Your World Within Podcast by Eddie Pinero - How To Maximize Your Potential | Motivational Speech

Episode Date: February 19, 2024

“Every life form seems to strive to its maximum except human beings. How tall will a tree grow? As tall as it possibly can. Human beings, on the other hand, have been given the dignity of choice. You can choose to be all or you can choose to be less. Why not stretch up to the full measure of the challenge and see what all you can do?” - Jim Rohn YouTube: youtube.com/yourworldwithin

A tree grows, not because it wants to, but because it was created to. It's a story about potential. Right. And about a decade ago, right when I started writing, speaking, creating content online, I came across that message, and it was transformative for me. The idea that human beings are the only life form that will do less than they possibly. The full quote, by no surprise, Jim Rohn, he says, every life form seems to strive to its maximum, except human beings. How tall will a tree grow as tall as it possibly can?

Human beings, on the other hand, have been given the dignity of choice. You can choose to be all or you can choose to be less. So why not stretch up to the full measure of the challenge and see what you can do? Beautifully said, right? Imagine every night of your life going to bed, knowing that there was more inside of you. Imagine running a race, knowing there were other levels that you could have reached for, but didn't. Imagine looking back on a life of infinite possibility and knowing you created finite parameters. And I'm not saying you have to live every waking moment obsessed with always being better than you currently are. Right? I'm merely asking you a question.

Aren't you curious? Don't you want to know what that ceiling is, that space for which excellence has been reserved? I often think every time I hop on a rowing machine at the gym, that, you know, it highlights the gap in black and white between what I'm doing, what I'm capable of. Love-hate relationship with that machine. It brings me back to my college days, the days I first learned to truly push myself. I get on it now for one-minute sprints as part of a sort of a workout program I'm doing. And I just think, there's no evading that concrete number the screen gives me exactly how many meters I went in 60 seconds. Right there, right in front of me. And then I ask, imagine if the stakes were higher.

Imagine if this wasn't just a workout. Imagine if someone said, on sprint number four, Eddie, if this is not your fastest sprint of the day, you lose X. Or Y is going to happen to you. Whatever those variables may be. Eddie, if this isn't your fastest sprint, insert worst fear. What's going to happen? I'm going to break that record.

I just am. My body is going to find a way. And that's what's interesting. That's the point. Okay. What this metaphor is not an indicator that you need to go around scaring yourself into personal bests. But what it is is a reminder that there's always more right there, right in front of you, if you want it. It's a pointing out that we all live somewhere under what our best could be.

And knowing that. is such a powerful tool. It's powerful because there's no screen showing you the meters you traveled. When it comes to where you are with your work, or your health, or your relationships, there are indicators, sure. But so much goes unmeasured.

How much did you do today? Did you feel good about your output? How good? Because there's always another level. And maybe the solution is more. Maybe the solution. is an audit of time spent. Maybe it's adjusting your compass altogether,

but there exists a best in you that is untapped. Always. And the question remains, aren't you curious? Aren't you curious what that next level looks like? That should make you feel good. Because your current circumstance is as permanent as today's weather. What you don't like can be changed. can be changed. What isn't aligned can be adjusted. If it's not good enough, you can make it so.

One of my favorite ideas, life is a game of adjustment. The question's how far are you willing to push, to grow, keyword willing. Some people decide to stop at point A. Others stop at point B, others point C. And that's for them to decide. That's a decision, a personal decision they've made. But the million dollar piece of knowledge is that in all cases, that landing spot was a decision. It was not fate. It was not handed out by a stranger on the street. You choose how hard to pull and you decide which levers are worth pulling. See, we are the only living beings capable of underperforming. And that's amazing.

Take that, run with that, because it also means we are the only living creatures capable of rationally looking around, assessing the situation, and saying, I don't like this reality, I'm going to rebuild my own. The world is yours. You just have to decide which world you are willing to accept. Which world are you willing to fight for? Which world are you going to call your own? 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,

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 the rules. Sometimes break the rules. You were put here to take the difficulty and provide meaning to it. Peace 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. 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. I realized, yeah, she's pointing out something I've known for a little bit here. Something is off. I'm hiding from myself. Feel a little burnt out, a little tired.

Certain areas of my life had become unevenly distributed. In fact, I was flirting with that thing. I've always feared doing most. simply going through the motions. And 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 ibuprofenes.

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 again that I am the painter, not the critic. My world had become black and white, not because we live in a black and white world, but because sometimes we forget to put the color in. Sometimes we don't give ourselves permission to expand beyond the

parameters we've created for ourselves. So with the breath and the oxygen will come a new appreciation, a liberating gratitude. There's nothing so sweet as remembering that both the castles in the air and the chains at our feet are imaginary. And hey, you get to choose which one to believe in. See, what time has taught me is that there is strength in our vulnerability. In the times we fall or lose ourselves. And I know the inclination is to panic, perhaps assess too quickly, to not hear but talk, to not listen but attempt to 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 descent. 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.

a riddle we will never fully come to solve. But I do know one thing. We can't change the unpredictability of the world, but by observing, by listening, by getting back up, we can change ourselves. By recognizing our strength, we can utilize the downtimes as they are the education we've been longing for. Remember, the world does not and will not ask her first. of you, so don't ask perfection of it. You were built to endure, to overcome, and to recreate yourself. Losing your wings will never be the problem. It's forgetting that they must be regrown.

That is the problem. So step out. Rise to the surface of your world and breathe. Take in the surroundings that will become your resurrection story. if you left them. The thing about storms is that they all have one thing in common, they pass. And once gone, they leave you as a person different than who you were before you stepped in. Before you found yourself consumed by its adverse conditions, they are disruptors.

breaking down and shaking up, but not for the sake of chaos itself. No, storms break us down so that we can build again, so that we can find within ourselves the power and the strength that simply remain tucked away during those sunny days. And so walking up to this storm, what you'll immediately notice is a break from the normal, the everyday, an obvious detachment from the standards by which you had been living. But don't be fooled into thinking those dark clouds and heavy winds have nothing of value

for you. Don't be tricked into thinking the rain will consume all the good in life. Because at the end of the day, it's that very rain that washes away the excess and leaves the meaningful. We don't grow despite the storms. We grow because of the storms. So compose yourself and embrace what's around you. Amidst the storm, you might realize that you don't want some of the things you thought you did. You might realize that life contains variables that make it incredibly unpredictable. And when old plans meet new variables, sometimes we learn that the The path we were walking down requires adjustment.

It needs change. Not because we were wrong. The dream was wrong, where the path was wrong, but because life is an experiment. Experiments are meant to test hypotheses and support exploration. Without the storm, sure, everything seemed fine. Everything was flawless, but in the thick of it, when the variables, the multiplicity of factors present themselves.

it often paints a picture for us that we previously weren't able to see. That's okay. Ideal, even. It's life. So when amidst the storm and presented this new information, this new portrait, pivot. Grow with your understanding and newly acquired knowledge. There's no point in remaining tied to the ideas, the people and the place. places that once served you but have since run their course. Right?

Growth is perspective and awareness and as the storm shakes your foundation, it also hands you a clarity that those blue skies simply could not. So adjust, adapt, and move further into the person you are destined to become. You can't learn that on a sunny day. No, that's what's what's true. storms are four. And amidst the storm, you might find yourself scared, nervous, unsure.

You might even look back and wonder what life would have been like had you not stepped in. Perhaps you're angry with yourself for not navigating around the inclement weather. Maybe you'll find yourself asking, how did I let myself end up in such a situation when there were visual indicators and weather forecast, people warned me about moments like this yet here I am you might find that the drop in temperature is uncomfortable the rain difficult the wind annoying but here's what they don't tell you there's something innately powerful about proving to yourself that you can move forward despite those things that when you're scared

and step forward anyway when you're lost but maintain your poise and trust in the process, when you're down but cling to hope to that light at the end of the tunnel, you emerge with a different understanding of who you are. You end up stronger because you've allowed yourself to become stronger. And you don't get that on the sunny days. No, that's what storms are for. And amidst the storm, you might feel like the sacrifice requires. required in life is more than you want to endure. Maybe even more than you can endure. After all, it's during our trying times that we're forced to make

some of our most difficult decisions. We might be forced to let go of some things that had been staples in our lives. That in order to say hello to some things, we must necessarily say goodbye to others. And this hurts. Especially while it's happening, it hurts. But what you're really doing is learning to identify what matters and mitigate the things that don't support that journey.

Sometimes storms teach us that growth is not about acquisition and obtaining more. And they show us instead that we've been carrying too much. That we become accustomed to surrounding ourselves with things. that no longer elevate or inspire or push us. And the best way to evolve is to move forward with less. So when you see parts of yourself fade away or dissolve, hold your head up. Because when you get to the other side,

you just might see that cutting away those things was more liberating than anything you could find or pick up along the way. And we're not taught this lesson on those sunny days. No, that's what storms are for. And amidst the storm, it's quite possible that you'll feel lonely from time to time. Maybe misunderstood. Perhaps like the whole world has everything figured out.

They're moving single file through the correct door while you wander around aimlessly. That's not true. No one has all the answers and everyone has their storms. The question has always been as far as I'm concerned, what will you make of yours? Because we're always presented with the decision to let our adversity define us or to find something of value in it.

The opportunity hidden in plain view. You're never alone in your pain or your distress. Those things are an inevitability tied to the miracle that is life. But what you are is powerful. Powerful enough to learn in your solitude and bring that understanding back out to the world. Powerful enough to let the lessons guide you to something beautiful. Powerful enough to find the meaning underneath the turbulence. We often confuse our times of greatest transatlance.

of greatest transformation with setbacks. We often forget that the darkness cannot withstand a single flicker of light, and we can be that light when we trust ourselves. It's a lesson that can't be taught on sunny days. No, that's what storms are for. And that storm, that very thing you want with all your heart to avoid, it's not antideatical. It's not antithetical to your happiness or your prosperity. No, ultimately it's how you create those things.

The trials and tribulations help us look at life from different angles. They remind us what we are capable of. Show us we can do so much more than we thought that we have in many cases been accepting a reality that is not our own. That is just the beginning. And so whether you were on the outside looking in, or at this very moment in the heart of chaos, remember this is making you who you need to be. And sure it never feels good in the moment, it's never exciting when it's happening.

But there will be a point when you look around and see a world unlike the one you stepped away from. One in which you are stronger, bolder, wiser. one in which you have greater clarity and understanding a better sense of who should be with you and where you are going. It's not despite, but because of the storm, that you'll rise from the ashes and from the quote-unquote misfortune to find yourself and your way. Lead yourself first. Before we can influence, before we can ever persuade or change anything externally, we have to first lead ourselves. And that means delivering on the promises we make to ourselves.

It means showing up when we tell ourselves we're going to show up. It means putting ourselves in an environment conducive to growth. There's an old metaphor from Wayne Dyer about an orange, where he essentially says that it doesn't matter what you do to an orange. It doesn't matter how hard you squeeze it, or how many you have, or how you manipulate it. Grapefruit juice will never come out of an orange. Only orange juice can be emitted, and similarly, we can never give or contribute what we do not have inside ourselves. We can't expect our lives to look like anything other than a culmination of the tiny action, steps, and decisions we make on a daily basis. The external world is a product of the internal world, and the internal world is not realized until we learn to rule over ourselves and our lives with conviction.

You can break this down in many different ways. Jaco Willinks says discipline equals freedom. John Maxwell talks about a leadership lid where success levels can never exceed leadership capability, and sure it applies to teams, but it also applies to self-leadership. Are you searching for and committing to the little hinges in your life that, as W. Clement Stone says, swing big doors

that make the difference? Are you taking responsibility for your shortcomings like leaders do? Are you learning to trust yourself? Are you seeing past the trap of perfection and committing to progress? Are you taking the little things seriously? Because at the end of the day, all things are comprised of little things and only little things. The bottom line is that we master nothing until we master ourselves. Trust ourselves.

The bottom line is that we win when we lead ourselves. to hold ourselves accountable for the little things that matter even when it hurt or we're tired, even though no one's going to come up and reprimand us for falling short. There are often no visible consequences when we let ourselves down, so let's manufacture that urgency. If you promised yourself you'd get up when that alarm clock goes off, it becomes no longer optional. If you promised yourself you'd go down the road that scares you, it becomes no longer one road of many, it is now the only road.

Even though it may be scary or intimidating, it's the darkness that must be confronted. You are more powerful than you know, you are more capable than you understand, but you must lead your. yourself to your potential. Those little things matter. And so while the temptation is to brush them off is insignificant, while the rest of the world ebbs and flows through life like jellyfish with the tide, your superpower will be to see, harness, and multiply those little decisions like they are gold. Your strength is that when it's easier to run, you'll be the one that in

instead stands up and lead yourself to greatness.