Your World Within Podcast by Eddie Pinero - DON'T GIVE UP - Motivational Speech by Eddie Pinero

Episode Date: April 22, 2024

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts." - Winston Churchill Monday Motivation Newsletter: https://www.eddiepinero.com/newsletter Free Ebook: www.eddiepinero.com/ebook  YouTube: www.eddiepinero.com/youtube  Join us for Eddie Pinero's motivational speeches on the theme of never giving up. In this inspiring compilation, Eddie shares powerful insights and stories to encourage perseverance through challenges and setbacks. Get ready to be motivated and empowered to overcome obstacles on your journey to success. Subscribe to unlock your resilience and achieve your dreams

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 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 had. 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, starting in 2014, going all the way up to 2021, where suddenly you see that flatline spike, right? The channel sort of leaps to the next stratosphere, 4x, then 5x, then 10x, then 20x. After years of consistency, you know,

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 did 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.

You give 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. Wasn't a substantial, you know, 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. Right? 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 and 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. There's 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. When you look back in totality, it looks huge. But really, it was just a... 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 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 have been down the same road, your exponential growth can occur, you know, way faster than seven years. Just don't leave that door cracked.

So I'm going to share a life lesson with you, something that over the years has been a true game changer. Ready? It's simple. It's very simple. Like most things, it's easy to understand. It's easy to comprehend. It's the implementation.

That's the challenge, right? But it's the idea that progress is not always a visible step forward. Growth is not always a measurable inch or mile to feel good about it, to celebrate. It's not always a tangible victory or pat on the back to smile about it. Sometimes it's sidestepping. Sometimes it's stepping backwards, reminding ourselves to look up and gain perspective. Because we are always inclined to look at the immediate. That's what feels good.

And this lesson says, no, there's a big picture to keep in mind. It reels us in. The big picture is what gives us purpose. It drives our happiness. That thing we want on the top of the hill. The North Star, the X on the map, that's what's sustainable. And I say it's been a game changer for me because, you know, one of my biggest adversaries over the years has been that voice in my head. Almost pleading with me to indulge in the thing that will bring that immediate result.

It's money now, growth now, validation now. There's comfort there. Our minds want that satisfaction. That's why you see all those guys standing next to whiteboard saying they have the formula to make you rich tomorrow. We want tomorrow. We believe in some capacity that that can be real tomorrow. But that's what tends to lead us astray. And so I've spent a lot of time reflecting over the years on how to incentivize those steps that aren't immediately impactful.

There's not the flashy metal you're going to get right now. but I know that if I do it, it's going to bring me to my long-term goal. How do I incentivize that? Because like I said, the natural inclination is to dismiss it. I'm walking laterally across the mountain so that ultimately I can find the most applicable path and ascend. And that's a scary thing. You know, building long-term gives you very little to immediately slap on a resume, to brag

or rant about at holiday parties. There's nothing flashy to impress with, but it's believing in a long-term game, doing what most people can't, trading that certainty that you could have had for an extraordinary later. It's never a loss to do what has to be done so that you can position yourself for the future. Sometimes you have to wade through the muck, work quietly in the dark, so that you can build something that you feel will have an impact. It's not a loss to step backwards to tweak the things you're not happy with.

That's not a loss to explore or question or reinvent. It's true, those actions in and of themselves aren't going to put money immediately in your pockets. But if you find the discipline to see the big picture, you realize that long term, those things bring happiness, contentment, excitement. Which guess what? Leads to accomplishment and progress and the financial stability that you're looking for. Chasing flashy things. Chasing the immediate moment, yeah, it gets you. you a quick rush, a nice blast of dopamine, but it's empty. Ultimately, it's unfulfilling

because nothing worth having is quick. That's life. But it's often the illusion that guides us. You'll never see how many auditions the 33-year-old actor went through before he was cast in a major film. You don't see that. You don't see the countless hours and shows and midnight gigs in front of three people that the rock star endured. You just don't. It's not celebrated. We celebrate what we see. And what I've learned is that the most important things, they're just not visible to the naked eye. And it's funny. It's like people, they're ashamed or embarrassed by the fact that they're climbing to the top of their own hill to something truly significant to them because the person next to them is bragging about blindly leaping three steps. Right? And that's great. Progress is great,

but unless it's taking you to where you want to be most, is it a win? I have many friends that have left six-figure or hire jobs to podcast or create or start their own businesses. And people's first reaction is always like, wow, look what you have. Look what you're walking away from. We see scarcity. We are naturally inclined to see life through a lens of scarcity. You need to remember that. That's what we do. We establish and protect our well-being. That's why I've worked so hard to transform my thinking over the years. To look out and think, who cares what I had? look what's out there. There are no limitations to what can be yours.

If you're not on top of the world, make it happen. And I understand people are complex. Situations, they're not easy, they're intricate. Everyone's different. Everything is different. But there's a principle that's consistent. And it's that you can always improve your situation. That will never be false.

To some degree, you can improve your situation. There's always opportunity. It's just what you see. A friend of mine sent me a text yesterday, saying the past and the future, they're just imagination, all you have is now. Everything other than split second is the story you're deciding to tell yourself. That's it. Think about that. We're operating off what we decide is real or imaginary, possible or impossible.

We're living in a world that is our own. There's no them or they are a crowd, just individual people, all telling themselves some variation of a story. And so taking this back to the point, caving into that pressure, a constant. to the now so that we feel important, so that our self-worth sees that temporary spike. It neglects the opportunity. It makes us feel like we're stepping forward, that we're progressing, but in reality, are we? That voice, that pressure to conform to what will impress Richard next door, it will always lead to, it will always be to our detriment.

And it takes truly what I believe is the most pure, important aspect of life and sticks it in the closet so that we can feel like we're on par with everyone else. And I'll never forget starting out. And I bring this up a lot because it was one of those moments where I knew I recognized that a huge shift was happening in my life. Went out with some friends from college. And one's working for a senator. One's at Goldman. One's a lawyer.

And I'm thinking, well, you know, geez, I just quit my job. But I have this really cool idea for a YouTube channel. And I just, you know, I don't think any girls are going to be swooning over that. And I struggled, right? At the time, it was difficult for me. And I look back and I'm just thankful every day. that at the time I was able to locate somewhere in my soul the courage to stick that out to believe that if I executed on this dream I could have an impact because like I mentioned above it was painful

in the moment but when you think big picture bigger things happen right I'm doing things now that I never ever would have been able to do if I didn't have that that desire to do the unconventional thing if I stopped it sort of the discomfort or if I stopped when I felt like I was losing this imaginary race to those people around me. I wouldn't have the creative flexibility that I have now. I wouldn't be able to do what I do now. I wouldn't have the people in my life that I have now. You have to earn that every single day. And it makes me wonder how many people stopped when they could have taken their own path, brought their own unique vision into existence if they didn't retreat when they felt like they were a lone wolf, when it felt like they were

losing a race that didn't exist, when they felt like their neighbors were getting ahead, or their classmates, or their friends were doing the conventional things, so they had to. They were too scared to step backwards, and I'm telling you right now, I'm telling you that step backwards, that ability to temporarily find yourself, to create yourself, that will mean everything. That will open doors for you that would never have existed. You never would have come across them because you would have been too scared. to look for them. You have to make opportunities. Simple metaphor, gumball machine,

gumball does not come out if you don't put the quarter in and turn it. It's a price that has to be paid. Except in reality the price is a lot higher than a quarter because we're conditioned to want to fit in. We're terrified to look like we don't know what we're doing. Every significant thing around you stemmed from someone pushing into that unknown. It came from someone risking everything. It's not easy when your family doesn't know what you're doing, your friends don't know what you're doing, or you don't know what you're doing.

But if you want to have an impact, that is the road you have to take. That's the cost you need, the price that you need to pay. It'll be a hard year or two years or three years, but you won't regret it. So hopefully this can be a reminder to you. When I talk about lateral steps, that's the sentiment I'm trying to recreate. I think that's the great thing because it means the people who create, who build something meaningful. They've earned it. And that's what I tell myself every day.

Earn that dream. Earn that change. Take that road less travel. What you're doing right now is not insignificant simply because it's not immediately bearing free. I think if you listen to this back from the top, you'll notice the constant theme, immediate, now, present. These things are delusioned. As far as results are concerned, the word immediately is a con artist. Action should be immediate, but results, no, they are gradual.

They require persistence. Stick with it. Remind yourself to look up because that's what you're after. It's a pursuit. You're building a foundation. You're creating the things that permanently alter the artistic and political and social landscapes. That's remarkable. It's the road few have the patience to walk.

Remind yourself why you're skipping the small stuff, brushing off the little winds and losses. Why building something substantial in silence is more powerful than gloating and screaming at the top of your lungs after every visible step. Look up. Reminds yourself that you are going to change the world and you can see it. 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, 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 clip 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 current. 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 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 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? 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 misdiagre. 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 shaking, 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 admission. Right? 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 that we can piece together the knowledge along the way. It reminds us that fear is going to be able to be it. 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. Stop apologizing.

Stop apologizing for who you are, what you believe and how you see the world. Stop apologizing for your failures. They lift you up. They push you to be more. Stop apologizing for being different, unusual or unique. There's just saying that if you are lucky enough to be different, don't ever change, embrace that. Hold it.

Stop apologizing for taking a path less traveled for breaking away from the pack. It's not an insufficiency. It doesn't mean you couldn't go their way. It means you had the courage to be yourself. in a world trying to make you someone else. Stop apologizing for words that don't align with someone else's ideology or worldview. Your job isn't to appease or conform is to grab hold of what lights a fire in you and use it to brighten the world around you.

Stop apologizing for your dreams. It's okay to not be content where you are. It's okay to want to want to be content where you are. to grow, to become more. The roots planting them to the ground, they are not yours. And why waste the opportunity beyond the horizon of your current existence? See, having the courage of your convictions is like unlocking your mind. Realizing that, yeah, you have the key and you've had it all along. No one else gets to set your parameters. They don't get to tell you you what's right or what to believe, the people around you are not moral arbiters. They're not

protectors of truth. Remember that. Remember that no one knows better than you what's best for you. That's why there's power and intuition in following your beliefs, your strengths, in doing what makes you happy, relentlessly pursuing what makes you feel alive. The thing about dreams, potential they're always meaningless until they're not see everything is crazy until it exists so protect it don't bow down to the pressures of now simply because you have not yet built tomorrow you will if you want it you will some messages they are incredibly simple and this my friends is one of those You have everything you need to become who you want to be right now.

As you listen to this in real time, you don't need approval or permission or acceptance. You don't need to belong or be told it's normal. You simply need to start to know that you will pick yourself up when you fall and keep going. Not apologize, but continue placing one foot in front of the other. look externally for a will to carry on that only exists within you. See the second you begin rewriting the rules, changing the game, you put yourself in position to emerge victorious. Mark Twain said the two most important days of your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why. The first gets you into the show. And the second,

asks, what will you do with your time here? What will you make of this sunrise? Because we only get so many. And I think there's immense value in understanding that each and every one of us are here to lead this place better than we found it. To stand up when we could be sitting down, step out, and make something of the chaotic and often hard

to understand world around us. When you realize the miracle that is your existence, when you understand the almost impossible odds of you being here, thinking, feeling, breathing in the air around you, you begin to see the value of today. Because it's not an obligation, it's a currency, the most precious of commodities. Today is your time to step into that new version of yourself, to see something more so that you can begin the process of creating something more.

Because the truth is life will always be what you decide it is. If you walk up to your window, look through the blind and decide what you see is the finale, the final script, that's exactly what it will be. But if you see right now as a beautiful beginning, the initiation of the ride of a lifetime, a transport to the next version of you and the next and the next, then you are signing up for a world without limit. A world where you can feel what it's like to be tested and endure. To be lost but finds your way. to build something meaningful out of the seemingly meaningless, that's why you're here. That's what it means to truly live.

Today is your day. Your chance, don't let it slip away from you, don't be fooled into thinking it's less than it really is. It is your ticket to infinity. A journey that starts when you decide it does. When you look out at that vast unknown and say, I'm not going to settle for anything less than a life of adventure. I want the challenges, the turbulence, the losses and the battles. They will bring me to a place I could never have arrived at otherwise.

You get from life what you give. So give it all. Leave no path unwalk, no stone unturned. Today is the most important day of your life Because it will connect the you of yesterday to the limitless you of every day that comes next. Life is perspective. So during the good times, find gratitude. And during the difficult times, find the opportunity.

When you have the answers, when you know, be proud of your knowledge. And when you don't celebrate all the wisdom to come, when the sun is shining, cherish the warmth on your skin, and when it's not, learn to run in the rain. When you're focused, appreciate the clarity. And when life feels chaotic, embrace the chance to man you've manufacture order.

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

you look at, it's what you see. So see the world as you'd like it to be never turning a blind eye to reality but realizing how much control you have over making reality your own we are the builders the world around us merely provides the components and the pieces and if one were to live as though there were value in every moment they would inevitably find themselves looking for that value perhaps even when and it was difficult to find, most elusive. When most would hang their heads and walk right by it, I look out my window and see a world that is neither valuable or valueless,

I see a blank canvas in which we are tasked with making that decision. Life is a roller coaster ride. It has ups and downs, the obvious and the unexpected. And while some think nothing of the high points, and dwell on the low points, there are an abundance of resources, of beauty, of joy, reserved for those who understand

how great the highs are and how valuable the lows, who take what comes, not as walls to live within, but as parts to assemble. Not as antithetical to their hopes and dreams, but as the very found, they will build those hopes and dreams upon.

This world is not for you, just as much as it is entirely yours. It calls for you to be that arbiter. For what you decide will inevitably take.