Your World Within Podcast by Eddie Pinero - GET UP & BECOME SOMEONE NOBODY RECOGNIZES - Powerful Motivational Video Speech Compilation (2 hours)

Episode Date: March 14, 2025

Life changes when you stop seeing the world as something working for or against you and start seeing it as a tool—neutral, indifferent, but entirely yours to shape. Just like a hammer can build or destroy, the world around you is only as powerful as the way you choose to wield it. The moment you stop expecting and start creating, you step into a new level of control.One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is that I’m not special, and the world owes me nothing. That realization wasn’t discouraging—it was freeing. It meant that anything I wanted to build, change, or become was in my hands. The world isn’t here to give you a path, but it will respond to the one you carve for yourself. So, what will you create?More from Eddie Pinero:Monday Motivation Newsletter: https://www.eddiepinero.com/newsletterInstagram - @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

If you want to be empowered, understand this. The world is indifferent to you. It's not an enemy, but it's not a friend either. It's a tool. The same way that attributing any type of motive to a hammer would be ridiculous, right? I've seen hammers build things and I've seen hammers destroy things. Well, the same can be said for the world around you. What it becomes is determining.

entirely by how you choose to utilize it. You know, there are things we learn as we navigate through life that change us. And one of the most critical for me was understanding that, yes, the world is indifferent to me and no, I am not special. Doesn't mean I can't go do amazing things, help people, change the way things are. But if those results materialize, it will be because of what I made with what surrounds me. not because of what the world owed me or because I was special or deserving

no it will be because I set my sights on something in pursuit it and so you ask why is this empowerment it's empowerment because it puts things into perspective and perspective is power it simplifies the road ahead the bad things that happen they are not personal they don't mean the deck is stacked against you, and those good things, they are never guaranteed.

Everything's a question of grit, of depersonalizing the lows in an effort to capture those fleeting highs. Life is not predetermined. Life is a game. A game that you have the ability to win, to leave this place better than you found it. But you're also capable of taking a different path. It's just as easy,

to highlight the flaws, to take on the role of a perpetual victim. The tools are there to do both. And so the question is, what will you do with what you have? Because it's not about where you start, it's not about where you came from, it's about choosing to look around you and say, I choose to be an architect. From this reality, I will build, I will contribute, I will go forth and conquer.

When the walls cave in, it's not because you can't or shouldn't. It's because sometimes in life, walls cave in. And now you choose whether to lay in the rubble or rise from the ashes. And this fork in the road, it's going to present itself many times. The ones who get angry, who point out, who project blame, who will live very different lives than the ones who brush it off as an obstin, on the windy road that is life and press forward. You did not arrive here special,

but you sure as hell can leave here special. The world may be indifferent, but you are not. If you're passionate, if you move forward with conviction, you'll become friends with the trials and allies with the tribulations. You'll see that growth only stops, Not when an angry world around you decides it's so, but when you do. When your feet stop moving and your heart longs for the horizon no more. But until then, it's all systems go.

Until then, you build. 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's 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 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. Right? 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 bow lines.

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 intuition, your heart to someplace new, those are the things we tend to carry around.

The second you learn 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 emotions subside and allow rationality to enter. But this is more about being aware of who you are and what you want. Right? 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 yourself, 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, our 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. Find something to make yours. I connect every few months with some of my good friends to strategize.

Kind of reflect back on the previous quarter plan for the new one with each of our businesses, kind of share ideas, stuff like that. And I was chatting with my friend Keith about life before he found success in what he's doing now, the struggle and the turbulence he faced, as well as ultimately his decision, and that's entirely what it was, to turn things around. And I've talked about his backstory before, so I'm not going to get too much into it. But essentially, he grew up in a very negative environment. Dealt with a ton of adversity, but got through it. Started his own national business, installing and repairing commercial pizza ovens, and the guy's just crushing. And, you know, our conversation in that moment wasn't so much about the doing.

It was more on the overcoming and how mentally we had to recreate ourselves to have any chance of moving beyond what we knew. I've talked about it a little before. Kids are simply not taught in school how to thrive, how to build, how to ask more of themselves in the world. They're taught to follow instructions, to do what they need to do in order to pass the exam, to progress to the next level. Then there's a gray area, because I'm not saying this is totally valueless, but I am saying that anything beyond that requires a reworking of sorts. You ask anyone who stepped out of that cycle, and they'll tell you the mental and psychological, shift that needed to take place, it was almost overwhelming, right? It's a lot, but it's

imperative. I recently looked up the word entrepreneurship, and this is the definition. The activity of setting up a business or businesses taking on financial risk in the hope of profit. And in my mind, it is the risk precisely that's challenging, that brings us so much pain, but also contains within it the reward. It's one of the craziest dilemmas we face. You'll have to endure some of the worst times of your life, but because of that, you'll get to experience highs that would otherwise have been almost completely improbable. We have to rework the thinking that says discomfort equals run away.

It's like, no, discomfort equals the price of something better, and sure it's by no means. mandatory, but it's where the upside lives. You have to train yourself to step out into the chaos with the expectation of taming it. And yeah, everything could go wrong, but also everything could go right. And just imagine. Imagine what that would look like. That possibility alone validates the risk. We just need to convince ourselves. And that risk, by the way, is not just financial. In fact, most of the time it's not. It takes a variety of shapes in our lives. You run the race, you risk losing.

You go up and talk to the girl. You risk rejection. You pick up and move somewhere new. You risk winding up somewhere you don't want to be. And maybe temporarily things do fall apart. But maybe you win the race. Maybe you find the love of your life Maybe you relocate to the happiest place you've ever called home

Calculated risk is the beginning of everything that matters And so back to the convo We were talking about the different risks we've taken How some chapters were fun Some were challenging and some were both And how for me there was even from time to time a conversation Where I was asking myself Whether it was really really

worth it. You know, when you're uncomfortable, the mind wants to do one thing, get rid of the discomfort. And I had to convince myself, remind myself that I'm someone who risks good to pursue great. Risk hurts. And somewhere in that conversation

was when Keith said he remembers the exact point the risk became worth it. The discomfort became easier to manage. We're so used to taking orders to playing scared that the instance just wasn't there until Keith's words, it became mine. The most invigorating thing he ever did was find a pursuit to call his own. That's powerful.

His business injected him with a new energy and in essence a new life because he suddenly had a stake in the game. And I think that's what so many of us in so many areas are missing. The risk appears bigger when it's not counterbalanced by some. something meaningful. So find something to make yours. The simplicity there is beautiful. Complex ideas expressed in simple ways are always worth holding on to, right? We are programmed to lose because we are programmed to live according to someone else's standard, to think small, to ask ourselves, how do we not screw up? But when you can step outside that little self-imposed

circle and instead ask yourself what's something I can create that is my own, something I care about, that I can nurture, invest a part of me into. That's when life really starts paying dividend. You're not existing, you're living. Or as I've recently discussed, you're empowering yourself to not just sit in the room, but be in the room fully. I use entrepreneurship as the model for this discussion because that's been such a huge part of my life where I've been injecting my time and attention and yeah risk but the point is not that everyone needs to stop what they're doing and become an entrepreneur that's one path of many obviously the point is that there is a risk reward dynamic in entrepreneurship that we should all understand extract and inject into our

own lives where it best applies we've learned to settle in so many ways that we must know there is tremendous value in asking, what is it in my life I want to invest in? Make mine. Give myself the opportunity

to experience the excitement of defining the things I care about and watching them grow. Whether your current arena is entrepreneurship or motherhood, fatherhood, academics, a particular relationship, some combination of these or anything else,

To make magic out of the mundane requires we first make it ours. We take ownership, responsibility for the journey, we accept the risk and chase down the rewards. You can do amazing things when you realize what you're capable of and commit to its manifestation. So in a world where, yes, we are conditioned to fail, step out from those subtle shackles of learned helplessness. You are anything but helpless. It's just that you've yet to reach out and pull your dreams into your orbit. You've yet to put a stake in the ground and say this matters and it's time to see it through because once you do that, the good stuff begins. I was having dinner not too long ago with a friend of mine. I see him as somewhat of a mentor as well. He's a bit

older as a couple decades on me as an entrepreneur. And we were talking about personal development, different ways to invest in yourself, what has the most ROI kind of throwing ideas back and forth. And I started talking about different coaches I've linked up with some of my observations on that. And he jumped right into this story, says Eddie, way back in the day, I paid a huge amount of money to spend the weekend with someone that I admired as an entrepreneur, as a business mind, with the intent to learn about him, his systems, his approach to his business and life, the whole thing. It was basically an investment into my journey. And he went on to say, I arrived for the weekend. Didn't take me long to feel completely underwhelmed, completely let down.

everything about the guy in his organization was sloppy, nothing seemed to be methodical, very little was extraordinary or groundbreaking. He said, I couldn't believe it, especially after tens of thousands of dollars spent, right? He spent a lot of money. Couldn't believe that someone, he looked up to it, so little to offer.

And I'm sitting there just kind of like wide-eyed. Like, oh, man, and almost instinctively, I said, man, you must have been so angry. And he goes in this cheerful voice, I wasn't angry at all. This is a direct quote. He says, it was the best money I've ever spent in my life. I said, oh yeah, how?

He says, it was that day I learned that, hey, if this clown can do it, if this guy can pull it off, what in the world is stopping me? What's my excuse? basically said that day has been directly correlated to the success he's had since. Wow. Right?

To which I responded, hey, thank you for the theme to what will become this Monday's YouTube video, right? Because the world needs to hear this message. So many of us need this. There's a tendency to put other people, people we don't know, people we know nothing about, right, on a pedestal. and see ourselves as perpetual outsiders looking in, this notion that they have what I don't. When so often that thing they have is simply, even solely self-belief.

I know so many competent people that second-guess themselves out of starting or growth or progress. They see their inadequacies as substantially greater than their strengths. they don't go because they contemplate, they don't speak because they internalize, they don't create, because they worry. And it's like if you don't, someone else will. And that's someone else could very easily be less suited for the job. But they did the thing that you wouldn't.

The thing, as it turns out, that matters most. They trusted themselves to give it a shot. They understood that nothing starts until one looks in the mirror and believes in the pair of eyes staring back. And I look back and it just all makes perfect sense. You know, I think of the frustration in my parents' faces when I was a kid and would say, I can't do that. It was the frustration of people who care deeply about me watching me get in my own way. Yes, you can. Eddie, you You are the one stopping you. You know, my grandfather's saying everyone puts their pants on one leg at a time. No one is that special.

And I think it's a critical reminder. It's not to say that success isn't warranted, that people who have done great things aren't qualified or talented or haven't earned it. No, not at all. The opposite, in fact. Time plus effort, plus consistency, tends to land people in pretty remarkable places. But it's like, No one takes that path or starts that journey

unless they see themselves as worthy of it until they give themselves permission. It makes you wonder how many people are simply too intimidated to lace up their shoes and walk out the front door. Don't even give it the thought. Hey, that's someone else's reality. I'm confined to this face right here. Think back to the early days of any incredible transformation.

I'm going to use a pretty cliche example, but I think it will do a great job of demonstrating my point. Think back to Michael Jordan playing JV basketball in high school, his sophomore year because he didn't make the varsity team. And at that point, if he was looking for evidence as to why he wasn't quite good enough, there it was. He could have easily found it, not skilled enough. Not quick enough. Lacks vision. Certainly, as this coach pointed out, not tall enough.

What in the world gave him the right, despite his circumstances, to think he was good enough to ultimately play at a high level? Who gave him permission to be that guy? He did. And it's just that. We don't see or think about any of that now. We see the NBA legend, the greatest ever,

forgetting that at one point he wasn't. And his life continuously consisted of crossroads where he had to bet on himself. Times where instead of accepting outcomes that weren't ideal, he sacrificed. He said, I do not accept that. He put in ours, which is a concept that we take for granted, right?

People don't sacrifice unless they believe something will come from the blood, sweat, and tears. He believed that it would. you have to believe that it will as well. In fact, your life, if you started right now, made a little dot or mark on the present moment, then you could live two simultaneous existences at once. One tract where you saw yourself as something extraordinary

and sought to live that out. And the other track, where the same you saw greatness as some, intimidating larger than life, reality reserved for other people, the few. You viewed yourself as an outsider. Average, incapable, undeserving. The difference between where those tracks would end up would be worlds apart. Again, because humans follow through on who they believe themselves to be.

We don't do things unless we believe they're possible. We don't sacrifice unless there's something. some sort of delayed gratification. We don't climb unless there exists a summit. What makes life both beautiful and mysterious is that we have to arrive at those outcomes before they exist. As Babe Ruth famously said in that article in the 1940s, it's hard to beat a person who never gives up.

And it's hard to beat them because they believe themselves worthy of what they are chasing. So when will you? When will you find yourself worthy of that next level? When will you find yourself worthy of the financial success, the physique, the significant other, growth in your business? When will you let yourself be more or different or happy or whatever it is that seems just outside the scope of your reality? This world is built by people who understood what they wanted and granted themselves the freedom to pursue it.

No superhuman strength required to place greater value on yourself. No record-breaking IQ necessary to live life on your terms, just a choice. Truly, a decision. And sure, it will be

strange and awkward at first. You'll feel like an imposter in your own body at times. After all, getting what you've never had means doing what you've never done, but this is par for the course. This is life. And life cannot give you what you don't ask for.

You can't arrive at a destination. You're not traveling. You can't be who you don't believe you're capable of becoming. So know that that aforementioned reflection in the mirror has a depth to it. That must be explored. And that what separates immobility from inhumanity from infinity is the understanding that, hey, if it's possible, then it is most definitely possible for me. Don't think so much. You might overlook the obvious. You might see past all that you've achieved.

Don't move so quickly. You might overstep the moment. You might miss all the beauty your created. One can wake up, get dressed, walk out the door thinking that they're on their way to a someday achievable, brilliant finale, and simultaneously fail to understand the miracle of the now. It's in what you're doing now, who you're helping now, what you're becoming now. Your miracle is now. And you can't see your impact because it materializes behind you as your back is to it

and you step toward those distant horizons. There's a direct link between always wanting to be better and never feeling like you're good enough. If you don't properly compartmentalize the two, you'll always be chasing something you can't obtain while you walk right by the brilliance you're piecing together in real time. That carrot just outside of reach for the runner on the treadmill.

And I'm not saying your goals and aspirations aren't incredible. I'm not saying you aren't one in a million. I'm not saying you won't shock, change, add unparalleled value to the world. No, that's most certainly possible. But I'm saying you're doing that now, too. Like right now. You're not on a trajectory to someday be one in a million. You are one in a million on a trajectory to live life fully.

To further expand, explore as you should. But let's not lose perspective along the way. It's hard to watch someone. who has changed your life feel like they're not good enough. It just is. It's hard to watch something so beautiful, feel like they must first evolve before they're worthy. And it's like, sure, I get it.

We celebrate visible, tangible successes, the innovators and CEOs, world-class talents. People who have built the present and will build the future. But notice, there are no ceremonies for the ones who lift us. others up every day, who lead by example, who show up again and again when they're going through their own private hell. There are no record books for them. But I'll tell you what, if there were, you'd be there. And if I could remind you of that every day, I would. The small things you do do not feel so small to those around you. In fact, your mirror. In fact, your mirror

existence changed my life and I know I'm not alone, not even close to alone. It's a tough world we live in. Tough enough to bring even the strongest amongst us to our knees. Yet you think you're flawed and insufficient. I ask, compared to what? A lot of people would have folded a long time ago. Wouldn't be fighting for a dream or standing for anything. A lot of people wouldn't be giving so much of themselves. Again, I continuously run into this question. Why is it that the ones who are changing the world, not with their social media follower account,

but with their actions, so often fail to see their own value? Perhaps they're using the wrong measuring sticks. Maybe their sights are set so high they don't realize all that they're making better along the way. Maybe they don't know that every soul they light up puts in motion a ripple effect, an exponential value add. But if you just lift your head up and look around, you would see quite the ripple effect, you

would see quite the chain reaction, you would see that you are not just working towards change, you are actively embodying it. Don't be the only one who can't see that. Why do I say this? Why spend the time? Well, because one, I think it's not something we say enough. The ones who truly change us or make our lives better need to be told that. There's just something tragic about keeping it to ourselves.

And two, because you don't give yourself enough credit. You're blind to the path you've traveled and the dragons you've slayed. I couldn't believe my ears when you apologize for being weak. weak weak is retreating weak is being selfish weak is forfeiting your gifts those descriptors are antithetical to who you are and sure we all slip into them once in a while we're human beings we all endure our valleys of despair but to fight with everything you have on your way back up that is not weakness that's courage i think our definitions might be crossed here. See, I'm a firm believer that absolutely we have to be our own greatest critics, no doubt.

But the value in that, the expectation is that it's coupled with a commitment to also be our own greatest ally. Are you? Are you your own greatest ally? Because sometimes I'm not so sure. Do you see how much light you bring to the world? How much better people around you are when you enter a room and smile, when you listen to them in their problem, when you inspire them by making decisions with so much at stake, when you don't let the hardship of your past keep you down. And I know how hard it's been. I'm telling you this because maybe you don't know. Maybe you talk so much about what the future will be and how big and incredible things will become that you overlook the parallel worlds you are creating with each step along the way,

a pilgrim, a wanderer in search of an impact you are already making. So look, keep your head up and your expectations high. You will do remarkable things. But don't be afraid to look over your shoulder and see that you already are. Don't beat yourself up for not yet arriving at an imaginary place while you change the world along the way. Give yourself the same grace and compassion you would give to me. Allow that for yourself. Don't think so much that you overlook the obvious.

You just might see past all that you've achieved. And don't move so quickly that you overstep the moment. You might just miss all that beauty that you're creating. This isn't a pep talk. This is me holding up a mirror so that you can see the value at. You're not merely an IOU to some future self. you are all the people around you, whose lives you make better every day, the lives you touch by being you.

The world reflects back at us what we currently are, like a giant mirror projecting the movie that's playing in our heads. We lay on the horn in traffic, not when we're at peace with ourselves, but when we're in duress. We gravitate towards the negative, not when we're living in abundance, but when we're living in scarcity. We quit, retreat, contract, not when we're confident in the road ahead, but when we're doubtful, alarmed. In other words, we find out in the world what already lives within us. Life in many ways is not absolute, it's evidence. It's evidence that we'll use to justify the things we already believe.

Wayne Dyer used to use the metaphor of an orange. It can be squeezed and squeezed and squeezed, but there will never be grapefruit juice pouring out of an orange. No, grapefruit juice doesn't live there. You can only find on the outside what lives in the inside. You can only extract from the orange orange juice. Recently a good friend of mine said to me that they'd like to change their financial situation. To which my response was perfect.

You most certainly can, right? Like anything, yeah, it'll take work and some planning and some restructuring, all that good stuff, but you most definitely can. And his response was, sure, that's what all you motivational people say. Okay, smart guy. Now you're an example on a podcast episode. Congrats. Why? Because you want the people around you to realize how much is possible for themselves. It's not sorcery or witchcraft to believe something better is possible. In fact, if one doesn't believe it's possible, they're effectively cementing their feet to the ground, at least with regard to that particular pursuit. Let's face it, you don't begin journeys that are not possible. We don't allow our to do that. And so, to not believe in an outcome and somehow still wish for that outcome, well, that's essentially our orange metaphor, right? Can't squeeze financial freedom out of a mindset that only sees monetary constraint.

Believing it's possible starts the journey. See, there's so much pragmatism in growth. You know, people talk a lot about the law of attraction, and yeah, I get it, right? It sets targets. But the picture of, let's say, a dream house on your wall is not why you'll eventually have the dream house. The picture of the dream house on the wall reminds you. It helps you believe that you're someone capable of someday acquiring that house, obtaining that type of success. Which results in you, wait for it, doing things that help bring that to life.

It is the doing. but that doing must be connected to believe. Mid-20s. I was unhappy, wanted more, but didn't really believe myself capable of obtaining more, right? That was the issue. Back to the old orange expecting grapefruit juice. Can't get results in an area not conducive to their creation, right?

It wasn't until I said, you know what, maybe, not definitely, but maybe it could happen. Maybe I can take control here. The odds have to be greater than 0%, right? It's Jim Carrey and dumb and dumber, so you're saying there's a chance. Yeah, it's like starting out, that's all you need, a chance, the door cracked. In the beginning, I just needed to convince myself something different was possible. The beginning of transformation and that internal change prompted how I interacted with the external world, You do things differently when you believe differently.

Or, if you want to phrase it another way, believing that you can bring something to life doesn't guarantee that you actually do. But believing you can't guarantees that you won't. And why not stack the odds in your favor? I often juggle back and forth between the philosophical and the tangible or the tactical, right? Three ways to do X.

Life hack to change Y. Yeah, of course. Life does in so many ways come down to the tactics, to the how, to the steps. But does that even matter if you don't believe in the pursuit? Does it matter what Google Maps says if you never step out your front door? You have to convince you. You have to create an environment in your world where change. Change isn't crazy. More isn't absurd. It might be challenging.

But it's possible. And possible is enough. It is enough to begin. Enough to step out. Enough to see the trivialities as tools and the resistance as part of a beautiful game. Remember that the world is a mirror. Reflecting back at us our worldview. We find that we find that the world is a mirror. We find what we look for, so give yourself permission to look for things that make life beautiful. Give yourself the gift of believing change is possible. The saying goes, sometimes success is simply hanging on when others would be letting go. And that's it, holding on. I've spent a lot of time focusing on what I need to do.

worrying about what must happen in order to bridge the gap. But there comes a point where the difference comes down to what you won't do, what I refuse to do, where the true victory will be not in saying yes but in saying no. Simply standing tall when the world demands I bow down, success will be predicated upon where I build and build. defend my walls, refusing to be intimidated by the road ahead. I've actually come face to face with this adversary before. In fact, I meet him almost every day. And not on accident. I hunt

him despite his strength. I pursue him even though he has the potential to harm. I do this again and again. Now certainly sometimes amidst the turbulence, I lose myself. Forget. Maybe ask myself why. What a strange dotted line to sign, right? Why volunteer to fight this battle? And the questions will bounce around in my head momentarily. But ultimately, I remember why. I sign up to face this demon because if I can beat him, I can beat anyone. In fact, if I can learn to consistently show up and prevail here, the rest of the world becomes a lot less intimidating. Little pawns on my chestboard, if I prevail here,

I become the type of person who prevails, period. There's power in that. You seek out the monster to destroy the monster. And in doing so, reminds yourself that destroying monsters is what you do. Life is full of them. In fact, we can't help but come into contact with them as we ascend to greater things. But those moments end up being much bigger than we may have initially expected. It's during these confrontations that we map out our understanding.

standing of the world, it's here we decide which rules govern our existence. See, when we seek out, confront and defeat our monsters, two things happen. We show ourselves, one, that we can, and two, that it's who we are. So, you finish the dance with your demons. Conquer them, reach your finish line, take off those running shoes decompress decompress and that's that. So you think. But life says, no, not so fast.

It says just because you're not running or in self-initiated combat with the monsters of your choosing doesn't mean they go away. It doesn't mean life is going to be smooth sailing. No, sorry, this world is tough. It's ups and its downs. and those who successfully navigate its turbulence

must be capable of handling that. And so the question inevitably becomes, are you? Are you capable of handling that? And there might be a world where you're unsure, but in this world, you've seen too much. You've earned your confidence. There was nothing trivial about all those steps you've taken, all those footprints in the sand footsteps on the pavement.

You weren't learning to win a race. You were learning to win at life. You were teaching yourself that context aside, things you don't love will from time to time be dropped in front of you. And when the inclination is to run or retreat, you won't be lured in by fears false promises. Temporary discomforts. Because the world has been dropped in front of you before and you've found your way through it. When life feels like it's collapsing in on you, the walls crumbling down.

The instinct is to let all the destruction impact yourself work. to see it as an indictment or referendum on you as a person. But no, you've felt the walls crumbling before, and all you did was run harder. When it hurt, you wrote. When you were tired, you found more. Your suffering mile after mile was not an indication that you weren't enough. It was merely an invitation to be better.

After all, that's how you defeated those monsters time and time again. So here's to all those monsters we will face in life. The ones we seek out and the ones we don't. The ones we plan for and the unexpected, they're all the same. They all have the same vulnerability, same kryptonite, your mind. And your exposure time and time again to the same. self-induced depths of hell has made you invincible. The world only stops people who know no better,

who haven't seen themselves brush up against the demons who stand guard protecting those coveted finish lines, but you have. And where many bow down and declare their discomfort a catastrophe, you smile to yourself and call it just another. Tuesday. It's been said that humans always follow through on who they believe themselves to be. Well, you have made yourself in your mind a slayer of dragons, conqueror of worlds, and that's why those steps matter. That's why all this matters. So next time you go hunting for that overly ambitious adversary of yours, and you find yourself face to face with him, tired, weak, maybe

even temporarily unsure, remind yourself why you're here. Remind yourself that each step forward is a proclamation to the world, that it's not about the here and now, it's about life. It's about defining who you are and ripping apart the world's limitations one by one. If you move forward here, you move forward anywhere. If you stand tall now, you bow to no one. And when the time comes, life hands you its problems and its obstacles, you'll stack them up and stand upon them. And so it's into the darkness of night.

The chaos of battle you go. Because that is was and always will be who you are. Find a way. Because first and foremost, there always is one. Find a way because you are. because you are more than strong enough. Because anything other than a solution or some semblance of progress

means you gave in. Called it quits, threw in the towel, and giving in is not who you are. Find a way because that discomfort today will it becomes our greatest source of pride. The simple decision to carry on or stick it out now is so much more than it appears to be when under duress. Sure, it's easy to turn around, but everything, everything relies on your moving forward into that darkness.

Find a way. Because while we may think we want safety and need predictability. Our souls want adventure. Life's meaning is comprised of the mountains climbed and dragons slayed, so step out and slay your dragons. Find a way. Because an evolved self has to be earned. Keeping promises to yourself is no small ordeal. Putting your head on the pillow at night, no knowing you followed through on who you decided you would be, that's power. It creates a trajectory towards infinite possibility.

It points you at the stars. Find a way because you must reinforce the fact that the world is clay to be molded, not a checklist. It's a game, not a chore, a gift, not an obligation. When you find a way, you become the ruler of your own kingdom. Look, there exists a way, a path. That's not the question. The question is one of effort.

Is there a willingness to move beyond the parameters imposed upon you by others? By the past, by the thoughts that bounce around in your head? Is there a willingness to endure duress in the short term? Is there a willingness to fall down now, to look dumb, to not always be perfectly packaged or assembled? Are you willing to endure that in exchange for the infinite? I remember hearing the mantra, there is always a way to get to your finish line. It's not can I. It's not

Is it possible? No, it's how. How do I get there? The dots exist. You have to be the one to connect them. You have to build bridges over the oceans of unknown. The valleys comprised of the unforeseen. Oh, there is a way.

Remember that. Remember that it's not the destination that's in question, but one's willingness to knock and knock and knock until the right door opens. Remember that you have everything you need, that you are armed with all that is required. You were made to connect those very dots before you. You just have to decide what's more important to you. That feeling of reaching the touch.

top of the mountain or the feeling of its shade at the bottom. What will you give to be more than you've ever been? Do more than you've ever done. There is always away. Are you willing to find it? The hard thing brought me through hell, but also to that which exists on the other side. The hard thing prompted me to question and doubt, but also provided the pieces I used to build my confidence little by little. It made me ask the tough questions, the ones maybe I didn't want to hear the answer to, but also gave me the power to transform those answers I didn't like. The hard thing meant forfeiting being the expert in my world, in exchange for the role of student in a foreign arena.

Gave me new ladders to climb, new possibilities to reach for. It showed that true growth requires a willingness to be the beginner. It took some people out of my arms, my circle, my work, and in some cases my life altogether, but always seemed to open the door to those souls better aligned, to those conducive to the journey and the process. Let's remember what the hard thing is. Beyond the pain, because we all know it does bring that. Beyond the challenges, because there are certainly many.

Beyond all that exists, the hope and the change and the promise. Robert Frost says the best way out is always through. through because it's the chaos, the haze, the darkness of night that shapes us. It's in being broken that we learn to rebuild our world with the pieces, and perhaps most importantly, we learn that such a rebuilding process is possible to begin with, that the now is not mandatory or permanent. The hard thing, as it turns out, is nothing more than a transaction. Turbulence for the view above the clouds,

fear in the moment for confidence in the future. It's learning that although life sometimes appears to paint a picture of conformity and helplessness, there's always a path leading to the very place we need to go. It just asks we find the courage to walk it. Churchill has said, pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity, the optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty. And this beautiful message rings true. Because from the difficulty is the advantage. And sure,

our first instinct is to see the problem. Our eyes tend to initially fix it on that which is unfortunate. But beyond that is where we get the most, incredible things life provides as if one is removing the shell or outer layer in order to get to the nutrients in the center, the ingredients required for growth, the pieces necessary to experience life at its fullest. And so we must be reminded that those opportunities, they're not rare, they're not reserved for everyone but you. They just tend to disguise themselves as the things we're most inclined to disregard or walk by. But if one finds the courage to move into them, through them,

if one can see the difficulty not as a deterrent but as a bargain, they'll be given everything on the other side. Reality is not changed with the magic wand or the granting of a wish. It's from staring down the heart thing and moving directly into it one little step at a time. Looking back and understanding what you might have done differently is a source of strength. Awareness is a currency of sorts. But being sorry for yesterday, dwelling on the days gone by, that is a waste of time.

See, those feelings of discontent, the emotions that rise to the surface as our minds sort through that catalog of regret, you know, the emotions that try and pull you back down into the very moment in which they occurred, if you let them lead you by the hand back into a manufactured hell, they will. And down you will go, reliving an expired pain that you can neither prevent nor do anything about. After all, it is the past. But alternatively, if we can do one of the hardest things for humans to do, which is depersonalize the occurrence, remove the emotion and find the value you stand face to face with an advantage in life that is exponential. Not only are you refusing to be defined

or tortured by yesterday, but you're creating a framework. by which you can actually use that pain to make a better right now. You're acknowledging that your mistakes are not indicative of a current reflection in the mirror. They're not metal bars keeping you closed in. They're opportunities in disguise. A friend of mine once told me, from our pain comes our purpose. From our despair comes our hope. It's from the times we got it oh, so completely wrong.

that we can now arm ourselves with the ability to get it right. To be better and faster and stronger and wiser. The reality, or life in the big city, as this saying goes, is having to fall in order to rise again. Because if nothing falls, there are no ashes from which to rebuild. We change when we've lost. We evolve when we're cornered. We become more when life shakes our worldview.

There's power in this suffering. That is, if you choose to find it. And that's always a decision that's ours to make. Again, those same memories that can pull you down if you let them can also be used to elevate yourself. Higher than you've ever been. There's just saying that life is 10% what happens. to you in 90% what you do about it.

And when you think about it, it's obvious. Because knowledge is only as powerful as our willingness to put that knowledge to work. Yesterday's pain, its lessons, can be the very reason you transform, evolve to a higher version of yourself, but that's only if you stop using those lessons as an attack on your self-esteem

and start seeing them as the gateway to tomorrow. Otherwise, they'll remain that ball and chain around your ankle. Is the mistake that cost you your business, maybe the inaction that fractured a relationship, a swing and miss that hurt your pride somewhere along the way? Are they going to remain sources of pain in your mind, mental images or reflections of where you fell short? Are they going to fuel the comeback, the sequel? When we fall, we're given one of life's goals.

greatest gifts, a part two. Armed with the knowledge we otherwise would never have had, armed with an understanding that with the failures comes the strength. As I've grown, I've placed more and more emphasis on thinking. How do I perceive myself? Because when that slips, life is never too far behind. But when you capture and maintain a healthy perspective, things seem to improve along with not because thinking makes it so but because how we think prompts how we act and how we act changes our lives it's that simple so the question okay that happened now what does it mean to you will always be crucial what are you going to do about it now will always be imperative.

And if you look, you'll find that opportunity everywhere. I was thinking recently about all the books. I've read, all the podcasts I consume, and there are a ton, right? But how valuable is that information if I don't act? How much could any of it mean if it's consumed and then forgotten? A memory with an image and a title. I'd be better off reading one good book a year,

or listening to one podcast and injecting that wisdom into my life immediately, acting on it, using it to manufacture momentum. If the acting is more important than the knowing, why have I not placed greater emphasis on the action? Like 90% more emphasis. And I think that's a question we should all be asked. And so let's move from the book example back to the thinking, reminiscing about our mistakes,

the times we let ourselves down. What are our memories, if not just little novels, where we as the main characters, embark upon the hero's journey? Warriors call to something greater, leaving a previous world, facing our demons, learning about ourselves along the way, perhaps cut short, left without a conclusion, only in need of an ending. And these painful experiences are essentially us walking around with novels unfinished in our heads. We've done the work.

We've learned the lessons, endured the pain. And rather than continuing to revisit that discomfort of the moment, that stopping point, rather than dwelling on how we shut the book after the conflict occurred, let's open it back up and integrate that value, that lesson into the present. Let's grow from it. Let's evolve because of it. That's what's so beautiful, so exciting about the future. It hasn't happened yet. It's in your control.

You're painting that picture now in real time, and so how convenient that you fell yesterday. Now you have an opportunity to be stronger today. And how incredible that you learned what actions or inaction was not in line with the person you want to be. Now you have an opportunity to root all that out. And how beautiful that you felt the pain of quitting, of stopping short, of throwing the towel. Now, as you push forward into that great unknown,

you have a reminder, a benchmark to compare with the difficulty of the present moment. You can silence the voice in your head begging you to slow down because you now know what the alternative looks like. To put it simply, you are not the same person you were yesterday. Specifically because of what you've been through, you have those mistakes to thank for the meaningful road you will travel. And let that be the expectation. We don't get through life without mistakes. There is no perfect journey.

And the ones who move courageously into the future know that more than anyone. Life pushes back. The world has a say, and sometimes that means we must be humbled along the way. It means we swing and miss. It means plans fall apart. But you will prevail. maybe not immediately, but eventually, because you perceive the adversity as merely a cost of admission,

specifically because you don't let it run loops in your mind. Rather, you extract the value and transform it into momentum. You are not your past. You are what you decide to make of your past. There's an old idea that once you've started, you're halfway there. How does that make sense, one might wonder? Once you've started, you've only just begun. And that's true, technically.

But here's the thing. The journey, the ins and outs, ups and downs, trials and tribulations, they can all be dealt with. They knock us down from time to time, no doubt. But we learn, we adjust, and carry on as we move forward. Most success stories, they're crushed. Not because of that adversity along the way, but because they never begin.

They never take shape or materialize. We can't make them real. in our heads. We can't convince ourselves that they'll ever be anything other than fiction. We think that's for someone else. We look around and assume that reality is different than my reality. And overcoming this mental constraint is always the most challenging step. And that's saying, the one I continuously find myself coming back to human beings, Always follow through on who they believe themselves to be continues to be true.

If you don't believe you're worthy of something, its pursuit is lost before it began. So while the mind tries to paint pictures of how scary that road is ahead, how it's too different or big or complex, understand that should you move forward, you'll find all that complexity can be broken down one day one situation one little step at a time the only real demon here is the possibility of inaction because you couldn't make yourself believe it you couldn't see yourself at the top of that mountain and so the front door was never opened

Emerson says, Hitch your wagon to a star. A beautiful reminder that that star is proof your dreams are real and only as real as the conviction with which you move towards them. Green light, your own glory, your own contentment.

Because contrary to what we might think, no one comes up and bestows that upon us. To live like, Life fully is a decision. Decision, Latin root words, cut off. It's removing and abandoning your restraint in order to be more authentically you. In order that you'll give yourself permission

to chase down that which makes you feel alive and soak up all that aligns with your heart and soul. Once you start, you're halfway there. And oh, that first step, often perceived as the beginning, but in actuality, a point few ever give themselves the luxury of experiencing. Step one, believe it's possible. Step two, believe you're worthy. Step three, go. Everything else works itself out.

You're capable of dancing through life's chaos, of managing the world's unknowns. So know that, understand that, but most importantly, be one of the few who gives themselves permission to experience that. And it starts... What is the complex, but an accumulation of that which is simple? What are big things, if not just a multitude, of little things? There's comfort in the understanding that all we have in life, all there is, is simplicity. Easy to understand pieces.

It's just that sometimes we stack them so high that they start to take a new shape. But like Greg McKeown references in his book Essentialism, the power isn't always in acquiring answers. You already have them. They're in front of you. The power is in cutting away the things that don't need. Removing all that stands between you and your ideal existence. And I think that's one of life's great misunderstandings. We don't need to find more.

We need to remove the excess until we're face to face with what matters. And to adopt this principle, it's nothing short of liberating. chaos, confusion, disorder, they don't imply that you lack the right things. They suggest you haven't stripped life of the wrong things. You have not simplified. A thousand miles is intimidating when you look at it holistically. It's a long journey. But it's just a collection of steps, and well, shouldn't we find solace in the fact that anyone can take one step?

It's not a game of complexity. It's a game of understanding what's in front of you. And what's in front of you is always manageable. So much of our stress stems from forgetting what that journey is made of. Whether it's a change in career, mastery of an art, some kind of personal transformation, the result we want. When looking at it from the starting line, it's too complex to understand, too much. many pieces stacked up. So let's break it down. Let's find the foundation. What's really there? What are the one, two, three things we need to do? What is that golden question? What matters? If you lose sight of that,

then you will stumble through life. I've learned this. I've lived it. The time I take to myself every day is invaluable to me because I ask myself those two questions. what matters and what are the simple steps I need to take. What can I remove? I was talking about this during an interview this week, my personal growth. And one of the most important aspects has been the understanding and the zeroing in on what's important.

I used to take so much pride in composing the background music to these speeches, end to end. I used to love to be able to say I did it all. That was so I thought the great differentiator. But ultimately I learned to take a step back and ask what matters here. What do you care about? It's the storytelling that I love. It's the impact. And let's be real. No one cares who wrote the background music. It's holistically, how does the piece make you feel?

Right? And this understanding allowed me to cut away. License the music. Save two days a week, acquire clarity. And realize my goal is not to be Mozart. My journey is to be one of the great communicators, storytellers of our time, and if a day goes by where I'm not taking a little step towards that, it's the wrong move. Small example in the grand scheme of things, but right on point. It's the power in understanding what matters that makes a difference that allows you to grow, evolve. And I'm confident that this not only applies to long-term pursuits, but also our children. challenging times, the dark moments, the periods of uncertainty and discontent. Same concept.

Where do you want to be and how do you get there? What's the simple thing you can do to close that gap? Because you are never helpless. You can always do something and my friends those little somethings ultimately evolve into everything. And when we put our phone away, step beyond the noise, spend time with ourselves, we can see how much of life is running in place. Stacking and stacking pieces that aren't even part of the masterpiece we're trying to assemble. If you want answers, start with the understanding that they're buried under mountains of things you don't need. So cut away. Cut away the people and places and things that come.

Convalute your story cut away the exhaustion of time that provides no value in return Cut away the thoughts that make life more complex than your journey from where you are to where you'd like to be As you stand right now You have everything you need and There's nothing greater than that nothing more powerful than that understanding so why not step outside the complexity that you've manufactured that you're living in into a world of clarity simplicity and capture what matters I find it interesting that what we want most

is often brought about by the inverse of what we'd expect it's a paradox that's amazed me for much of my adult life And what do I mean? Well, here are a few examples. The best way to achieve freedom in your life is to be incredibly disciplined. Two things that are seemingly opposite in a sense. Or the worst of times often open the door to the best of times. Or it's from a position of strength that one is best able to ensure people.

or from our suffering, our pain comes our purpose and contentment. And you get the point I could go on and on and on. But the reason this is so important, why I think it's worth discussing, is that it sheds light on the value hidden within our struggles. You know, when you realize the paradoxical nature of growth, the discomfort makes a little more sense. it's easier to wrap our hands around. So let's say getting up early.

Perhaps you weren't a morning person, but you're trying. You're trying because you think those few extra hours in the morning will add some lift. The alarm clock goes off. The last thing you want to do is open your eyes. Maybe you even start thinking, who cares, right? This isn't that important. You begin rationalizing ways. You'll go back to bed and just make up for the time throughout the day.

But when you simplify the equation, you realize what you have is an opportunity. And you're either going to say yes and capitalize on that opportunity or say no and stay where you are. Discipline, even with the small seemingly trivial stuff, becomes freedom. And if you want to position yourself for a life on your terms, where you're at the wheel on your seat, schedule, it means facing demons just like this. It means you fight your fight now so that you can mitigate it later. Rather than saying, I wish, or beating yourself up for not being a little bit tougher in the moment, you instead get that sense of accomplishment.

You get the luxury of time and freedom. And I think that's a simple but perfect example of how discomfort in one moment. of how discomfort in one moment becomes contentment in future moments. Not a very intuitive trade-off. Or how about our low points? We all know no one escapes low points. I've always found them easier to handle and internalize

when I know that it's bringing me closer to something valuable. When I know that there's something good on the other side in the pain I'm feeling, the thoughts that are inevitably going to pass through my mind like clouds on a windy day, they're obviously not ideal, but they're not a waste either because something will come of them.

And the goal in that moment under the duress is not to move the immovable. After all, you can only control, but you can control. But it's to simply put, put one foot in front of the other until you emerge from the storm because we all eventually emerged from that storm. It's when we get into the habit of trying to do what is outside the scope of our control

that we do ourselves a disturbance. Because look, we're human. Equipped with human biology and human emotions navigating a tough world that is indifferent to how we feel or what we think. And while we can certainly strengthen and fortify that emotional IQ, the reality is no one is on a high all the time. Life is ups and downs. And when we realize our superpower is not to fight the down times, but to accept them, take them in stride, learn from them, and extract the value, we empower ourselves. We're giving ourselves permission to live life just a little fuller after what we've experienced.

The human experience requires many seemingly contradictory puzzle pieces, all working together in unison to create that final illustration we're looking for. Not just discipline and freedom, not just low points and high points, but countless others. Jordan Peterson, of course, famously discusses chaos and order and how both not only exist but are pivotal to a fulfilling life. We are designed for chaos. We must step out into unknowns, situations that feel bigger than us. The courage to do so ultimately becomes the pathway to order.

As we get used to the change, we acclimate, we find our answers, and ultimately create a sense of fulfillment. The challenge being that now we have conquered our demon, we must prepare for the next. Because just like too much chaos isn't good, too much order is equally destructive. Another example of something we'd assume as negative. Chaos.

Being the thing in actuality that paves the way for better days. It's a staircase. I've heard Tony Robbins say something similar when talking about our need for both certainty and uncertainty. We must have some elements of everyday life mapped out, but too much creates a mundane existence without the adventure and growth we've been looking for. It's from the unknown we capture more of ourselves. It's from the uncertainty we get growth. And I say all of this, not just because I think it's fascinating in and of itself, but because it's incredibly easy to forget,

especially in the thick of things that it's all essential to life working the way it should work. Those losses become gains. The disappointment becomes growth. The downtimes become launching pads to evolve experiences, greater adventures and new chapters. It's certainly not intuitive to look in the mirror when amidst life's chaos and say thank you to the universe. I get that. I'm not implying that you should.

But I am saying it helps to know, it helps to be aware of the paradoxical nature of your journey. I look back at the times I was most fearful or angry at myself. And if I could go back and tell that version of me one thing, it would be that all that adversity is going to push me forward that I'd never have the things I wanted most if I didn't step into all that discomfort that it's going to be okay that I'm going to be incredibly thankful for it all and so will you this is the push pull of life the chaos and order of the day it is not in spite of but because of those moments you'll be more than you've ever been The human experience is a paradox.

And the quicker we get that, the quicker we let it work for us. No more fighting unwinnable wars, but rather taking all that we can control and using it to lift ourselves up, to be our best selves, to make tomorrow the miracle that it can be. Here's to going, even when you don't want to go. To moving forward when you're uncomfortable, to stepping up when you're fearful.

Here's to courage. I was talking to a friend of mine earlier today about understanding the difference between two things. On one hand, the fear that presents itself when we're growing, leveling up. Like we've all felt nerves before a big event or an important life change, things like that. Then on the other hand, the emotions that arise when we start to feel like something isn't right for us, similar discomfort, but not quite the same. We feel nervous or uneasy because we know we're misaligned. And where we landed in our conversation was that when you were on the edge of that metaphorical cliff and your body's pushing back, your heart's pounding, your mind is racing,

you're nervous, you're fearful. The question worth asking, is will I be disappointed in myself if I don't go through with this? Will I be letting myself down here by turning back? You have to jump into the future and imagine, you know, future you sitting at the table reflecting on this. If you see yourself as regretful, wishing you pushed through, then it's not an alignment issue. It's a matter of courage. And when you think about it, it usually feels obvious looking back. Like I can easily recognize in hindsight the things I stopped doing because they weren't aligned with who I wanted to be.

When you stop doing the wrong thing, it feels like a breath of fresh air. Like a step back to leap forward. Those decisions create a more fulfilled life. But those times I stopped because 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 10. 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? And I really think most of the time we stop, not because the path was wrong for us, but because we somewhere along the way forgot that most of life's best experiences and circumstances and opportunities come with a hefty price tag. They demand a lot of us. And in those moments when the lights shine the brightest,

when we feel the weight of the world coming down on us, it's easy to misdiagnose that discomfort as a stop sign. It's like, oh, I feel alone, I feel unsure, I don't have any validation, my pride hurts, my confidence is shaken, whatever it may be. These things just, you know, even as I'm saying them out loud now seem awful. when in reality, they're just the cost of admission. 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.

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 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 that. 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. You know, one of the hardest things to do is to walk away from a sense of a sense of a situation that's just okay. That's fine. It's doable, livable. There's an idea that the enemy of great isn't its inverse. The enemy of great is not average or insignificant or I don't know, throw in any similar word. No, the enemy of great is good. Why? Because it's incredibly easy

to rationalize good. It's incredibly easy to sit back. and tell yourself, hey, things aren't currently broken, so why touch them, leave it alone? It's why it's a dangerous place to be. Comfort doesn't, on its own, initiate action or evolution. There has to be some sort of stressor to ignite the flame. And I'll get a response, you know, every now and then, truly in good faith, asking, well, what's wrong with average? Why can't I just be? Not everyone can be LeBron James or Adele or Denzel Washington.

Eddie, this convo sends people down a path of false hope. Well, hear me out. Because I'm certainly not saying everyone can be LeBron James, but they can most definitely be LeBron James in their own world. And instead, are settling for some sort of bench roll. I'm not saying, if you're not a movie star making 20 minutes, million dollars of film you've lost. I'm merely pointing out that perhaps you haven't even found the courage to star in your own movie, the one that is your life. And I can't speak for every

human being on the planet here, but I most certainly can speak for myself. The easiest thing for me, the temptation I always find myself grappling with, is the temptation to stay where I am. To accept things as they are, pass change off as something that's just a little bit out of my control. That's what my lizard brain always seems to want. It's really nice to not have to feel the burden of knowing I can change things around me, right? That prospect of creating my own friction, my own chaos so that I can, in a sense, tame it and elevate myself, that can be overwhelming. That's stressful. But you know what it is at the end of the day? It's thrilling. It's meaningful, and it may have taken me years to understand,

but I'd trade a safe life for a meaningful one any day. It was my coming to understand that statistically we should not be here. The odds are so small that you're alive listening to this, that the word improbability doesn't do it justice. It's a miracle in every sense of the word, And so what do we do about that? How do you explain a feeling? How do you explain the cost of not going, of fewer sunrises, less laughter, untapped creativity?

Unwalked paths, journeys never started. You can't. Which is why you have to go. Good is not detrimental because it's insufficient. It's detrimental because it gives you just enough to make stepping out into the world feel illogical. It's a warm blanket keeping you comfortable enough to forfeit that feeling you truly crave. And I hope it's clear my take in this is not that we aren't enough. It's that we have to be reminded that our biological compass points towards survival. And survival is a game of

stagnation. Our souls, on the other hand, they need to run. To seek out the magnificence of life, and the more times we can be tapped on the shoulder and reminded of this, the better. See, I don't dream of New Horizons because I'm ungrateful. I've learned to chase them down because I'm so grateful that I refuse to forfeit the gift. To leave my curiosity. packaged and confined, I want to bask in life's abundance before my time here is up. And that's just it. That's the whole point. The friction between the knowing and the doing.

Making that happen, physically bringing yourself there. It's not an easy thing. Certainly not as easy as putting your feet up and rationalizing the status quo. It's why I listen to voices. that inspire me, read stories that teach me, I talk to people who lift me up. Going is harder than staying, but meaning resides in the going. So no, it's not about being LeBron James. It's about getting off the bench and at least shooting a shot. Whatever a shot means to you, wherever you are. because if you don't, you'll never experience the thrill of having made one, of having felt that success.

It's not about what you're doing, it's about what you're leaving on the table. Is average terrible? I don't know. Is a Ferrari never taken out of its garage terrible? Not really, it's still a Ferrari, but it won't experience the very thing that Ferrari was designed to experience. Again, how do you quantify that? You can't. Not until you go.

So here's the stepping out of whatever the present definition of normalcy is in your world. Maybe not frantically changing the world around you, but certainly questioning the good, questioning yourself, questioning the Rojuran. Has the routine overshadowing? the reason you put the routine into place. Has the way things are come to outweigh the way you'd like them to be? Has good become a distraction, misdirecting you away from both life's brilliance and your own? This weekend, I needed to shut off for a little bit.

So I got some Chipotle. Yep, big night. Picked a random episode. of Game of Thrones, sat on my couch, and I put my feet up. Apparently, though, the universe had other plans for me, because I swear I was a few minutes in, and I heard one of the most incredible quotes I've ever heard, which sent me in 400 directions thinking about how to share it and delve into it with you guys on the podcast. So, hey, sometimes you plan to sit there and watch make-believe armies fight, and you end up

instead putting together an essay. life in the big city, right? But the scene I'm talking about, there's a character named Sansa Stark for anyone who hasn't seen it. And at this point in the show, she's lost her family. Been away from home,

essentially on the run for a long time. Sitting by herself kind of sulking, reminiscing, building a little replica of her old home in the snow that was on the ground as she sat there. And basically, just to set the scene, this little kid comes up, stomps on it, but Sansa gets mad, hits the kid, she's just devastated by everything, exhausted by it all.

And roughly that time a second character walks up, a guy named Peter Baylish. And Sansa, standing up over her broken snow castle, says, I was trying to remember what everything looked like. I'll never see it again. To which Peter replies, a lot can happen between now and never. If you want to build a better home, first you must demolish the old one. He's implying that Sonsa might think she wants to go home,

but home is essentially gone. That place she knew, that place she wants to go back to, it's destroyed. The people she loved are no longer there. She thinks she wants to go back to that place because she's lost and scared and alone, and the human condition is always to return to the comfort of what we left, to recapture that feeling of clarity,

but to truly find herself, what she needs to do is destroy that version of home and build a new one. To start again, to become something worthy of a new home, one that's more conducive to life now, which is her character arc for the rest of the show, right? Slowly evolving into that person. See,

Life is this interesting cycle of dying and being born again. Of leaving old things behind in order to build anew. The old you can only give what the old you always gave. So when life demands more of us, we have a real problem on our hands. What you knew is now insufficient. It's not enough. Sure, it was enough yesterday, but today is a different story. And we're always put in this situation, where the road before us is asking more of us than we've ever given.

It demands more than we know how to accommodate. This is when it becomes very easy to misdiagnose home. To think the answer is behind us. What we need is buried beneath what was. When in reality, what was is no longer sufficient. What we really need is to set the past ablaze in order to create space for what must be brought to life. Home is an evolution, a cycle.

As our world changes, we evolve right along with it. As old beliefs fall, new ones are built, as the old way is lost, a new way is found. By clinging to old, you sentence yourself to the never that's so adamant about it and at the expense of the infinite abundance and opportunity that's out there. It's worth noting that the phoenix does not descend from the clear blue sky. He rises from the ashes.

It's after the old world falls that the new one emerges. I'm not the same person I was in 2014 when I left what I was doing to do what I'm doing now. That version of me died. And then again, when I packed up my things and relocated my life in business to South Florida. And then again, when I changed how I positioned myself, how I thought of myself in the world, and again and again, and a multitude of time since then. This current version of myself is dying as we speak, making room for the new. Every time I find myself at a transition point, it's pain, it's unlearning things I knew to be true, I was sure of. It's taking a sledgehammer to the old realities

so that new ones can take their place. So that saying, a lot can happen between now and never. Yeah, anything can exist between now and never. The world is limitless between now and never if you understand what never means. Because the old you could never have the things meet the people, go the places, or become the person that you will be someday. The old you could never see the world the way you do or the way that you will,

but the old you was never supposed to. What we once called home, our past, our understandings of life, they were critical, they set the stage for now. They brought us this strange intersection of who we once were. were and who we now need ourselves to be. It's not that crawling on the ground was wrong. It's that we are now required to grow our wings, to set ablaze the previous parameters so

that new rules can be written. Change hurts, but it hurts far less than carrying the old you into eternity, while infinite possibility is left on the shelf. It hurts far less than equating your life. now to what's been taken away or lost. Rise from the ashes of what was. Life will ask you to be better, more capable, it will ask you for more.

Meet its call. Over and over again, meet its call. For anyone willing to let go of the old and give life to the new, a lot can happen between now and never. Thank you.