Your World Within Podcast by Eddie Pinero - IMPROVE YOURSELF 1% EVERY DAY | Powerful Motivational Speeches

Episode Date: September 30, 2024

If what you're looking for in life doesn't exist...build it This week's epsiode is about stepping into the arena and being the change you want to see.

If what you want doesn't exist, build it. I had a teacher in elementary school that would say, the last thing you want to do is walk around, walk through life with your hand extended, hoping fate would give you what you wanted, hoping destiny would magically drop what you needed into them. And it's like, as a kid, it made sense. noted. Don't look for handouts. Take initiative. Take action. It's an important message to hear. But as an adult, I look back and think, well, maybe that's just part of it. I think it also means

in life, you need to be the painter of your own portrait. You need to be the architect. not just someone sitting on the sidelines criticizing what's already been made, not just a silent observer. And that mental switch or transformation ended up being incredibly valuable. Most people simply aren't doers. Most people don't initiate. In fact, most people sit on the sidelines and react to the doers. Most people don't build.

Most people complain, condemn, and criticize that which has already been built. We talk about Teddy Roosevelt's man in the arena. Well, growing up is realizing everyone's in the arena. Most people just happen to be in the stands, reacting. And so if you wanted strength, I aim to provide that strength. as far as I'm concerned, understanding that you have control over way more than you think you do. If you don't like where you are, guess what? You can change the environment.

If you don't like who you're with, guess what? You can adjust your circle. If you look in the mirror and don't like the reflection, you can chip away at those things about yourself that create dissonance. If there is a hole in your world, Don't accept the lack as merely part of life, but seek to fill it. If life feels mundane, seek adventure, purpose, and growth. If things feel too fluid, chaotic, uncertain, then find some grounding.

The point is, life changes when we stop hoping that we will be handed solution. It changes when we ourselves become that solution. The human condition, our inclination is to point out at the world. It's to blame. And I know it feels incredibly good to do that, natural to do that. But oh, the power. When one merely takes that finger and points it directly at their own chest. When one says, well, what can I do now?

I don't like what I'm doing for work. Well, think of the luxury of living in a time where we can, can gravitate towards work that we love, and why not begin that journey? These relationships don't lift me up or invigorate me. In fact, they make me feel small. Well, how beautiful that we don't have to tolerate that. How incredible that if it's not for you, you can walk away.

I would love a community that does X, Y, and Z, if only. No more if only's, go build it, go find. Find that. Go be a connector. Bring the right minds together. Create the support that you wish existed. Life gives us the pieces. Never forget that. It gives the tools and the resources. We just need to stop walking right by them. Complaining about what's wrong and instead become the agents of change. Good ideas flow through you. Magic already exists within you. Not to accept the world as it is, but to create one conducive to your dreams and your imagination. If what you want doesn't exist, you can be the one to build it. Remember that. How do you visualize the road you're on? With its twists and turns, smooth terrain, rough terrain, straightaways, hills, what is it all mean?

Do you find it odd that it gets more challenging as you get closer to your destination? Right? The further along you get the more tension life puts between you and the finish line. Almost like the universe is adamant about weeding out those who think they can skate by. What is the difference between saying you want it and really wanting it? Perhaps it's a willingness to fight through a storm just for the difference. opportunity to find calm and serenity in its center. This morning, as the sun was coming up, I went for a run.

A nice five mile run down the coast, and the way I planned it out was simple. 2.5 or halfway up in soft sand, and then I'd stop, and I'd turn around, and I'd run 2.5 back, but on the harder surface, right? Easier to handle, almost like a reward for pushing myself on the way up. and things were going perfectly. I made the 2.5 mile run up, and when it came to stop and turn around, I realized what should have been obvious

from the beginning was high tide, which means I didn't get that hard surface to run back on instead. Not only was it softer than the way up, but I was running on a slope. And that just threw my mind for a loop, right? I'm embarrassed to admit I was actually angry about it. You know, I pushed myself hard going up

and wanted that breather. I almost felt like life pushed the finish line back 2.5 miles. And trust me, as I'm writing this, it seems ridiculous to talk about. But in the moment, just irrationally annoyed. That was the carrot that had been chasing the whole time. So I begrudgingly, you know, moved forward,

kind of trying to figure out what to do, and ultimately just continued forward, and, you know, the emotion subsided, and as usually happens, you pull yourself out of the weeds a little bit, little bit, the big picture tells a different story. Different story means different perspective. And that's what I came across, right? This idea or this question, well, why do we expect life to be flat ground? Why was that my assumption to begin with? The easy to navigate path. Why is that the standard? And the more I thought about it, right? The more I wondered if that's the very reason

why we underperform. It's the little spark that ultimately lights this wildfire of regret. Because when convenience is the standard, everything else becomes unfair. Everything else is a burden. When the road should be flat, what are we to make of the hills in our path? Thinking life should be easy.

It provides oxygen to a victim mentality. And sometimes it takes these little experiences for me to refocus on these subtle realities. The flat ground is not the standard. It is earned. It's a gift. It should be cherished and appreciated because guess what?

Life wasn't easy. It isn't easy and it never will be. But I believe the differentiator is knowing that. So I kept running on the slope, feet sinking into the sand. I got my teeth kicked in just a little bit longer and life didn't end. In fact, I think the mental aspect was tougher than the physical. We're only talking five miles here, but when the standard changes, so does the performance.

It's about just moving forward. And like poetry, with about three quarters of a mile left, right, the beach widened. It leveled out. The ground became harder. Each step became easier. And yeah, I was running. But in my head, it felt like I was lying on a bed of feathers. Because when you prepare to base life's demons, when you're ready for battle, when you anticipate you'll have to give everything.

Any adversary that falls short of that feels like wind behind your back. We can endure anything. The question is whether or not we put ourselves in position to you. Mistakes, they don't define us. Heartbreak, it doesn't kill us. us. And criticism, it doesn't shape us. But I'll tell you what. The fear that they do stops a lot of people from becoming who they're capable of becoming. Panicking at the slightest sign of discomfort, moving away from anything but the convenient when in reality, inconveniences

are the path. As Ryan Holiday famously put it, The obstacle is the way. See, satisfaction, it doesn't even exist without a will to overcome. What meaning does the finish line have without miles of self-doubt and questions and fear and dragons being slayed while you prove to yourself over and over again that you know what? I am more. And I can be more. And the crazy thing is that there's not even a stopping point here.

This rocket will propel as high into the ether as you choose to take it. And look, it's not about running on slight inclines or sinking a few inches into the sand. It's not about being rejected, losing or castigated by seven billion self-interested souls. No. It's about not being scared to take the bridge that connects current to future. Complacency to recreation, the known to the seemingly impossible. You're made of so much more than you give yourself credit for. You are so much stronger than you think you are.

So for yourself and for the world, capture that. own it and redefine what it means not to simply exist but to your core with every ounce of your being your soul every fiber in your body to truly live say otherwise the more i prove over and over again that it's just who i am stuck in my ways an outsider outcast out of my mind, loser. See, it started with my old identity, who I used to be, I lost that. Then I lost those people that made me feel small,

the ones holding me back, bye. Would the street continue? You bet. Lost that need to please others. Hey, turns out I know what's best for me better than they do. Lost the things being done out of obligation and not purpose. Lost the wrong metrics I was using to measure success. Gone. Lost my way so that I might find something better.

That was hard. Thought I might lose my mind, but I found it. Just lost my old way of thinking, and hey, that's a win. Lost yesterday, found tomorrow. Lost scarcity, but found abundance. I lost two, the people who were more talented, better skilled, the ones who outclassed me fine. Showed me what it took to win.

I lost my heart. I lost my heart a few times. That sucked, but it looks like it still works, so we're good. I lost my purpose to follow the shiny objects instead of the things that matter, but sometimes seeing what doesn't shine puts a spotlight on what does. It keeps me swinging from star to star, and, hey, I like it again. I lose my discipline from time to time, but hey, regret hurts more, so I force myself to find it.

As I write this out, speak it into existence. I'm losing track of time. All is forgotten. But I think that's how it should be. I hope I lose more tomorrow. Yeah, I lose a lot. Thank God. I found a quote the other day.

It said time heals nothing unless you move along with it. I thought, well, that makes perfect sense. You can't pursue a new reality, a new world, unless you can detach and depart from the current one. But that's in theory. And my question was, Is it the destination or the path that holds us back? Because in my experience, the greatest struggle in life, it isn't what to do, it's knowing how

to do it. How do we get there? We know we need to get back up. But how? How do we initiate a spark and create momentum and take that world of black and white and add color? those times of gray when life seems to lose its purpose, we find ourselves simply existing and not living, that's when we need answers. And I guess this quote, it jumped out at me because it prompted

an equally important question, which is now what? And I started thinking a few years back, 2017, probably the most difficult year of my life. It was void of, you know, many of, you know, many that beautiful nuance, the uplifting moments that we like to remember when we look back. For me, it was, you know, essentially an ended relationship, was relocating away from family and friends, was having a few dollars in my bank account, everything I own in a trailer, and starting over. And what I'll never forget about that experience, you know, in totality, was that I saw But colorless, bland, dark. Essentially the road ahead had lost that glimmer that it once had.

See, I used to get so much joy in telling stories. But life had kicked me around so hard that I, at least for the moment, forgot the point. Like what was my reason? And I knew, like I said, what I had to do. But I couldn't wrap my arms around the how. How do you get the train moving again? And then I got this email, right? And I'm gonna paint a picture for you.

New apartment, trash, there's stuff everywhere, suitcases open, I hadn't shaved in two weeks, I'm exhausted, couldn't sleep, sitting there, frustrated with my laptop. And the email is basically someone looking to create a documentary asking if they could stay with me for three days and create a film about always maintaining discipline and living a productive life

that I just erupted into laughter, right? I don't think Seinfeld could have written something more ironic. It was just, it made no sense. But it caused me to reflect, right? I'd obviously decline the video. It just wouldn't have felt right or accurate in that moment. But I started to think, how is there such a gap between the old me and who I was sitting on that bed?

Is this the new me? And if it's not, why have I allowed this imposter to stay so long? I've always said a life change is one decision away. A light switch away, just reach out and find it. And when you're going through times like this, it's funny. Life has a way of doing its best to conceal the beauty. It's like it becomes this black in white painting and it stays that way. It stays that way until you put color into it.

One brush stroke at a time. Because life is intimidating when you see everything you're not. when the blank canvas feels like emptiness and not opportunity. But life doesn't require a view the whole picture. Masterpieces, they aren't made overnight. They're not instantaneous. They are a product of trust, of faith. Not in the canvas or the brush, but in the artist.

Through his eyes, he's capable of transforming his experience into art. his misfortune into meaning. Victor Frankl uses the metaphor of a movie, each day being its own scene, where often they don't even come together until the very last act. Trust that. Believe that.

But man, start painting. In the very next morning, like everyone before it, I woke up to a yellow beam of the movie, making its way through a crack in the blinds, painting the wall of an otherwise dimly lit room. But this time I saw it. This time I didn't close the blinds, I opened my eyes. And sometimes that alone is the little hinge that swings a big door,

a door that I walked through. And I saw the green of the palm trees, the beauty, the simplicity, and thought, how lucky am I to be wearing? to be where I am when I am. I saw a blue sky, a miracle in its own right, that's not confined to story or narrative, and well, maybe I'm not either.

The white of the sidewalk leading me to wherever I choose to go next, the red of my running shoes hitting the pavement, the gold of the sun bouncing off the buildings, the black of a cup of warm coffee as I soak in the day, and the teal chandelier that hangs over the horizon as the same sun that started it all retreats after a hard day's work. See, you have everything you need,

and life is not always perfect, but it is always what you make it. How things are, it's not how they should be your need to be, but how you've allowed them to be. And most importantly, black and white does not describe reality so much as it describes what's not there. What's missing from reality. And my hope is to never conform to that sketch or outline

that masquerades as truth, but to see beyond it. To find the strength, the courage, the self-belief, to pick up the brush, and live life in color. So I'm going to share a life lesson with you, something that over the years has been a true game changer. Ready? It's simple. It's very simple. Like most things, it's easy to understand. It's easy to comprehend.

It's the implementation. That's the challenge, right? But it's the idea that progress is not always a visible step forward. Growth is not always a measurable inch or mile to feel good about it, to celebrate. It's not always a tangible victory or pat on the back. It's a smile about it. Sometimes it's sidestepping. Sometimes it's stepping backwards, reminding ourselves to look up and gain perspective. Because we are always inclined to look at the immediate.

That's what feels good. And this lesson says, no, there's a big picture to keep in mind. It reels us in. The big picture is what gives us purpose. It drives our happiness. That thing we want on the top of the hill. The North Star, the X on the map, that's what's sustainable. And I say it's been a game changer for me because, you know, one of my biggest adversaries over the years has been that voice in my head.

Almost pleading with me to indulge in the thing that will bring that immediate result. It's money now, growth now, validation now. There's comfort there. Our minds want that satisfaction. That's why you see all those guys standing next to whiteboard saying they have the formula to make you rich tomorrow. we want tomorrow. We believe in some capacity that that can be real tomorrow. But that's what tends to lead us astray.

And so I've spent a lot of time reflecting over the years on how to incentivize those steps that aren't immediately impactful. There's not the flashy metal you're going to get right now, but I know that if I do it, it's going to bring me to my long-term goal. How do I incentivize that? Because, like I said, the natural inclination is to dismiss it. I'm walking laterally across the mountain so that ultimately I can find the most applicable path and ascend.

And that's a scary thing. You know, building long term gives you very little to immediately slap on a resume, to brag or rant about at holiday parties. There's nothing flashy to impress with, but it's believing in a long-term game, doing what most people can't, trading that certainty that you could have had

for an extraordinary later. It's never a loss to do what has to be done so that you can position yourself for the future. Sometimes you have to wade through the muck, work quietly in the dark, so that you can build something that you feel will have an impact. It's not a loss to step backwards to tweak the things you're not happy with. It's not a loss to explore or question or reinvent. It's true those actions in and of themselves aren't going to put money immediately in your pockets. But if you find the discipline to see the big picture,

you realize that long term those things bring happiness, contentment, excitement, which guess what? Leads to accomplishment and progress and the financial stability that you're looking for. Chasing flashy things, chasing the immediate moment, yeah, it'd get you a quick rush, a nice blast of dopamine, but it's empty. Ultimately, it's unfulfilling because nothing worth having is quick. That's life. but it's often the illusion that guides us. You'll never see how many auditions the 33-year-old actor went through

before he was cast in a major film. You don't see that. You don't see the countless hours and shows and midnight gigs in front of three people that the rock star endured. You just don't. It's not celebrating. We celebrate what we see,

and what I've learned is that the most important things they're just not visible to the naked eye. And it's funny. It's like people, they're ashamed or embarrassed by the fact that they're climbing to the top of their own Hill to something truly significant to them because the person next to them is bragging about blindly leaping three steps. And that's great. Progress is great, but unless it's taking you to where you want to be most, is it a win? I have many friends that have left six-figure

or hire jobs to podcast or create or start their own businesses. And people's first reaction is always like, wow, look what you have. Look what you're walking away from. We see scarcity. We are naturally inclined to see life through a lens of scarcity. You need to remember that. That's what we do. We establish and protect our well-being. That's why I've worked so hard to transform my thinking over the years. To look out and think, who cares what I had?

Look what's out there. There are no limitations to what can be yours. If you're not on top of the world, make it happen. And I understand people are complex. Situations, they're not easy, they're intricate. Everyone's different. Everything is different. but there's a principle that's consistent.

And it's that you can always improve your situation. That will never be false. To some degree you can improve your situation, there's always opportunity. It's just what you see. A friend of mine sent me a text yesterday, saying the past and the future, they're just imagination. All you have is now. Everything other than split second

is the story you're deciding to tell yourself. That's it. Think about that. We're operating off what we decide is real or imaginary, possible or impossible. We're living in a world that is our own. There's no them or they or crowd, just individual people,

all telling themselves some variation of a story. And so taking this back to the point, caving into that pressure, accommodating to the now so that we feel important, so that our self-worth sees that temporary spike, it neglects the opportunity. It makes us feel like we're stepping forward, that we're progressing,

but in reality, are we? That voice, that pressure to conform to what will impress Richard next door, it will always lead to, it will always be to our detriment. And it takes truly what I believe is the most pure, important aspect of life and sticks it in the closet

so that we can feel like we're on par with everyone else. And I'll never forget starting out. And I bring this up a lot because it was one of those moments where I knew I recognized that a huge shift was happening in my life, went out with some friends from college. And one's working for a senator,

one's at Goldman, one's a lawyer and I'm thinking, well, you know, geez, I just quit my job. But I have this really cool idea for a YouTube channel. And I just, you know, I don't think any girls are going to be swooning over that. And I struggled, right? At the time, it was difficult for me. And I look back and I'm just thankful every day that at the time I was able to locate somewhere in my soul, the courage to stick that out to believe that if I executed on this dream,

I could have an impact. Because like I mentioned above, it was painful in the moment. But when you think big picture, bigger things happen. I'm doing things now that I never, ever would have been able to do if I didn't have that desire to do the unconventional thing. If I stopped at sort of the discomfort, or if I stopped when I felt like I was losing this imaginary race to those people around me,

I wouldn't have the creative flexibility that I have now. I wouldn't be able to do what I do now. I wouldn't have the people in my life that I have now. You have to earn that. every single day. And it makes me wonder how many people stopped when they could have taken their own path, brought their own unique vision into existence

if they didn't retreat when they felt like they were a lone wolf, when it felt like they were losing a race that didn't exist, when they felt like their neighbors were getting ahead, or their classmates or their friends were doing the conventional thing, so they had to. They were too scared to step backwards, and I'm telling you right now,

I'm telling you that step backwards, that ability to temporarily find yourself, to create yourself, that will mean everything. That will open doors for you that would never have existed. You never would have come across them because you would have been too scared to look for them. You have to make opportunities. Simple metaphor. Gumball machine. Gumball does not come out if you don't put the quarter in and turn it.

It's a price that has to be paid. Except in reality, the price is a lot higher than a quarter. Because we're conditioned to want to fit in. We're terrified to look like we don't know what we're doing. Every significant thing around you stemmed from someone pushing into that unknown. It came from someone risking everything. It's not easy when your family doesn't know what you're doing, your friends don't know what you're doing,

or you don't know what you're doing. but if you want to have an impact, that is the road you have to take. That's the cost you need, the price that you need to pay. It'll be a hard year or two years or three years, but you won't regret it. So hopefully this can be a reminder to you. When I talk about lateral steps, that's the sentiment I'm trying to recreate. I think that's the great thing because it means the people who create, who build something meaningful, they've earned it.

And that's what I tell myself every day. Earn that dream. Earn that change. Take that road less travel. What you're doing right now is not insignificant simply because it's not immediately bearing fruit. I think if you listen to this back from the top, you'll notice the constant theme, immediate, now, present.

These things are delusioned. As far as results are concerned, the word immediately is a con artist. Action should be immediate, but results. No, they are right. gradual. They require persistence. Stick with it. Remind yourself to look up because that's what you're after. It's a pursuit. You're building a foundation. You're creating the things that permanently alter the artistic and political and social landscapes. That's remarkable. It's the road few have the patience to walk. Remind yourself why you're skipping the small stuff, brushing off the little winds and

loss. Why building something substantial in silence is more powerful than gloating and screaming at the top of your lungs after every visible step. Look up. Reminds yourself that you are going to change the world and you can see it.