find them, where you pursue more, you will unlock it. Our finitude, our challenges are essential to our existence. They remind us that we have nothing to lose, that the song will end, so why not dance? not dance like it's your last time.

Because sure, in time we will be dirt for worms. But that's exactly why, as long as we're here, we'll live to, in our own unique way, bridge the gap between the ground we walk on and the heavens above. There are a handful of recorded lectures online by Jim Rohn, who has definitely become one of my favorite thinkers over the years. And I found this little nugget the other day that I wanted to share. He says, there are four emotions that will change your life. Disgust, decision, desire, and resolve. And I want to talk about the first one because I found the story.

to be incredibly powerful and also relatable, right, in various aspects of life over the years. So he frames it by talking about a Girl Scout walking up to his front door to try and sell him some Girl Scout cookies when he's 25 years old. And he's broke, doesn't have any money at the time, and tells her what I assume to be a white lie as to why he can't buy the cookies at that particular time. Right, so he tells her that he can't, she walks away. He says after he closes the door and goes back inside, he felt something that completely changed his life. Disgust.

An overwhelming feeling that he simply didn't want to live like that anymore. He didn't want to lie. He didn't want to be broke. And I'm quoting him. He says, the day you can say I've had it may not be the day it ends, but the day it begins.

And that feeling, which of course on the surface seems like a terrible thing, right? No one wants to feel disgust with their circumstance. But it's ultimately one of the most powerful indicators life can present to us. There has always been, and I assume will continue to be that point in many different facets of my life where I say enough is enough.

I just never thought to categorize it and label it like he did, but that's what it is. You know, getting to a point where you look around and realize you've conceded too much. You've strayed too far beyond what matters to you. You've left too much on the table. That feeling, again, well, uncomfortable, is often what becomes the first. step towards that which is truly meaningful, a better version of yourself. A realization, by the way, that's not some denunciation of who you are, right? It's not saying, I'm not good enough, or I'm inadequate. I would describe it as the exact opposite. It's thinking enough of yourself

to acknowledge that you're better than this. It's saying, yeah, there's a reality where I stay the same, where I don't change, where I allow this to just be my life. But that's not the reality I'm going to choose, because I respect myself too much to continue living with that dissonance between my actions and who I know I truly am. And I think at a deep level, we all understand this. So many times in life, funny enough, we don't change until we have to, until our backs are completely against the wall. It took me years in my previous professional life to say enough is enough,

but ultimately got to that point. I've been there in relationships, been there with my creative work, been there with my finances. And what's especially interesting is that as you grow, evolve, and your goals change, what you expect of yourself changes,

grows along with you, you'll find yourself at that place again. And again, and again, and that's good. Listen to it. That's your intuition telling you you're ready for more that something else awaits, that the status quo is no longer sufficient. And there lies the opportunity,

right, to recognize and associate that feeling of disgust, as Rohn calls it, with a need to change or an opportunity to change before things blow up or become more difficult than they need to be. Everything in your life has been allowed by you to some extent. You know, that's an important thing to understand. If there's someone in your life that's making it hell, you, to an extent, are responsible for that, right?

No one gets your time without your permission. If you're doing things that don't move, motivate, or inspire you, well, the reality is you're choosing those actions. Now, the circumstances may be specific to you, They may be difficult, and I understand that, but are you asking yourself how you can begin moving away from it? How you can put walls between yourself and the things that drag you down? Because the bottom line is, it's very easy to become accustomed to things that are a drain on our lives. The old frog in the boiling water.

You throw a frog in a pot of hot water or jump right out. But you put it in a pot of cool water, and you see. slowly but incrementally increase the temperature until it's boiling, the frog won't realize it's burning alive. I think in the same way, we learn to live with that situational disgust. The things we're unhappy with just become the baseline or normal. It becomes regular. And what I love about this Girl Scout cookie story is that light bulb moment

where it's like, no, I don't have to accept this. I can take back control. I dictate how I'm going to live, and I know this isn't it. Now, you don't need to have all the answers right away. In fact, you most certainly won't have them. But every journey, as the saying goes, begins with the first step. That's precisely why the moment is so powerful. You don't start moving to that new place until you realize that you want to start moving away from where you are.

Rhone talks about disgust being a powerful moment. motivator, that's why. It's the initial leverage you need to create that momentum. To see the gap between where you want to be and where you are. And this is ultimately a call to that realization. Do an audit on yourself and your contentment, the places you find lacking. They're calling for your attention. And it's normal. It's okay. It's part of life. But it's also your opportunity to begin making that change. I like very simple, very straightforward notes to help me parse through this. Simple list, two columns on the left, everything that brings me some level of anxiety or that is a drain on my piece. And on the column on the right, directly

across from it, simply what I plan to do about each item. Nothing major, but a tangible, manageable step because as Jim Rohn says, you begin to utilize that feeling of disgust or discontent to act. You turn that message into something beautiful, an adventure, some variation of growth. That's where the good stuff is. By the way, it also changes our relationship with those emotions when they emerge. It's no longer, poor me, I'm stuck, my life is hard, and the list goes on and on. No, it's, oh, this doesn't feel good. How can I use it to connect me to something that does? Let's listen to that.

I don't like the feeling of making excuses as to why I can't buy the cookies. I don't like the feeling of not having the financial resources. Obviously, can't fix it overnight, but let's make a plan. Let's allow the wheels to hit the road, right? Which, hey, who knows? Might be more than I've ever done. This is the magic beginning he alludes to, the confidence being earned, the purpose, the meaning, and ultimately, being that we only get results will replace our attention, the outcome we've been looking for. So when you find yourself at that point, when you experience a repetition of disappointment or frustration with your circumstance, let that be the gift it's trying to be.

Let it be the reason you will soon wake up a different person, moving towards that which aligns with who you are. Just one more day. The power is in just one more day. Don't need to have the whole book written. Stories told or city built. It's not about one universal solution to all your problems. It's about continuing forward until the breakthrough. It's about knowing that when it feels most hopeless to go on,

that's precisely when it's most important to do so. The world is not asking of you everything, just something. So give it something. Keep yourself in the game. Keep your head up and your eyes open. Keep your feet moving, even if you don't know where they may be leading you. You need not a billion answers, but one breakthrough. One breakthrough.

See, we all fall. We all lose our footing. Life can be tough. And being that this is par for the course, The contract we signed before we breathe our first breath of air. It's a fool's errand to exhaust energy on the occurrence, to be angry at the situation, to feel bad about yourself for wandering there. No, it's about recognizing where you are

and then finding it within yourself to step away. One foot closer to the breakthrough. to recapturing what matters. When things become too big, we simply shut down. Complexities crippling. But truth be told, the path is not complex. Our manufactured interpretation is what's complex. So simplified.

Step forward one more time, a little bit closer to the breakthrough, a little bit nearer to the light at the end of that tunnel. Remember, there is no all-encompassing formula. What there is is the strength that emerges from one's willingness two-inch forward. When all seems dark,

when temporarily you've forgotten and what that sense of excitement feels like. When the thrill of progress seems foreign, shut off the mind. This isn't the time to weigh pros versus cons or this versus that, move into the haze trusting that what you need will reveal itself. Because as long as you don't stop, it most certainly will.

You'll find your sense. yourself again, your path again, things will make sense again, but that right is earned now. We're tired, worn, in our solitude, beaten down. We might not be able to see it in the moment, but that's when the beautiful things are made. So trust that you are the designer you've been looking for. all along. Quite some time has gone by since the last letter I wrote to my younger self, a few years

actually. And I think we're due, because older me continues to learn to both enjoy and be humbled by life, to experience hello and endure goodbyes, to win and to lose, to acquire, and to cut away, the world is a maze of complexity to navigate. And maybe we should start right there. Because look, kid, there are some fundamental ideas about life that you just have wrong. There is no door that you walk through where you suddenly go from not understanding to finally having all the answers.

Part of growing up is realizing how little you're not understanding how little you're not understanding, how little human beings know about anything. And that's okay. What you'll understand is it's not a reason to run. It's a source of courage to draw from. Oh, but adults are wise, you might think. No, adults are just children with mortgages. You'll learn that.

And as we all become renters, even that's changing, right? Oh, but him over there, or her. Wait, them, they have it all figured out. No, they just walk with conviction into their individual unknowns. That's all. Oh, but there has to be some certainty. We have to know some things for sure, you might think. Well, certainly we do, or at least we think we do,

but you have to understand, 150 years ago, science said bleeding someone out would cure them of their illness. Our pursuit of truth is crucial, but it's a work in progress. Life is a work in progress. You are a work in progress. So what am I talking about? Why does this matter? Because I don't want you to think that you are ill-prepared to venture further into your potential.

I don't want you to think that other people have what you don't, that you're not enough. The world around you is chaos. It's a mess. It's clay. Some people use it to build and create and shape the reality and others, well, others don't. The kicker here is that nothing is built if you don't first give yourself permission. To take the unknowns and make something with them. Once you understand that there is no secret code that must be figured out,

you free yourself to explore and capture the essence of being alive. Again, life is messy. So go flail around, wander, go get lost. Who cares? You see what I'm saying? You can watch from afar, succumbing to the illusion that the world is some meticulously constructed orchestra where everything's playing in unison. Or you can dive in and make your own music.

Dance to your own melodies because there is no perfect. There are people who stand still and people who pick up the pieces as they go. Next and very closely related, younger me, give yourself a chance. Try things. No, more things, bigger things, terrifying things. You see those posters of people you have hung up on your wall. They're not of a different world. They're people like you.

But they decided along the way that they would try. That they would step out a line, break some rules, push life, and see how hard life pushed back. Younger me on my college essay, I referenced one of my favorite quotes. I attributed it to Mark Twain. Turns out it wasn't even by him. But hey, life goes on, right? It said, 20 years from now, you'll be more disappointed by the things you didn't do

than the ones you did do. So throw off the bowline. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sales, explore, dream, discover. It's a beautiful quote. And here's what I gather from it. The biggest mistakes I've made

over the course of my lifetime, ended up being my greatest teachers, leading me to something new, to where I most needed to be. I mean, a lot of my mistakes are even funny stories, right, that I joke about with buddies over a beer. The vast majority of things you're worried about, they either won't happen or they're reversible.

But what gets you, younger me, what truly hurts is wishing you have the courage to apply to that thing that you instead let the deadline slip away, or talk to that person you walked right by, or audition, or train, or travel, or follow your intuition, your heart to someplace new, those are the things we tend to carry around.

The second you learn that not going is far scarier than stepping out into the unknown, you'll possess a perspective that's incredibly valuable. It will change your life. And lastly, this one's kind of hard to articulate, but let me tell you, it continues to resurface. Here it is. If your intuition is telling you something, listen. Trust it.

If something feels wrong, let it go. If it feels like it's where you need to be, you're being pulled in that direction. Explore, move towards it. When you know in 30 seconds that someone isn't a good good. person, don't give them your time. When something doesn't align with your goals or objectives, don't feel bad walking away. When something excites you, trust that feeling. This is all intuition, and I've come to find that initial response to be more and more valuable. What that feeling is telling you matters. Don't turn your back on that. Now, of course, there's a line we have to walk,

or an element of pragmatism we have to hold on to. Sometimes when we're particularly upset, it makes sense to let the emotions subside and allow rationality to enter. But this is more about being aware of who you are and what you want. Right? Don't talk yourself out of what you know you want and into what you know you don't. Life gives clues. It's not always 4D chess. Sometimes it can be seen.

What's needed is right there. But you have to look around. You have to listen and trust yourself and no one will ever know you better than you. But if you tune yourself out, then how can you have a shot at living a meaningful life? One on your own terms. Be impossible. So younger me, trust yourself. Beyond what anyone else tells you is best, are most beneficial.

Again, those are answers. Those are answers only you know. So listen to you. One of my favorite messages is that you are your own experiment. That as we move forward into the haze of the unknown, we understand that at times we'll fall. At times we'll see our plans disintegrate right in front of us. But this is, when we step back and really examine

not a cause for alarm, but a chance to celebrate. Celebrate because the world's pushing back at you implies that you are moving forward. And that is strength. As the saying goes in the broken places, the light shines through. Younger me, promise me you won't be scared of breaking. That you won't fear leaving the harbor.

Because nothing out there is bigger than you, or too much for you to handle or navigate. The funny thing is, younger me, that your journey is reliant on you giving yourself permission to go, to see, to explore. All that starts with you greenlighting your own adventure. But remember what I'm telling you. There is no rubric for life, it's trial and error. Remember that if you don't give yourself a chance, you simply watch the opportunity slip by. And remember that you are the only one who knows what's best for you.

So trust that intuition. The world will be whatever you choose to make it. And my hope is that you realize you are strong enough. You're bold enough. You're capable enough. to make it whatever that might be. So younger me, go pave your path. Go blaze your trail.

And remember along the way, as you navigate the ups and downs, highs and lows, remember to look up and enjoy the ride. Naval Ravikant has said inspiration is perishable. So act on it immediately. And what he means is those fleeting moments of excitement, where you have an idea, a concept, those must be cashed in. They must come to life, otherwise they're gone before they had a chance to change anything. See, what we don't really talk about much is that inspiration is only as valuable as one's willingness to act upon it.

Just like a seed without the right nutrients can't grow, or a wheel is only useful once it touches the ground. It's the world able to act upon these objects that makes them powerful instruments. And so with that inspiration, that momentary jolt you've captured, the faster you act upon it, the more likely something comes of it. comes of it. Inspiration transforms into action, which creates momentum and then more inspiration. And so goes the powerful cycle we must seek to create. Inspiration to action, to inspiration, to action. I talk all the time about the myth of perfection. The idea that the perfect moment is out there, that someone or something will give you permission.

But no, that green light is self-created. And when it arrives, don't waste it. It's not about reaching a mountaintop right away. You don't need to create the perfect solution right now. But give yourself a chance to see those wheels hit the road. Allow that cycle of inspiration and action to propel you forward because so much of life comes down to what you did when that fleeting moment arrived what you turned it into if you gave it life a lot of people out

there think that the secret to life is having the right answers but I'm here to tell you it's the courage the willingness the strength to move forward before you have them to take that little bit of inspiration into this sunset. Let it mean something. Let it be a beginning. So when you look back years from now, you'll see that single decision to act meant so much more than what it felt in the moment. That single step you courageously took was everything. I find it interesting that what we want most is often brought about by the inverse of what we'd expect. It's a paradox that's amazed me for much of my adult life. And what do I mean? Well, here are a few examples. The best way to

achieve freedom in your life is to be incredibly disciplined, two things that are seemingly opposite in a sense. Or that the worst of times, often open the door to the best of times. Or it's from a position of strength that one is best able to ensure peace. Or from our suffering, our pain, comes our purpose and contentment. And you get the point, I could go on and on and on.

But the reason this is so important, why I think it's worth discussing, is that it sheds light on the value hidden within our struggles. You know, when you realize the paradoxical nature of growth, the discomfort makes a little more sense. It's easier to wrap our hands around. So let's say getting up early. Perhaps you weren't a morning person, but you're trying.

You're trying because you think those few extra hours in the morning will add some lift. The alarm clock goes off. The last thing you want to do is open your eyes. Maybe you even start thinking, who cares, right? This isn't that important. You begin rationalizing ways. You'll go back to bed and just make up for the time throughout the day. But when you simplify the equation, you realize what you have is an opportunity.

And you're either going to say yes and capitalize on that opportunity or say no and stay where you are. Discipline, even with the small, seemingly trivial stuff, becomes freedom. And if you want to position yourself for a life on your terms, where you're at the wheel on your schedule, it means facing demons just like this. It means you fight your fight now so that you can mitigate it later. Rather than saying, I wish, or beating yourself up for not being a little bit of a little bit of, tougher in the moment, you instead get that sense of accomplishment. You get the luxury of time and freedom. And I think that's a simple but perfect example of how discomfort in one moment becomes

contentment in future moments. Not a very intuitive trade-off. Or how about our low points? We all know no one escapes low points. I've always found them easier to handle an internal when I know that it's bringing me closer to something valuable, when I know that there's something good on the other side and that the pain I'm feeling, the thoughts that are inevitably going to pass through my mind like clouds on a windy day, they're obviously not ideal,

but they're not a waste either because something will come of them. And the goal in that moment under the duress is not to move the immovable. After all, you can only control, but you can control. But it's to simply put one foot in front of the other until you emerge from the storm, because we all eventually emerge from that storm.

It's when we get into the habit of trying to do what is outside the scope of our control that we do ourselves a disservice. Because look, we're human. Equipped with human biology and human emotions navigating a tough world that is indifferent to how we feel or what we think. And while we can certainly strengthen and fortify that emotional IQ, the reality is no one is on a high all the time. Life is ups and downs. And when we realize our superpower is not to fight the down times, but to accept them, take them in stride, learn from them.

them and extract the value we empower ourselves. We're giving ourselves permission to live life just a little fuller after what we've experienced. The human experience requires many seemingly contradictory puzzle pieces all working together in unison to create that final illustration we're looking for. Not just discipline and freedom, Not just low points and high points, but countless others. Jordan Peterson, of course, famously discusses chaos and order and how both not only exist but are pivotal to a fulfilling life. We are designed for chaos.

We must step out into unknowns, situations that feel bigger than us. The courage to do so ultimately becomes the pathway to order. As we get used to the change, we acclimate, we find our answers, and ultimately create a sense of fulfillment. The challenge being that now we have conquered our demon, we must prepare for the next. Because just like too much chaos isn't good, too much order is equally destructive. Another example of something we'd assume as negative. Chaos. being the thing in actuality that paves the way for better days.

It's a staircase. I've heard Tony Robbins say something similar when talking about our need for both certainty and uncertainty. We must have some elements of everyday life mapped out, but too much creates a mundane existence without the adventure and growth we've been looking for. It's from the unknown we capture more of a world. capture more of ourselves. It's from the uncertainty we get growth. And I say all of this,

not just because I think it's fascinating in and of itself, but because it's incredibly easy to forget, especially in the thick of things that it's all essential to life working the way it should work. Those losses become gains. The disappointment becomes growth. The downtimes become launching pads. The down times become launching pads to evolve experiences, greater adventures, and new chapters. It's certainly not intuitive to look in the mirror when amidst life's chaos and say thank you to the universe.

I get that. I'm not implying that you should. But I am saying it helps to know, it helps to be aware of the paradoxical nature of your journey. I look back at the times I was most fearful or angry at my time. And if I could go back and tell that version of me one thing, it would be that all that adversity is going to push me forward. That I'd never have the things I wanted most if I didn't step into all that discomfort.

That it's going to be okay. That I'm going to be incredibly thankful for it all. And so will you. This is the push-pull of life. The chaos and order of the day. It is not in spite of, but because of those moments, you'll be more than you've ever been. The human experience is a paradox. And the quicker we get that, the quicker we let it work for us.

No more fighting unwinnable wars, but rather taking all that we can control and using it to lift ourselves up. to be our best selves, to make tomorrow the miracle that it can be. What is the complex, but an accumulation of that which is simple? What are big things, if not just a multitude, of little things? There's comfort in the understanding that all we have in life, all there is, is simplicity. Easy to understand pieces. It's just that sometimes we stack them so high that they start to take a new shape. But like Greg McKeown references in his book Essentialism,

the power isn't always in acquiring answers. You already have them. They're in front of you. The power is in cutting away the things that don't need to be. Removing all that stands between you and your ideal existence. And I think that's one of life's great misunderstandings. We don't need to find more. We need to remove the excess until we're face to face with what matters.

And to adopt this principle, it's nothing short of liberating. Chaos, confusion, disorder, they don't imply that you lack the right things. They suggest you haven't stripped life of the wrong things you have not since. A thousand miles is intimidating when you look at it holistically. It's a long journey. But it's just a collection of steps and well, shouldn't we find solace in the fact that anyone can take one step? It's not a game of complexity. It's a game of understanding what's in front of you. And what's in front of you is always manageable.

So much of our stress stems from forget. from forgetting what that journey is made of. Whether it's a change in career, mastery of an art, some kind of personal transformation, the result we want. When looking at it from the starting line, it's too complex to understand too many pieces stacked up. So let's break it down.

Let's find the foundation. What's really there? What are the one, two, three things we need to do? What is that golden question? What matters? If you lose sight of that, then you will stumble through life. I've learned this. I've lived it.

The time I take to myself every day is invaluable to me because I ask myself those two questions. What matter? And what are the simple steps I need to take? What can I remove? I was talking about this during an interview this week. my personal growth. And one of the most important aspects has been the understanding and the zeroing in on what's important. I used to take so much pride in composing the background music to these speeches, end-to-end.

I used to love to be able to say, I did it all. That was so I thought the great differentiator. But ultimately, I learned to take a step back and ask, what matters here? What do you care about? It's the storytelling that I love. It's the impact. And let's be real, no one cares who wrote the background music. It's holistically, how does the piece make you feel?

And this understanding allowed me to cut away. License the music. Save two days a week, acquire clarity, and realize my goal is not to be Mozart. My journey is to be one of the great communicators, storytellers of our time, and if a day goes by where I'm not taking a little step towards that, it's the wrong move.

Small example in the grand scheme of things, but right on point. It's the power in understanding what matters that makes a difference that allows you to grow, evolve. And I'm confident that this not only applies to long-term pursuits, but also our challenging times, the dark moments, the periods of uncertainty and discontent. Same concept. Where do you want to be and how do you get there? What's the simple thing you can do to close that gap? Because you are never helpless.

You can always do something. And my friends, those little somethings ultimately evolve into everything. And when we put our phone away, step beyond the noise, spend time with ourselves, we can see how much of life is running in place. stacking and stacking pieces that aren't even part of the masterpiece we're trying to assemble. If you want answers, start with the understanding that they're buried under mountains of things you don't need. So cut away. Cut away the people and places and things that convolut your story.

Cut away the exhaustion of time that provides no value in return. return. Cut away the thoughts that make life more complex than your journey from where you are to where you'd like to be. As you stand right now, you have everything you need and there's nothing greater than that, nothing more powerful than that understanding. So why not step outside the complexity that you've manufactured that you're living in into a world of clarity, simplicity, and capture what matters. There's an old idea that once you've started, you're halfway there. How does that make sense, one might wonder? Once you've started, you've only just begun. And that's true, technically.

But here's the thing. The journey, the ins and outs, ups and downs, trials and tribulations, they can all be dealt with. They knock us down from time to time, no doubt. But we learn, we adjust, and carry on as we move forward. Most success stories, they're crushed, not because of that adversity along the way, but because they never begin. They never take shape or materialize.

We can't make them real in our heads. We can't convince ourselves that they'll ever be anything other than fiction. We think that's for someone else. We look around and assume that reality is different than my reality. And overcoming this mental constraint is always the most challenging step. And that's saying, the one I continuously find myself coming back to, human beings always follow through on who they believe themselves to be, continues to be true.

If you don't believe you're worthy of something, its pursuit is lost before it began. So while the mind tries to paint pictures of how scary that road is ahead, how it's too different or big or complex, understand that should you move forward, you'll find all that complexity can be broken down, one day, one situation, one little step at a time. The only real demon here is the possibility of inaction because you couldn't make yourself believe it. You couldn't see yourself at the top of that mountain. And so the front door was never opened. Emerson says, hits your wagon to a star.

A beautiful reminder that that star is proof your dreams are real. and only as real as the conviction with which you move towards them. Green light your own glory, your own contentment. Because contrary to what we might think, no one comes up and bestows that upon us. To live life fully is a decision. Decision, Latin root words, cut off, it's removing and abandoning your restraint in order. to be more authentically you, in order that you'll give yourself permission to chase down that which makes you feel alive and soak up all that aligns with your heart and soul.

Once you start, you're halfway there. And oh, that first step, often perceived as the beginning, but in actuality a point, few ever give themselves the luxury of experience. Step one, believe it's possible. Step two, believe you're worthy. Step three, go. Everything else works itself out. You're capable of dancing through life's chaos,

of managing the world's unknowns. So know that, understand that, but most importantly, be one of the few who gives themselves permission to experience that. Experience that. And it starts... Looking back and understanding what you might have done differently is a source of strength.

Awareness is a currency of sorts. But being sorry for yesterday, dwelling on the days gone by, that is a waste of time. See, those feelings of discontent, the emotions that rise to the surface, as our minds sort through that catalog of regret. You know, the emotions that try and pull you back down into the very moment in which they occurred. If you let them lead you by the hand back into a manufactured hell, they will. And down you will go, reliving an expired pain

that you can neither prevent nor do anything about. After all, it is the past. But alternatively, If we can do one of the hardest things for humans to do, which is depersonalize the occurrence, remove the emotion, and find the value you stand face to face with an advantage in life that is exponential. Not only are you refusing to be defined or tortured by yesterday, but you're creating a framework by which you can actually use that pain to make a better right now. You're acknowledging that your mistakes are not indicative of a current reflection in the mirror. They're not metal bars keeping you closed in.

They're opportunities in disguise. A friend of mine once told me, from our pain comes our purpose. From our despair comes our hope. It's from the times we got it oh so completely wrong that we can now arm ourselves with the ability to get it right. To be better and faster and stronger and wiser, the reality, or life in the big city, as this saying goes, is having to fall in order to rise again.

Because if nothing falls, there are no ashes from which to rebuild. We change when we've lost. We evolve when we're cornered. We become more when life, shakes our worldview. There's power in this suffering. That is, if you choose to find it, and that's always a decision that's ours to make. Again, those same memories that can pull you down if you let them can also be used to elevate yourself, higher than you've ever been. There's just saying that life is 10% what happens to you and 90% what you do about it. And when you think

about it, it's obvious. Because knowledge is only as powerful as our willingness to put that knowledge to work. Yesterday's pain, its lessons, can be the very reason you transform, evolved to a higher version of yourself, but that's only if you stop using those lessons as an attack on your self-esteem and start seeing them as the gateway to tomorrow. Otherwise, they'll remain that ball and chain around your ankle. Is the mistake that cost you your business, maybe the inaction that fractured a relationship, a swing and miss that hurt your pride somewhere along the way? Are they going to remain sources of pain in your mind, mental images or reflections of where you fell short? Or are they going to fuel the comeback, the sequel? When we fall, we're given one of life's greatest gifts, a part two.

Armed with the knowledge we otherwise would never have had, armed with an understanding that with the failures comes the strength. As I've grown, I've placed more and more emphasis on thinking. How do I perceive myself? Because when that slips, life is never too far behind. But when you capture and maintain a healthy perspective, things seem to improve along with it. Not because thinking,

makes it so, but because how we think prompts how we act and how we act changes our lives. It's that simple. So the question, okay, that happened. Now what does it mean to you will always be crucial? What are you going to do about it now? Will always be imperative. And if you look, you'll find that opportunity everywhere. I was thinking recently about all the books. I've read, all the podcasts I consume, and there are a ton, right? But how valuable is that information if I don't act? How much could any of it mean if it's consumed and then forgotten?

A memory with an image and a title. I'd be better off reading one good book a year, listening to one podcast and injecting that wisdom into my life immediately, acting on it, using it to manufacture momentum. If the acting is more important than the knowing, why have I not placed greater emphasis on the action? Like 90% more emphasis. And I think that's a question we should all be asked.

And so let's move from the book example back to the thinking, reminiscing about our mistakes, the times we let ourselves down. What are our memories? if not just little novels, where we as the main characters embark upon the hero's journey. Warriors call to something greater, leaving a previous world, facing our demons, learning about ourselves along the way, perhaps cut short, left without a conclusion, only in need of an ending. And these painful experiences are essentially us walking around with novels.

unfinished in our heads. We've done the work. We've learned the lessons, endured the pain. And rather than continuing to revisit that discomfort of the moment, that stopping point, rather than dwelling on how we shut the book after the conflict occurred, let's open it back up and integrate that value, that lesson into the present. Let's grow from it. Let's evolve because of it. That's what's so beautiful, so exciting about the future. It hasn't happened yet. It's in your control. You're painting that picture now in real time, and so how convenient that you fell yesterday.

Now you have an opportunity to be stronger today. And how incredible that you learned what actions or inaction was not in line with the person you want to be. Now you have an opportunity to root all that. out and how beautiful that you felt the pain of quitting, of stopping short, of throwing the towel. Now, as you push forward into that great unknown, you have a reminder, a benchmark to compare with the difficulty of the present moment. You can silence the voice in your head begging you to slow down because you now know what the alternative looks like.

To put it simply, you are not the same person you were yesterday. Specifically because of what you've been through, you have those mistakes to thank for the meaningful road you will travel. And let that be the expectation. We don't get through life without mistakes. There is no perfect journey. The ones who move courageously into the future know that more than anyone. Life pushes back.

The world has a say, and sometimes that means we must be humbled along the way. It means we swing and miss. It means plans fall apart. But you will prevail, maybe not immediately, but eventually, because you perceive the adversity as merely a cost of admission, specifically because you don't let it run loops in your mind. Rather, you extract the value and transform it into momentum. You are not your past. You are what you decide to make of your past.