Your World Within Podcast by Eddie Pinero - IGNORE EVERYONE, FOCUS ON YOU | Best Motivational Speeches

Episode Date: November 15, 2023

“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” - Leo Tolstoy On today's podcast, I chat about the magic of dreaming big, seeing your goals in your mind, and then taking action to make them real. I share how Jim Carrey visualized his success before it happened and stress that we can all shape our futures. Dream it, visualize it, execute it – that's the formula to turn your wishes into achievements. Let's start creating our dream life, one step at a time. Join my newsletter: yourworldwithin.com/newsletter

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Dream as in stretch beyond the now. Let your mind wander beyond the confines of what it sees every day. Allow your world to be one not assigned to you, but designed internally and projected out. Visualize. Once you've latched on to something that matters to you, see it. Close your eyes and truly watch it come to life. Nothing's brought into existence without first living in the mind. Nothing is built, if not a recreation, of an already existing model.

The world will act like it's new, but it's not. It's just the first time they've put eyes on it. Lastly, execute. Allow yourself to be the messenger carrying correspondence from your mind to the space that surrounds you. Transport the brilliance from one world to another. Step by step, day by day, become the architect that shares new things. with the world. Execution is often the difference between I wish and I did.

There's a famous story about Jim Carrey in the way he manifested his acting career. First, it was a dream. It was something that pulled him in and that he believed in with all his heart. Second, he visualized. He'd drive around Hollywood at night, you know, after doing the comedy clubs,

would park on Mulholland Drive, overlooking the city, and would visualize being a successful actor, being presented with the best opportunities, playing the roles, getting the big money. He even went so far as to write himself a $10 million check for acting services rendered. Head in the clouds, feet on the ground principle, because during this time period, he also worked and practiced and performed like a man on fire. It looks to me, and I'm fairly confident Jim would agree with me, that it was the culmination of these steps that landed him,

you guessed it, a $10 million check for I think it was the mask, you know, down the road. I think a lot of people misunderstand what the law of attraction truly means. It's not that you close your eyes and what you want appears. It's that it's not possible until you dream it. and it doesn't feel real until you see it and it doesn't materialize until you build it these three pillars create space for the evolution of your own personal journey

it's funny in so many ways like the little benchmarks I hit in life they feel special to me not because of you know how they feel in the moment they don't feel new but because in a way I feel like I'm coming back to them I accepted them as true years ago.

Now they're just being realized. The same way a builder agrees to the plans, then proceeds to bring them to life in 3D. When you believe it and see it in your mind, the day-to-day is just essentially making that model 3D. And I'm kind of realizing, you know, as I speak this into existence, that that's what we are. 3D printers.

printers bringing our ambitions, our dreams into existence. If not in your mind, it won't be printed onto the pages of your life. Have you ever wondered how different life would be if you chose another path? If you dreamed a little bigger, closed your eyes and saw something a little different, well, two things can be true at once here. First, the past is gone and it's not coming back. but second, you have full control of everything that will come to fruition from here. What you dream, what you see, and how you execute will determine what surrounds you when you wake up every morning. So give yourself permission to dream big. Trust yourself to see it when no one else does.

And believe in your ability to execute day in and day out. Life will look very different down the road than it does now. But you know that because it's already there when you close your eyes. What if I fall, the man asks, looking nervously over the edge. Oh, but my friend, a voice responds back. What if you fly? A little quote heard not too long ago demonstrating our proclivity to maintain to preserve, to protect, to move away altogether from the risk for fear that we might lose our grip

on the status quo. Completely forgetting to think about what life could become if things worked out. Forgetting that life is a game of trade-offs. And to fixate on never losing what you have means forfeiting the possibility. It is that simple. To stay is a refusal to go. We need to constantly reinforce the idea, the truth, that what we aren't doing is a decision. And while we place our energy and efforts

on minimizing the falling and the failure, someone else is stepping into it. They're capitalizing on it. Falling again and again and again until they can fly. Because the danger is not in falling, it's in never taking to the sky. It's becoming only a fraction of the person you are capable of becoming with the required sacrifice and courage. It's an understanding that we're not wrong for initially thinking small,

playing to not lose, thinking only to protect, protect, protect. That's how human beings arrive out of the factory, right? Stock. And you can thank millennia of evolution for that. You're not weak for being scared. You're not less than for shaking when you stand face to face with the adversity of life. Again, this is what being human is. But what we also possess is the ability to understand these default limitations and transform them.

To understand being scared of the world around us, was incredibly valuable forever ago, right? When we roamed around hunting and gathering, it made sense not to inquire further when there was a shaking in the bushes. It made sense not to rashly run into the cave. It made sense to fear deeply the prospect of being abandoned by your small tribe

that was the only reassurance separating you from the vast unknown lurking in the darkness, the wilderness. But anyone listening to this today must also understand that these biological drivers are outdated. The lions in the bushes are no more. The caves are generally metaphorical, and one's quote-unquote tribe should be carefully and methodically chosen. Civilization provides that cushion and what a luxury. So when life pushes back, and it will, and you feel like you're on that ledge, you will want to turn back.

Not because you're weak, but because you've forgotten that the voice in your head screaming in fear can't see the upside. It's blind to the possibility. It only sees downside. It only says, hey, this might bring about discomfort. There are things out there you don't know, foreign entities, possibly adversaries. Why would you even contemplate taking that leap? And that's where you step in and provide reassurance. Yeah, things could go wrong, but the wrong steps are one, usually reversible, and two,

provide the wisdom that I need. It gives you a chance to inject into the conversation that if things go right, your life changes. that this could be the beginning, and that we don't live until the excitement about what life can become if things work out is greater than the fear of what life would regress into if they didn't. Without upside, there's no hope. Without hope, there is no purpose. And as Victor Frankel has said, life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose. purpose. We're all operating within the same parameters, same playing field. But the difference is we have different soundtracks, interpretations, and narratives playing behind our eyes. He may see the world collapsing and spend the rest of his life mourning what is gone, while she may see this same devastation and bring herself to wonder, well, what can I build in its place? What can arise

from the wreckage. Same circumstance, different storyline, different result. I often cringe when I hear mindset, misinterpreted as this magical thing that becomes reality the second you close your eyes and make a wish. The law of attraction, as far as I'm concerned, is not magic. I think this whole song and dance is much simpler than that. We act in accordance to the things we believe. And if you believe you're not good enough, if you believe you're not worthy, if you believe more is out of the question, what incentive do you have to change?

None. It's much easier to default to hating the world when that's your perspective. But when you can find the discipline, even for a moment, to pause and ask, well, what if things got better? What if my life could be more? That spark has suddenly given you a reason to take another step forward. It's made an argument as to why that discomfort just might be worth it. The magic isn't that you wished for it, and so it was. The magic is that you saw it as a possibility,

and in doing so incentivized yourself to move towards that outcome. It's hard to gravitate towards something that has not yet been built. It's hard to stand with conviction in defense of a life that hasn't yet materialized. But that, my friends, is the beauty and mystery of life. You don't get what you want until you start living like you already have it. Like you can touch it, taste it, like it's real. So when the journey feels impossible, Know that you are on the right track.

You're competing against some very formidable adversaries. Your very DNA. You're competing against the people around you that don't understand. You're competing against the obstacles that make you question whether that conjured up castle in the air existing only in your head could ever come to fruition. That is some resistance. But as you step forward into the haze, your single solitary acts of courage will begin to tell a story, to take shape.

The ones make-believe will become tangible. You'll see the pieces coming together and you'll see yourself as the one capable of assembling them. An architect of sorts, a designer, one with courage and self-belief. The truth is you will never complete. completely mitigate fear, that will be with you forever. It's par for the course. You just need to remember that the power of purpose, of meaning, the value of upside and opportunity

is greater than that nagging voice of fear. It's not about closing your eyes to who you are or where you've been. There's beauty and all that. It's merely about opening them to all you can become. Ready to prioritize yourself in the new year, your skin is a great place to start. Dime Beauty, founded by a master aesthetician,

is more than just a skincare company. With four skin-conscious categories, skincare, beauty, body care, and fragrance, Dime offers simple, spa-worthy products that will help you enter 2025 with confidence. Whether you're revitalizing your regimen with nourishing products or building one from scratch. Dime makes it easy.

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Hey there, it's Ryan Sechrest for Safeway. Now through February 25th, stock up on your favorite self-care items and save up to $3. Shop in store or online for items like Old Spice Deodorant. Always ultra-thin pads. Gillette Fusion Razors and Refills. Old Spice, Total Body Spray. Tampax Pearl and Gillette Mach 3 Razors and refills and save up to $3. You won't want to miss out on these Heels, offer ends February 25th. Offers may vary. Restrictions apply. Visit safeway.com for more detail. What makes human beings different from birds, cats, dogs, and chimps is that we understand the finitude of life. We get it, how temporary, how fleeting it all is.

But we do, however, as we get caught up in the trivialities of our day-to-day, need to be reminded of that fact that there is no forever in this world because sometimes we wait like we can afford to wait and we drag our feet like there will be a next time there are no next times for me especially when it came to doing the things I knew I needed to do but was worried about or nervous to begin I had to adjust my mindset I had to learn to see missed opportunities as tangible, as though they're real. And that's the hard part. It's easy to dismiss something that never happened.

Oh, I didn't go. End of thought, end of story. It's easy to rationalize that as insignificant. How could something you didn't do be important? That when you view what you need to do or where you want to, go as an already existing path, then to not walk down that path is very real. It's a decision. The next question is, well, what if I'm not ready to walk down that path?

I'd catch myself thinking that all the time. Well, here's the deal. For the big things in life, we simply never feel ready. There is no fully prepared. There will never be a fully prepared, because we learn as we go. How could we know all there is to know and understand? all there is to understand when the path

is the teacher. It's like expecting a seed to grow without ever having planted it. Life is about being in motion, letting the world shape you. It's less about being handed a map

as it is about being the Lewis and Clark of your own story. Understanding that what awaits is intimidating, it's unknown, sometimes terrifying. but simultaneously, the adventure. That thing in your heart and your soul that pulls at you, that asks you to be a little bolder, a little stronger,

ask you to unshackle yourself from the worry and begin your pursuit. That is your frontier. And sure some will simply watch that clock tick away. They'll never set out on the journey. they'll stay where they are, citing the difficulty, maybe the irrationality of that which they don't know. It's all crazy, right? They'll spend their days a little safer every step,

a little more predictable, but they'll also never truly see the show. They won't understand how beautiful those views are and how the darkness of those valleys become our strength. Time should have been their reason to go, and instead it was the story that never came to be. Like Jim Rohn has alluded to, you think going is expensive,

wait until you see the cost of not going, of not trying, of not walking down the path that will unlock your mind and change the way you see the world. You know what that is for you. Let's be honest, we all do. It's not about answers,

it's about commitment to willfully embrace, that which we do not understand. We don't get how those pieces stack up. But it's about letting yourself be the student and life the teacher. This, I believe, when our finite time is up on this rock rotating around the sun will be what makes us smile, makes it all worth it. The memories we made, the adventure, the times we thought we were done, but somehow kept moving, thought we'd lost, but somehow found a way. That's our power. And if we're the authors of our own stories, the only thing truly unimaginable is the refusal

to pick up that pen and open the book. Don't deprive yourself of the opportunity to explore the depths of your imagination. Don't hide from your greatness. Don't let what could go wrong cheat you out of all that can go right. As the saying goes, you only live once, but if you live it right, once is enough. So don't stay because of the clock, go because of the clock, live because of the clock. Its hands are pointing you to that place you most need. If someone were to tell you life is easy, they'd be incorrect.

If they were to tell you there's a specified path to contentment, they'd be misinformed. If they were to tell you there's a book of answers to every question you'll come across, it'd be misled. The point is not that life is easy, predictable, or defined. The point is that despite the fact that it's none of those things, you're capable of making something from it. That from a seemingly endless barrage of unknowns, exists the pieces to build something truly extraordinary.

I came across a quote a few years ago from Abraham Maslow and a concept that was in Ernest Becker's book, The Denial of Death. And the idea is we are simultaneously gods and worms. Every once in a while you come across an idea

that changes the way you see things that's definitely one of them, right? A duality that is perpetually under tension. Gods and worms. We're animals. were flesh and bone eroding by the day. We're given a temporary stay on a giant rock rotating around the sun, while simultaneously equipped with the power to not only be aware of that finitude,

but to transcend it, to dream, to see things that are not yet there. Our minds are miraculous. We are both gods and worms. So what do we do about this? How about use the fact that we're going to die, the fact that in many ways we don't have control, the fact that life is messy and unpredictable and often a maze of complete chaos,

to rather than shrink because of it, take off the guardrails and reach for the heavens? To put things into existence that do not yet exist. Why not go all in? After all, the thing about living is the saying goes, is that no one makes it out alive. No one hops on the roller coaster to constantly look at their watch to dwell on its temporary nature.

No, it's to enjoy the ride. And what is our time here? But a few short rides around the sun. So when it feels like life is too big, when the day overwhelms or disintegrates into chaos, don't fixate on the rocky nature of the world around you, but on your ability to take it all and make it mean something. Cherish the idea that although everything around you is dictated by natural laws and constraints, your mind is bound by nothing.

where you seek answers, you will find them, where you pursue more, you will unlock it. Our finitude, our challenges are essential to our existence. They remind us that we have nothing to lose, that the song will end, so why not dance, like it's your last time? Because sure, in time we will be dirt for worms. That's exactly why, as long as we're here, will live to, in our own unique way, bridge the gap between the ground we walk on and the heavens above. 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, you know, 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 a 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 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 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. It 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. Right? Yes, you can, Eddie, 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 space 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.

Certainly, as this coach pointed out, not tall enough, right? 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.

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, and you could live two simultaneous existences at once, one track 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 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. 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, From infinity is the understanding that, hey, if it's possible, then it is most definitely possible for me. Ready to prioritize yourself in the new year? Your skin is a great place to start. Dime Beauty, founded by a master aesthetician, is more than just a skincare company. With four skin-conscious categories, skin care, beauty, body care, and fragrance, Dime offers simple, spa-worthy products that will help you enter 2025 with confidence. Whether you're revitalizing your regimen with nourishing products or

building one from scratch, Dime makes it easy. The work system, our all-in-one best-selling routine, includes a cleanser of your choice, toner, serums, and moisturizers, taking the guesswork out of skincare for your healthiest, happiest skin yet. Dime's commitment to clean ingredients and sustainable packaging ensures every product is as gentle on your skin as it is on the planet, with thousands of glowing five-star reviews and a loyal community, the results speak for themselves. Revive your skin and give yourself the routine refresh you deserve by visiting dimebeautyco.com. That's dime beauty, co.com. Your best skin awaits. Hey there, it's Ryan Sechrest for Safeway. Now through February 25th, stock up on your favorite

self-care items and save up to $3. Shop in store or online for items like Old Spice Deodorant. Always ultra-thin pads, Gillette Fusion Razors, and refills. Old Spice, total. body spray, tampax pearl, and Gillette Mach 3 razors and refills, and save up to $3. You won't want to miss out on these deals. Offer ends February 25th. Offers may vary. Restrictions apply. Visit safeway.com for more detail. Normality is a paved road. It's comfortable to walk, but no flowers grow. Vincent Van Gogh. What is normality? Well, according to the dictionary, normal, is the usual average or typical state or condition.

Common. Normal is also a decision. There's a quote by Robin Sharma, and I've looked to this for years, it states, if you want what the 5% have, you need to be willing to do what only the 5% are willing to do. What they obtain is not, definitionally speaking, normal. It's uncommon. And what they do to arrive at that outcome is also uncommon.

They play by a different set of rules, and in doing so end up with an entirely different outcome than most. To put it simply, we arrive at normal when our effort level is normal. You put in normal hours or give average effort at work. Most likely your results, career progress, compensation will be normal. You pay moderate attention to your fitness, your health. Well, your level of physical fitness will be normal. You dedicate typical levels of effort to your relationships.

Your relationships will be normal. Not terrible, but not remarkable. I'm sure you get the idea here, the pattern. Generally, over time, what we get starts to reflect what we gave. And here's where the self-assessment comes in, the awareness. You have to ask yourself in pursuit of something greater whether your actions are aligning with your goals and objectives. There's nothing so futile is telling yourself you're going to achieve miraculous larger than life outcomes and then putting in average typical normal effort.

If normal goes in, normal comes out. And as I was thinking about this really, recently, you know, as it pertains to my life, I had a little epiphany, right? So fitness is a big area of focus for me. I run or do some type of strength training six days a week. As far as I can tell, that level of effort is beyond normal, right? I go above and beyond in that area of my life. But even though I'm aligned on my mission to be the 5% there, I realized there was a gap. I realized my diet was very normal, completely unextorinary. It's just easy to convince yourself to eat whatever you want after a really long run, right? Why not pizza? After all, it's the normal thing to do. But I had to remind myself that what I wanted in that area of my life, holistically, is not normal.

Therefore, the inputs cannot be normal. It was time to start standing up to those. things that are very easy to say yes to to rationalize and that's the idea here I pick my 5% categories where I truly want to excel and make sure there is nothing normal about their development you want top-tier results you have to give top-tier effort make the sacrifices map out the path you know I've come to see this differently over the years it's It's not an indictment against you as a person for choosing normal, but know that it is indicative of a choice, and the output eventually comes to align with the input.

All the actions or lack thereof stack up to resemble something. It's up to you to decide what that is. And so the next question, perhaps somewhat of an obvious one, is when it comes to the things that matter most to you, why stay confined to normal? It's the above and beyond, the peak experiences, the times we overcame, fought and won, took the risk and came out on top. That's when we are at our best. That's when we get the most from life. So is normal the end of the world? No.

It's just that abnormal is the beginning of one. There are a handful of recorded lectures online by Jim Rohn, who has definitely become one of my favorite thinkers over the years. And I found this little nugget the other day that I wanted to share. he says, there are four emotions that will change your life. Disgust, decision, desire, and resolve. And I want to talk about the first one because I found the story to be incredibly powerful and also relatable, right, in various aspects of life over the years.

So he frames it by talking about a Girl Scout walking up to his. his front door to try and sell him some Girl Scout cookies when he's 25 years old. And he's broke, doesn't have any money at the time, and tells her what I assume to be a white lie as to why he can't buy the cookies at that particular time. Right, so he tells her that he can't, she walks away. He says after he closes the door and goes back inside, he felt something that completely changed his life.

Disgust. an overwhelming feeling that he simply didn't want to live like that anymore. He didn't want to lie. He didn't want to be broke. And I'm quoting him. He says, the day you can say I've had it may not be the day it ends, but the day it begins.

And that feeling, which of course on the surface seems like a terrible thing, right? No one wants to feel disgust with their circumstance. But it's ultimately one of the most powerful indicators life can present to us. There has always been, and I assume will continue to be, that point in many different facets of my life where I say enough is enough. I just never thought to categorize it and label it like he did, but that's what it is. You know, getting to a point where you look around and realize you've conceded too much.

You've strayed too far beyond what matters to you. You've left too much on the table. That feeling, again, while uncomfortable, is often what becomes the first step towards that which is truly meaningful, a better version of yourself. A realization, by the way, that's not some denunciation of who you are, right? It's not saying, I'm not good enough or I'm inadequate. I would describe it as the exact opposite.

It's thinking enough of yourself to acknowledge that you're better than this. It's saying, yeah, there's a reality where I stay the same, where I don't change, where I allow this to just be my life. But that's not the reality I'm going to choose, because I respect myself too much to continue living with that dissonance between my actions and who I, know I truly him. And I think at a deep level, we all understand this. So many times in life, funny enough, we don't change until we have to, until our backs are completely against the wall. It took me years in my previous professional life to say enough is enough, but ultimately got to that point. I've been there in relationships, been there with my creative work, been there with my finances. And what's especially interesting is that as you grow, evolve, and your goals change, what you expect of yourself changes, grows along with you, you'll find yourself at that place again.

And again and again, and that's good. Listen to it. Right? That's your intuition telling you you're ready for more that something else awaits, that the status quo is no longer sufficient. And there lies the opportunity. To recognize and associate that feeling of disgust, as Rohn calls it, with a need to change or an opportunity to change before things blow up or become more difficult than they need to be.

Everything in your life has been allowed by you to some extent. You know, that's an important thing to understand. If there's someone in your life that's making it hell, you, to an extent, are responsible for that, right? No one gets your time without your permission. If you're doing things that don't move, motivate, or inspire you, well, the reality is you're choosing those actions. Now, the circumstances may be specific to you.

They may be difficult, and I understand that, but are you asking yourself how you can begin moving away from it? How you can put walls between yourself and the things that drag you down? Because the bottom line is, it's very easy to become accustomed to things is there are a drain on our lives. The old frog in the boiling water. You throw a frog in a pot of hot water, it'll jump right out. But you put it in a pot of cool water,

and you slowly but incrementally increase the temperature until it's boiling, the frog won't realize it's burning alive. I think in the same way, we learn to live with that situational disgust. The things we're unhappy with just become the baseline, or normal, it becomes regular.

And what I love about this Girl Scout cookie story is that light bulb moment where it's like, no, I don't have to accept this. I can take back control. I dictate how I'm going to live, and I know this isn't it. Now, you don't need to have all the answers right away. In fact, you most certainly won't have them.

But every journey, as the saying goes, begins with the first step. That's precisely why the moment is so powerful. You don't start moving to that new place until you realize that you want to start moving away from where you are. Rohn talks about disgust being a powerful motivator, that's why. It's the initial leverage you need to create that momentum. To see the gap between where you want to be and where you are.

And this is ultimately a call to that realization. Do an audit on yourself and your contentment, the places you find lacking. They're calling for your attention. And it's normal, it's okay, it's part of life, but it's also your opportunity to begin making that change. I like very simple, very straightforward notes to help me parse through this. Simple list, two columns on the left, everything that brings me some level. level of anxiety or that is a drain on my piece.

And on the column on the right, directly across from it, simply what I plan to do about each item. Nothing major, but a tangible, manageable step. Because as Jim Rohn says, you begin to utilize that feeling of disgust or discontent to act. You turn that message into something beautiful, an adventure, some variation of growth. That's where the good stuff is. By the way, it also changes our relationship with those emotions when they emerge. It's no longer, poor me, I'm stuck, my life is hard, and the list goes on and on.

No, it's, oh, this doesn't feel good, how can I use it to connect me to something that does? Let's listen to that. I don't like the feeling of making excuses as to why I can't buy the cookies. I don't like the feeling of not having the financial resources. Obviously, can't fix it overnight, but let's make a plan. Let's allow the wheels to hit the road, right? Which, hey, who knows? Might be more than I've ever done.

This is the magic beginning, he alludes to. The confidence being earned, the purpose, the meaning, and ultimately, being that we only get results will replace our attention, the outcome we've been looking for. So when you find yourself at that point, when you experience a repetition of disappointment or frustration with your circumstance, let that be the gift it's trying to be. Let it be the reason you will soon wake up a different person, moving towards that which aligns with who you are.

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 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? volunteer to fight this battle. 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 chessboard. 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 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, 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. Its 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 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 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 should. 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. Big shout out to you for making it through the hectic holiday season. This new year, get clean, quality, pregnancy, nutrient support off your to do list.

including Ritual's best-selling essential prenatal multivitamin, designed with 12 traceable key ingredients to support a healthy pregnancy. With big changes coming up, take the small steps now and start today with 30% off a three-month supply at ritual.com slash podcast. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.