Your World Within Podcast by Eddie Pinero - I AM NOT WHERE I WANT TO BE, BUT I'LL GET THERE | Powerful Motivational Speeches

Episode Date: November 9, 2022

"Go as far as you can see; when you get there, you'll be able to see further." - Thomas Carlyle

Use what you have where you are. A friend of mine at one point found himself in his mid-20s, fighting his way back from what he refers to as a pretty substantial setback that had occurred. He was basically rebuilding his life. He found himself looking up at an enormous mountain to climb. Unsure what he would do for a living, how he would make ends meet, very much lacking direction. And as he pondered, he got a job as a pizza oven repair guy.

Learn the ins and outs of the craft. As he showed up every day, I still focused down the road, still contemplating what would be the best move for his future. And as some time passed, he started to realize he was mastering the very niche craft that he was showing up to do every day. right was acquiring a very specific competency and quickly becoming great after a little bit of time he started thinking hey i could branch out on my own here i could start my own pizza oven repair business and he did and after not too long hired an entire team to work with him then progressed into delivering and installing new ovens all over the country and is currently working on some new technology as well to supplement the install and repair part of the business.

The guy's doing incredibly well. And it's interesting because you're having a conversation with him about his success and it's like, how on earth did you find yourself doing what you do? It's so specific. And he'll tell you, you know, he worried, he pondered, he thought about business degrees and careers, trajectories and all that.

But the difference was that he didn't take the moment for granted. He saw the value where he was with what he had, where he could have seen it as a bridge job or a chapter in the story or however you want to describe it. He saw it as an opportunity. He saw the present as the answer, show up and give everything you have to being, great now. Because when you're competent in a craft and ambitious, as he is, that's a scary

combo. The world becomes yours. Use what you have where you are. And you will, because of this monstasy, doors unlock that perhaps you never thought possible. There are pieces around you now that will push you to grow and evolve. The problem is we very often dismiss them. What my friend turned into an empire, a success story, could just as easily have been an obligation while he waited for the world to give him something different. And sure, I think it's important for me to emphasize the point isn't to stay where you are forever if you're unhappy. Of course not.

The point is that there's value in aiming to be exceptional at whatever it is you are doing, whatever you are committing to, even if it appears mundane. The point is that so much potential is sewn into our day-to-day, it just tends to blend in and not feel important, at least at first glance. You know, doors open for people who are great at what they do, and people who are great at what they do live with a curiosity, consistency, and intensity that others might not. It's amazing how when we feel that we are gaining competence in something or excelling in something, it becomes enjoyable, which highlights the fact that, you know, so often our stagnation is a byproduct of us standing in our own way, choosing not to grow.

I mean, I can't explain how trivial what I do now felt when I first started in 2014. Sharing my thoughts into a microphone, making little three-minute video. uploading them to the internet, right, to an audience of my immediate family for $0. You know how dumb my rational brain was trying to convince me that was? You know how easy it would have been to move on and simply look back on that period of time as my little YouTube experiment? But again, there is this strange phenomenon that when you inject yourself into something and vow to get better at it, it lifts you up, it excites you, it brightens you,

it brightens your world. I had, as I've talked about, so many times found that intersection of what I love and what adds value to others. And that was everything. And the solution appeared not because, you know, I bumped into someone

that had some life-changing opportunity for me. It wasn't because I found this shortcut or secret formula. No, I just used what was already sitting in my little apartment on Comav in Boston. It's incredible how often our answers are right where we are. That's why, as I've progressed through this journey, I understand balance. I understand the value of, sure, looking at that horizon, having big plans and ambition,

but also cherishing the opportunity at our feet now, looking around. Because again and again and again, the opportunity is disguised as triviality, is the stuff we walk right by. Always remember that there's something around you that can be transformed into opportunity, even if it's small. And if you choose to look for it, you will empower yourself. Every day things. I can throw off examples for days.

The internet, incredible resource. Leverage it. Whether it's connecting or sharing or creating or learning. Your day-to-day effort. Like my friend with the pizza oven installation repair company. That world doesn't exist if he doesn't take the little things incredibly seriously. Show up to whatever you do with the tenacity that will propel you to new height. Whether it's in that same field or it carries you over to another.

Or utilizing your network. There are people you know today right now that can contribute to your momentum. seek them out. Time, the 30-minute blocks that we deem insignificant or downtime between one event and another. Think of the compounding of turning that into a push-up session every day or your 30-minute audiobook time. And sure, all of these examples are sort of sporadic, they're contextually different, but they have one very important common theme, and that's opportunity being squeezed out of resources, is that we already possess. It's instead of walking by the pile of bricks every morning,

picking one up at a time and beginning to stack them. I'm a firm believer that the difference maker for so many is not IQ. It's not going to this or that college. It's not your background. It's, did you recognize the opportunities surrounding you? Did you find the value? you or the excuse. Because both will always exist. And that's what we have to understand. The details around you can be your reason for staying right where you are or for doing the unimaginable.

So understand the power of utilizing what you have where you are. Make a point to look for the tools within reach. They say what's trash or junk to one man can be treasure to. to another. We'll understand that your eyes are capable of seeing both. You have to leave them to the value. You have to become comfortable with pausing, letting the emotions subside and asking, how can I win here now with the pieces that are available to me? Because they are available.

And if you're willing to pick them up, you can, undoubtedly as Thoreau said, build your castles in the air. I want to start the episode with a story pertaining to criticism, doubt, and how we internalize it, how it affects us, or doesn't, which is the point of the story here. And in this little story, there are some frogs and they're hopping along, and two of them fall into this little pit, right? And they're stuck down there. and you have the ones up top looking down saying,

oh my God, guys, that is, that's a death sentence. You're done. Don't even try. It's over for you. And they're frantically hopping. They're trying to get out. They're scared. And the people up top are the frogs up top are saying, you're done.

It's over. Stop. Don't waste your time. One of them finally concedes. Maybe you're right. Jumps further down into the pit and ultimately dies. The other one keeps jumping, keeps jumping. And the frogs on top are saying, stop, don't waste your time.

There's no point. There's no point. You're done. But he keeps jumping and ultimately gets out. And when he gets to the top, the frogs are saying, didn't you hear us? We were saying that there was no way out that you were dead pretty much. And the frog communicates basically that he's deaf, right? So he couldn't hear a word.

And the beauty in that is that, you know, when you don't hear the negativity, when you don't hear the doubt, you create your own reality, right? Truth is defined by the author. You are the author of your own story. The future hasn't been created yet. And so giving someone else control over that outcome,

you know, doesn't make sense. It actually doesn't make sense, right? Similar to one of my favorite, I don't know if it's a quote, but the idea that, you know, most of it's a, the people who did fantastic things were too ignorant to understand the odds, right? It's like when you allow outside circumstances to dictate what's real, they're holding the pen

and they're deciding. But when you have clarity and when you have a laser focus on what matters and what's important, you know, all the nuance and the detail outside of that, what other people think or what they say or what they believe has no relevance to what you do or what you're trying to do. There's always going to be that chirping. There's always going to be that negativity. And the question is, you know, do you internalize it? Do you jump into the pit?

Do you believe it? Or do you tune it out and you jump out and make a world for yourself that matters to you? We all enjoy the prospect of perfection. Everyone has an ideal outcome. we all make plans. But very rarely do they unfold as they were drawn up. Why? Well, because life is predictably unpredictable.

It's mysterious. Yet for some reason, we march on toward the acquisition of a flawless existence. Scared of anything but an undamaged, untarnished, immaculate reflection staring back at us in the mirror. But in the real world, you know, our happiness, contentment, growth, progress, that are not a product of perfection. They're built from the imperfections that we collect along the way. The trials, the tribulations.

You know, when you piece all that together, like little puzzle pieces, they depict a beauty. They show the image that's always been so highly coveted. In other words, the process of rebuilding creates something more valuable than the same pieces before they were broken down, when they were untouched. In Japanese philosophy, there's a concept known as Kinsugi, which is the art of repairing broken pottery with a golden lacquer.

It's the idea that we don't want to have to have hide the damage, but we want to rebuild it into something more meaningful, more valuable. Embrace the imperfect, own and cherish it. There's an old story about a tea master known as Rikyu, and he was attending a Japanese tea ceremony with one of his followers, and the follower tries to impress Rikyu by buying this fancy clay jar and making it visible during the meeting. But Rikyu never, you know, once acknowledges it. The praise never comes.

So the student, you know, obviously upset by the lack of recognition, he pushes the jar off the counter. It falls to the floor. It breaks into a bunch of pieces. And another student ultimately repairs it using Kinsugi. He puts the pieces back together with a gold lacquer. And next time, Rikyu attends the tea ceremony as a guest of honor, he sees the jar, rebuilt, and says,

He says now it's beautiful. Now it has character. He acknowledges its value. And this story reminds us about the myth of perfection. Life's not about dodging and avoiding the difficulty. It's about facing it head on. Because when we come out on the other side, we transform into something that was previously unobtainable

and rise to a world beyond imagination. See, we change not by running a round. life's obstacles, but by running directly through them. Like a muscle being repeatedly broken down and built back up, the pain, the exhausted energy is the vehicle. The micro creates the macro, the difficult becomes the exceptional. We need the very things we're inclined to avoid. Our shortcomings, they not only precede and establish our greatness,

They are our greatness. Being broken is not a tragedy. It is a step along the way. It's the beginning of something new, a launching pad, a chance to be better than you have ever been. Because look, here's the reality. If your status quo has never been shaken at its foundation, if you've never stopped and questioned the way things are, reality as it is,

if you don't take risks, there will be no fragments to take and rebuild. rebuild. You won't have the tools or capacity to change the world around you. And that is the thing of note. Beauty is not fearing the rebuild. It is the rebuild. It's not feeling sorry or hopeless, but hopeful. Seeing your situation for what it is, an opportunity. It is what you need, a blank canvas, your chance to make art while redrawing creative boundaries. If purpose, if purpose, you're not, Perfect is the goal, why take the step? Why take the chance? Why risk messing things up?

It's never been about perfect. It's about picking up the pieces and rising again. 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.

Believe it. You couldn't see yourself at the top of that mountain. And so the front door was never opened. Emerson says, hits 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 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. Free, 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... They say heavy is the head that wears the crown. that with the ability to influence comes a burden, a worry not felt by the masses, that power like anything has its costs,

and I don't disagree. But I can't help wondering what value lies in the alternative. See, today is my empire. Each action, my subject, I rule this. kingdom with an iron fist because it is mine. Because I will not let my life be dictated by foreign aggressors. Not because of the crown on my head, but because of the life that I lead. Because when you govern your own beliefs and expectations, you bow to no man. My thoughts are loyal. My decisions comprise the greatest army this world has ever seen, and unless I say otherwise, it will

conquer to the ends of the earth. My world is simple. Rule or be ruled, do or wish, act, or hope. It's always easier to be the subject, to be directed, to take orders, to complain about the decisions made up the chain of command, but easy will never change. your life will it? Heavy is the head that wears the crown because to have control is to take on risk. It's dangerous, it's vulnerable, but you'd be hard pressed to find another soul who didn't want to be king or queen, who didn't envy

the crown, it wasn't a matter of desire, it was a matter of courage. And when it came down to it, when things gravitated outside of their comfort zone, they simply coward. Everyone has a crown at their feet. Everyone. The question is, will you pick it up? No decision is more consequential than the decision to take control. To rule over your life, the universe does not control you.

It empowers you. Too many people complain about being locked inside. a room of limitation when they have a key in one hand and a map in the other. No one can make you take the first step. No one can push you out the door. Potential is never guaranteed to materialize. Royalty must decide to rule. To differentiate themselves from everything else, from the excuses, the difficulty, and

the awe. Rain over your life. Conquer the unconquerable. be brave enough to wear that crown. The possibilities always outweigh the risk. There's vulnerability that comes with risk. I'm not sure we can get the full extent of it from a book or a video. Rather, we only understand it once we experience it firsthand.

Where you step further out into the world, the short distance beyond what was once the status quo, whatever that looked like for you. And suddenly you become susceptible to criticism and rejection. You feel things you've never felt, see things you've never seen. Sometimes it feels like you're taking off your armor and marching directly into battle.

And it makes sense in the beginning. But there is always, always a point during the heart of the storm where we look around and ask why. It's like a hangover, right, where there's this internal tension, frustration, knowing that the whole thing was self-induced. You could be comfortable right now. Comfort was always an option. But you chose differently. And as you push through, something becomes evident.

It takes time, but all things of value. do, you realize that life is now offering you things previously unavailable, as though your ticket now permits you to relocate from the bleachers to court side. The lock has come off the door. And immediately, you see why there was a cost associated with leveling up. After all, what is value, if not scarce? If this were easy, what would it mean? If it were always accessible, where would the significance exist? If everyone could snap their fingers and arrive here, what would be special about it? What's remarkable is that it is reserved for the few willing to make the trip.

And oh, the things we learn about ourselves along the way. In the book Unbroken, Hillenbrandt tells a story of Louis Zamperini, a runner, who went to fight in the Second World War, his plane is shot down. And almost the entirety of the book navigates the horrors he endorsed. First being rescued in the Pacific, then tortured in Japanese POW camps. Where he sees many around him die and even comes within inches of losing his own life on a handful of occasions. And when he's finally rescued at the end of the war, and I'll never forget this, he's asked about what he went through and he says he'd rather die than go through it all again

and I'll tell you why that's so meaningful to me because it shows you what human beings can endure when we take things one day at a time an almost unfathomable amount of pain and suffering and sacrifice we are so strong and so powerful when we, as Louis did, take the battle day by day. And sure, looking at the horizon, it's an ocean to traverse. But broken down, merely droplets of water. Certainly manageable.

Now, of course, we are not POWs, and I'm certainly not equating our adversity to his. But the reality is we are, in our own context, in our own ways, fighting our own battles. We're all navigating personal obstacles. And it's critical to know that one, you are capable, and two, the other side is worth it. We forget because it's easy to forget.

Because we are wired to avoid discomfort. Because no one wakes up and intuitively thinks, man, I'd love to do the hard thing today. But what we learn is to love deeply is to take off the armor and allow the heart to be vulnerable. To seek out the adventure is to embrace the possibility of losing one's way. To dream of a place amongst the stars is to risk falling short and being reminded of our imperfections, our mortality. One might understand this and think only of the adversity. of what can go wrong,

perhaps create lines in the sand that they refuse to cross, and sure, they play conservatively, their hearts won't be broken, their maps won't be necessary, their pride won't be crushed. But for what? What kind of existence is one where you never play the game because there was a possibility of defeat?

We can all endure what is required to live fully. to live fully, every single one of us. Yet so many will never leave the harbor because we struggle to see the journey as a collection of manageable pieces. You deserve more and you're capable of getting more. Don't deprive yourself of it. 1,000 heartbreaks is worth finding that someone

who lights you up. In 1,000 miles in the wrong direction is worth uncovering. that place you were meant to be, 1,000 swings and misses is worth finding your place amongst the stars. Vulnerability is not a burden, it's a staircase to the moon. Why not make today the beginning of your ascent? One of my favorite quotes is sometimes success is simply hanging on when others would be letting go. The reason is that it reminds me how frequently the advantage is in not stopping. It's in consistency.

It's in showing up. When I run particularly long distances, almost like clockwork I can break it down to feeling good at the beginning. Usually a little rough stretch in the middle and then somewhere on the second half, I'm I catch a second wind or a second blast of energy. The question just becomes when? Will you hang in long enough to capture it? Because you don't know when it might be,

where it will show up, you don't know when you'll find that nice rhythm again that makes the sport so enjoyable to me. And when I say, you know, you can pull an infinite amount of life lessons from running, this is one of them. That depiction of trusting that the road ahead has every,

everything you need to cross your finish line. Even when the short-term chaos is all you can see and feel, even when it's hard to look up and imagine. Right? Because it's easier said than done when you're tired and worn down to continue on, right? When you're in the trenches. There's an uncertainty to the road ahead, but each footstep is a shot on target. step forward is saying, I'm worn down, but I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere.

And life can present an almost eerily similar narrative, right, whether personally you're at a low point, whether you've been working and working and working and having seen the result you're looking for, whether you're uncomfortable and starting to wonder whether this reward is really worth the high price tag. You need to remember that second wind, that second blast of energy, just enough momentum to ease your worry and recalibrate your journey, it's there. It's waiting. But you know the rules of life. It won't come to you. You must go to it.

Through the storm into the night beyond the comforts of home, most sadly don't arrive. Not because they couldn't, but because they ultimately let go. They looked too far down the road at the distance to be traveled and forgot that their only job was to hold on. Through the doubt, the pain, the worry, no miracle, just a willingness to fight each battle as it presented itself. To let time stack up, to let the distance over your shoulder accumulate. See, the thing about stopping is that you never know when that much needed second wind will arrive. There's a saying that many of life's failures had no clue how close they were to success when they gave up. When they turned around.

Now, I'm not suggesting the road will be perfect, or that it won't come with its adversity, mistakes, and lessons. But what we always have control over, is the ability to push forward until we finally come face to face with that which we so desperately needed. It's there. I could say it a million times and it wouldn't be enough. The pieces exist. Will you hang in long enough to collect them? When the road is intimidating, will you hold on?

When you run into those moments of self-doubt, will you hold on? will you hold on? When you feel small, navigating the ups and downs of life, will you hold on? Because if the answer is yes, you'll find yourself crossing some finish lines that will blow your mind. You'll get from life that which most can only dream of. And again, not because of the miraculous, but because you knew that the second wind was coming, You knew it would be there for you so long as you kept moving forward

Holding on when most would be letting go. We have a desire to define that which is often Undefinal when it comes to life and its highly coveted outcomes assessing the things that we want We use probability to solidify things that are entirely fluid and For example, you often hear about the odds of becoming a professional football player, the odds of becoming a CEO of going to Harvard, making six or seven figures, numbers that often paint a picture of why you can't. When you hear only one in however many millions of people accomplish something,

the intent is to show you that you're more likely to fall into the millions bucket than the one bucket. To show just how rare or difficult are out of the ordinary achieving that. would be. Almost like they're being compared to a lottery, a random number generator, luck, a pursuit in which you have zero control. Think of a huge glass jar, right? One red marble, three million green marbles, and it's like you close your eyes and you better pull out that red one, otherwise you won't become the Oscar-winning actor that you dream of being. And the problem with looking at life that way is that it overshadows the most important element of understanding just how much control you have.

The one in however many hundreds or thousands or millions wasn't born that red marble in a jar full of three million green ones. No, he or she just did things differently, live differently. They didn't relinquish control. They took control, and that's the difference. That's what matters. The lottery is sitting back and hoping your numbers pull. pull. In real life you create your own probability every day, every minute that goes

towards working towards a goal, that means you get closer. Why would you take a snapshot of the present moment in time and use that to define the likelihood that you'll live out your dreams someday down the road? It doesn't tell you anything. It's the steps along the way that make your vision a reality. Using the same metaphor, every step, every decision to push forward. Every time you dig deep and find a little advantage, you're replacing one of those green marbles with the red one. Maybe you can't quantify that numerically. Maybe you can't see the progress, but it's there. In fact, numbers should never scare you because they're an indicator that the vast majority of people aren't prepared to go all the way, aren't willing to do

what it takes, and that you, by simply not stopping, by thinking that you can, by giving more than the person next to you have a tremendous advantage over the rest of the world. When you hear only a small number of people make it or graduate or get accepted or win, your thought process shouldn't be, oh no, it should be perfect. This is my opportunity. Of course the number of elite people in any arena is going to be small. Think of what it takes to get there. Think of the sacrifice needed to make it happen, the costs that must be paid.

The only odds that warrant attention are the odds that you will continue forward and you should know that they are 100%. Because when you trust yourself to find a way, when you focus on how to make it happen, you have an advantage. The world around you, they focus on why things can't happen. They see what can go wrong. They harp on the fact that it's not easy. Remaining fixated on why you can, on finding a way means you most likely will. will. The terms difficult or demanding or even unlikely, they have nothing to do with you crossing that finish line. If you are 100% convinced you are going to do just that. Words like difficult, they just imply that there's going to be plenty of opportunities to

quit and turn around along the way, a temptation that must and will be ignored. They mean that you will be tested, that you will have to ask yourself potentially numerous times if this means something to you, if it's truly worth it, and if the answer, The answer is yes, then the numbers, the probability, the odds, they are not an adversary, they are an ally. Around 2011, I hurt my left arm and had to get surgery. So for a while, I was pretty limited as far as what I could do with my upper body, and that's really when I fell in love with running.

I started doing it almost every day. Sometimes those long runs outside clear my mind, sort of reset a little bit, and sometimes I mix it up. Hop on the treadmill and do my favorite workout, which was a pyramid, right, where you break 10 minutes into four segments, four, three, two, and one, increasing in intensity with each segment, and then you start over. And that's where this whole idea comes from. It's this treadmill workout that I want to talk about, because there's a little ritual.

I picked up that I still implement to this day, and it was simple. At the very end of my workout or my run, I would always add 22 seconds. My lucky number twice, two and two. So, for example, if I told myself, you know, the workout's going to be, you know, three pyramids or 30 minutes, I would stop running at 30 minutes and 22 seconds. If I told myself it was going to be an hour, I'd stop at one hour in 22 seconds. Always tacking on that 22, and I don't really remember the first time I started doing it or even why. But like so many things that 22-second period organically became a habit, sort of evolved to take on a life of its own,

and would come to symbolize for me a little challenge. The idea that the end is never really the end. And no matter how tired I was or how bad I wanted to stop, especially when you can see that finish line in reach, I could always squeeze out a little more. But there's always something extra to give. And you could certainly go down that 22-second rabbit hole, right? Just 22 more seconds.

And then you finish that and you realize you can do just 22 more. And just 22 more. It's like this never-ending spotlight into how incredible we are as humans. that our stopping points almost always are constructed. Rarely is there not an extra 22 seconds or 22-somethings we can endure. And not only that, I think there's a case to be made that our growth occurs in that final push.

There's a ton of value hidden away in there. The stretching of the mind and body, the last rep, that breaks down the muscle, the last few seconds of that run that forced the lungs to work their hardest. Exhausting that last bit of energy and focus, you know, studying for an exam. Maybe that's where you confirm your comprehension

and understanding of the subject matter. It's like when we are pushing ourselves, just outside the limits we drew up, we are simultaneously expanding those limits. And so over the years, I've adopted that mentality. And I look at myself in the mirror now and I can see it. I'm not the same person I was a decade ago. Those little decisions to add on 22 seconds, they stack up, and they stack up in a unique way.

Because it's not necessarily about the time. It's not the same benefit that say an hour every morning that the gym would bring. You know, obviously that would be incredibly valuable, but in a different way. I'm talking about mentally, an armor that we come to wear, an identity that gets materialized. It's how you see yourself and how you see the world. You understand how manufactured our parameters are. And I get it. We have to stop somewhere, sure.

But it's an acknowledgement that those somewheres are fiction. They are arbitrary. You weren't made to exist within them, but to stretch them, to recreate them. And that's an endeavor that is always uncomfortable. But as far as I can tell, always worth it. The strength to go a little bit further than initially intended or designed

is what will place you in a league of your own. And that's where I wanted to start. by bringing attention to the idea that there's always an extra 22 seconds and you are always capable of obtaining it. That is yours. Whether you choose to see it or not, it's an option, it's always an option, which sort of connects us to my next thought. If I know that's who I am, someone that fights for that 22 seconds, if I know that's what we're going to, if I know that's what I'm capable of, and that's what lights me up. What about those times in my life when I had no desire to reach for the extra 22?

Because sitting here, I can think of plenty. I can think of times when there was dissonance between my identity and my actions. Here's a quick story. This was a shift in my life and my understanding of reaching for that little bit more. When people ask me about my process, what I'm building or where I see myself in X number of years, I tell them I'm playing the long game. Like I'll sacrifice some short-term wins now to continue forward with a plan that I believe wholeheartedly will transform from linear to exponential. It's like Gary V's motto, you know, you're young, you have time.

And impact is not about succeeding at 34, it's about flourishing at 45 and 55 and 65 and 75. Like, that's fun to me. That's the exciting game to play. And it's methodical. The challenge is, you know, as you're locked into this big picture plan, you have to pass a lot of shiny objects along the way.

A lot of, hey, look at them over there. Maybe I should be doing that too. That worked for her. Will it work for me? Right? Sometimes you forget to trust yourself and stay the course. And so a few years ago, I felt this pressure to pivot, to adjust focus. Right?

I'd been, you know, talking with some mentors of mine who were, you know, very successful in their individual fields and passions. And I thought, hey, you know what? It's time for me to start focusing less on the craft and more on monetizing the craft. right, the De Niro side of things, which is great and it's healthy, but here's the catch. As long as you're doing it in a way that aligns with who you are. And so a few months go by, and I found myself living in this overly sized and priced condo on the beach that I was going to use to impress clients, you know, making products that didn't excite me, talking to people I didn't really want to be talking to, living a life that was not my

own, I'd lost myself. Right? My love is storytelling. It's capturing life seemingly overlooked secrets. That's what I get excited about in the morning. That's the value I want to share with the world. And look, money is important. It's necessary. It's freedom. But for me, it can't be about the money or I lose the drive. Right. And here's the point I'm making where it all comes together. What I found is that when you're a stranger in your own body, there's almost no incentive to push for that little extra. It's like, who cares about fighting for 22 seconds? I'm so misaligned.

I don't even want to be here. Right? That is the red flag. That's the indicator that it's time to adjust. Because if I'm someone who wants more, who pursues and acquires more, and I don't feel the urge to do so, you know, it's time to change.

And I broke the lease, put everything I had in a car, went on a little three-month excursion, re-aligned. And if I'm not willing to suffer through that little extra, to go above and beyond, it's not for me. And so that's a big example. But it obviously manifests in smaller ways as well. Yes, you are someone who can and will chase down the beauty in life, who will transform that little,

extra into something meaningful, but you also have to position yourself and the world around you to make it possible. And when you don't feel that hunger inside, and this is the point you need to understand, it's not you, it's not broken hardware, it's not that you innately lack drive or confidence, it's that you need to rearrange this scenario, you need to find alignment. Because I promise you if you want something enough, you'll be willing to fight for it, to hurt for it, to break boundaries for it. But you must first make sure that you're pointed at something you want, something that moves you. And here's the part where I remind you of all those things you've already overcome in your life. Of all the times you thought your tank was empty, but you found a way.

all the times you were hurting but kept moving, all the times you were broken, but put yourself back together, we are not told in school or at work how resilient we are. We're not told that we often stop thousands of 22-second period short. We aren't told that we're living at a 30% capacity, operating at a fraction of our potential. We don't even realize the little miracles we've created along the way. A strong purpose and a willingness to stretch yourself as you pursue it will change your life.

And that's not hyperbole. That is fact. If you want what you've never had, then push yourself further than you've ever gone. And we're talking little stressors, expanding one step at a time. until you eventually look over your shoulder and see the miles you've traveled. Until you look at your reflection and see the evolution that has occurred. It was never just 22 seconds. It was a consistent and sustained shot at the walls you placed around yourself for the opportunity to see them crumble.

Some build, others tear down. Some take risks. Others critique the risk takers. Some pursue the infinite. Others settle for a life of limitation. Some make change. Others complain that things are no longer the same. Some help people grow. Others think that your loss is their gain. Some learn from misfortune, others become held down by it. Some turn fear and opportunity, others avoid the unknown. Some never stop learning, others think they have all the answers.

Some do, others talk. Some give, others take. Some live, others wish. Some see an opportunity, others see an obligation. Some work toward the possibility of excellence. Others run from the possibility of defeat. Some fall and get back up. Others stay where they are so that they never have to worry

about leaving their feet. Some embrace the elements, others take shelter. Some search, seek and discover, others wait to be Some perform, others watch. Some persist, others stop. Some make the most of every single day. And others watch those very same days go by. So which one are you?

What will you create with the pieces presented to you? Not tomorrow or the next day, but right now and every second moving forward. Will you build or tear down? Take the easy road or the road less travel? When all is said and done and you've come to the end of your story, what will it say?