Your World Within Podcast by Eddie Pinero - FOCUS YOUR MIND - Powerful Motivational Speeches

Episode Date: May 6, 2023

“Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four hour days.” - Zig Ziglar

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And what he means is those fleeting moments of excitement, where you have an idea, a concept, those must be cached in. They must come to life, otherwise they're gone before they had a chance to change anything. See, what we don't really talk about much is that inspiration is only as valuable as one's willingness to act upon. Just like a seed without the right nutrients can't grow, or a wheel is only useful once it touches the ground. It's the world able to act upon these objects that makes them powerful instruments. And so with that inspiration, that momentary jolt you've captured,

the faster you act upon it, the more likely something comes of it. Inspiration transforms into action, which creates momentum and then more inspiration. inspiration. And so goes the powerful cycle we must seek to create. Inspiration to action, to inspiration to action. I talk all the time about the myth of perfection. The idea that the perfect moment is out there, that someone or something will give you permission.

But no, that green light is self-created. And when it arrives, don't waste it. It's not about reaching a mountaintop right away. You don't need to create the perfect solution right now. But give yourself a chance to see those wheels hit the road. Allow that cycle of inspiration and action to propel you forward. Because so much of life comes down to what you did when that fleeting moment arrived, what you turned it into if you gave it life.

A lot of people out there think that the secret to life is having the right answers. But I'm here to tell you it's the courage, the willingness, the strength to move forward before you have them. To take that little bit of inspiration into the sunset. Let it mean something. Let it be a beginning. So when you look back years from now, you'll see that single decision to act meant so much more than what it felt in the moment. That single step you courageously took was everything.

I was recently reading a book called The Boys in the Boat, about nine American rowers from Washington that won gold in the 1936 Olympics. And there's this incredible exchange at one point in the book between the main character Joe, who's part of that historic boat, and a man named George Pocock, who was not only a brilliant rowing mind that helped the team out, but he also had his own business crafting in making the boats or rowing shells, as they were called, and he would make them and send them to schools all over the country. And so Joe's deal is that he's this natural talent, right?

strong kid, tough as nails, but just seems to lose his composure from time to time. When he's in the boat, there are these moments of jaw-dropping excellence, unprecedented speed across the water, and then there are moments when he loses his focus, and the boat sort of follows suit, right? They're inconsistent. And so George Pocock, being the rowing expert that he is, made a commitment to see if he could help Joe figure that out, right, the mental game. So he calls Joe in to his shop. And he starts showing him how he puts together these highly coveted boats, showing him the tools and the pieces and how it's nothing short of an art. He has sort of this divine respect for his craft. And at one point he pulls out a cedar plank that he'll be

using to make one of the boats. And he points to the growth rings in the wood, mentioning that they tell the story of the tree's 2,000-year life. So here's a quick quote from the exchange. He says, their thickness and thinness spoke of hard years of bitter struggle, intermittent with rich years of sudden growth. The different colors spoke of various soils and minerals that the tree's roots had encountered,

some harsh and stunting, some rich and nourishing. Flaws and irregularities told how the tree's roots had encountered. endured fires and lightning strikes, windstorms, and infestations, and yet continued to grow. Almost as if there was something sacred about it. The wood taught us about survival, about overcoming difficulty, about prevailing over adversity, but it also taught us something about the underlying reason for surviving in the first place. Something about infinite beauty, underlying grace, about things larger and greater than ourselves, about the reasons we are all here. I paused after reading that and thought for a minute or two, what is it about those rowers crossing the finish

line after giving everything they have that touches us so deeply? What is it about a cedar tree standing the test of time, those 2,000 years of adversity, only to try to try and triumphantly pierce the sky when all is said and done, it moves us because it tells us what we already know, yet forget. In our hearts believe, but often fail to see, that we are greater than the sum of our parts. Ernest Becker, when he was touched on the aspect of the human predicament, he famously noted that we are simultaneously wormed. and gods, earthly and divine. And I think it's in those moments, the crossing of finished lines,

the times we did more than we ever thought possible, or looked back and smiled about all we overcame. It's in these times we're able to transcend the mundane, the everyday. We're able to remind ourselves that, sure, Some aspects of us are merely human, but no aspects are ordinary. The greatest power one can witness is that of the human spirit, bending but never breaking, making light of the odds and an example of the predictable. So know that whether now is difficult or not,

it's part of your journey, a defining chapter in the incredible story. story of your life and if you find yourself up cherish that it's more precious than gold if you find yourself down remember that you'll look back on this growth ring of your life and be grateful that it gave you that which smooth sailing never could because at the end of the day all you have is what's in front of you the next move the next step and the faith that all these little pieces will someday mean something, that standing the test of time will speak for itself at your finish line, whatever that may be, it will. You'll look back and see that without your knowing or awareness, they propelled you into the current moment. They gave life

to something beyond the realm of worms and dirt, beyond the realm of humans operating in their day-to-day world, no, they allowed you for a moment in time to touch the infinite, if only to prove to yourself that you could. There are always barbarians at the gate. And I mean this, in the sense that the second we give less than our best, the second we let up, it's not just that we allow the important things to fade. No, we let the outside world infiltrate our existence. In the history of civilizations by Will Durant, he said something that I found incredibly interesting.

He's talking about the fall of the Assyrian Empire, and he says barbarism is always around civilization, omit it and beneath it, ready to engulf it by arms or mass migration or unchecked fertility. Barbarism is like the jungle. It never admits its defeat. It waits patiently to recover the territory it has lost. See, in those civilizations, Durant speaks of, they knew they were always living with a threat of an attack by outside forces that oppose it, knowing that calm and quiet wasn't the rule,

but the exception to the rule. And in its weakest moments, it crumbles. In fact, Durand says societies are born stoic and they die a pecurian, right? Created from discipline, but fall apart when people take what they have for granted, when pleasure and leisure become the standard. It's almost like society is a submarine keeping out the ocean of human nature, constantly putting pressure on it, right? And why does this matter?

Well, this is what's interesting. Compare it to this idea that I found in Jim Rohn's collection of life, where he's talking about life's concessions. He says even small compromises with regard to your goal matter. Giving in even a little bit can be dangerous. Saying, oh, it's just one time is a wolf in sheep's clothing. Because it begins the process of the downfall. Plants a seed, it cracks the door for those barbarians waiting patiently outside the gate.

the ones who know discipline is not guaranteed. Discipline is built, manufactured, it must be protected. It is the exception to the rule, and they are chomping at the bit. Given the slightest opportunity, they will bring it to ashes. And this matters because it's up to you to protect that which is worth protecting. You ever have one of those days or weeks that are insanely productive or enjoyable, and you just think this is great, I need to do more of this. I need to sustain this. And then time goes by. The outside world sneaks in and the prospect

of continuing that routine slips away. Crashes because parameters were not created. Because you let it slip once. And once doesn't mean you'll pick up where you left off. No once is whispering to your subconscious that it's okay to concede. It says, oh, it's all right. I'll start. stray from my path just for the important things. I'll only crack the door for the barbarians when I need to. But now you're in an interesting situation. How do you measure when it's important enough to quit or stop or cheat? And trust me, I understand that life is complex.

It's not black and white, but the areas we grow the most are the same areas where we leave no room for negotiation. X, Y, or Z is going to happen because it is who you are. In that door, it stays shut to the outside world, the mediocrity telling you your plans don't matter. To the barbarians outside, looking for any excuse to infiltrate or destroy. And see, the point is not to avoid fun or leisure or the enjoyment of life. No, of course not. What I'm advocating is that we highlight the aspects of life that are non-negotiable,

the things that mean a lot and are therefore subject to the ever-reaching arm. of retreat. You don't have to do this, the barbarians will tell you. Once isn't the end of the world, but what life shows us is that greatness isn't one crazy or monumental action, it's keeping the intruders out where they must be restrained, remaining diligent in one's pursuit towards something more. Yes, there are always enemies at the gate, but there is also within you the ability to keep them in check, to tame them, to differentiate between your world and theirs.

And in your life, your world, your empire, you are the gatekeeper. We sat around in a circle on a beautiful fall morning to build dream catchers. Something, to be honest, I never saw myself doing in a million lifetimes. The feathers and strings and beads and glue stretched out on a blanket in the middle of the circle. As we built, we took what we needed piece by piece. And it's safe to say, mine was far and away, the least, let's say, aesthetically pleasing of the group. Black and bright yellow string wrapped around the top, above which an assortment of random beads sort of dangled care. It wasn't the most beautiful dream catcher ever made, but it was mine.

After a quick Google search, I learned that some Native Americans believe that the air at night is filled with dreams, both good and bad. And that the purpose of the dream catcher is to protect from the bad ones, the nightmares and the evil spirits. Interesting, I thought, putting it away, expecting that to be that and life to move on. But a few days later on the flight home, I got up mid-flight to grab a charger out of my carry-on overhead. And in the same side pouch was, you guessed it, that little black and yellow dream catcher. One of the dangled strings had snapped. My sloppy craftsmanship already was causing the top to loosen up. But something compelled me to grab it along with it.

with my charger and I sat back down. I had 8.5 hours to kill, put my chair back and closed my eyes. The previous week had been an important one. A complete break from my typical day-to-day routine. And probably more important, some forced introspection. I like to think of the trip as briefly leaving the heart of a city, which when you're in a city. obviously know you're there, but you can't really grasp the magnitude and scope of the place.

Not until you leave it and see it from the outside. The gorgeous skyline with the lights and buildings that extend into the clouds. A picture you only get from a distance. That skyline from five miles away just doesn't feel like it could be the same place you live in. You navigate every day street by with carhorns and cafes and people talking, coming, and going. It just kind of flips life upside down for you. It presents new perspectives and questions, and I felt like that's what I'd done, stepped outside that metaphorical city. And I'd picked up a solid handful of new questions.

There were plenty of firsts for me. Met some incredible people, tried new things, went new places, explored new food. All made me realize that, you know, my worldview had slowly over time, as tends to happen when unchecked, collapsed in on itself. That there was so much more, so much hope and opportunity, so much left. To the extent that the flight back didn't feel like the end of a trip, it felt like the beginning of something new. Like I wasn't leaving these things.

I was taking them with me. But here's the deal. Beginning only matter if you make them matter. Things only change when you make them change. When I was in junior high, one of my teachers would sometimes joke that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Half serious, but the point is important. It's not what we intend to do. It's what we breathe life into.

It's what we allow to take shape. Let's say that little dream catcher in my hand was a magical entity that sucked out of the sky all the bad dreams and nightmares and left me with only the good stuff. Let's say it was the gateway to all that was powerful, meaningful, and important because removing what I don't want is critical. But what I'm then left with, is mere opportunity, not guarantee, dreams are only potential, and life is only what we make it.

So growth must be a team effort between me and this little black and yellow defender of worlds, watchman of the night. A duo. And we agreed. It reminds me of what truly matters, and I show it that I'm not afraid to make something of what remains. Of those ideals granted passage to the space behind my eyes. I have to live up to my end of the bargain. And sure, it will be messy at times.

Shaky, sloppy, ungraceful. But that isn't a problem. It's par for the course. Plus my lack of elegance will get no sympathy from my unraveling black and yellow ball of string and disordered beef. The goal is not perfection. It's organized chaos.

It's a commitment to the unknown to taking the pieces and building something with them even when we don't understand what it will become. And as the pilot's voice interrupted my sleep through the intercom, letting us know to prepare for landing, I realized the magic of where I'd just been and how it would evolve. into the road ahead.

That when we know in our hearts life is pointing us a certain direction, when we've separated the good dreams from the bad, we are halfway there. Now we must have the courage to realize what's possible. To be strong enough to stand up when we have something to say, to embrace what calls to us to explore where our paths may lead, may lead, to get up and dance when the music plays, to stop holding back tears when they must fall, to smile when our hearts intend, to leave the old stories and narratives behind and to step beyond our egos and towards our authenticity. This is how we

make sure that the dream catcher's work is not in the vain and how we make the most of this gift we've been provided. And so we sat in a circle on a beautiful fall morning to build dream catchers. Maybe not to collect the bad dreams, but to remind ourselves that it was okay, no, necessary, no, everything to let ourselves make the good dreams reality. We are in some ways helpless to what occurs around us. There are things that are beyond our control. But the gift we possess, our power, if you will,

is the ability to determine what we let in, how we internalize the externalities. We are responsible for being the gatekeepers of our minds, protectors of our worlds. There's a little saying that I aim to live by. It's incredibly simple. Basically, the idea is, if something is not a net positive on your life,

start working to eliminate it. If there's a person that is draining, creating more negative than positive, then they don't deserve to be in your world. Stop letting them in. If there's some place you're going that doesn't align with what you value. Start working to eliminate that destination from your day to day. Stop letting it in. If you find yourself constantly thinking about worst-case scenarios, it's always, well, what if this is, goes wrong or that goes wrong.

If you find yourself missing the opportunity and instead spotlighting the problem, start working to identify and isolate those thoughts so that they can be eliminated. Stop letting that stuff in. The great part about having so much control over our lives and our perspectives is that we get to choose what gets our time and attention. The tough part, though, and it is tough, is that it means we also have to ask ourselves questions that perhaps we don't want to ask. We have to be honest with ourselves, like truly honest.

And the reality is sometimes it hurts to do that. To ask, how am I contributing to this pain, this struggle? What am I letting in that needs to be kept outside the gate from now on? And what we often find is that the answers are there. The opportunity is there, sometimes even in plain view. But our attention is often diverted from it and instead allocated to the things that don't even serve us or align with who we are.

We've habitualized finding the problems and not the solutions. I can list examples of this over the course of my life, life all day, right? Epiphanies where I realized I needed to defend the thoughts that enter my mind and better cultivate a world where I can succeed, where I can be happy. Money, for example, to switch from seeing it as a scarce resource, something that everyone's fighting over, how to outmaneuver the guy to the right of me, how to get my hands on this elusive object. Nope, block that mentality at the gate and let in instead the idea that money is merely an exchange of value. How can I be more valuable to more people where value goes, wealth follows?

Or as I've talked about before, the injuries I deal with so frequently, right? Keeping the poor me or I can't deal with this. Or whining, I'm willing to put in the work, why won't life let me succeed? Keep all that outside the gate and let in, here is an opportunity to get better in other areas. I can't lift. Maybe I'll take a month or two to crush cardio, to eat better, to build mental acuity.

Find a way. Or maybe it's that person who made their way into my life that over time became a net negative, that we've gotten to the point where our coexistence takes away more than it adds. They no longer belong inside the gate in my world. only let in people who do make your life better. And we have control over all of this. It's about accountability.

It's about personally understanding the authority you have over what comes in and what stays out. Very few things in life are just because. Things exist in our day to day because we have somewhere along the line allowed them to be there. to be there. So take some time to see yourself as the gatekeeper of your world. Audit what you're letting in and what you're keeping out. To do so will set you up for a life on your terms, a life that's not wasted or even merely endured, but one that's lived to the fullest.

When you're at your lowest point, you are often without realizing it positioning yourself to arrive at your highest point. Potential energy accumulating to propel you through an atmosphere of new beginnings. See, I believe our adversity is life asking that we submerge and dive deep, sometimes very deep, just to remember how badly we need that oxygen above. So that when we again come up for air and we will, we notice the warmth of the sun on our face and the calming sound of the waves crashing on the beach. You don't make the most of what's around you until you recognize that what's around

you is the opportunity. And so life reminds us. A taxing reminder, right? It rarely gives without first taking away. It rarely opens new doors without closing old ones. And that, to put it, simply, can hurt. They don't teach you in school that growth is painful. But as it turns out, a life without growth isn't much of a life at all.

And so we must dive deep. We're given no other choice. Without night, there is no day. Without suffering, there is no beauty. Without those depths below, there is no surface above. Our submergence is our transformation. The cocoon that separates who we were from who we will be. But unlike the butterfly, it doesn't just evolve once.

Our journey requires that we are continuously growing a new pair of wings. Life is chaos. Life is unpredictable. Life is hard, but you were built to not only endure in its arena, you were put here to excel, to learn the rules and then expand upon the rules. Sometimes break the rules. You were put here to take the difficulty. and provide meaning to it.

Piece by piece is if it were the construction of a rocket to the moon. Little pieces of at one point frustration and confusion and chaos combined, reused and transformed into exactly what you need them to be. Emergent properties. You just have to be willing to see beyond the now and assemble. assemble, to come up for air and soak in all that awaits at the surface like you've never done before. The other day, I was texting with a friend of mine out of nowhere.

She goes, what's wrong? And I'm thinking nothing, right? I haven't said anything. You know, what do you mean? She's adamant, right? She goes, something feels off. I thought about it and realized, yeah, she's pointing out something I've known for a little bit here. Something is off. I'm hiding from myself. I feel a little burnt out, a little tired.

Certain areas of my life had become unevenly distributed. In fact, I was flirting with that thing. I've always feared doing most. Simply going through the motions. That scared me. I don't want this, right? I've come too far to feel like this. I'm better than this. How do I fix it? How do I solve, it now, figure it out now. But eventually came to realize the now part just might be the whole problem. Fix the now like it's a headache and me shaking my fist at the sky will be ibuprofen. No, battling imperfection is a fool's errand. It's setting yourself up for disaster. We are humans, not gods. We are perfectly imperfect. And when something is off, don't fight, listen. Don't retract, expand. Here is the opportunity. I'm under the surface, diving down into the depths of my own soul. Hear what it has to say.

So that when I come up for air and I will, the sun will warm. my face like it never has. The crashing waves will offer a symphony to my ears that I've never heard. And I'll see that the world I'm taking in is more a reflection of me than of it. As that saying goes, you don't see the world as it is. You see the world as you are. And how lucky to have taken a step back, a trip below the surface, to realize that you again that I am the painter, not the critic. My world had become black and white, not because we live in a black and white world,

but because sometimes we forget to put the color in. Sometimes we don't give ourselves permission to expand beyond the parameters we've created for ourselves. So with the breath and the oxygen, we'll a new appreciation, a liberating gratitude. There's nothing so sweet as remembering that both the castles in the air and the chains at our feet are imaginary. And hey, you get to choose which one to believe in. See, what time has taught me is that there is strength in our vulnerability.

In the times we fall or lose ourselves, And I know the inclination is to panic, perhaps assess too quickly, to not hear but talk, to not listen but attempt to solve, which leads to the application of band-aids on bullet wounds. When we are low, when we are lost, it's our chance to better understand ourselves. It's the metaphorical equipment room where we stock up prior to our next ascent. And if I could emphasize one thing, it would be that our perceived understanding of life, it oscillates. Sometimes we feel like we get it. We do.

And sometimes we feel like we're sprinting with our eyes closed. It's a riddle we will never fully come to solve. But I do know one thing. We can't change the unpredictability of the world. But by observing, by listening, by getting back up, we can't. can change ourselves. By recognizing our strength, we can utilize the down times as they are the education we've been longing for.

Remember, the world does not and will not ask perfection of you. So don't ask perfection of it. You were built to endure, to overcome, and to recreate yourself. Losing your wings will never be the problem. It's forgetting that they must be re-reed. grown. That is the problem. So step out. Rise to the surface of your world and breathe. Take in the surroundings that will become your resurrection story if you left them. Quite some time has gone by since the last letter I wrote to my younger self. A few years actually. And I think we're due because older,

me continues to learn to both enjoy and be humbled by life, to experience hello and endure goodbyes, to win and to lose, to acquire, and to cut away. The world is a maze of complexity to navigate. And maybe we should start right there. Because look, kid, there are some fundamental ideas about life that you just have wrong. There is no door that you walk through where you suddenly go from not understanding to finally having all the answers. Part of growing up is realizing how little human beings know about anything. And that's okay. What you'll understand is it's not a reason to run, it's a source of courage to draw from.

Oh, but adults are wise, you might think. No, adults are just children with mortgages. You'll learn that, and as we all become renters, even that's changing, right? Oh, but him over there, or her, wait, them, they have it all figured out. No, they just walk with conviction into their individual unknowns. That's all. Oh, but there has to be some certainty. We have to know some things for sure, you might think.

Well, certainly we do, or at least we think we do, but you have to understand 150 years ago, science said bleeding someone out would cure them of their illness. Our pursuit of truth is crucial, but it's a work in progress. Life is a work in progress. You are a work in progress. So what am I talking about? Why does this matter? Because I don't want you to think that you are ill-prepared to venture further into your potential.

I don't want you to think that other people have what you don't, that you're not enough. The world around you is chaos. It's a mess. It's clay. Some people use it to build and create and shape the reality and others, well, others don't. The kicker here is that nothing is built if you don't first give yourself permission

to take the unknowns and make something with them. Once you understand that there is no secret code that must be figured out, you free yourself to explore and capture the essence of being alive. Again, life is messy. So go flail around, wander, go get lost, Who cares?

You see what I'm saying? You can watch from afar, succumbing to the illusion that the world is some meticulously constructed orchestra where everything's playing in unison. Or you can dive in and make your own music, dance to your own melodies, because there is no perfect. There are people who stand still and people who pick up the music. who pick up the pieces as they go. Next, and very closely related, younger me, give yourself a chance. Try things.

No, more things, bigger things, terrifying things. You see those posters of people you have hung up on your wall? They're not of a different world. They're people like you. But they decided along the way that they would try, that they would step out a line, break some rules, push life, and see how hard life pushed back. Younger me on my college essay,

I referenced one of my favorite quotes. I attributed it to Mark Twain. Turns out, it wasn't even by him, but hey, life goes on, right? It said, 20 years from now, you'll be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than the ones you did do. So throw off the bowline. Sail away from the safe harbor.

Catch the trade winds in your sales. Explore, dream, discover. It's a beautiful quote. And here's what I gather from it. The biggest mistakes I've made over the course of my lifetime ended up being my greatest teachers, leading me to something new, to where I most needed to be. I mean, a lot of my mistakes are even funny stories, right, that I joke about with buddies over a beer.

The vast majority of things you're worried about, they either won't happen or they're reversible. But what gets you, younger me, what truly hurts is wishing you have the courage to apply to that thing that you instead let the deadline slip away. Or talk to that person you walked right by. Or audition, or train, or travel, or follow your. your intuition, your heart to someplace new, those are the things we tend to carry around. The second you learned that not going is far scarier than stepping out into the unknown,

you'll possess a perspective that's incredibly valuable. It will change your life. And lastly, this one's kind of hard to articulate, but let me tell you, it continues to resurface. Here it is. If your intuition is telling you something, listen. Trust it. If something feels wrong, let it go. If it feels like it's where you need to be, you're being pulled in that direction. Explore, move towards it.

When you know in 30 seconds that someone isn't a good person, don't give them your time. When something doesn't align with your goals or objectives, don't feel bad walking away. when something excites you trust that feeling. This is all intuition, and I've come to find that initial response to be more and more valuable. What that feeling is telling you matters. Don't turn your back on that.

Now, of course, there's a line we have to walk, or an element of pragmatism we have to hold on to. Sometimes, when we're particularly upset, it makes sense to let the emotion subside and allow rationality to enter. But this is more about being aware of who you are and what you want. Don't talk yourself out of what you know you want

and into what you know you don't. Life gives clues. It's not always 4D chess. Sometimes it can be simple. What's needed is right there. But you have to look around. You have to listen and trust your sense. and no one will ever know you better than you.

But if you tune yourself out, then how can you have a shot at living a meaningful life? One on your own terms, be impossible. So younger me, trust yourself. Beyond what anyone else tells you is best or most beneficial, again, those are answers only you know. So listen to you. One of my favorite messages is that you are your own experiment.

That as we move forward into the haze of the unknown, we understand that at times we'll fall. At times we'll see our plans disintegrate right in front of us. But this is, when we step back and really examine not a cause for alarm, but a chance to celebrate. Celebrate because the world's pushing back at you implies that you are moving forward. And that is strength.

As the saying goes in the broken places, the light shines through. Younger me, promise me you won't be scared of breaking. That you won't fear leaving the harbor. Because nothing out there is bigger than you or too much for you to handle or navigate. The funny thing is, younger me, that your journey is reliant on you giving yourself permission to go, to see, to explore.

All that starts with you greenlighting your own adventure. But remember what I'm telling you. There is no rubric for life, it's trial and error. Remember that if you don't give yourself a chance, you simply watch the opportunity slip by. And remember that you are the only one who knows what's best for you. So trust that intuition. The world will be whatever you choose to make it. And my hope is that you realize you are strong enough.

You're bold enough. You're capable enough. to make it whatever that might be. So younger me, go pave your path. Go blaze your trail. And remember along the way, as you navigate the ups and downs, highs and lows, remember to look up and enjoy the ride.