Your World Within Podcast by Eddie Pinero - CONVINCE YOUR MIND To Think Like This To Achieve Anything | Powerful Motivational Speeches

Episode Date: October 4, 2023

"You have power over your mind - not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength." - Marcus Aurelius

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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 way. beauty without those depths below. 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 ascent. 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 down times. 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.

When you wake up in the morning, I want you to visualize this. I want you to visualize a world where you know where you're certain that good ideas flow through you. where the world around you needs and appreciate your courage, your decision-making. Imagine a world where you aren't reliant on anyone or anything to fix the issues in your life, to make things better. Instead, you see yourself as the guy or gal that makes it happen that steps up.

You're responsible for being the change you want to see. I want you to imagine stepping outside your house, shoulders back, head held high, excited to go chase down all that opportunity. Because one, you know it's there and two, you know you are worthy of it. Now hold that thought and think, this could be the reality you live. As soon as you wait for it, give yourself permission to live that way. How different would your life be if you green lit those things? See, it's hard to break away from it.

from the framing that we've given ourselves, especially over time, how it's materialized. It's hard to reinvent the identity you've created for the person staring back at you in the mirror. But the truth is, all worthwhile things are hard. I love the Robin Sharma quote. It says if you want what only the 5% have, you need to be willing to do,

but only the 5% are willing to do. And sure, this could be physical, dedication, long hours. Could be a lot of things. But before any of that, how about seeing yourself worthy of someone who can become the 5%? That in and of itself is hard. In fact, believing that for me was one of the greatest challenges of my life.

Seeing myself as that person, right? That doesn't come easy. It has to be chipped away at, earned. But when you create that mentality, when you hold on tight and you walk towards it relentlessly, you become it. Little by little, day by day. So much of life is making yourself believe you are who you want to be. It's a perpetual feedback loop of sorts. You believe you are, so you act like it.

Which then reinforces your belief. which prompts greater action. And around, and around we go. I'm going to give you sort of an arbitrary example of how powerful this can be. A few months ago, for the first time, I hired a cleaning service, which my rationale used to be dude, put on a podcast, zone out, clean up a little bit. Once a week, who cares, right? But that little investment changed a little.

lot. One, my place looks nicer so I feel better and I'm more productive. It's consistently just nicer to be here. And two, and most important, is that it prompts me to think like the creator and founder and business owner I want to be. It helped prompt a mental shift or further a mental shift. It says, I am the type of person who's very methodical with my time. My time equals too valuable to do anything that doesn't push my art or business forward. It's that simple. And that bleeds into other decisions I make. Pushes that loop that we talked about, right? Some investments are valuable and that they help shape your perception. On days where I'm writing, where I'm not going out or I have no meetings,

I try not to wear sweatpants and a basketball jersey. Right. At first it's like who it's comfortable, Who cares? No one's around. Yeah. True. But with the type of person we visualized at the beginning of this episode, where that? Probably not. He'd probably try and be more consistent in how he felt and how he acted and how he carried himself. It's half the battle. Same thing with waking up early.

Is it really the end of the world if I were to sleep in? No. It's really. not. But would the type of person we mentioned at the beginning of this episode sacrifice a little bit to get a head start? I think he would. To me, rolling out of bed whenever we want simply says, I'm not quite ready to be the next version of myself or level of myself. I'm okay with how things are. There's a sense of ambition and excitement, manufactured urgency in getting up before as the sun's rising. I mean, to me, that's just how it is. Doesn't mean it's the only way, but to me,

it's one of life's hidden advantages. In other words, it's very likely that if you do those things, you will start to feel like the type of person who does those things, and there's power in that. We can do so much, create so much change, add so much value, but we don't even consider it. it in many cases because it feels too foreign. We're nowhere near giving ourselves permission to pursue that greatness we're capable of obtaining. Our day-to-day looks very different. Our actions, right, the decisions we make are very different. In order to grow, we have to set ourselves and the world around us up for growth.

We have to surround ourselves with people that push us towards the place we want to be. Do things that align with our intended trajectory. Arrange the pieces so that they are indicative of what's possible. Not what was. I keep learning how small the adjustments are in life that shape and reshape our reality. So small that no wonder they're laughed at, ignored. It's the little things we do that comprise how we feel, how we see ourselves. The identity, the role we play is just the culmination of these little decisions over time.

So as you wake up in the morning, remember, you are that person, the one who moves with confidence, who acts with courage, who helps and adds value to those around him. Good ideas do flow through you. Greatness is waiting to be unveiled, but you need to believe it for yourself and start making the little adjustments that will reinforce it. Get that feedback loop in motion. How you feel becomes what you do, becomes how you feel becomes what you do. And it'll amaze you that you didn't free yourself sooner. That you didn't unleash your potential earlier. As the saying goes, the best time to have planted a tree was 20 years ago. The second best is right now.

so close your eyes visualize how great life will become and start planting ready to prioritize yourself in the new year your skin is a great place to start dime beauty founded by a master esthetician is more than just a skincare company with four skin conscious categories

skin care beauty body care and fragrance dime offers simple spa-worthy products that will help you enter 2025 with confidence Whether you're revitalizing your regimen with nourishing products or building one from scratch, Dime makes it easy. The work system, our all-in-one best-selling routine, includes a cleanser of your choice, toner, serums, and moisturizers, taking the guesswork out of skin care for your healthiest, happiest skin yet. Dime's commitment to clean ingredients and sustainable packaging ensures every product is as gentle on your skin as it is on the planet.

With thousands of glowing five-star reviews and a loyal community, the results speak for themselves. Revive your skin and give yourself the routine refresh you deserve by visiting dimebeautcom. That's dime beauty, co.com. Your best skin awaits. Hey there, it's Ryan Sechrest for Safeway. Now through February 25th, stock up on your favorite self-care items and save up to $3. Shop in store or online for items like Old Spice Deodorant, always ultra-thin pads, Gillette Fusion Razors and Refills, Old Spice Total Body Spray, Tampax Pearl,

and Gillette Mach 3 Razors and Refills, and Save up to 3. You won't want to miss out on these deals. Offer ends February 25th. Offers may vary. Restrictions apply. Visit safeway.com for more detail. One of the most important lessons I've learned is that I already have what I need most. Now, as I unpack this, think of it not in a fluffy sort of your magical just the way you are in context. And instead, let's look at it through a truly practical lens. Life is about connecting dots.

And I personally believe there's a way to make almost anything happen. You just need to figure out what dots have to be connected to get there. And even if this message isn't true 100% of the time, me believing in it, believing it so has pushed me to find ways to succeed when I otherwise would have walked away. To me, it's a 100% value ad. So, let's dive in. Let's say you're currently going through a rut in life. Just not feeling good about yourself, how things are.

Okay, we've all been there in some capacity. You might think about your ideal life and think, well, I have none of that. I have none of those things. I'm not any of those things, right? That's just a different world altogether. And when you look at it in one giant leap like that, you're correct. But again, your job is not to wake up tomorrow and be perfect. Open your eyes and be a god or goddess.

Jump out of bed with the PhD and have your life all figured out. Right? No, there's none of that. Your job, and this is the point here, is to simply connect dots from one little thing to the next. So again, you're stuck. Let's say theoretically, the road to something better starts with energy. Having to feel good, otherwise doing anything is difficult. Feeling good, feeling energetic is a baseline. So draw a dot at waking up at a reasonable time, right, breathing in the morning air,

letting the sun hit your face as it comes up in the morning. Boom, dot connected. You did that. You're a little bit better. Next, make a dot at groceries. What are you taking in? How are you fueling yourself? Make a few changes that will have you feeling good

about how you are taking care of your body. Boom, you just connected another dot. Next, dot at gym three days a week. You get the point, right? These little changes, you're starting to feel like a different person. And you can see how this upward spiral works. None of those three things was a monumental transition. There were small manageable tasks.

And everything of substance is a little change like this. Sometimes that's just hard to see. When you're frustrated, when you're looking at what you don't have, when you're comparing yourself to others, when all you see is the delta or the gap between where you are and where you want to be. All that is poison. But true change is about connecting little dots, making little roadmaps, being consistent but patient, expecting more of yourself, but also giving yourself love and grace as you make the journey.

And it's from this vantage point that you truly do already have everything you need. It doesn't matter the goal, objective, or pursuit. you have exactly what you need to win. Why? Because you have everything you need to connect that next dot. Always. If only we would stop wasting time looking out, wishing and chasing things, we think will solve our problems,

when in reality we walk around with the solution every single day. You know, Jim Rohn used to say. say it's not where you're going, it's who you become along the way. And I think this is because as we seek to evolve and grow, we learn to create and connect those dots. We trust ourselves that, look, we don't need one giant leap. We need to step.

We need little consistent action, and we're more capable of that than we could ever imagine. And I'll get personal for a second. And a goal of mine, I want to be one of the most impactful thinkers in orders of our generation. That invigorates me. It also is a lot, right? Even saying it feels like a lot. As the words come out of my mouth, it feels pretentious, right?

Who am I to categorize myself with the best of the best, the nerve, right? But I believe it. And I believe it wholeheartedly to the point that I've bet my life on it. Why? Because I don't need to wake up tomorrow. and write like Ralph Waldo Emerson or speak like MLK. I don't need to think like Nietzsche or inspire like Churchill.

Nope, not tomorrow. I just need to keep creating those little dots that will bring me closer and closer. I need to find ways to connect them in real time one day at a time, one dot at a time, and I will do that. And the best part, So can you.

I'm not special. No, not in this regard. What am I? I'm a decade into connecting dots. A decade into understanding that I have everything I need to take one step and another and another. And my friend, you are capable of the same. So understand that strange dichotomy of thinking big and small simultaneously. You have to dream big.

Otherwise, what's the point? You dream big because it forces you to ask big questions, pushes you to arrange and rearrange until you have evolved. But when we get caught up in the end result, we forget how to get there. You don't transport to greatness in your endeavor. No, you follow that roadmap, that roadmap of consistent steps. You connect the small immediately achievable.

They are the formula to out. that exceed expectations and bend reality. So what do you need to ultimately arrive where you most want to be? Not a miracle. You need a simple understanding. You need to acknowledge that right now, in this moment, you have everything required to build and connect the next dot. And that will always

always be enough. 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 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 own. 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 value-less, I see a blank canvas in which we are tasked with making that decision. Life is a rollercoaster 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 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. yours. It calls for you to be that arbiter. For what you decide will inevitably take. When the run got difficult, I would often count streetlights. Why? Because at some point I realized that it wasn't so much the immediate moment that was painful as it was the idea that I had to continue. you on, a fear of the unknown. Our minds are brilliant because they have the power to gaze into

the future, to anticipate, to predict, and sometimes that prediction materializes in the form of stress and pain in the present. A pain that, let's face it, is manufactured. See, the present moment may be uncomfortable, but it's manageable. It's always something we can harness and adapt ourselves to. But make-believe scenarios, the imaginary monsters we let in, well, I don't know how well-equipped we are to handle those, so I've found solace in simply keeping them out. See, counting streetlights, it brings me to the now. I can always get to the next street light. In fact, it's always visibly in front of me.

It's tangible. It's real. There is no space for tricks or scary stories when I count streetlights. My mind's job is to focus on those tall metal fixtures. And the body's job is to listen and move according to. And while sure there is pain, it is manageable. When you look it directly in the eyes, not with regard to what it can be, but as it exists now in this moment,

we can always rise to be more than we once thought possible. These streetlights simply remind us of that fact. And so beyond this moment, when the running shoes are off, long after the finish line crossed. It's imperative that the idea remains, that yes, life will be painful and life can hurt, but it never gives you in one instant more than you can handle.

And sometimes it might seem so. Sometimes it might appear overwhelming, but when we remind ourselves that we're simply borrowing pain from a future that has not yet arrived, When we refocus on what is within our control, we empower ourselves. Our greatness expands and our strength intensifies. Because look, there's a time and a place for everything. And in our moments of duress, when the world is weighing down on us,

I've found the answer to be thinking less and trusting. more. And the next footstep transforms into not the detail but the story in its entirety. Sure, sometimes life is about planning and calculating and strategizing, but sometimes life also calls us to put our heads down, shut our minds off, and find a way to move towards something greater. It's step, step, light, post, step, step, light post, demoting the discomfort from the star of the movie or the main character to a subtle observer. Sitting quietly in the background as you do what you were going to do anyway with or without it. Never forget how much control you have over the current

moment and that our greatest pain is often masked in a fiction, a delusion, when we find ourselves stuck. It's because of a future that has one not arrived and two is outside the scope of the task at hand. It's not because of what's around the corner that we survive life's trying times. It's because we dig deep enough to get to that next light post. That next day, that next stop, that next chapter. Look, you will emerge victorious. Not because of the future, but the now.

Because you realize your strength, shut off the world and conquered your next step. Ready to prioritize yourself in the new year, your skin is a great place to start. Dime Beauty, founded by a master aesthetician, is more than just a skincare company. With four skin-conscious categories, skin care, beauty, body care, and fragrance, Dime offers simple, spa-worthy products that will help you enter 2025 with confidence. Whether you're revitalizing your regimen with nourishing products or building one from scratch, Dime makes it easy. The work system, our all-in-one best-selling routine, includes a cleanser of

your choice, toner, serums, and moisturizers, taking the guesswork out of skin care for your healthiest, happiest skin yet. Dime's commitment to clean ingredients and sustainable packaging ensures every product is as gentle on your skin as it is on the planet. With thousands of glowing five-star reviews and a loyal community, the results speak for themselves. Revive your skin and give yourself the routine refresh you deserve by visiting dimebeautycom. That's dimebeautyco.com. Your best skin awaits. Hey there, it's Ryan Sechrest for Safeway. Now through February 25th, stock up on your favorite self-care items and save up to $3 shop in store or online for items like Old Spice Deodorant, always ultra-thin pads,

Gillette Fusion Razors and Refills, Old Spice Total Body Spray, Tampax Pearl, and Gillette Mach 3 Razors and Refills and Save Up to $3. You won't want to miss out on these deals. Offer ends February 25th. Offers may vary. Restrictions apply. Visit Safeway.com for more detail. Every step you take is an investment. Every decision to do the difficult thing is a gift to your future self. Think about this for a second.

One of the many things that makes being human so incredible is our ability to engage in delayed gratification. To do things now that will elevate us at a future time. And at a fundamental level, we understand that. We've heard the famous marshmallow study where kids were left alone in a room with the marshmallow placed in front of them and the ones who showed restraint and could resist eating it ended up in many regards being more successful as adults. We've all heard the mantras working hard pays off.

That's valuable. But I'd like to take it a step further. Because when you say yes in the face of adversity, when you move forward when tired, seek out a way amidst the chaos of life, you are contributing to a foundation so powerful that it will elevate you in ways outside your current level of awareness. By simply saying yes, when I was unsure and often fearful, by continuing to write and speak, I was unknowingly building these opportunities that would manifest years later, right? Many of which were not planned.

They were not methodical. My dedication and my North Star never changed. I held on tightly to those, but the surrounding components were always moving and transforming. People are in my life today because of steps I took five years ago. I know things about myself and my hopes and my dreams because of risks I took when I was let's face it, too ignorant to understand their repercussions. But I knew it felt right. See, here's what I did understand.

If I, as Emerson put it, hitched my wagon to a star and moved towards it, when I felt great and when I didn't, when I was confident and when I wasn't, when I was winning and when I was not, I knew the other stuff would take care of itself. I trusted the process. And here's why that matters. Here's why I'm taking you all on a little trip down memory lane because writing, speaking, inspiring, storytelling, they are my world within.

What is yours? What is it that moves you, that lights up your soul? I want you to know that. I want you to know that because its pursuit requires not only a delayed gratification, but an acceptance that your dedication will evolve in ways so incredible that you, You can't even imagine that all those little decisions become emergent and together represent something more powerful than the sum of its part. I love the example or idea of the human brain, right? So complex and powerful that it appears almost divine. It's essentially a universe behind our eyes.

Even our understanding, our comprehension is minimal. We are awed by its capability. It's not about one single piece of the brain, the tissues or the neurons individually. It's the network all these microscopic occurrences create together. Something bigger than everything combined, creating a consciousness we can't even find or point to when looking at the evidence. But we know it exists, and we know it's somehow derived from this ball of nervous tissue. This is not unlike one's pursuit of action.

The level of achievement or consciousness we are searching for. It can't be singularly identified. It's emergent. It materializes after the discipline, after the consistent work, after the self-belief, after the will to do what is required, whether we wanted to in the moment or we didn't. Then we get our quote, unquote, consciousness. You can't and won't always see the value in your dedication, in your sacrifice.

And let me level with you. I get how crazy it feels to think, yeah, but someday it will mean something. Someday that work will put people in my life that will change my world, elevate my existence, it will create opportunities that expedite my evolution, lessons and occurrences that will amplify my wisdom and worldview. But that's the name of the game. If you know in your heart you are pointed to the right star, then it's just about stepping, adjusting, and repeating.

Move, adjust, move, adjust, move, adjust. There will be a time when you look over your shoulder and are stunned by what you've created, by the distance you've traveled. Look, you can't see the future. You can't know what everything will mean and what will occur, but you can continue forward into the darkness so that when the long, awaited light inevitably presents itself, you are in position to receive it. To stand on the foundation you have been building all along. When our backs are against the wall, we're forced to become more.

When the clock is ticking, we are tasked with finding answers that hide among us. It's in the darkness. We find light, and while lost, we find ourselves. The paradox of life is that from our pain comes our purpose, our evolution, and our greatness. I love thinking back to about 24. making my way around Boston, having just quit my job, essentially purposeless, clinging to a YouTube channel and a podcast idea that I would name your world within. And why? Why do I think back? Why does this mean everything to me? Well, because at the time, I knew nothing. I understood nothing.

Nothing about speaking or media, audio, video, nothing about running a business. But more importantly, I knew very little about life and what's truly required to progress in a world with infinite moving parts. I didn't know that my lack of understanding is what made everything feel overwhelming and complex and that it was up to me to simplify. I didn't know the extent to which I'd have to befriend failure. And that was the most eye-opening realization.

Because when you gravitate towards a risk-free existence and you box yourself in as I had for so long, of course you don't get the upside, but you also don't fail as dramatically either. Life was a simple game of cause and effect. Do work, get result, not much room for more than that. And so stepping outside that box in the way that I did, change some rules. I learned some things.

First, you can spend time on something. You can exhaust energy on something. And get nothing in the short term for your efforts. And I mean nothing. Unless you count getting your pride stomped on. Unless you count your friends disappearing when you need them most. unless you count self-doubt in a constant worry about not amounting to anything. I mean, these are very raw, very real human emotions.

They tend to arise when we start something new, but in them is also the power. This is where the light bulb turns on and the path emerges. It's where I learn that we only get what we want when we endure or what we don't. And what a foreign concept when you think about it, right? It's like, Eddie, take this mic, go stand in front of this audience and pour your heart out. Your knees are shaking, chest is pounding, but dude, trust me, it'll be good for you. And funny enough, it was.

It was because the fear in my stomach became the indicator that something new, something exciting, something more was around the corner. Like Pavlov's dog hearing that bell. Anytime the fear kicked in, I could feel myself getting closer to something meaningful, to a higher version of myself. The pain is an invite. The sheer terror. And let's face it, that's what it feels like sometimes.

It's an upgrade. Disguised is the monster that you think you should be running for. when it is, as I recently mentioned, the adversary you should befriend. We have to change our relationship with discomfort, because our initial understanding, the one that comes stock in our minds, is never sufficient to build anything of significance. Its default setting is to preserve the now, not expanded.

And so just like those stocks, speakers that came in my 1999, Ford F-150 when I was in my early 20s. Let's rip it out. Let's customize. Let's upgrade the quality of the sound we hear

and the things we say to ourselves. What an advantage it is to know that the hard things are what make us level up. To find that awareness. What a blessing that when life's difficulty startles and scatters the masses, you could be the one that remains. Standing tall, seeking out the advantage amidst the commotion,

every little act of courage becomes more and more meaningful, powerful. But we must lose ourselves to find ourselves. We must embrace our fears if we are to become. courageous we must fail in order to succeed ensure sometimes the price seems steep but I promise not going costs more wishing costs more if only's cost more so maybe for you it isn't a YouTube channel or a speaking career maybe it's something totally different but it is something and should you bring yourself to pursue that which your heart pulls you to pursue, you'll have those moments of defeat, where you're

mad at yourself for leaving the comfort and safety of your previous world. You'll have times where you have no idea what to do, where you feel alone or stuck or unsure. The difference will be whether you see this as the invite you've been waiting for or the reason to turn around. and settle for less. That's the question. How do you internalize all that emotion that will feel like it is consuming you? I couldn't believe how strong that temptation was to go back. Nagging at me every day. Just come off the edge. Just be comfortable again. But as my old coach would say in college, when we're doing wall sits or something physically taxing 15 seconds. You can do anything for 15 seconds. And isn't life just a culmination of 15 second

windows? It's compartmentalizing the process. It's turning the difficult into the advantageous. You have the ability to not think like everyone else. You have it within you to rewire your previous conceptions of the world, to see darkness not as your reason to hide from conjured up monsters, but as your invitation to become the light. Remember that the best way to be more is to have the courage to put your back against the wall. And you won't want to in the moment. There will never be a perfect time. But committing to that vulnerability will release from within you the power, the strength, the greatness that has been for so long tucked away. By moving into the chaos, you are simultaneously creating the calm you always dreamed of. You're realizing the possibility

that just needed the door left ajar to make its way into your world. 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 in 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 true. 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, something else awaits that the status quo is no longer sufficient. And there lies the opportunity, 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 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. Rohn talks about disgust being a powerful 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 rope, 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.