Your World Within Podcast by Eddie Pinero - CHOOSE YOUR SACRIFICE | Powerful Motivational Speeches

Episode Date: October 6, 2025

In this episode, we explore the truth that nothing great comes without cost. Inspired by a story of Shaquille O’Neal sitting his son down, reminding him that success demands sacrifice, we break down what it really means to choose your pain, your tradeoffs, and your path.Every dream has a price tag. Every goal demands something in return. Whether it’s time, comfort, or security, you don’t get to skip the sacrifice, but you do get to choose which one shapes you.This episode is a reminder: the easy way always costs more in the end. Choose your sacrifice.More from Eddie Pinero:Monday Motivation Newsletter: https://www.eddiepinero.com/newsletterYour World Within Podcast: https://yourworldwithin.libsyn.com/Stream these tracks on Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2BLf6pBInstagram - @your_world_within and @IamEddiePineroTikTok - your_world_withinFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/YourworldwithinTwitter - https://www.twitter.com/IamEddiePineroBusiness Inquiries - http://www.yourworldwithin.com/contact#liveinspired #yourworldwithin #motivation

Earlier today, we came across a video. And I'm going to paraphrase a lot of it, so it's not an exact quote. But hopefully you'll get the gist from this story. It's essentially Shaquille O'Neal talking to his son. And, you know, it's not a story about, you know, dunking and championships or highlight reels. He was talking to his son about sacrifice. And his son, his son, basically says, you know, Dad, I want to play in the NBA like you and Shaq's looking at him

and saying, then you need to understand what that means, right? Very stern, very almost concerned demeanor, which pulls you right into the video. It was pretty powerful. You know, he's kind of going through their past. And he says, do you understand what that means? If you want this dream, I need you to understand what it means. And he goes on. And again, I really want to emphasize that I'm paraphrasing the idea.

But he's essentially saying, if you want this dream, you'll miss birthdays. You'll miss family dinners. You'll miss time with friends. You won't have that balanced, carefree life that most people enjoy. Goes back even deeper. How many birthdays did I miss? His son thinks for a second, you know, a lot, right? How many plays did I miss?

How many games? Right? You can see the sort of dots connecting in his son's head. That's the cost of being great at something. That's the price I had to pay. Because the reality is, I believe, what Shaq is getting at is every dream has a toll booth. Every aspiration has a cost. And the question isn't whether you'll pay.

It's whether the life on the other side is worth the price. It's a question you have to ask yourself. And when you decide that it is, you go all in with every single thing you have. But first, you make sure that it is indeed something that matters to you. And there was a comment under the video that I found almost as intriguing as the video. It really makes you think. The comment was that you can have it all. Just not all at once.

because today, in Shaq mentions this in the back and forth, he says, today, you know, because of that work I put in, now I can help you. Now I have money to help my family be great. I have these things. But the cost when you were younger was missing a lot. There were certain chapter, certain seasons. Now he has the resources and now he has the time.

But at the beginning, when he was climbing, didn't. He had to choose. He had to trade comfort for greatness. Moments now for a legacy later. And that's not just his story. That's all of our stories. Life is tradeoffs. And I can't emphasize this enough. It's like you want to build a business. Okay, you're going to have to sacrifice nights out. You want to run a marathon. Okay, you're going to have to sacrifice sleeping in, right, to get those miles in before work. You want to write that book, create the art, step into the new identity. You're going to have to sacrifice approval, sacrifice certainty.

You're going to have to sacrifice ease. Because dreams demand payment in advance. And it's not easy. Sometimes it even feels unfair. Sometimes it's like the universe is asking too much. But ask yourself, isn't that the point? Isn't greatness supposed to require something of us? Wouldn't it mean less if it didn't?

You can have it all, just not at once. That line isn't about limitation. I think it's about sequence. It's about patience. About trusting that if you build the foundation today, the house will stand upon it tomorrow. Shaq missed birthdays so that essentially he could provide for birthdays. He missed plays so that he could set the stage for his family's future.

He missed games so his kids would never have to miss opportunities, tradeoffs, sacrifices, choices. That's the name of the game. And if you're in a season right now where it feels like you're, you're missing out. Remember, you're not losing. You are investing. You're exchanging now for later. You're planting seeds that will grow into trees, forests. So when you're tired, and if you're not right this moment, there will be a time when you are. When you're tempted to quit, if you think that thought will never, even for a moment, enter your head and bounce around, my friend, you are

wrong when you see everyone else laughing and playing and seemingly living these perfect lives while you're working I need you to remember the truth that was echoed from a father to his son and now to you that line that by chance I stumbled upon you can have it all just not all at once so in this season of life choose your all choose your sacrifice choose the thing you're willing to miss so that one day you can stand where few ever stood. And when someone asks, was it worth it? You'll be able to look back at the life you built, the people you've helped, the legacy you left, and answer without hesitation. Yes, it was worth every trade-off, every difficult decision, all the sacrifice, the temporary pain, the suffering.

It all helped you design the life you wanted to live. With intentionality, with purpose, with passion, it all brought you here. And what a beautiful thing. You can have it all. Just not all. Life is about duality. It's about being grateful for the road behind you, but also excited and hungry for what's ahead. That balance is where growth lives.

It's why we created AGNS, always grateful, never satisfied. More than just an apparel company, it's a reminder that there's always another hill to climb. And if you go to agnss.lifestyle and you sign up for the email list, you'll get daily inspiration right to your inbox, latest updates on all the new merch drops, as well as a 20% off discount code. Hope to see you there. Most people experience neither victory nor defeat. Why? Well, rather than step out their front door and shape their world and the reality,

most people sit back and they observe and they criticize and they condemn those who actually do. This is the central premise to Teddy Roosevelt's man in the arena speech, which I've talked about and explored a few times on this podcast, but I had the pleasure last week of sort of rediscovering it in Sedona. And what stood out to me particularly was just the idea of how okay we are with that middle ground, of giving up the highs to not experience the lows, how okay we are with being the ones who merely observe and critique while life around us is shaped. It's like no defeat, no, that's avoided at all costs.

We want safety, safety, safety, which means almost definitionally no victory. And when we skip those two things, what we are left with is empty space, a perpetual purgatory to which most of us are confined. Someone I respect once told me it's okay to be hated. And it's certainly okay to be loved. But what you don't want to be is simply tolerated, right? Merely existing is for cowards. And you might be asking, well, what does that mean for me in my world?

And that's the beauty of it. Like, I could never answer that for you. You are the only person that can answer it for you. But what I can tell you is that the highs in life make it worth living. I can also tell you that you don't get highs without lows. And so to avoid life's turbulence because you're scared of the risk or you're scared of the criticism is to deprive yourself of life's beauty. Now, am I perfect at this?

no. No, I don't think anybody is. And that's the beauty of it. That's why I surround myself with people to help push me along. Because every chapter of life demands a new level of courage, new risks. You don't even realize that you've moved up to the cheap seats and you need to step back onto the floor. And it's also funny enough, easy to see in others or easier than it is to point out in your friends than it is to point out in yourself. Right. Like I talked to a friend recently who's talking about a business idea and just going through everything that can go wrong. What if I fail? What if this? What if that? And they're genuine. Like they are reasonable concerns. But I just sort of posed this question to him.

Like, well, what if everything goes right? Think about the upside. Are you thinking about what that could do for you and your family? Are you thinking about the impact? Are you thinking about the financial upside? Are you thinking about that stuff? Because that's transformative. And you could just sort of see behind his eyes that switch.

Sometimes we just need that nudge. That reminder. that says, hey, you're strong enough to be in the arena, making change in your life, taking on the risk, taking on the burdens, stepping into the chaos of life so that you can make something of it. You can do that.

Well, Eddie, how do I figure it out? Again, this is a work in progress, my friend. and I don't think that ever changes, but I can say personally, awareness. Awareness is the key, awareness is everything, understanding that it often does not come natural to go where you most need to go. It requires courage and discipline. I've invested heavily in multiple masterminds, engaged in very intentional conversations, spending every day in some type of contemplation,

thinking about that next step, looking for the right, risks. Because I know that when one stays too long where they are, they do themselves, their loved ones, and the world a disservice. When you stay the same, no one wins. But when you're aware, everything of value starts to rise, starts to emerge. What is it in your soul that you know you need to do? Where is it in your soul that you know you need to go? Because once you've aligned with that. You get to go out, step into the world, and begin the process of falling and failing

and making your mistakes. But in doing so, there's a few things that are happening at once. First, you're incrementally moving towards meaning in your life. It's been said that progress equals happiness, and I subscribe to that. I believe in that 100%. I also believe in the second thing.

which is that you convince yourself that when you fall, you can handle it. You can get back up stronger. It's the mantra that confidence is earned. You're proving to yourself who you are. You're showing yourself. You're watching yourself grow as you take on combatants in the arena that you stepped into. I'm a firm believer that a life of meaning is. and avoiding chaos, but rather knowing you can endure and persevere through it.

So I'm going to say it again, and hopefully it hits you the same way that it hit me. Most men live their entire lives without knowing either victory or defeat. Never defeat because they shied away, because they were scared because the risks seemed too big. therefore never victory because the victory requires the defeat. And so this is your opportunity to step out into the world and make your mistakes. To dispel the notion or any idea that a safe, peaceful existence is a victorious one. You will fall, repeatedly. But the beauty is you will do so on your ascent to a world.

above the cloud. Your world is not one of half-toes, which when you think about it is quite the story. No one told you to be here. No one is requiring of you this effort, sacrifice or pain. So why? Well, I think the answer can best be understood by slightly altering the question.

Why not? What if you never lace them up, stepped outside? What if you never tested your grit as you simultaneously moved into the great unknown? What if you never let yourself hit that point where your body fatigued? Your mind began to betray you. Your spirit started to dwindle. But we're all convinced by one little voice that said, hey, Keep going.

I get it. There's a lot going on here. There are thousands of reasons to stop. But right now, stopping is not in the cards. No, not for you. See, that point is where the real meets the divine. Where we learn we can rise above the earthly characteristics. So many misinterpret as law.

That point where we come to understand we are more than clusters of cells navigating a rock floating through eternity. It's here. We learn how strong we truly are. There are no have-toes here. Just the wind at our backs, the sun in our face, and the road at our feet. And look, some might not get it. They may call it trivial or to rational. or pointless.

The same way one who reads about love or joy or sadness in a book without living it wouldn't understand. You have to be immersed in these things. It's only by pushing through that we understand we are made for exactly that purpose. And if you can break those chains once, my friend, what's off limits? What doors are truly locked for you in a world of infinite opportunity? Endless upside. What is truly off the table? Nothing.

Nothing is the correct answer to that question. Feet on the pavement. Carry that understanding from our souls to the world. Clench fists and determined eyes paint that picture on the canvas of every day. The world was yours the entire time. It always has to be. It's been waiting on you. But it can do nothing more than put the key under the mat and hope you pick it up.

See, most won't. Not because they can't, but because they inject their own borders, walls, and fences into life. They see pain as a stop sign and hurt as an end, but you're here now. You see those same occurrences as runways, green lights and the opportunity to triumph. So go all in. Not because you have to, but because, well, it would be crazy not to. Today, if you're willing, is a call to examine some of those truths and rules that you live by.

Those things that you've deemed as fact, maybe completely unintentionally, that are, a misrepresentation of truth and in the grand scheme of things, keeping you from living your best life. Call them what you will, man-made walls, self-induced limitations, however you want to identify it or recognize it. But it's not until you step out and view it again from a higher vantage point that you realize maybe, just maybe you've been caging yourself. this entire time. You've been living a fraction of the life that you're capable of living. Someone sent me a soundbite. Jeremy Boring, who's the CEO of a media company, where he was saying, just generically, be careful who you take advice from.

Because, and I'm going to paraphrase a lot of this, but the idea should come through. He says, I get a lot of financial advice from people who don't have two pennies to rub together. And it's not that they aren't amazing friends with amazing intentions and, you know, I love them, but they don't have what I want. So how would they be able to give advice?

Right? He says, one thing I heard growing up was, Jeremy, money doesn't grow on trees. He said, you know, it wasn't until much later that I realized, hell yeah, it does. Wealth is created out of thin air. a lagging indicator to value add, there are infinite ways to generate it.

And so to think that there's a finite amount or that it's a time for money transaction, that's a limiting belief. Now ask yourself how many people believe that. And so it made me think a few things, prompted a few different thoughts. First, it's luckily an example of me hearing exactly what I needed to hear, exactly when I needed to hear it. You know, my team and I are behind the scenes looking to pivot and add more value in different ways. And so I'm so stubborn with my approach, I'd rather do nothing than create new products or services or media for that matter that aren't aligned with our North Star.

I have to be excited about stuff or it's a no from me. And so just re-centering the focus around the question of how do you best serve your audience? How do you add more value to the marketplace? It's just great to hear that again. So that's one. And then two, because you know the drill, I had to ask, well, what some other limitations in my life be? I haven't done this exercise in a while.

Where am I building walls around myself? A few things came up. First, perhaps juggling personal relationships in the work that I love. There's room for that to be reimagined. I still think I need to kick the door. open creatively. I don't know how or what that looks like, but you know, when just in your soul, you feel like there's more. That needs to be unpacked. And then lastly, just the scope of what I'm doing. It's so easy to get comfortable and diminish what can be. And by the way, I don't know anyone

who doesn't do this. It's a full-time job. You have to work to continuously push yourself out of your comfort zone to be bigger onto better thing. And so, I have to hand this over to you, this simple question. What are some things that maybe you've accepted as just reality or the way things are? Some things you've deemed to be truth that are holding you back, that you can take a sledgehammer to. Are you willing to take a walk, spend some time alone with yourself, and examine what life could look like with those walls kicked down?

Because we wake up and we do the same things and we see the same people and we go to the same places. But there's no mandate that prohibits you from stepping outside of that, from going out into the world and demanding more of it. One of my favorite mantras, the world only gives you what you ask of it. So are you asking it for the right things? Are you asking the right questions? I hope this finds you at the right moment in time. The universal nudge reminding you that you have so much more control of your life than you think you do.

Never outsource that or concede to the whims of chance like a leaf blowing in the wind. If it's not ideal, make it ideal. If it's not yours, make it yours. Bring it home, take ownership. The world is meant for you if you choose to make it so. Sometimes we convince ourselves that right now isn't quite right. It's not the wrong time necessarily, but soon. We'll have that thing that will make the perfect launch point soon.

So we'll wait. You hear it a lot with hopeful creators, right? As soon as I get the camera, I'm going to start the podcast. As soon as they feel inspired, I'll start writing. Or how about this one we can all relate to in some way? As soon as it's January 1, I'll start taking care of my seat. self and my health. And I'm not talking about this because I read about it.

I'm talking about it because I live it. It's an adversary I'm always up against. The allure of waiting for that perfect moment. But here's the deal. When you start now, the imperfections become part of the value. People see imperfections and become inspired by them. He started getting in shape in his garage with two dumbbells. Look at that.

She started writing her novel in a notebook waiting to pick her kids up from school. Going now not only destroys that enemy that is procrastination, it also gives you something of value in return. It lets the very fact that you found a way become a narrative in your story. It allows your imperfections to become. come your greatness. I recently relocated my studio to Scottsdale, a move that,

according to the moving company, would take seven to ten days. 24 days later, I realized that there are places in life where you can attempt to cut costs. Moving companies should never be one of those things. I found myself with the recording equipment in my camera bag

that I travel with and some empty boxes. I'm waiting for my stuff to show up. One week, two weeks, three weeks, soon, soon it'll arrive. And I'll be able to record then. Because right now there's no lighting. Right now I don't have my tripod. I don't have anything to put behind me in the set. It's like wait, wait, wait.

Or how about this? You take the empty shelves and you make them intentional. You lean boxes against the wall. You have a life transition set, right? And not only can you make that work, not only will it look sufficient, but it's like you have a story now. We like to hear about the times

others made something out of an apparent nothing. It's relatable. And that's actually where the fun stuff is in any conversation. I'm recording this in a hotel room, doing what I can with what I have. And so when you find yourself feeling not quite ready

and the temptation is to wait, rather than hold out hope for a fake perfection that never comes, why not unpack the beauty contained in the present moment? Or put a much more practical way, the opportunity contained in the present moment. Why not begin with the moment? less and tap into something that no other time in your life will have but now. Start your podcast using your phone.

Mediocre visuals and echo-e audio. Let this be the beginning that you look back on and smile. Remember how fun those episodes were? That mediocre at best equipment and stories about where we were in life? You start working out now. Can't get to the gym. Do it in your garage, in your living room. Then you can point to where it would have been easy not to,

but you built your physical foundation on the third floor of an apartment building in New York. People ask you what it took to get into the shape you're in now. Wait and a floor. Just start. I find repeatedly that it's not about perfect. It's about who's about who. we become in making progress with far less than the perfect we'd hoped for. That's what makes you realize how much of what we tell ourselves is just rationalization.

We're scared to not look good, that's all. We're scared of new things, worried about beginning. And so we convince ourselves that the camera angle will make all the difference. The expensive lens will be the differentiator. Again, I've lived this. and then you get it and it's like in truth the new camera just sits there you're still the person in front of it and what you say in front of your phone

versus two thousand dollars Sony is still entirely dependent on you surprise the Sony doesn't have much say and so I call you to think less about the set and more about what's going on within it The amount you can do with what you have now will astound you. How little we need is truly magical. You know, in these last three weeks have emphasized that for me.

Two pairs of shoes, two pairs of jeans, some t-shirts, and a camera. I didn't miss much. Because my ability to think and share ideas didn't get packed away and put in the truck with everything else. That stayed with me. And we all have some version of that in our own lives. That's what matters. You are LeBron at something. So cherish that.

Bring that to the world, regardless of the circumstances. You can put LeBron on a broken down court with no nets. He'd still be pretty good. The environment becomes something different, something enjoyable because of its novelty. Too often we miss the value, you know, because of the details. So I'll end with this. Don't seek perfection.

Seek to start now with what you have so that you can give more of yourself to the world. You can give more of yourself when you're unsure. Give more of yourself when you're lost. Give more of yourself when you're starting. Give more of yourself when you don't have all the tools you wish you had. Give more of yourself at the beginning, give more at the middle, and at the end. Anything that suggests you need some miracle in the mail before you can begin or tap into what

matters is fear. It's nothing more and nothing less. So start. Start for the world and for the story you'll be able to share by simply initiating. The climb. What if the real enemy isn't who or what you think it is? What if it's not the things that are, quote, unquote, bad? What if it's not misfortune or disaster? Obstacles, you know, getting in the way of what you think you want most? What if it's none of that?

What if the real enemy is good? What? You might be thinking, good? Well, let's dive into the context. Because in a nuanced world where so much lives in the gray space, the details mean a lot. See, I'm a reflective guy. I enjoy thinking about these things. And I think that a happy life, not even a quote-unquote successful one. I'm not talking about finances or followers or sales or any of that stuff. I'm talking about overall contentment, feeling good.

When I look back on my life, contentment was more often derailed by good than anything else. See, those blatantly unaligned things, the sharp pain, the oh hell knows, they're easy to avoid. They shine so bright that we can't help but turn away. The good things, though, They are the wolves and sheep's clothing. They hide.

It's hard to say no to good things. After all, they're not pain-inducing. No, certainly not. At least in the moment, they are, however, a decision, a decision to take the good train instead of waiting for the great, the excellent, the incredible trains

to arrive at the station. Good is saying, yeah, I don't see anything terribly wrong with this. And from a distance, it checks out. And see, with that philosophy, what you're left with under these circumstances is a good life. Time spent doing good things, surrounded by good people, making good progress. And, hey, maybe good is enough for you. I'm not here to tell you what happiness should look like in your world.

But I am here to say that life will give you what you ask of it. And if peak living is on the agenda, and a good simply cannot be. At least not consistently, at least not at scale. I'm asking that you imagine a world where you spend your time doing things that you deem to be great that tap into your heart, your soul, your curiosity. They don't merely check a box.

Their value isn't the no-news-news-good-news mantra. Their value is that they create a pathway to your soul and invite you to step into a beautiful, currently unevolved version of yourself? What if you surrounded yourself with great people? Not people who are nice enough. Not people whose value is a mere lack of confrontation or constant tension. Now, that should be a baseline.

What if you surrounded yourself with people who lifted you up? Who made you better? Who reminded you of life's finitude? Your short window to make an impact and your ability right now to do just that. Imagine what that would feel like. And if merely hearing these things seems preposterous and far-fetched, that means this message has safely arrived to your doorstep in the land of good you currently occupy.

I've heard people say for years give up good and go for the great. I would hear that. I'd say absolutely. I'd clap like a baby seal, nod my head like a golden retriever watching TV, then I'd step out into the real world and see how very hard that is to do. Why? Because good is comfortable. And most importantly, good is not bad. The brain can be very easily tricked into thinking that's enough.

How terrifying the prospect of giving up no news in exchange for bad news. Shivers run down my spine. But, and you knew this question was coming, will you give up no news for great news? What if there was a little boat tied to your harbor? And that boat symbolized avoiding failure, mitigating risk. It's living not for greatness, but to avoid mistakes.

I think there are a few things that would be more freeing than walking up to that little boat, cutting the bowline and letting it float away into the distance. Why? Because the life of chasing down opportunity, of living for the upside. Well, it ignites the flame in you that's been waiting to burn, those parts of you, the ones you've been dying to explore, and some you're probably not even aware of yet, they are ready to be set ablaze.

Now, is this something always front and center on my mind? Is it something I always remember? Of course not. Which is what makes this point all the more important. I speak on this because every time I'm brought back to that point, my life is better. I need the reminder, the thought experiment. The blatant misalignment in my life is easy for me to spot.

But the good? The good is sneaky. In fact, if it weren't for a friend of mine, a great friend of mine recently reminding me that it's hard to step away from the good. But good is not what my soul wants. It probably would have taken me longer to look around. That good boat would still be bobbing on the water's surface in the hard. harbor that is my mind. And I'm not naive. I understand the comfort is good, the lack of noise,

the ease at first glance, sure, it works. But I've come too far to find comfort in the eye of the storm. I owe it to myself to fight through its walls, its winds, its turbulence, and find the skies that bring me contentment outside the storm's center. And I'm guessing that I'm guessing that if you're listening, we're not all that different. And so if you're asking what's next, what must change, what must go, I hope you'll find the courage to free yourself of not only that which is detrimental, but that which is good. I hope you'll find it within you to make space for the greatness in you that will light up your world.