Your World Within Podcast by Eddie Pinero - DON'T COMPARE YOURSELF TO ANYONE | Powerful Motivational Speeches For Success

Episode Date: March 28, 2025

Losing ourselves to find ourselves—the greatest paradox of life. Stepping away from the carousel of comfort, away from the predictability of what we know, is nothing short of irrational. There are no guarantees, no certainty, just a choice: to spin in place or take a chance on something greater. The odds may not always be in our favor, but the moment we step off, we increase them from zero to limitless.The world teaches us that security lies in the familiar, in the cycle that never changes. But true growth requires walking alone into the unknown, embracing the uncertainty, and trusting that the path forward—though winding and unpredictable—is the only way to something more. The hardest part isn’t understanding the journey, it’s quieting the voice that longs for the safety of what once was. But in the end, that step into the unknown is where we truly begin.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

That to find ourselves requires we must first lose ourselves is, I believe, life's greatest paradox, leaving that carousel of comfort. The predictability of what we know, the certainty of who we believe ourselves to be. For a promise with no real guarantee of being kept, well, it's nothing short of irrational. Are the odds in our favor? Perhaps not. But by stepping off, by placing our bets on a different track with a different prize at a different time, we have increased those odds from zero to well, I guess we decide. And see, the world teaches us that it's advantageous to spin.

A spinning carousel is predictable. It can't be cheated. There's very little room for loss or humiliation or setbacks or even life to get in the way. You know where you start and you know where you end and that's just the thing. This spinning world is so easy that people don't want to leave. In fact, it's not until you walk away from the crowd that you even face the unknown. And that's precisely why it's so hard to walk alone. It's hard, it's challenging because of the unknown.

because of the now. Not because the now can't be measured or understood. No, we get it. But because there's this little whisper in the back of our heads that the now might go on and on and on forever, that that check will never be cashed, the summit never reached. No, just footsteps down a perpetually long, windy road. And that's, you know, when maybe, just maybe we miss that carousel.

We miss the safety and security. And that's what sometimes makes it such a stressful thing to walk alone. We think about all of ourselves, our mind, our heart we've left behind along the way. Truths, we now have to face things. They never taught us on that carousel. We had to learn that we were wrong about who'd be by our side through all. We could no longer hide behind the notion. that when things got tough, someday everyone,

everything would be there would be the same. We learned to swim by jumping into the deep end, seeing in real time that people only believe it already exists. What's put in front of them, that ideas are empty, that a dream is a language only spoken by its creator. And if you want it to mean anything, you must dedicate your life to translating it.

We learn how much is backwards, How much of life is reactive? That success is being one of the few who don't react, but build a world to react to. And in the thick of it all to internalize the process, because talking while talking does nothing, plans are just potential energy confined to your pocket. You have to be okay growing that seed by yourself,

like a runner making her way past a crowd, right? The crowd sees calm, sees peace. sees the finesse of an athlete gliding over the pavement. They have no idea the war being fought behind her eyes. The silencing of constant whispers to slow down to do less, the repression of pain that consumes her to such an extent. It can't even really be pinpointed. It just kind of floats over her body.

They'll never know that. And what we learn is that they don't need to. It's the truth. And see, it's also what makes it quite lonely to walk alone. Walking alone, well, it's a lot of things. But it's never boring. It's never dull. And if you can hang in there long enough without even noticing,

the headwind you've been fighting, it becomes a tailwind. And where we may have felt alone, the idea pops into our heads that maybe that's not quite right. If anything, the wind at our back is now momentum. It's a partner along the way. That carousel, yeah, it's still spinning, but somewhere else. Some far off place beyond our field of vision. And no, things don't ever become easy.

We wouldn't want that. But difficulty is interpreted differently now. Not a burden, but a cost, and one we'd gladly continue to pay. And that space, it once felt so empty, so desolate, so helpless. Well, now it's made up of people who see what you see, who hopped off their own carousels and wandered through the desert, they too navigated through the impossible and the never been done. done. It's funny how at some point we always find each other. And I suppose now, having traded

the carousels for the adventure, we can walk alone together. Us against the world, standing up in defiance of the odds, chasing that glimmer of hope, all in a pursuit to find what most won't and see what most can't. Not because we were made different, but because we chase down the idea of different. It gets a tough rap walking alone. And in so many ways, it's a fight. It takes all of you.

But you don't come out the same person you were when you stepped in. The same person you'd still be today had you stayed on that carousel. So if you are still spinning, step off. And if you have, if you're still adjusting to the discomfort of reality, if you're making your way through the hell of uncertainty, or questioning whether you have what it takes, or have the strength to commit, I promise. In fact, you're right where you need to be.

So don't be distracted by those screaming of their successes or communicating, capturing every small wind as they make their way around the carousel. It's the quiet ones who change themselves. The ones who take life one step at a time, one battle at a time, who redefine reality. And I'm sure you can't see it now.

No one can. No one can see the sun amidst the storm, but you'll emerge. stronger than you ever were. You will navigate towards the ideal and away from that life you once settled for. It's a long path, but it's worth it. So get up and let your feet guide the world.

Let's go walk alone. There's a quote that states, life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react. to it, which means that your reaction is drastically more important than the circumstance. And that's critical to know. It's critical to understand that nothing. No one in life has more power over your own situation than you. And there's an old story that hits on this point, exactly. There's a father and a daughter.

And basically the daughter's complaining. She's complaining about life, how difficult things are. She's just know how she's going to make it in whatever it is she's doing. I mean, the bottom line is she's tired of the day to day, right? And her father gets this idea. He says, come with me into the kitchen. And he gets three pots of water, puts them on the stove and turns the burner zone. As soon as they start boiling, he drops a potato in the first one, an egg in the second one.

and some coffee beans in the third one. And after some time goes by and they boil a little bit, he pulls them out, right? He puts the potato in a bowl. He puts the egg in a bowl, and he takes a ladle, and he puts some of the coffee in a cup. And he says, what do you see? She says, well, I see a potato. I see eggs, and I see coffee. He says, yeah, but look closer.

There's more there. And she goes and she touches the potato, and it's now soft. and he hands her the bowl with the boiled egg and she takes the shell off and breaks it open she sees that it's hard inside. Then finally he asked her to take a sip of the coffee and she smells it, she takes a sip

and a smile comes to her face. She says, so what does all this mean? What are you trying to say? He says, well, the potato, when I dropped it in the water, it was rigid, it was tough, it was uncompromising, but in the boiling water

it became soft, weak. Then you have the egg that was basically the opposite. This delicate layer, protecting a liquid center, and the boiling water made it hard. And then there was the coffee. That wasn't just changed by the situation. It created something new. It took the same adversity

and used it as a lever to bring something beautiful. into existence. He then looks at his daughter and says, look, when things become challenging, when things become difficult, which one are you? What's your approach? See, maybe the question is not about

how challenging the situation is, right? Maybe we've been asking the wrong question. Maybe it's how do you transform yourself and by default, the world around you? How do you take your strengths, your values, your love, your joys, your happiness, and let that lead you into something bigger. When life gets hard and it does, what do you become?

I always remind myself, you know, we are not defined by life at peak state. As much as I wish that were the case, right? We're not shaped by the easy days or the times that we floated by, because those times are great, they're enjoyable, but they're not what make or break us. It's the times that challenge us and ask us to be what we have not yet become. That's the good stuff. And this is another one of those simple but not easy type things,

because on paper it makes sense. It's understood. But it's an outlook that manifests over time. It's slowly stacked piece by piece and brick by brick. realizing that every situation provide you with tools to make something out of an apparent nothing. And then it waits because fate is in your hands. And I can certainly think of times in my life. That's one of the reasons I love these stories.

I can reflect where each one of those pots of boiling water was relevant. I can think of times I was too headstrong, like the metaphorical potato. I thought success would be easy. I thought projects would be simple to execute. I spent months doing things that just weren't good because I didn't ask what is the world need. I asked myself, what do I want to give the world? And there has to be a marriage there, right?

And it was a quick reminder that the world owes me nothing. I was humbled or softened as the story goes. I've been the egg, I've been timid, I've been uncertain, thin-skinned, worrying about what people would say or the content I was creating, worried about perception. How would things look if I failed? And very quickly, I learned that when life is a game of comparison or one-upmanship, when you do things for reasons and people other than yourself can't win.

You overcompensate. You do things for the wrong reasons and you lose yourself. You become hardened. And then there's the good stuff, right? Getting to the coffee, not bowing down to the circumstances, but shaping them. Not letting life dictate how the story goes or the fate of your character. And what's interesting is I'm pretty sure that being that metaphorical egg and the potato, they lay the foundation to become the coffee, the life lessons,

the falling down, the picking my ego up off the floor. learning to trust myself, not be led by the opinions and expectations of others. You essentially learn that you can take the world around you and change it, that it is malleable, it is flexible. You have that power. You have that ability. It's up to you to believe it. And that's critical because no one comes along and cosigns that understanding for you.

It's an internal process. You start to learn that things aren't there to provide instruction. They're there to propel you. But can you see the unknown as the opportunity, the obstacle is the way, and the loss is the armor that you pick up during the journey? And so, you know, all of these words essentially come to one point. And that point is you have so much more control over your life,

than you think you do. As I've said before, you are stronger than you think you are. You are more resilient than you can even imagine. And when life tests you, and again, it will, remember that the challenges

are not happening to you, but for you. The world isn't taking away what you have, it's giving you what you need. so long as you're willing to adapt with it, to grow, expand out, because you not only have the ability to change yourself, but the world as well. It's time. The world will not stop spinning. The clock won't stop ticking, days won't stop slipping by. It's time. Things won't suddenly get easier.

The difficulty does not remove itself. The path does not narrow. That perfect moment, it doesn't exist. A flawless beginning is fiction. The stars will never align for you. It's time. Not tomorrow. Not someday down the road.

but this very second. See, you don't need all the answers. You don't need to know or be sure or be armed with guarantees. Your job, your only requirement is to begin. It's time. To trade beer for opportunity. Someday for right now, it's time.

To stop thinking small. stop seeing what you want as a reach to stop looking at success as a stranger it's time to sit down and convince yourself that what you want can be accomplished when it's as real as the space in front of you when it's as probable as the completion of a single step it will happen because it has to it's time At some point, you have to see that you're not simply playing conservatively. You're not being a perfectionist. It's not about being okay with where you are. No, if we're going to get anywhere, let's be truthful.

Let's call it what it is. These things, these ideas, these excuses are a derivative of fear. The problem with possibility, is that it's incredibly hard to quantify. Technically, if you've never had it, you've never lost it. And that is how we rationalize staying where we are. That's why we compartmentalize the things we want most as dreams. But for a second, let's be bigger.

Let's start from the premise that what life can provide or become is limitless. It is truly infinite. And when you sit on an idea or you refuse to begin, you are in fact losing. Every single thing around you, everything. At one point, it began. At one point, someone summoned the courage to reach out and take what's in front of them. Maybe you do the same. Maybe you take that step.

Maybe the first few times go terribly wrong. wrong, maybe it's terrifying. Maybe you find out who has your back, who your real friends are, and maybe those truths scare you. But guess what? Guess what those steps turn into? Confidence, amplified purpose, and most importantly, more steps. You get to see right in front of you as your demons diminish, evaporate. The high, You climb, the better the view, the longer the road, the greater the experience would rather fall. A thousand times and continuously get back up stronger than be someone who looks at the world through a window like it's some fairy tale. Because at the end of the day, sure, they have no scratches, scrapes, or bruises, but I have no.

limits and I'd make that trade any day. It is time to stop separating what you want from what you have and take that step forward. It's time to go get it. No one is stopping you. Nothing is stopping you and in fact if you choose to be you are unstoppable. So take a look in the mirror lace up your shoes, open the door, and begin time. Being beings don't see, we interpret. We don't take in what happens. We take in the implication of what happens. Everything in our world is story.

It's similar to the idea of two ideologically different news organizations, right, reporting on the same event. neither will be completely factual. They'll both uphold their individual narratives. They're not black and white. They're interpreting gray space. And our individual lives are no different. We are our own broadcasting channels. Using data to support our individual narratives.

See, we know what the story's going to say before the story occurs because we will make it so. We'll make life. fit our beliefs. That's what means to be human. And so here's where the value lives in the context of this message when we find ourselves in a consistent state of despair or frustration or anxiety. It's a fool's errand to look for solutions in the external world. Because everything we find, everything we come across will support our current beliefs, our current story. That's what we'll keep playing in our heads, and it's why money can't bring fulfillment, and another person can't take you from incomplete to content. It's why status will never equate to happiness.

Those acquisitions are like putting premium fuel in a car with a broken engine. It's just not the answer that we hoped it would be. To change your world, you must change your story. whatever it is that needs to be changed. The location, the objective, the characters, maybe the journey altogether, but it's the neural network behind your eyes that must change, not the detail it takes in.

And so if you feel stuck or feel like where you want to be seems unrealistic, you have to know right now that the very fact you think that way is the problem. So ask yourself, not your girlfriend or your boss or your neighbor, but ask yourself what a turnaround looks like. Do you know? Or have you acclimated to being unhappy? Have you even asked yourself what happiness looks like?

Or is your personal broadcasting channel so hell-bent on ensuring your life outlook stays the way it is that it's not even paying attention to the data it takes in? See, I believe wholeheartedly that the first step and any facet of transformation is remembering that you have control that things in your life that bring you down or hold you back can be changed in fact the very things working against you can work for you

but you have to be aware you have to think about it now I'm not a believer in magic right I don't think you sit back say I don't want to be unhappy ever again snap your fingers and smile until the end of eternity But I do believe that once we're aware of our manufactured shackles and our self-imposed limitation, we can start chipping away, doing the one, two, or three small things every day, tiny swings at the tree until it falls.

Right? If it's, I'm not happy with my work life, well, what does a better situation look like? What bridge is that gap? I'll wake up 20 minutes earlier on weekdays and master Microsoft Excel. I'll send one message on LinkedIn asking an expert about the field. I want to move into. I'll read 20 pages a day in a book related to business. You think those things are small? See what they look like compounded in a year. Not only that, this is the most important part. You are taking the power back. You're taking control. And that's what feels good. That's where we

get our identity. You get a little disappointed at how you've let your physique slings slip when you look in the mirror. Don't be sad about it every day. Again, ask yourself what the inverse looks like and start doing small things. Subtract one sports drink and add one green smoothie. Double your water intake. Do a 10-minute daily workout on YouTube. The pieces are out there. And to find yourself again is to realize that they're out there. Realize that you're playing a movie on loop in your head that isn't right. It's just... not you. And well, what movie do you want to be playing in an ideal world? Scroll through the library, find it, click play, and start doing the small things that make it real. There's so much power

in progress. I've seen this unfold in different areas of my life, but particularly as a writer, as a speaker, it's like you identify who you want to be, you start making tiny steps and After a while, you're surrounded by the change that you've created. How can you not believe something that you're starting to live? It has to become your identity because it is you. It's around you. You breathe it. So look around and realize the malleability of your situation.

And if what you find is not you, good. Here is your opportunity to tear down the old. and construct the new. You can do that because you have control. Because it's within your grasp. So start the new movie, the new story, make yourself the hero,

and set out to find yourself again. You weren't put here to live in the shed. shadows of life, to exist beyond the sun's grasp, to stay on the outside, looking in, no, you weren't put here to live in the shadows of life. It's important to remember the difference between now and forever, the distinction between today and tomorrow, because from time to time they look deceptively similar, especially when we inevitably find ourselves in the darkest of times.

When despite our best efforts, our world is reduced to shadows, void of hope. When tomorrow and today have merged into one endless entity, it always seems to be in these times that we forget that right now is just a moment, not an assigned permanent, but a bridge to something great. as Victor Frankl says, if there is meaning in life at all, then there must be meaning in suffering. We all suffer. We all hurt. We all go through periods of time where we can't see or hear or feel anything beyond the darkness we find ourselves in, but it's there. Darkness cannot be defined without light. It's in the definition.

Darkness is a partial or total absence of light. They need each other, darkness and light. The one thing that can bring darkness to its knees is out there, everywhere, all around it. And if there was ever a reason to be hopeful, enthusiastic, if there's ever a reason to believe, it's that a new life is always a light switch away. It's that darkness is as temporary as the day. and the antidote requires only that you believe it to be true, only that you find the resolve to reach one foot out,

to remind yourself of the sun's warmth and the infinite beauty of a world beyond this temporary darkness, because you weren't put here to live in the shadows of life, but to reemerge like a rocket through the earth, stratosphere to swing from star to star like life is a playground and you make the rules. And I think when we look back we'll be nothing but grateful for those times of darkness. They, in a sense, prepared us for the road ahead by giving us what we need most. Perspective.

Life lessons, a roadmap to follow because you don't appreciate the light, the sun. The sun, the clear blue skies, the wind on your face, the sound of the waves, the chirping of the birds. No, you don't see the beauty in any of that until even if for a moment it is taken away. You don't learn about life's abundance until you come face to face with scarcity. You don't learn to give until you've had your world taken away. You don't learn to love until you've experienced heartbreak. You don't learn courage until you've been overcome by fear. You don't learn to grow until you've been truly stuck.

You don't learn to believe until you've looked in the mirror in doubt peers back. You don't know who you are until you learn what you're not. See, everyone finds themselves having wandered into the dark. of their own volition, sometimes of fate, but like leaves changing color in the fall, the earth on its journey around the sun, a wave emerging and falling back into that which it came. It is not an end, but a beginning. Life's way of preparing us for what's to come, introducing us to the infinite possibility of tomorrow because you weren't put here to live in the shadows of life but to emerge from them to light up the world no you weren't put

here to live in the shadows of life when it comes to the almost eight billion people on planet earth there's undoubtedly a variance in the resources at our disposal the influence we have what we all share is the ability to rule or over our own lives, our own thoughts. As Thoreau said, think for yourself, or others will think for you without thinking of you. See, life moves quickly. And if one is unable to slow it down

to examine the world around them, well, they'll find themselves a cog in the wheel of their own existence, a pawn on the chessboard of life. Because reality is a battle. A battle. of self-interest that requires that we build walls around that which is precious, that we protected it all caught.

Your worldview is the foundation for everything of value in your life, yet it's constantly under attack. Attack from the negativity at the gate. The suffering attempting to breach the walls, the outside influences, praying that you'll outsource your thinking, that you'll let them rule from afar. To maintain control over your own outlook, it's no small feat. It's perhaps the most important battle of your life. It's the difference between intentionality and chance,

the role of the ruler or the ruled. As the saying goes, if you don't build your dream, you will spend your days building someone else's. If you don't ask yourself what you want in life, Those needs will ultimately be buried under nonsensical obligation that takes their place. Where there are vacuums in awareness that you will be filled, usually not by actors with the same interests as you. See, mistakes are not the problem. No mistakes mean you're present, driving towards something, collecting data for this experiment that is life.

It's autopilot that destroys. Like that frog put in a pot heating up so slowly it never knows to jump out. The external world becomes its demise. And this message isn't to instill fear or intimidate. It's to remind you to ask the question that so few ask, how is my life best lived and what can I do to bring that to reality? If you can think for yourself, you're never out of the fight. If you can think for yourself, you're always a decisional,

from advancement in the direction of that which matters most. So trust you to do what's right for you. In a world where no one knows what they're doing, I can assure you you don't need external endorsements or stamps of approval. Take Robert Frost Road less traveled by and don't look back. Don't feel remorse. That's where you're forced to find yourself,

to ask the tough questions to embrace who you are. because the crowd is antithetical to rationality. Not just because responsibility dissipates. Not just because human beings become essentially well-dressed chimpanzees, but because rarely on the micro level is the collective goal, your goal. Have the courage to see that. Have the courage to understand that life is not an instruction manual. Everything around you you have in one way,

another accepted and in accepting it you have chosen it by not saying no you have in fact said yes so realize that the world around you doesn't change until your thoughts become the bridge that connects current to future today to tomorrow until you realize life can't make you a victim more upon on its chessboard without your permission whether implicitly or explicitly no you have the ability to think control orchestrate something greater than what's in front of you. Let today be your next courageous step in the direction of that reality.

Life is delicate, defined as easily broken or damaged, fragile. There's nothing around you that's forever. There's no permanence in our world, and sometimes this is a difficult. difficult thing to grasp. Certainly it's why we long for patterns of consistency where we can find them. We do everything we can to manufacture some semblance of predictability for as long as we can. Doing our best to repress the idea that everything we know is as temporary as a setting son.

I had a family member rushed to the ER a few days ago. And thank God she's completely fine. She's back home. She's doing her thing. But I can't stop thinking about the call. How it shook me to my core. How my walls of certainty and predictability were breached. It was this unsettling reminder that life as we know it isn't guaranteed.

That things we love, they're not untouchable. I had to look my helplessness in the face for the first time in a while and realize, well, just how little of the world is mine to control. Which brings me back to a conversation I had when I was younger. I talk about my grandfather often in my work, primarily because of a few impactful conversations that we had. And it's interesting to me how relevant they continue to be. I remember a handful of times we talked from childhood.

And it's like I piece them together retroactively. Things make sense as I get old. and kind of figure out what it all means. One of my last conversations with him, we went to this little diner called Leo's along the Cape Cod Canal. And he said to me, there are things now that seem impossible.

But as you grow and you get older, they make sense, right? Even the most challenging things become manageable. And I get mad at myself for not understanding the context at the time, or putting two in two together together. But basically he was diagnosed with the brain tumor and he knew what that meant, right? And was basically giving me a heads up like kiddo, this is going to be tough, but hang in there. That was one of the first times I've dealt with loss of that magnitude. And when you're

young, so many things seem stable, they seem certain. You don't yet get the fluidity of life. That stream is moving and no matter what it's going to continue to move. Sometimes that means it takes you places and presents realities that overtake the map that you created for the world, what you understood, what you hoped for, that little understanding of what life means. And I guess I wanted to pick up the baton from that conversation and pass it on to you with maybe a more comprehensive viewpoint. Because I think contained in those words is a message so powerful, so important, that we really can't afford to miss it. It's like, yes, life is unpredictable. And yes, life can hurt and humble us and knock down what we thought was certain it can challenge what we believed and shake our foundations.

It can make us feel small in a universe that stretches beyond comprehension. But at the very center of all of that, we are equipped with something that can't be broken. The only thing that can't be ripped away. The sun around which everything else revolves your ability to endure. Your strength to carry on. to take one step forward. Whether it feels like you're entrenched in the depths of hell or swinging from the stars in the sky,

your resilience, your ability to not only handle life around you, but rise from the ashes of its turbulence and its misfortune, that will never leave you if you don't let it. Victor Frankel has said, everything can be taken from a man. But one thing, the last of the human freedoms, to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.

See, life might be more than weak in control or comprehend. But amidst the might and power of its ocean, our determination is unsinkable. And believe me, there are times when you hear this and think, well, okay, that doesn't affect me. I'm good. I'm doing my thing, right? Just like I did sitting at that table over eggs and bacon that morning. And, man, I hope that's the case, and I hope it stays that way.

But life has a way of keeping us on our toes. It never lets us stray too far from the realization that to be human is in some way. or another to suffer. It's inescapable, and that's not to scare you, it's to remind you that one storms will come, and two, regardless of how heavy the rain falls or how loud the thunder roars, it will pass, and you are strong enough to hang on until it does.

That as you grow and as you evolve, you become more and more capable of seeing the inevitable, not as the world's personal vendetta against you, but as your time to dig deep and find within yourself the strength and the courage that was there all along. And that's what that morning was. A message that, look, what's coming will hurt,

but you can handle it. And not only that, every time life brings you to your knees, you get back up stronger. That doesn't mean it's easy But the point is not that it's supposed to be easy It's that you're capable of handling a world that is not easy You're capable of navigating a reality that is not simple A sea that is not smooth sailing

You're equipped to handle the complex And sometimes that little reminder is the greatest gift one can receive There's so much I can't control but my God, there's so much I can. The reality you have mapped out, the day-to-day, the things you've come to know and rely on, as much as we wish they weren't, they are delicate, withering away with times susceptible to the intricacies, the trials and tribulations of life. But your heart, your soul, your world within, that is untouchable.

It's the divine, the sacred, it's strength. limitless it's breath endless so remember even in the darkest of times you are the very light you long for and as long as you believe that there will always be a path every single dream vision or idea in your life starts with a simple understanding that it's obtainable that you can make it real that's the beginning of everything Self-belief is the gatekeeper that stands between current and future. See, if you think of reality as these city walls you're living in,

it's not crazy to think that there are going to be people that only know that existence within the walls, right? That's what they see. That's what most believe. It's how they live. It is only self-belief, a confidence in something greater outside those walls, that opens the gate, that expands your reality. And if you don't believe anything good exists on the other side, why begin? If you don't think you're capable of getting there, why start? And this formula is simple, right?

Let's not overthink it. We only move towards outcomes that we believe to be possible. And that's more important than ability, skill set, strength. I mean, you name it, believing in your sense. self trumps all that because the person with an inferior skill set maybe an average natural talent but they believe in something and they move towards it they give everything for this idea they know it to be true will always be the talented person that's unsure the procrastinates that has one foot in and one

foot out and if you don't believe in yourself you're building a city on sand because I'll tell you what, great things, they're great for a reason. They're in rare supply. They're limited, which means not everyone can have them. Which means those who do have them have to fight for them. Have to deal with being uncomfortable. Have to give more, sacrifice more,

pay a steeper price than the masses. And if you don't look in the mirror, stare yourself in the face and know you are one of those select friends. you, what's going to happen when life kicks back at you? You'll fall. You'll resort back to what you know. You'll flee the battle for safety, security, and comfort. But when you know your movie ends at the top of the mountain, when you know at the end of the day, you're going to cross a finish line or hold a trophy, your brain internalizes conflict differently, very differently.

For someone with self-belief, obstacles don't make you wonder if you should keep going. Because you already know you have to keep going. I mean, come on, you haven't arrived yet. There's still a road to travel. No, in this situation, obstacles simply prompt you to ask how. How can I get through this? And that's a small discrepancy that changes everything. Because at some point, you'll look to your right and you'll look to your left

and you'll find very few people get to the how question. They all stopped at if. I wonder if I can do this. I wonder if I'm capable. Well, they'll never know. They'll never see that sunset beyond those metaphorical city walls because they never truly believed in themselves.

They never opened that gate. Look, I went through 16 years of education without a teacher or professor telling me, Eddie, 99% of life is just believing in yourself to figure challenges out as they come. To figure life out as it comes. That's it. Only X% make it through law school.

Only Y% succeed this and that. That's what you hear. But no, none of that matters. It's simple, it's simple. Most of the world quits when things get challenging. If you don't, if you have the courage to believe in trust in yourself, you'll succeed. Why? Because you won't stop until you find a way. That's the power of self-belief. It's not quantum physics. It's not complex.

You know, at one point, I didn't think I could make a living outside of a cubicle or office building. Then I saw others do it. And for the first time in my life, I believed it was possible. I changed my actions to support my beliefs. And here we are. At one point, I didn't think certain financial goals were reality. I didn't know about a free, flexible lifestyle. I wasn't aware of the type of relationships that would change my life.

Why? Because they existed outside those city walls. I didn't believe they were real. I didn't believe in myself to create them, to make them in my own life. But with the change in belief comes a change in reality. You will always follow through on who you believe you are. So let's go back to that mirror visualization. At some point today, look at your reflection

and think about nothing but what I'm about to tell you, everything you need, you have. I promise you, you are equipped to change your life, the lives of everyone around you, and the world in which you exist. So take that back, feel it, and never ask it again. From now on, the question is how. Your fate is not a coin flip, it's a puzzle.

It's about arranging the pieces. And those two eyes looking back at you are more than capable of figuring that out. Ask simply, do you want it? And if yes, open that front door, take that first step and inject yourself into a journey that will be unlike anything you've ever experienced before. A journey where you have the answers, the aptitude, and now the self-belief. And when you find yourself in the lowest of lows or the darkest of nights, find solace in that fact that that will be more than enough to get you to dark.

Tolerating. In life, you can live to chase opportunity, or you can live to avoid failure. And there are two very different things. Rather than pursue, we often avoid, we avoid failure, we avoid criticism, we don't want to ruffle feathers or disrupt. No, we choose to simply exist. Never condemned, but never extraordinary. Just tolerate it. And it's an interesting dilemma because the best things exist on the extremes.

Life's fringes. That's where you find your accolades, your accomplishments. That's what we celebrate. It's where you need to be. And you get there not by worrying about what everyone around you thinks, but by taking your strength, your unique self holding on and pressing the pedal to the floor going all in. And yeah, that means suddenly, my friend, you are exposed.

You are vulnerable, you are now out there. It means those who don't have the courage to chase their dreams, they will find you threatening and they will let you know. But it also means that the shackles are off. The door is open, the light is green and you can build. From the ground up, you can build the light. the life you want. The finish line has now become

more visible than the prospect of falling along the way, and you've granted yourself permission to run through it. Sure, some will love you for these accomplishments, some will hate you for these accomplishments, but let me reiterate the word

accomplishment. Because when you live to be invisible, it's a term that rarely presents itself, I promise. Life, it rewards the bold. Those who are bold in their beliefs, bold in their actions, their dreams, and their pursuits. They are not for anyone but you.

And years later, when you look in the mirror, you'll know that you gave every single thing you had to a life that meant something to you. Loved, yes. Hated, sure, but merely tolerated. No. Before you can ever get to where you're going, you have to decide to begin. You have to acknowledge that what you're chasing means more to you than what you are leaving behind. And then begins the greatest adventure you will ever experience, knowing that you have turned someday into right now. that the road beneath you is waving you on, the wind at your back, it pushes you forward.

There are no guarantees in life. But that just might be what makes it so incredible. You'll only go as far as you allow your imagination to take you. Whether it's the end of your driveway, way or where the sun and the ocean intersect. Hope. That bridge that connects the present to a more ideal world. The idea that no obstacle is too big to overcome.

No situation too dire, to emerge victorious, and that you are never confined to how things are. FDR has said, we have always held to hope. hope, the belief, the conviction that there is a better life, a better world beyond the horizon. Why does this matter? Well, to put it simply, before one can leave this situation they are in, they have to believe there is another path worth taking. It's not always seeing, but trusting.

It's a tale of two components. one, the belief that something better is out there and two, the belief that you are strong enough to bridge that gap to create that world. So let's start with number one. There was a study done by Kurt Richter in the 1950s and he used rats. And it was kind of a gruesome experiment

but definitely worth talking about because the takeaway is incredible. Right? And I kind of cherry-picked the relevant. parts of the experiment. Basically, he wanted to delve into the role that hope plays in our lives. And what he would do is he would drop rats into a jar of water and observe. See how long they would swim before they drown.

And for the most part, these rats would swim for a minute or two and then ultimately give up. There was this innate feeling of hopelessness. But then he made a change. And when they were close to drowning, he'd reach in. picked them up, he'd hold them for a little while. And then he'd placed them back in the water. And the results between the two groups were night and day. The rats saw in the second group that it wasn't over. And when they were placed back in the water, they had a reason to continue

swimming. And they did. Some of them did for hours. The only difference being that they had hope. They saw there was more. And I don't think that's too different from us. The situation may be different, but the rules generally apply. So much of conceding or giving up in life, accepting an existence that fall short of our ideals, it's when we don't believe in something more. We stop swimming. You don't give ourselves a chance.

Right? So instead of creating bridges to walk on, we make walls that lock us in. Hope is knowing all pain, all discomfort is temporary. And the second component is belief in yourself. Belief in yourself to traverse that space between current and the ideal. It's self-empowerment. You can be the difference maker in your life and others.

And it's funny, the other day after reading about the Richter experiment, I was sitting at a friend's house with my laptop, kind of trying to figure out what to make of it. Because the idea of hope I knew was powerful. And I wanted to share that story. I wanted to write something that would highlight its value, but it seemed kind of unfinished. Or simply part of an explanation. I'm sitting there thinking about it, and I hear this loud bang over and over again.

And I get up and I run to the back of the house, right, to make sure everything's fine, see what's going on. And my friend's standing there with goggles on, this grin on his face and a sledgehammer, and a huge hole in the wall in front of him. And I'm like, dude, what are you doing? You just knocked your wall down. He goes, yeah, I wanted to make another closet. His family's growing. He needs more space, and he just took it upon himself to make that happen.

I just looked at him and walked back out. Start walking in the living room, and it hit me. This is a component of hope. Seeing what's not there and doing something about it. If the swimming experiment is step one, this has to be step two. In real time. Step one, believing seeing something more. Step two, taking action to change it now.

Buying into the fact that you have the power to change your own world. And it's funny because any house or room I've ever lived in, my thoughts always, you know, you look around and this is it, right? This is the situation. This is what's being given to me. How do I make the most of it? How do I play within these parameters? Not, okay, this is fine, but it could be better, you know,

by smashing down the wall in the back over there, creating something new. And, you know, obviously the message here isn't about home maintenance. This is about taking a sledgehammer to the places in your life in which you are not content. So that you can build in its place something that matters. You look around to your left, you're right, and you're unhappy. That's not the end of the story. That's the beginning of the story.

That's where the wheels hit the road. In other words, it's looking at life. With the lens, with the freedom of knowing things don't have to be what they are. They don't have to stay the same until the universe changes them. No, they can be what you make them. And what life teaches us again and again is that walls can be stepped over. Knows can become yeses. Impossibles can become commonplace.

But first, there must be... hope. There must be an understanding that your world is a 10,000 foot view of all the little stories you tell yourself and the narratives you believe. See, every day when you wake up and take your first steps, breathe your first breaths, know that nothing simply is. No, it is simply chosen and can be re-made. That's what makes life such a beautiful thing. It's flexibility. It's It's promise to provide what has been relentlessly sought out. So remember, it's when you can't find your answer. When the odds look grim, when the rest of the world tells you know

that you most need hope. Hope, the power, the strength to look within yourself and remember that one life can change, and two, you can change it. Armed with this understanding, nothing is impossible. When others fail to see the answer, the light in themselves, in the situation, you become the reminder that light is internally manufactured. We aren't given answers so that we may believe them.

We are given the opportunity to believe, and thus we create that ending we hope to pursue. And without this, life is nothing more than a permanent status It's holding our hands to the sky and receiving what light chooses to provide. But that's not why you're here. It's not why you woke up today, not to accept, but to create. To find hope in the tragedy and the hardship and to find within yourself the strength to move forward with whatever you decide comes next.

Recently, I was thinking about something a friend of mine named Tom told me a few years back. He owns a company in Oklahoma City and was telling me about how someone he'd hired essentially stole from him. And the first question that came to my mind as he was telling the story was, okay, what are you going to do about it? And I asked him the question and he was kind of quiet for a second and then asked in his son. Southern accent, Eddie, if a snake bites you, are you going to chase it into the woods to get your revenge? Or are you going to get the medical attention required to save yourself? Basically, are you going to focus on the past or on what to do from here forward? Basically, he cut ties with the person but had moved on.

Was already thinking about next steps that were best for him, his family, and his business. And I can tell you, since hearing that, it's become an incredibly valuable idea in my life. Especially as you realize that there will never be a shortage of problems. You do what you can to avoid them. You try to steer clear when possible, but adversity will always be a factor. It's about knowing that and stepping into it regardless. It's just something that's always intertwined in our development. And I find value in asking myself,

is this action I'm about to take conducive to my growth and my happiness? Or am I just chasing snakes? Does this just feel good in the short term because I'm angry or I've been wronged or something along those lines? Especially since most harm inflicted on others derived from incompetence, not malice. And I truly believe that. I think very frequently we attribute sinister motives to others when 99% of the time it's sheer stupidity. It's imperfect humans trying to navigate an often complex world. We make mistakes.

Now, I'm not suggesting you don't stand up for yourself when you've been wronged or slighted. Of course you should. But the magic is in not personalizing the situation. possessing the emotional IQ to understand, hey look, it's not about me, but whether I can salvage this situation from here. And that depends solely on how I choose to look at. Emerson wrote,

People do not seem to realize that their opinion of the world is also a confession of their character. And what a powerful point. The flexibility and the leeway available to us when it comes to making sense of the world speaks to not how the world is, but how the onlooker thinks and interprets. De-personalizing this situation is one of the greatest superpowers that are disposedly. When you're angry and accusatory, you will, as Tom put it, end up chasing snakes.

You'll end up breaking things that will need to be rebuilt and uttering words you'll wish you'd never spoken. But the five seconds required to pause, to collect yourself, and realize that you're in control is everything. The ability to see the person, the situation or the world, not as an adversary stacked against you, but as an inevitable challenge that must be managed. So how will you choose to manage it? How will you choose to arrange the people? And by the way, I'm fully aware the constant theme for my speeches and podcasts and videos is the act of pointing not out at the world but in at ourselves.

My responsibility, my fault, my problem to deal with. I understand just how heavy that is, how hard that can be. Especially when deflecting blame often feels like it would just be a tremendous weight off of our shoulders. when revenge feels like the easy, intuitive move. But again, it's short-term relief. To truly grow, to find the calm and happiness and meaning we long for, it's the internal relationship with ourselves that matters most.

It's the ability to say, I may not have created this, or even, you know, I may have made the mistakes that brought this to life, but I can't fix it. it until I look at both the situation and my own reflection and proclaim it's mine now. Let the past be the past. Now it's me and the present.

And as far as I'm concerned, the present and opportunity, they are always one in the same so long as we choose to see it that way. It's not what you look at. It's what you see. over and over and over again. Is it happening to you or for you? Is it a problem or an opportunity, a setback or a chance to reset? I want to bring to light a story, one that I've told before,

but it's so perfectly representative of the conversation. Jim Rohn talking about two brothers in an abusive household, alcoholic father, terrible childhoods. You know, they grow up and both of the sons have families of their own. One is the exact same as his father. He's abusive and he's angry. And the other one is a great father. He's kind, he's loving, he's supportive.

And when asked why, the abusive brother replies, look at my childhood, right? How could you blame me for this? The other brother, when asked, responds, look at my childhood, right? How could I let myself treat my family? the same way. And in a way, one spent his life chasing snakes, bitter, resentful. The other one asked, well, that was terrible, but what can I do to write the wrong? One personalized it. The other used it as a

lever or stepping stone. And this is, of course, a simplification, but I believe every struggle we face in our lives at its core contains some element of this choice. From the little, things to the big things, where do I go from here? It's mine now and I can choose whether to make it better or worse. Chase the snake into the woods or march forward to find the value and write the ship. Remember that when it's hardest, when you least want to. Remember that the present contains every single thing you need to begin a journey to recovery, to grow. To grow. growth to contentment and meaning. You, on your end though,

need to be willing to slow down the moment. Need to be willing to collect yourself and give yourself permission to take that necessary and appropriate step. This morning I went down the street to go to this class. It's basically 45 minutes of body circuits in a heated room. Which I love. I love mixing that in with the running that I do. And basically the thing kicks off.

And somewhere in, you know, maybe the last third of the class, we were doing some weighted squats. And right at that point where, you know, you're in the thick of things, your legs start to burn, heart rates elevated, and you can start to, you know, really feel the temperature of the room, the instructor said something that I thought was absolutely incredible. She goes, and I'm paraphrasing, the discomfort that you feel right now is a privilege. It's a privilege to suffer through this.

It's a privilege to be here working on yourself when most people are at home. It's a privilege to be in a position to move through the resistance you feel right now. And that message moved me. And how can you even think of it? about discomfort after that perspective had been laid out. How can you see a few minutes of fatigue as anything other than the small price of improvement? It's funny how the same things we consider to be torture or punishment, if they're externally required of us, they become empowering when we know that we deliberately chose them.

And this feeling, it was definitely self-induced. It was chosen, right? I decided to be there in class that day. It was what I needed. To become just a little bit better, to obtain just a little bit more. And what a privilege. I've learned over the years to manage pain.

You have to. You have to immerse yourself in an often less than ideal short term so that you can bring about results of greater magnitude. I've always accepted this. I've always known it to be true. I believe, you know, in my own world, I've sacrificed accordingly. But I don't recall the last time I was overtly thankful for the obstacles in my way. I don't remember the last time I saw my struggle, not as a necessary burden, but a gift.

There's something not thrown at me, but presented to me. Think for a second about the finitude of life, the one in four, 400 trillion odds of being born, a number that I came across somewhere that I certainly can't validate, but I don't think you need to to get the point, right? The odds of being here are incredibly slim. Yet somehow we won. We all received winning lottery tickets. Here we are on a strange planet with options to choose from, paths to decide between and a job. giant ticking clock.

And given these circumstances, aren't we doing a disservice to ourselves to not at least see what we're capable of? What we can do, build, create, and become? I certainly think so. And what is the cost of that evolution? It's discomfort. It's forging our future by walking through fire. It means intentional hardship.

And to not see that as the gateway to life's infinite opportunity is missing the mark. Why shouldn't you feel lucky about yourself transforming in real time? Why shouldn't you feel proud of paying a steeper price for a better view? Why shouldn't you be delighted to unpack the mystery and the adventure contained in life? This isn't something you have to do on your way to point B. This is something you get to do on your journey to become whoever you choose to become. So when the pressures of life press down upon us,

test us, perhaps solely acknowledging its utility is insufficient. Maybe it's more. Maybe it's something that should be celebrated, adored. Today was a reminder to be thankful for the body that can endure the turbulence. Thankful for the mind that can manage and overcome the chaos. Thankful for the opportunity to be here to begin with and the freedom to choose the difficult thing.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for the opportunity to live in such a way. that as I place my head on the pillow each and every night, I'm grateful for the privilege. When the ground beneath us shakes, we crave stability. When the heavens open up and rain pours down and we run for shelter. When life presents us with vagueness, with flashes of possibility, we long for mastery. It's more instinct than anything else.

But could it be that that instinct that we run to like moths to a flame is leading us astray, that it doesn't have our best interests at heart? Could it be that we're so worried about protecting and maintaining an acceptable image for the world that we forget to build something internally that's worth protecting? What if that shaking is what brings down the foundations that held us back? What if that rain washes away the limits of yesterday as we evolve into something more? And what if those flashes of possibility require of us not mastery, no not yet, but a willingness to be the fool?

And what if that willingness isn't an unfortunate dead end but a beginning? In one of his lectures at the University of Toronto, Jordan Peterson said, if you are not willing to be a fool, you can't be a master. In the cycle that is self-discovery, that is growth, we have to at some point step into an arena that's foreign to us, that we don't yet understand. We have to be willing to operate with inadequate resources, trusting that they'll be picked up along the way.

And that's a lot to take in. It's painful to know that others are going to have knowledge and skills and competencies that you won't. That you'll willingly inject yourself into the bottom of some hierarchy with nothing more than aspirations. But that willingness is your vehicle. And what's clear is that everyone wants the moon, but very few people have the courage to start constructing that spaceship. Very few have the courage to be the student. That's why our inclination is to quit when we can't snap our fingers and magically be on our way. When we can't leap past that wandering around the unknowns.

The reality is we have to fight to scrap to obtain that sense of belonging in a particular competency. And just talking about it brings me back. It's an obstacle that we all face. It's super real to me. I remember being featured on a podcast where the host literally asked me, why should I listen to what you have to say? Like, who are you? Why are you roadmapping your journey?

I remember fighting for relevance in an area in which, you know, at the time I knew almost nothing about. And I love how Peterson articulates this battle. He says at some point, you'll want to make a change and you'll feel like an imposter. And guess what? You are. But you have to be. You'll ultimately feel worse if you don't do it.

That's imposter syndrome. Feeling like a stranger in your own body. And guess what? It's not wrong. It's just a beginning. I like explaining it like jumping into a cold pool. It feels uncomfortable at first. It feels out of place, but then things normalize.

They become comfortable. And what's the other option? To fear that minute of discomfort and never jump in? It's what we need to tell ourselves when we want something, but the climb seems too steep. That climb is manageable. You'll acclimate. The adversary is pushing beyond that fear of starting anew. Taking your limited understanding, bringing it to the base of that mountain, a new Goliath, and looking up with confidence.

And the question is, can you be foolish enough to do that? And once you've made that ceiling your next floor, will you be foolish enough to do it again and again and again? And breaking through that fear, knowing that stumbling around for a period of time doesn't kill you, it's required. It's the inability to show weakness or appear vulnerable. That's what chips away at you for a lifetime. If you want more, immerse yourself in that cycle of mastery. Start at the bottom and ascend. And when you approach the top, separate yourself and find another ceiling to chase.

Replant a seed. Play the role of the fool again. This is the formula for growth, for prosperity, for fulfillment. This is the pathway to anything of substance. You take your ls. You embrace your critics. You swallow your pride. And move towards a tomorrow that far exceeds today.

As your reality changes, your perception changes, the company you keep changes, you'll start to see that what's around you is made by people who were willing to fail and fail often. Our world is when devised by those who could put pride on hold. By those who were humble enough to crawl through the unknown long before they ran anything. Who knew that before they played for any title or champion? They must first play the fool. I walked up to the canyon's edge and I looked. I remember thinking this is my moment. I took a breath.

I stepped back and I screamed. At the top of my lungs, I screamed. And out came my plans and my hopes and my dreams. I let the world know everything I've been building and everything I plan to build. everything I knew and everything I intended to learn I explained everything I felt all of me turn messenger

packaged into these tiny airwaves and dispersed to the sky echoing one more time as they left as if for approval and then nothing no problem I thought I'll just wait but the second hand kept ticking and still nothing.

No answers and no approvals and no guarantees. Huh. What was left to do but stand up and scream again and I did and all I got was my own voice pushing through the canyon. Did I say the right thing? Did I make the right plan? Can you be right and alone at the same? same time, I don't know, I'll wait. Because surely someone cares. Someone has to care. Don't people

care? At that moment, a tear rolled down my cheek as I sighed, sat down, exhausted, tired, tired of screaming and not being heard, tired of swinging and missing, tired of every attempt being the one that might change everything. I was tired of it all. Forget it. Forget it. Time to go somewhere else. I wasn't sure where, but let's face it. It doesn't really matter when the only way to go is up. So I turned around and took my first few steps, defeated eyes down at my feet as they marched me away unceremoniously,

but then I heard it. Something in front of me. And I immediately lifted my gaze. from my shoes and stopped dead in my tracks. I couldn't believe what I saw. A sea of people standing there, people that had been gathering this whole time, making their way up the canyon as my back was turned as I yelled and yelled. Some I knew.

Some I didn't. Some who cared so much that my pain was essentially their pain. Some I've helped along the way and some who have helped me. Some I've laughed with, some I've cried with, some I've learned from, some who have learned from me. Some who felt exactly as I had, alone, tired, exhausted, some who felt lost but found their way. Others who thought they had everything figured out, but for that moment were lost. Some who felt like they had the weight of the world on their shoulders, others, simply looking for anything to carry. All there, not to hand me answers or a shortcut or any perfect solution.

But apparently to remind me that when the answers aren't in front of you, and trust me they won't be more than they will be, You have to trust what's behind you. What brought you to that canyon's ledge? You have to believe in the things you cannot see. Because you can think you're alone and be loved by many, and you can feel like you're losing and be right where you need to be. Life can seem like it's over when it is in fact just beginning. Those words bouncing off your lips, they don't disappear.

In fact, by speaking them, you are giving them life. They become as real as the hand in front of your face, and it's up to you to never let that blank space make you think otherwise. To never let what you don't have minimize or mitigate what you do. Because the tricky thing about that abyss beyond the canyon's ledge is that it's not for reassurance or compliments or ego, No, it's the real deal. It's for carving away at who you might be.

And that's, well, that's never going to be easy. In fact, it's always going to make you ask yourself the tough questions. And the hardest part is it will often leave you alone to answer them. But alone for the moment, not for the journey. The echo through the canyons highlights the power of what you have to say. in the river down below emphasizes how high you've already climbed, and those people behind you, they are your strength. Your reminder that even in the darkest of moments,

the most trying of times you are not alone. Let those dreams leave your lips and fly off into that abyss. Because as hard as it may be to understand in the moment, they are in fact making their way back to you. Your obligation is a simple one. No, it has nothing to do with breaking any records. No miracles here. You don't have to be the first or the best or the greatest.

No, those things by themselves are meaningless. You can't perform them. They aren't verbs. They're consequences. consequences of your much simpler obligation. To not stop. To carry on. To hush your mind and move your feet.

No, not at the beginning. Everybody loves the beginning. And no, not towards the end. Anyone can find the strength when the adrenaline is pumping and the finish line is in sight. I'm talking about the middle. That dreaded space. Brian Moran,

Valley of Despair, Jim Rones' winter, when nothing around you is reassuring, and I don't mean in some metaphysical way, I mean when you're just not winning. And no winning means no validation, at least not right now, and no immediate validation means you begin to question things, question the work, the initiative, your ability to carry it out. See, I've come to form an important bond with this place every time I wander in its direction. It's where lives truly change. So long as you can get beyond that first trap, that trap of thinking that it's a reflection of you, as opposed to what it really is, the test that guards and protects the realm of excellence,

the invitation to become who you've never been. There's a saying that everything looks like failure in the middle. It's one's ability to see through that haze that eventually makes the middle something meaningful. That obligation not to stop, not to let the external world do internal damage. The obligation to depersonalize the bumps along the road, the people in your way.

The chaos, the difficulty, the uncertainty, It's not about you. It's about everyone trying to figure your life out. Trying everything and looking everywhere but the road in front of them. Your job is not to leap a mile or change humanity with a single act. No, it's to carry on. And don't discourage yourself by thinking you owe more than that. Because all you can do in a single moment is not stop.

I've always said one of the most beautiful, things about victory, is that no matter how big it can be simplified, condensed down to those who could have said no, but didn't. And that when your plan is to show up no matter what, you have made yourself elite, you've built a template for the results to model, to catch up. You're there. when you win and when you lose, when you're excited and when you feel tired, when you're certain, and when you have no clue, you are there. That is your obligation.

And win those steps, when those decisions, when that persistence comes together, they tell a story so incredible that we can't help but stop and admire the result. One decision at a time, without seeing it in the moment, has come to be something larger than life. Saying yes once, it likely doesn't mean much, but saying yes in the face of adversity every day, recreate your world. So stay true to your obligation.

Whether you're in the valley of despair, winter, or some other hellscape we refer to as the middle, remember that an ending is not required of you. No, not right now. All that is asked is that you don't stop. That you see hope when so many are unwilling, that you see the temporary nature of the state you're in, and believe with all your heart that you'll emerge victorious. One simple decision.