Your World Within Podcast by Eddie Pinero - Don't Compare Yourself To Anyone | Best Motivational Speeches

Episode Date: April 4, 2025

The world isn’t just happening to you—it’s reflecting you. Your beliefs, your mindset, and your actions shape the reality you experience. If you don’t take control of that narrative, you risk becoming a bystander in your own life, mistaking external circumstances for fate instead of seeing them as opportunities to rewrite the script.True power comes from within. As Marcus Aurelius said, you have power over your mind, not outside events—realize this and you will find strength. When you shift your perspective, you shift your world. This episode is a reminder that you are not just a character in someone else’s story—you are the author of your own.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

Reality is a mirror. Reflecting back at you not the world as it is, but the world as you are. The idea here is that if you don't pause and remind yourself how much control you have over your own reality, over what you're seeing, you start thinking you're at the mercy of someone else's story, a character in a play that is not your own. You forget that in your own movie, you're the scriptwriter. Or as Marcus Aurelius wrote, you have power over your mind, not outside events, realize this, and you will find strength. I recently heard this referred to as the mirror principle.

But really, for obvious reasons, I'm more partial to calling it your world within. An echo of Tolstoy's classic line, everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself. And that is where our power lies. Or using the same example, you can't change the reflection you see by shaking the mirror. You change the reflection by changing your relationship with yourself, by changing how you treat and view yourself,

which not only alters your action, it alters how the world views you. One of the first things we notice about someone is whether they are confident, whether they operate with conviction and self-belief, we notice how they view themselves immediately. The greatest gifts I've been given from, you know, mentors and people I look up to in life, they haven't been material. No, they've always been subtle reminders that I set the guidelines

and the world conforms. It's always been, hey, Eddie, if you only view yourself as someone who charges a little bit of money to clients, that's how potential clients will view you. Eddie, if you surround yourself with people who think small, that's exactly what you'll become accustomed to doing. Eddie, if you don't believe you can do amazing things, people won't walk up to you and believe it.

it for you. All of these have been reminders that the reflections that I'd created for myself at those points in time were limiting. The reflection I was allowing was narrow in scope. It was safe. It was small.

And if I wanted more, it wasn't up to the world. It certainly wasn't a matter of crossing my fingers and hoping that that mirror would randomly tell a different story. it was seeing myself as someone who creates a new picture altogether. And that could be a difficult thing to grasp, right?

Like, you can't change the mirror at all. You can only change what you bring to the mirror. So what are some examples? What are some pieces in the past that I've worked on? One, first and foremost, imposter syndrome. One of the cool things about having speeches blow up on YouTube before I ever gave a keynote speech on stage is that I started getting invites to speak all over the place. The flip side to that is that I felt like someone who didn't belong

there. It happened too quickly. It was outside the comfort of my studio. It was like, oh no, the world's going to find me out. And that's what I brought to the mirror. And of course, for a while, that's exactly what the mirror showed right back. I had to convince myself that I could speak anywhere, through practice, through affirmation, trudging through the mud of doubt and uncertainty, and earning a different reflection. I say that, not to pat myself on the back, but to demonstrate a battle fought mostly in private, where I had to rewire how I saw not the world but myself, how I saw my ability to navigate seemingly insurmountable things. It always amazes me how so much of any battle is merely confronting it with confidence. It's knowing that, hey,

difficult or not, I belong here. And I'm going to figure it out. That's what I do. I think we all need to find a way to bring that to our personal mirrors. And again, it'll feel weird. Good. It'll feel inauthentic at first. Perfect. Change requires a breaking down and building up, and breaking down never feels good. I can give you another example, and I think this will certainly be relatable to most of you. Not being able to see the gratitude in my life over the small annoyances, like something stupid or not ideal or disruptive, which is just

prompt this spiral. My Facebook getting hacked is a great example of this. I've talked about this before. My world ended for a few hours. I was so angry until I got it together and composed myself. It's like, Eddie, you need to be the type of person who observes, who calmly collects the data and then makes a productive decision. Now, clearly, I wasn't that.

right and in many ways I'm still working towards it but I know that's part of the reflection I want that's something I'm working towards every day and you know what's helped me gratitude seriously that's simple three things in the morning I feel grateful for people I have in my life things I get to do the work that I love

whatever it is that day you know I write it down because just thinking that way elevates my baseline to not just existing but realizing how lucky I am. And I start from a place not of lack but of abundance. And that puts things into perspective so that when, you know, things do go wrong or the wheels do fall off the wagon, it's not the end of the world. It's one little trial or tribulation in the great play of your life, one that you're very happy to be in. And I could go on and on, whether we want to call this the mirror principle or the creating

of your world within or just merely obtaining perspective. The idea is simple. What the reflection shows you is directly correlated to the things you've accepted or allowed in your life. and if you don't like the view will then adjust what you're allowing give yourself permission to level up

to be more take more risks to chase down the upside reality is a mirror and a mirror is an output you are the input you are where it all begins where everything in your world take shape. So give yourself permission to fight for a reflection that you're proud.

There's a quote from Henry David Thoreau that I've learned to love over the years. He says, we are constantly invited to be who we are. Meaning essentially there is always a hand, you know, reaching out to invite us to leave the confinement we've allowed to become our lives. pressure of the outside world. And attack a world that means the most to us, not obligatory, but for the opportunity.

Because it's there. It's perpetually available. And that's what Henry David Thoreau means. And what's interesting is the second we lose sight of this, our lives become consumed with things that really have no relevance to our goals or our objectives. In fact,

the daily routine becomes the goal. It's the box that needs to be checked to feel accomplished. We do things because, well, isn't that what you're supposed to do? Adher to rules and processes and guidelines, almost like we forget why that routine matters. Like we forget the car has to go somewhere of relevance. You don't just get in and drive it to drive it. That doesn't make sense.

And a friend of mine recently showed me this book of insights from different photographers. It's called The Photographer's Playbook, and it's life lessons that helped each one of them along the way. And one that stood out to me specifically was Andrea Parleto. And she talked about a concept called hibernation, or cutting off, temporarily leaving your day to day or your craft, so that all the have tos and the should

bes can dissipate. And you can ask yourself the question that we so quickly lose, the question that should be the target, that should be the foundation we build upon. Who do you want to be? Because when all is said and done, and you're looking back, that's what will matter. That's what will dictate your happiness. Not that you were five for five on your checklist every day on your 20s, 30s, 40s, and on.

Right. No, what does it look like when you peel that back? What does it look like under the surface? What makes you, you? And sometimes we have to step back, go away, leave the day-to-day world we've created to see life. from a different angle. Eliminate the steps, the requirements, the technicalities, and what are you left with?

When you put your head on the pillow at night, what makes you smile? Bronny Ware states in her book, Regrets of the dying that not living a life true to oneself was one of the greatest regrets people experienced. Isn't it worthy of your time, your attention? Don't you owe it to yourself to make sure that your vision is defined? vision is defined and your actions support that.

See, anyone can move just to move and anyone can breathe just to breathe. With the ones who make the most of each step, each breath, they put themselves in position to live life differently, to accept the invitation to be who they truly are. To take their inspiration, their gifts and their dreams and never love. look back. If you leave the door cracked, when things get difficult, you will most definitely kick it open.

If you have a plan B, when things get too challenging or complex, you'll most definitely abandon plan A. To truly succeed is to cut off the lifelines. It's to commit to the road. to the road filled with adversity and struggle and hardship, but that leads to that, which is meaningful.

Over the weekend, I was invited to join my friend Evan Carmichael and his mastermind to talk a little bit about YouTube and my experience with it, my progression over the years. And it was a blast, incredible group, some amazing conversation. And I want to share a moment in particular that stuck out to me. I was talking about essentially the journey from zero subscribers to where I am now, some tips and flexion points along the way. And, you know, I pulled up behind me this chart that shows basically seven years of minimal growth, right? Starting in 2014, going all the way up to 2021, where suddenly you see that flat line spike, right?

The channel sort of leaps to the next stratosphere, 4x, then 5x. than 10x, then 20x. After years of consistency, you see this sort of exponential curve. And my point is, you know, I didn't change my craft at all. I was speaking and sharing stories the same way that I always had, right? The way that I'd love to do it. What changed was the packaging. It was the titling and the thumbnail images and the branding,

stuff that because I enjoyed and was immersed so deeply in the creative process that I kind of ignored, right? All that stuff was an afterthought, which is funny when you think about it, right, to work so hard on something and then to sort of mail in or not pay attention to the marketing component that opens the door to what you're offering. So that would flip the switch. And, you know, I was thinking the group would want to dive fully into it. okay Eddie what were those thumbnail adjustments what was the titling what was the branding that you did but to my surprise people were far more interested in Eddie how the hell did you not quit during seven years of minimal growth how'd you do that were you tempted to quit did it cross your mind

and so I've been thinking more and more about the question and I think there were a variety of reasons didn't really give an in-depth answer at the mastermind so I'm going to share now and see if I can unpack this a little bit. First and foremost, I genuinely love what I do. You know, I saw those seven years every day getting up to dive into this as a chance to do something truly meaningful. I felt in my own personal world

like I was doing something that mattered. And to me, that's foundational. You know, my metric wasn't necessarily YouTube numbers. I mean, I was aware, don't get me wrong, but I would just be excited when I finished a speech if I felt it was powerful. You know, my game was trying to move myself to tears playing back something I created.

If it was powerful to me, that would be a W. Maybe it won't get millions of views, but I know this is good, right? It's like the Oprah metaphor I've used before. When Oprah walks into a bakery and declares it amazing, suddenly everyone hears Oprah and wants the cakes and the donuts or whatever's in the bakery, that doesn't mean the bakery suddenly got amazing overnight.

It just means it was discovered. The baker knew he or she was making good stuff. They've been following that course all along, and so that same idea pulled me through. Second, as I said in the intro, I didn't leave the door cracked at all. I knew this is what I was going to do. This is the arena.

I was going to continuously attempt to improve in, and I was either going to be poor doing this or successful doing this, but I was going to do it. And so that saved a lot of internal deliberation when something I created, quote unquote, failed, or the result was underwhelming. There's nothing for me to discuss. I'd have bad days, absolutely.

There were days where I felt so down on myself that, you know, I couldn't get out of bed, right? Few and far between, but it happened. Felt like I was letting my family down at times. I felt like I was a disappointment, felt like I was losing some imaginary race, all part of the process. But here's what I always did. I recovered and kept going. I regained perspective.

I got on the phone with people that mattered to me. I recalibrated and I continued on, right? You take your L's. That's life. You give yourself time to cope when you're down, whatever, right? But you carry on. yourself a chance. I think part of this mentality comes from being on the rowing team or crew team in college. I wasn't the greatest by any stretch, but I learned to suffer. I learned that to win

means you have to get your ass kicked. That's just how it goes. And I'm sure that was valuable, you know, when the race course changed from 2,000 meters on the water to the creative slash entrepreneurial space. Suffering does not mean you win, but a refusal to suffer ensures you will lose. Next, I focused on adding value, right? You can't skip that. There has to be an exchange of value.

And I was getting messages from people saying, Eddie, your work, help me. It wasn't a substantial influx of people reaching out, but there's an idea that if you can help one person, you can help one million people. It's not a can I do it question. It's a logistics question. It's a scaling question.

Which means it's just a matter of time. It was all just tying to the self-belief, understanding that there was a way to scale that value. When you approach your mission not with is it possible, but how do I make it happen? You drastically increase your odds in anything you do. Next, I believed, and this is perhaps the most important. You know, that I was always one decision away from a totally different life.

One creation away from that change that I've been looking for. And, you know, when you believe this and failure occurs, the mind simply asks, okay, what's next? Almost like, you know, imagine you're shooting three-pointers. There's a rack of basketballs next to you. You miss a shot. Okay, you're probably not going to break down, right? start weeping, convince yourself to take up soccer, no, you're going to reach over, grab the next ball, and shoot again.

The possibility of what's next trumps the previously missed shot because of the opportunity, because it's there, because it's tangible, because you just have to pick it up and fire away again. And life provides, using the same metaphor, an endless rack of basketballs. It will allow you to shoot as many shots as you're willing to shoot. The next one could be the one that falls. And every rep increases that likelihood. Just like your next creation could be the one that changes everything.

Lastly, there was a continued commitment to adjust. See, if you're not winning, if you're falling short, yet you continue to do the same thing over and over and over again, you're not going to improve, right? It's continuously showing up, its commitment, its consistency, but there has to be a willingness to evolve. There has to be some type of learned advantage. So next time you show up, you're a little bit smarter,

a little bit more intelligent. It's that commitment to try adjust, try adjust, try adjust, that ultimately, you know, over time compounds into something bigger than the sum of its parts. They're just saying you can't stop someone who refuses to quit. I think that's right on the money. But it's important to note, I think implied in that quote, is that the person doesn't just keep trying to jam that square peg into the round hole. No, they're asking every day, what's one little thing I can do better?

When I re-approach it next time, how can I be a little smarter? That's the magic. So yeah, I totally get why that graph prompted so many questions. look back in totality, it looks huge. But really, it was just a dude every day doing what he loved, making little adjustments over time with no plan B. That's all. Taking the setbacks in stride, always thinking about the next creation. And what's even more exciting to me is that this is not some remarkable skill set. It's not some, you know, powerhouse ability I was born with. Anyone can commit to a process.

And even better news, right? If you utilize your resources, seek help and guidance from those who've been down the same road, your exponential growth can occur, you know, way faster than seven years. Just don't leave that door. You can only exist within the walls you've placed around yourself. So, question. Where have you placed them? Think of the concept

You can only hit targets that you aim for And expand it out Because my point here is you can only exist In the plane that you have deemed to be real for you That you have decided is reality And if we think about that Just on a common sense basis It's pretty apparent, right?

People don't do things that stretch Beyond their perceived identity if I don't think I'm capable of accumulating wealth, for example, I'm simply not going to do the things or take the necessary steps required to accumulate wealth. Why would I? If I don't think I can help or add value to others, I'm not going to do things in an attempt to help or add value to others.

Using that example, that stuff would exist on the other side of those walls I've placed around myself. That's why deciding what the, those targets are is so important, deciding what's real matters. Because if you set the scope too small, if your reality is void of all possibility and imagination, even if you win, you've conceded too much. The premise you've been basing your entire existence and your decisions on is so limited that you can win there and still lose.

overall still leave everything on the table. And there's, you know, a ton of examples of this. You know, I commonly hear people refer to it with their work. I'm not crazy about what I'm doing, but how do I fix it? How do I learn to like this job? How do I exceed expectations in my role? How do I get a promotion so that I can bring in more income? All valid questions, certainly valuable questions, if it's where you should be. And I can tell you, I remember asking those same questions to myself, and the conclusion I finally came to was, no, what you need exists on the other side of those walls.

In this part of your life, it's critical that you move beyond those parameters. That's not what lights a fire in everyone, but it's what lit a fire in me. I was asking the wrong questions, right? It was go over there and start your own business, start your own journey, start sharing the things you want to share. So what Alex Hermosso refers to is playing a different game altogether.

And it's kind of a weird concept to grasp, you know, that you can win the game you're playing and still end up losing. You know, because you never thought to look for more. You never ventured to peer out over what was directly in front of you. This is a matter of self-reflection at its finest. Because you'd never see those walls unless you really took the time to think about it, to be alone with yourself and ask those questions. It's the fun what-ifs.

What ifs? What if I stopped doing those things I don't like and started doing what I love? What if I didn't accept this as what I have to do? and instead took a different path altogether. What if I was capable of playing a different game? And what we find is that we're capable of some pretty incredible transformations. We're capable of taking what matters out of a less than an ideal environment and recreating it somewhere that is ideal,

that is conducive to our success in our growth and our evolution and our content. instead of conceding so much and asking so few questions. Why accept those limitations? So again, I ask, where have you built your walls and why? And what if you push them back? Like lines in the sand meant to be redrawn? See, perhaps the income coming in is a direct result of you feeling like, hey, that's just what I make.

Perhaps your fitness level is the result of you thinking, that's just how I am. Perhaps your friends and the people you surround yourself with are result of you saying, it's just who I know. But there comes a point when new targets must be set and new lines drawn. At least if any type of evolution is going to. You don't have to perpetually navigate the revenue streams, fitness levels, and friend groups you have now.

you can play a different game. Again, it's not always asking, how do I live within these walls, exist within these circumstances? Sometimes the question is, how do I step into a new arena entirely? So I want to revisit one of my favorite quotes. Mark Twain, if you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to pause. and reflect. This idea resurfaced in my mind last Saturday night. Just because of what was going on during the day, I didn't really have a ton of time to get to the gym,

so I ended up going pretty late. And there was not a soul around in the gym, completely empty, completely quiet, going from, you know, machine to machine without any people or having to wait or anything like that. And I just got this moment of clarity, this sort of ever-relevant reminder, that there is a ton of value to be extracted from the abnormal decisions that we make. Now, I'm not saying there's anything heroic about going to the gym on a Saturday night. Working out is working out.

You get it in. That's wonderful. I'm not even saying there's anything wrong with working out on, quote-unquote, normal hours or during normal hours. What I'm saying is being exceptional necessarily means you are doing that which is not ordinary. In that situation highlighted, you know, or I will say reminded me that there's an entire world slightly beyond the scope of normality. And that world accumulates to provide treasures beyond comprehension. I love that message. It's changed my life over the years.

and every time I come face to face with it, I feel reinvigorated. It's like an opportunity to re-audit where I'm focused and how I'm spending my time. I'll never forget that interview with Kobe Bryant where he's talking about his morning routine, right? And he says he practices no matter what, two hours every morning he's there before everybody else.

Whether that's shooting or drills or working out, I'm not sure exactly what he does, but he's there. And no one else is. And he says, you know, a week, that's not much. A month, that's not much. But months turn into a year, which turns into multiple years, which turns into a decade.

And that much time, that much extra effort compounds into an advantage that just no one else can reach, right? At some point, Kobe is too far along because of his additional concentrated effort. He can't be touched. And in my life, you know, I've found my great, return on investment by highlighting the things that matter most and consistently delving into them in a way that most wouldn't. No miracles. Just an acknowledgement that right beyond where most people stop, there's value. Not even far beyond, just right there. In my world, it was

showing up every week to create a YouTube video, even when the response for years had been underwhelming. Would most people do that? I don't know. I was practicing writing speeches and speaking them out loud in my studio to an audience of zero. Would most people do that? It was acclimating myself to risk, and my ego to bruises along the way. Would most people do that? And see, the great news is there's nothing special about any of that. Those are simply the metaphorical gyms I chose to walk into the daily shootarounds that ended up ultimately changing my life. And so now, because you know I have to ask, what are yours? What can become your empty gym? What can be the thing that's a little out there, a little different? The opportunity left on the table waiting for you to reach out and take it,

control it, make it your own. Remember, just be Because the crowd goes one way, doesn't make that particular decision wrong, but it does make that particular decision ordinary. In ordinary, my friend, is not why you're here. Now, I see the lessons. The takeaways, the value add. The things that we don't understand while life is teaching us the lesson. It's like the value materializes after the course is over, right? After the storm, when we look back and realize, one, what we've been through and two, what it all meant.

I can't emphasize enough how much patience and self-control it takes amidst those storms to trust that there's value. Sure, that value floats beyond, you know, your person, while you're in the midst of it, but it's there. The same way that in the middle of the night, right, if I wake up and want to, you know, turn my light on, right, I can reach for it. I can't see it. It's pitch black. It's dark. But history and repetition has shown me that if I extend my hand and I fumble around for a second, I will, one, find the switch and two, turn on the light that will then infiltrate the room. And the same thing applies. We have to hold on to that faith during life's turbulence, during times of pain and discomfort.

Because when things aren't their best, we are presented what feels like that dark room at midnight. Empty space and unknowns. But it's continuously flexing that muscle, strengthening the understanding that light is in arms reach away. And when the time is right, it will illuminate exactly. what we needed to. See, the truth is, everything I lost created space for the things I needed most. My deficiencies highlighted my strengths.

My failures ended up showing me just how much I could withstand, right? And what's more powerful than being armed with the understanding that you can get through anything? Human beings have the gift of engaging in delayed gratification, taking on difficulty now for a reward at a later time. The same thing applies to those difficult things, difficult experiences that we didn't ask for, right? The exact same idea. Instead of intentionally going to the gym and suffering for a reward later, sometimes life brings the gym to us, right?

We didn't ask for it, but there's the adversity. You're tired, you're hurting, you're a million things. But you won't see until later that what also happened is you were made stronger. That in the fighting, you were given something miraculous. Okay, so what? What's the point? Well, the point is, it's not natural to, during our struggle, be uplifted. by what the pain will become, right? We tend to forget about that.

We forget about the gift that's put in the mail and addressed to a future you. The second life becomes difficult. But I want you to find comfort in that fact. I want you to battle harder because of that fact. I want you to show up for yourself because of that fact. And remember that step by step by step you will get through. And when you do, you won't be empty-handed.

You'll have something that you couldn't have even fathomed or comprehended prior to the chaos. And trust me, I get that it's tough. I get that it's easier said than done. But if you can find it within yourself to rise to the occasion here, you'll see that you weren't just enduring, you were growing, you were becoming. Just because you cannot see the value doesn't mean there is no value. When you're fighting through, no one says, hey, in two years, you'll be a different man or woman because of what you're going through now. Hey, that hole you feel in your heart, that will be the exact same space.

The best things in your world will occupy someday. Hey, the loneliness or exhaustion or fear will teach you to truly appreciate the other side as soon as you emerge from this valley. You don't need to see it. You don't need to completely understand it. But you need to know it's there. And you need to know that the difficult times, more than any others, are taking you to where you need to be. So keep moving forward into the dark.

Keep reaching out for that light switch. You'll find it. And when you do, because of the darkness from which you emerge, that light will never feel so. bright and so beautiful. Because of the hell you fought through, the present moment will never feel so miraculous. It's all worth it. You just need to remember that. 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 I 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 myself 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 again. 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 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 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 we become in making progress with far less than the perfect we'd hoped for. That's what makes you realize you know, 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 $2,000 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 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 And 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. When I first started my podcast, and at that point it wasn't 10. technically a podcast. It was only YouTube videos at the time. I would sit down. I would open my notes and start planning that particular video. And sometimes things would come to me. Sometimes they wouldn't. And when they did, you know, I would turn on the mic and I would go. And when they didn't, I would shut down the computer and say, well, some other day then, right? Not today. And in, theory, there's nothing wrong with this. I've always considered myself an artist and while you can't force art, or can you? Because there is most definitely a shift that occurs when you look at

this situation from a different angle. It's not about, quote unquote, feeling it today, as much as it's about getting done, which you have to get done in tight windows. Because sometimes that's all life gives you. A narrow window of opportunity to go or not go. To start or not start. To create or not create. There's an idea that's admittedly a tad cliche here, but it says you practice how you play. And I've spoken about this before. I think there's a ton of truth to it. Because those big picture values, they're hard to flip on and flip off. Most likely, you either do them all the time or you don't. They're either indicative of who you are or they're not, right?

If your house and car and closet are a disaster, probably accurate to say that your Google or Apple calendar, if you even have one, probably isn't pristine. It's most likely in disarray mirroring everything else in your life. I'm not saying it's impossible, but it's not likely. And same thing with health. When I'm not eating healthy and trust me, I've gone through periods where I've just mailed that in, right? I give a little less on my workouts.

Place a little less emphasis on my sleep. It snowballs, right? You get the idea. It's all related. And that's why I can honestly say in my personal and in my work life, how I do one thing is generally how I do all things. And this brings me back full circle to those writing and recording. If I can close my laptop and go, eh, not today, the muse, as Stephen Pressfield calls it, just isn't flowing through me. Maybe tomorrow. It's setting a precedent for everything.

If you train your mind to create off-ramps, it will gladly take them, because oh, how our minds love off-raps. And this reality, it highlights the power of shutting down that possibility altogether, stopping it in its tracks, making it simple. This is a window of opportunity to execute. So execute. And will it be the best thing you've ever done? Maybe not, but maybe. The reality is you condition your mind to show up for yourself.

There's a shift that occurs when one looks at the task in front of them and asks, Not can this be done today, but rather it will be done, how do I execute to the best of my ability? Not I hope I have it this morning, but rather good ideas flow through me, so sit down and string a few of those ideas together. The expectation that you will produce something valuable, it has a way of ensuring you. do exactly that. My personal best for a half marathon was run with the flu. I could have closed that metaphorical laptop and said some other time I don't feel well. But I repositioned the question to how do I find a way to execute in this window of opportunity before me? Lo and behold, it was the right move. I've gone to events where I had a million other things happening in my world, right? I wasn't

particularly thrilled about going, but I did because I committed. I met some people that changed my life, right? Small window execute. When there is a task before you and you have committed to it, when leaving or turning around isn't even an option, that is a superpower. Now, obviously, there's a line reaching that sunk cost fallacy. I'm not advocating you continuously hit your head against the wall. you know, when something's bad for you,

or you should be doing something different. I'm talking about those things we know we should be doing, right? The ones we're better off for, but life has presented friction in one form or another. It's very easy to identify that friction as an enemy, as a reason you can't. It's tempting to say, you'll wait until things are better or easier or perfect,

but life doesn't provide those situations. it gives windows to execute. So train your mind to identify and capitalize in those moments. Understanding that, well, technically, yeah, you could walk away. That option is no longer available to you. Some people do what they feel like, they do what they want to, and others do what must be done. And it's the latter that creates meaningful, sustainable progress in life.

As far as I'm concerned, it's the ladder that brings about contentment. You could have waited for a perfect moment, but instead you said yes, consistently sat down, and in the meantime chipped away at something more important, something real. And that real thing is exponential growth. Exponential growth waits for you to capitalize. It waits for you to commit. It waits for you to sit down and execute. It doesn't wait, though, for you to feel ready.

She had a picture framed on the table that said, make today amazing. Place there to remind her just how much. much of life is a choice, how much we get to decide. It symbolizes that on our worst days, life hands us lessons, and on our best days, the highs of existence. During our low points, currency, and during our high points, the chance to cash it all in. Yeah, make today amazing. Because today's are few and far between. Todays are not an inconvenience nor an obligation. Today's are what it's all about.

Today is the big show. The answers we look for, the destinations we long for. Today is a place of dreams. That is, if you choose to leave room in your world, for dream. Today is the beginning of wherever next is for you. A chance to see the new and normalize it. To stretch, to reach further out and pull impossible a little closer into your orbit. You can do that. And while one often can't control what they are given, they can control what becomes of what they are given. Like architects and designers engineering what will be in what the malleable world

around them will become, when one raises their standards, life seems to accommodate, because believing it means acting the part, means making the changes, means the external world makes room, means your identity is reinforced and so the cycle goes, by making the changes, by making the external world, By making today amazing, you are making yourself more. Decisions are the beginning of all things. See, very rarely is the tool in and of itself the differentiator. It's the vision that pulls us through. And if you take something arbitrary, say a hammer, there's no way to, based upon its existence, determine what it will mean.

or what will become of it. A hammer can be an agent of chaos. It can smash and shatter and destroy. It can be the thing used to tear down. Or it can be what built. It can connect. It can alter and redefine so that something, when all is said and done,

is brought into an existence that never was. It was never the tool. It was how the eyes viewed the tool. It was the vision that designated the roles that made today amazing. And the reason we all need this reminder, as far as I can tell, is because the difficult things just so happen to be the meaningful things. Because we are fighting, not against some little rule or idea we picked up along the way. we are fighting against our DNA, against thousands and thousands of years of evolution,

because the fear that kept our ancestors alert and alive now in a totally new world keeps us contained and our talents minimized. The approval of others that kept us safe and secure as we once traveled the landscape in small groups, hunting and gathering, well, now it keeps us needs. looking over our shoulders and craving acceptance. The unknowns that kept us out of the dark cave with the predator living in its shadows now keeps us confined. Looking out at life's potential through self-made windows.

We need to be reminded to make today amazing because those things are quite the adversaries. because our default is to just let the ship sail. Our default is to simply survive. After all, that is the standard and the rule by which living things abide. Make it another day. But I believe you are more than a living thing. The God-like ability to not just exist in a world, but create new ones is a miracle,

both a blessing and a responsibility. to drive towards a more fulfilled you, a happier you, a healthier you, a more complete you. But one must first become aware that around them exist the pieces required to build something never before seen. The vehicle to those far-off places that were once only dreamed, thought, illusions, I've always believed that if it means something to you, it's not stupid. It warrants exploration. For even if the thought doesn't end up being all it was cracked up to be, even if it's not the destination,

but only a stop along the way, it still pushes you to the next thing and the next thing and the next thing. It still moves you forward in this beautiful game of life. So decide. Decide to make today amazing. Choose to make it better. Let the obstacles lift you up and the momentum carry you towards something meaningful

when others stop and find reasons to doubt themselves. How about you find this small wind buried, tucked away underneath it all? The little key that may do nothing more than get you through that next door. After all, sometimes that's what life's about. Picking up your head when it's most difficult and finding the next door to walk through. And the magic is knowing you can always do that. Because there always exists both the doorway and the key, but we must be willing to find it.

That's the obvious thing about those doors. The right ones will open. But they require we find the strength to approach them. They require that we seek out amazing. And so with this in mind, what is the next chapter like for you? Are you currently enduring one of life's winters? Are you navigating those inevitable valleys of despair in which the value is in finding that single ray of light amidst the storm?

Looking within yourself for the courage to take one more step forward. And another and another are you seeking out that spark that will reignite the fire in you? Because it's there. So long as you choose to make today amazing. Maybe you've climbed yourself out. Maybe you're looking for whatever is next, the new evolution. Seeking to follow your heart and continue the beautiful progression that is light. Let the external world support that vision, choose to see the detail not as trivial but as the answers.

The tools that will lift you up and support what you are building, it's there. She had a picture framed on the table that said make today amazing. Place there to remind her how much of life is a choice. because in a world of option what a gift to choose the journey of a lifetime what a ride that awaits so long as you decide

to step in there is one person who can save you and that person exists in the mirror I was recently doing an audit of some of the most important conversations I've ever had mentors friends coaches people that have changed my life, people that I love and am beyond grateful for,

and started kind of going one by one. What did I learn from this person? What was it that I took away from them? And, you know, in one way or another, across the board, the answer was the same. It was some variation of confidence. It was belief that I could step into that next chapter, that I have what it takes, that the unknown, you know, wasn't impenetrable. In fact, you know, the unknown is inviting.

And truthfully, I don't know how many people started from the same starting point that I did, where I essentially had to learn every step of the way that I was good enough. Had to re-teach myself that I belonged where I was. That the room that I was in, there was a reason I was there. That the circle I was in, that I earned a right to be in that circle. They say confidence is earned, and I had to continuously earn it. And I value that progression, truly, for a few reasons. One, because, you know, I've been on the other side, and when I see other people, you know,

making that assent, I do everything I can to make them feel welcome and comfortable. Right. But the second thing is, I understand at a deep level how much of success is simply believing you are worth. of it. You know, I look at the things that I do now, and it's like so much of it's just because I allowed myself to do it. At some point, I looked around and said, you are worthy of this. Believe it. Step into it. There's nothing stopping you, but you. And I've seen the power of, as someone near and dear to me once said, walking into a room like God sent you. It's not a fake it till you make it game.

It's believing in your heart that you are worthy game. No one who's achieved success on a consistent basis got there accidentally. At some point they looked at that reflection and said, hey, this is me. At some point they looked around and said, there is no difference between me and the people who have done great things. Those people just gave themselves the green light and chose to stay consistent. I can do that.

You can do that. Everybody can do that, will you? That's the question. No one can save you because no one can make you believe. No one, when your eyes open in the morning, can position your mindset to say, today is mine. The world is my opportunity. No one can convince you that you're capable of magic on your short time on this planet.

That's an internal decision. Do you believe you are worthy of it? And if not, let's get you to that point. That's the name of the game. Look hard at that reflection and remind yourself that you have everything you need to begin. Not a few things or some things, everything you need. You're good enough. What's required is you giving yourself permission to go on whatever journey you deem important.

It's allowing yourself to tap into the strength that's already there. Be resilient. Ship away little by little every day. That's it. That's the formula. You approach that lane with tenacity and drive. And life changes, right? As the saying goes, days turn into months, which turn into years, and you'll look back and, you know, you'll see you're not the same person you once were.

You'll see that you had this potential all along. You just had to give it life. See, we attribute complexity to things we don't understand. We assume people on mountaintops were placed there, that they had godlike abilities. And it's like, no, they just believed they were worthy and stepped forward into the night. Just like a seed must be planted,

you too must give your potential the opportunity to be nourished by what's around you. When the alarm clock goes off, your eyes open, and your feet touch, the ground in the morning, remember that getting what you want is far less complex than you think. It's simple. Not easy, but it's simple. You say yes to more and start walking down the road. And you'll change, you'll adjust, you'll evolve. There will be times when you backtrack, course correct, and perhaps even switch lanes altogether. But the gift of going is the best

gift you'll have ever presented to yourself. No one is coming to save you. and when you realize how powerful you are, you will have not wanted it any other way. The answer you're looking for is right there in the room always. Now, that's certainly a bold statement. And as I've gotten older, I've kind of learned to avoid speaking in absolutes. Nothing in life was 100% guaranteed.

So why am I so confident about that message. Everything you need is right there in the room always. Well, because I believe in the premise, you're always one decision away from a totally different life.

And when we're stuck or lost or looking for change, we need not some crazy, grandiose answer to be delivered from the heavens. We need to find the little action. The tiny movement that's going to set us forth on the journey.

We need this snowflake that will become this snowball that will become the avalanche. It seems like so much of life comes down to simply outsmarting our biology. It's like the panic or the emotive defense mechanisms that come into play when we're sad or lost or feeling unsure or down.

And it's an absolute superpower to know that when we're in those moments, what we need is an arm's length away. It's a perspective shift away. And I look over my shoulder and I see tons of examples here, right? With my keynote speaking, there was a period where it just wasn't quite clicking, where I knew I wasn't performing the way I could. And I was going back and forth on solutions, trying different things, experimenting,

not quite getting there, feeling overwhelmed. It's like, why can't I recreate there what I'm doing here? And then one email to the person who's now my speaking coach, and I had my light bulb moments. Like everything started to transform. Or my YouTube channel, right? It's up, down, up, down, everything in between. And like I've said before, there are times where a simple thumbnail change. And that video explodes, causing the channel to explode.

That's not a big, grandiose thing. I can always change a thumbnail. That answer is sitting in the palm of my hand. with my phone. Or an example that falls on the more human side of things, right? There are times where, you know, I felt like I've neglected the relationships in my life in order to really focus on my creativity and my businesses.

Sometimes that, you know, mentally doesn't feel good. And I can pick up the phone, start a group chat, plan a dinner with some friends, and feel like my cup has been refilled. Right? It's like you don't have to have to have. it all figured out, which is great news because you never will. You just need to start creating momentum.

There's nothing more powerful than going to bed at night feeling like you are moving towards something meaningful. Again, it doesn't mean you need to have it all figured out, but in a world where progress largely equates to happiness, it means you are actively manufacturing momentum. everything. You know, I often think of my friend's son, Wyatt. He's become sort of a metaphor for that childlike instinct that seems to be the answer for so much, right? He's wandering around the living room, just reusing everything as it suits him. The world is not as it, quote unquote, is, it's as he sees it. Picks up a TV remote, becomes a microphone, finds a blanket, becomes the roof for

the fort he's building in the living room. Everything is a solution to what he needs. Everything is a color that can go on his canvas. I think that's the place we need to be. That's the idea. The next brush stroke is in the room. Maybe it's a phone call, an email. Maybe it's a walk outside, a stroll to the gym. Maybe it's literally cleaning your room, your apartment, or a house. Maybe it's one social media post. Maybe it's a DM. Maybe it's 10 pages of a book. Maybe it's watching a how-to YouTube video. Maybe it's signing up for a class, meeting up with someone to talk business, life, or anything in between. See, we spend so much time trying to get to the moon that we overlook the staircase it'll take to get there. Oh, and surprise, step one is at your feet.

Right? Don't think miracle. Think momentum. It's very hard to slow down an object in motion. So stop beating yourself up for not having all the answers and simply keep moving. Don't feel down for not having all the solutions and be proud you're walking towards them. Remember, everything you need is in the room, always. It always gets worse first. I was recently at a mastermind where someone made this point, and as hard as I tried, I couldn't really poke holes in it.

For the simple fact that everything new requires some vulnerability, some discomfort that was previously non-existent. Or in other words, you have to endure turbulence prior to calm. So imagine a wavy line. on a piece of paper or whiteboard, where the top of each wave is slightly bigger than the one before it. Right. So right before that new wave occurs, there is necessarily a low point or a trough, a point that's absolutely, without a doubt, lower than the top of the previous wave. And this, to me, summarizes the battle we fight, right? When you're comfortable, when you're at the

top of the little wave you're currently riding, it almost feels self-defeating to willingly jump off and land yourself at the bottom of some new, soon-to-be future wave. Every new mountain means starting at the bottom, a new base. Every acquisition means letting go of something we once knew and understood. The question is, are you willing to fly? fight through. Are you willing to hang out in the trough at the bottom, right, wander that valley of despair? And that's, by the way, what we're talking about when we talk about, for example, Walt Disney being fired, being called unimaginative, and struggling to get the world to understand

his Mickey Mouse cartoon. That's what we're talking about with Steve and Was with Apple. That's what we're talking about with Lincoln and the constant political rejection before finding stability and success. These stories have become almost folklore. And all of them share the same characteristic, that the main players willingly accepted the fact that it would get worse before it got better. All of them were willing to make a trade. The bottom now for a chance at the top. later. Not only is this pragmatic, but it also aids the mind throughout the process. It helps us understand and internalize what we're going through. You know, that initial instinct to think,

why me, to shake our fists at the world and fall into the role of victim? That goes away when we know that, you know, we're enduring turbulence now for something better. When we know, when we that this is merely the cost of admission. You're not at the bottom of the wave because you have to be or even because it's fun to hang out there. You're there because something greater is coming. And a human's desire to delay gratification is a superpower. We all know that.

Things get worse before they get better. So remember next time you're out in the world, right? dealing with adversity. Technically, you don't have to be there. You could be hiding away, letting life slip by. But instead, you've made the decision, the courageous decision to better yourself. What you're enduring will ultimately become your strong point. And so don't villainize or demonize that, cherish it, hold on to that.

Because we need to get beyond the notion. the discomfort is weakness. Discomfort is a decision. A bold decision that you should be proud of. Again, you could live your entire life running from the painful things, hiding from the discomfort of growth. But then you'd also be forfeiting that next wave.

You'd be so hell-bent on escaping the notion that it always gets worse first, that instead you'd never let your life get better to begin with. There is no bottom or trough on earth more detrimental to the human soul than stagnation. We need to be moving, marching forward, even when we don't know, right, into the unknown, into the night, fighting to get to the ceiling, then gladly allowing that ceiling to become our next floor. It always gets worse and thank God. That's where we are made.

condition. That's the buffer that separates mediocrity from greatness. That forces us to ask the important questions. Do I really want this? And if the answer is yes, let it get worse first. Let it be tough out of the gate. Grant yourself that gift of vulnerability. Because if you waves from now, you'll be on a different level, physically, spiritual, personally. A few waves from now, the quote-unquote worst parts will be what stand between who you are and who you were. And that decision, the decision to step out and face them, will have been perhaps the best decision you've ever made. As many of you know,

the great Charlie Munger recently passed away. And a friend of mine sent me a video of his most powerful quotes, sound bites. And as I was listening, one stood out to me

that I really wanted to share. Charlie Munger said that the acquisition of knowledge is a moral duty. Basically, it's our responsibility to Caliour

on the opportunity presented to each and every one of us. We owe that to ourselves, and we owe that to the world. And it just so happened that this particular message was said during a commencement address, talking to an audience of students who weren't ending, but rather were beginning the greatest undertaking of their lives. They'd be released beyond the confines of the campus to go navigate the world. I remember being in that position, right, asking myself the question, well, what do I do now? Felt like the weight of the world was on my shoulders.

And actually, beyond that point, I've found myself at that crossroads many a times. But being that there are really no right answers in life, I find Charlie Munger's advice here even more meaningful. Because it's not about what you're supposed to do. At least not when we zoom out. It's about a willingness to step forward and continuously pursue knowledge. Your personal evolution. It's to try things you've never tried so that you can learn from them. It's going where you've never gone so that you can stretch beyond the boundaries you previously existed in.

You owe it to yourself and the world to find what you love and shake that tree until all its fruit is gone. And that's an adventure, not a right or wrong question. Life is not a checklist. It is one great journey. A journey in which we acquire knowledge we never had and become the people we knew we could be. It's a moral duty not to get it right, because again there is no right. It's a moral duty because you have it within you. to change things, to make an impact,

to better the people around you. It's a moral duty because you will be a difference maker in whatever arena you choose to step into. And just imagine forfeiting that. Imagine the greatness that would be wasted. If you looked in the mirror and thought to yourself, yeah, I don't know what that future looks like, so I'll stay here.

I don't understand, so I won't go. I'm not where I want to be right now. So, hey, this is where we'll close the book. See, endings are just beginnings in disguise. Because they set you free to start writing a new chapter. To adjust and reimagine the impact that you can have on the world. Those students, the ones that Charlie Munger was talking to, they aren't done learning. They're merely at an inflection point.

And by the way, I think that's why it's so painful to feel stuck, to feel lost. Because our souls want growth, but don't know where to go. We feel confined because the target is uncertain, but I can tell you this. Sometimes knowing that the current chapter is over is enough, is all you need. Sometimes knowing that you no longer need to be where you are is plenty. Because it prompts movement. One who is willing to keep their feet going. Who's willing to try.

Make educated guesses and adapt. That is someone who is constantly learning. someone who's realized that the only way to assure success is not achieved is by standing still. Worrying so much about losing what you currently have that you disregard the infinite upside. It is a moral duty to grow because you are a game changer. You have perspectives and ideas and abilities that will make this place better. And when you look around and think, me?

No, you've got the wrong guy or gal here. That just means it's time for you to walk, to move, to create momentum, to stumble into life until you find a little portion of it. You want to put a stake in and call your own. And please, this isn't a life is rainbows, butterflies, and everything's magic message. This is a find your thing and give you,

it to the world message. This is a you can always be evolving message. And most importantly, this is a progress is happiness message. Because a life lived to the fullest is one where we are stretching and exploring. We're stepping out into the vast unknown and mapping it for ourselves and others. It's your duty to acquire knowledge and a Allow that acquisition to propel you into the ether. It's your responsibility to not sit on your gifts, but bring them to life and create that ripple effect that will change the world.

The most important promises are the ones you make to yourself. Of all the people on planet Earth, it's most critical that you You believe you. That when you commit, you show 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, right? Trying to be better and better and better at following through. as 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, hard 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, eh, 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 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 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. 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 off as. 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. Here's to going even when you don't want to go. To moving forward when you're uncomfortable, to stepping up when you're fearful. Here's to courage. I was talking to a friend of mine earlier today about understanding the difference between two things. On one hand, the fear that presents itself when we're growing, leveling up, right? Like we've all felt nerves before a big event or an important life change, things like that.

Then on the other hand, the emotions that arise when we start to feel like something isn't right for us. similar discomfort but not quite the same we feel nervous or uneasy because we know we're misaligned and where we landed in our conversation was that when you were on the edge of that metaphorical cliff and your body's pushing back your heart's pounding your mind is racing you're nervous you're fearful the question worth asking is will i be disappointed in myself if i don't go through with this will i be letting myself down here by turning back You have to jump into the future and imagine, you know, future you sitting at the table reflecting on this.

If you see yourself as regretful, wishing you pushed through, then it's not an alignment issue. It's a matter of courage. And when you think about it, it usually feels obvious looking back. Like I can easily recognize in hindsight the things I stopped doing because they weren't aligned with who I wanted to be. When you stop doing the wrong thing, it feels like a breath of fresh air, like a step back to leap forward. Those decisions create a more fulfilled life. But those times I stopped because, you know, I let the moment get bigger than my end goal. Those times I caved and decided I didn't want to pay the price solely because of the temporary discomfort.

I remember those two. That's a different feeling altogether, a not-so-good feeling as we've. all know. Jim Rohn says it like this. There's a pain of discipline or a pain of regret. Choose your pain. One of the things that makes life challenging is that we have to be open to some level of discomfort in our lives. That's just what it is to be human. Now our power is that we get to choose where we let that pain in and what it means, what it will do for us. Will it be the type of pain that grows us or the type of pain that reminds us what could have been. And I really think most of the time we stop, not because the path was wrong for us, but because

we somewhere along the way forgot that most of life's best experiences and circumstances and opportunities come with a hefty price tag. They demand a lot of us. And in those moments when the lights shine the brightest. When we feel the weight of the world coming down on us, it's easy to misdiagnose that discomfort as a stop sign. It's like, oh, I feel alone, I feel unsure, I don't have any validation, my pride hurts, my confidence is shaken, whatever it may be. These things just, you know, even as I'm saying them out loud now, seem awful.

When in reality, they're just the cost of administrative. It's like you have to not know before you can ever know. But try telling yourself that as you're wandering around feeling nothing but pressure, right? It's a different story altogether. It's a challenge. But here's the good news. It's a challenge you're capable of handling, of overcoming. Life is about stepping into things we don't feel ready for.

And then learning repeatedly, repeatedly that we can piece together the knowledge along the way. It reminds us that fear is going to show up regardless of what we do in life. But to grow into the people we are capable of becoming, we have to understand that fear is in its own unique way an invitation. The discomfort doesn't mean something's wrong. Often the opposite. It's letting you know that more.

is available, that you are right where you need to be, but you have to change in order to become worthy of what's on the other side. Life is not saying no, it's merely demanding of you courage and courage you have. Brne Brown has said, courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen. It's one of my favorite ideas because to me it's symbolic of a building process. Taking what would otherwise be blank space, nothingness, and stepping into it. Believing yourself enough to say, there's a void here and I can fill it. I'm strong enough to show myself to the world, my ideas to the world, my work to the world. I have, in Brunay's words, the courage.

to be seen. Seven years ago, in 2016, I wrote about my first experience with this epiphany in a video called, fittingly, courage. I talk about my light bulb moment where I'm walking down the street and realize everything around me, all of it, was built by people with enough self-belief to think I can add value to the world. I can, in one form or another, take a blank space and create within those parameters something beautiful, something meaningful. I, not him or her, I, can be the reason things change for the better. That's a hard notion to grasp. Because it's overwhelming to put faith or stock into ideas.

You're just writing yourself IOU notes. And it's particularly difficult when things take time or don't go the way you want them to. Immediately, you start to feel crazy. And you know for a fact those around you can't see it or understand. How could they? This is a you thing, right? It exists in your head and your head only. But that building to your left, that song you're listening to, the book you're reading, that car you're driving, these things exist because those who brought them to life survived the storm.

They believed and hung in long enough, pushed beyond the self-doubt. They escaped that maze that chews up and spits out so many. And a few weeks ago, I was in Vegas for a podcast and doing some marketing for a new venture. It's with a friend and business partner. We're on the balcony looking out over Vegas. And we're both inspired in that moment because we're reminded how big the world is and how everything below us is a product of courage. Opportunity captured and acted upon by those who believed in themselves to do it.

And Tyler's pointing down to different things. Those offices were built by someone. Every light built by someone. Every car going down the road built by someone. Emphasizing just that beautiful reality, it's all possible, but you have to initiate it. And it's incredible how things come full circle. Seven years ago, the scary thing was putting my voice out there.

You know, fast forward a little bit. Same game, just different stakes. It's like it will always be true. If you want to increase your impact, do not forget two things. One, it's possible for you. And two, it takes courage. Sure, self-belief alone, it won't get you through the finish line. But without it, there is no race to begin with.

There is no starting point. Only dreams, only wishing, only hoping. Courage says everything around me was brought to life by people with the strength to convert nothing into something. And those people, they are not gods. They are no different or better or greater than you or I. They see blank space and ask why not me? Why couldn't I leave a mark or make a change? And that's just it.

You can be the one. Not some other guy, not your neighbor, not the folks on social media, you. But you have to believe it and be willing to trudge through the storm. You have to be willing, as difficult as it might seem at first, to be seen. To step out of the darkness and into the light, you have that courage within you. So remind yourself that one, it's there, and two, it's who you are. And I promise you, the world will change around you. I could walk.

But what if I ran? I could learn the rules, dedicate my friends. myself to efficiently following them. But what if I learned the rules to break them? What if I created a new game entirely? I could take who I was, polish it up, change my approach. But what if I completely recreated myself? What if I pushed yesterday out to sea like a paper boat in a storm in why?

watched its sail away. Life is a game of levels. And believe me, no one understands the importance of showing up more than I. Fulfilling that promise to yourself that you'll be there for you. Standing tall and ready, willing to take the world on. But isn't it logical once showing up has been instilled into one's DNA, one's stepping forward has become second nature, to look around and ask, how can I show up in an even more powerful way? How can I take this walk to a sprint? Turn the few into many. How can I transform the I participated into I dominated? Because it's subtle. Right? Moving from one level to another. There's no indicator. When does the right thing suddenly become not enough? When are we ready for more? It's a tough one.

But for the few who really, truly, with all their heart, want it, it's a question that must be asked. Perhaps it's when the hard thing becomes, well, routine. When you find yesterday's ceiling under your feet, perhaps it's when the excitement has subsided. So look around and ask, is it time? Is it time to find a new level to elevate yourself to? Is it time to open the cage and let yourself further into the world? Because few find the courage to go,

but even fewer find the courage to repeatedly ask more of themselves when life is heavy, when the road is untravelled. So, yes, you could walk. But what if you ran? What if you gave every ounce of yourself to the journey so that when it ends, as all journeys do, you can say you held nothing back. You conceded zero.

Life is a game of levels, and should you decide the ascent is where the magic lives, you'll find yourself with the view that only the few will ever get the luxury of laying their eyes of them. You'll find that every time you were tired or depleted or unsure and you stepped forward anyway, you were creating the life of your dreams. 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 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, as if it were the course, as if it were the question. 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. 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.

I 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 error. 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 start. 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 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 let them.