Your World Within Podcast by Eddie Pinero - JUST START - TAKE THE FIRST STEP | Inspirational And Motivational Video Compilation

Episode Date: November 20, 2024

Starting is often the hardest part—not because we lack the ability, but because we convince ourselves we need all the answers before we begin. The truth? Perfection doesn’t exist, and the path forward only reveals itself through action. It’s in the messy, uncertain, imperfect beginnings that we find clarity, strength, and growth. Every step, no matter how small, brings us closer to who we are meant to be. This episode is a reminder to embrace the process, to let go of the need to have it all figured out, and to trust that taking the first step is what matters most. Life isn’t about having a perfect roadmap; it’s about moving forward, learning as we go, and finding magic in the journey. Are you ready to take that first step? Let’s explore what happens when we do. Monday Motivation Newsletter: https://www.eddiepinero.com/newsletter Free Ebook: www.eddiepinero.com/ebook  YouTube: www.eddiepinero.com/youtube 

Imagine you're standing on the edge of a cliff and you're looking out at this giant abyss. And you know that what you want is on the other side. That the very thing you're called to do, the journey of a lifetime that means the most to you that you know you should be on. But instead of, you know, making one giant leap, you hedge. You grab a hand. rail or a rope, you sort of tiptoll along the outside, bracing yourself for the possibility of a fall. Look, in a perfect world, we'll say, when we know that we should be somewhere

when something's calling us, we would always take the leap. And the times that I've done that in my life, I don't regret it at all. In fact, I attribute taking massive action to a lot of the growth that I've had in my life. But I think it also benefits us to be practical. We can't always do that. We're not always ready to do that. Sometimes you have to earn confidence one little step at a time. And so what I want to do is tell a story about that very courage,

about using what you have to be. have where you are to start taking action now, even if you're not ready to leap without reservation. It's a reminder that beginnings are rarely graceful, but they're necessary. And years from now, when you look back, you might laugh at the ways you softened your first steps, that you hedged. But you'll also realize that starting even imperfectly, even with training wheels, was everything. And so I want to share a quick story about my friend Clayton. I was recently on his podcast.

And we were talking about this, right? Particularly with him, he shares a lot on social media. It's a big part of his brand, his business, what he does. And he also happens to enjoy dancing, right? And by the way, I'm not throwing him under the bus here. He'd be happy that I shared this. So he's saying, I love this. It's a big part of what I do, but it's outside the scope of what people know me for.

And really struggled to share it for fear of being criticized or laughed at or, you know, you can fill in the blank there. And he says, so one day I did. I filmed the video and I'm sitting there for 40 minutes looking at it, terrified, thinking, How can I soften the blow here, right? And he goes, I know what I'll do. Instead of just posting the video, I'll post it, but I'll write this really long essay underneath it in the description about vulnerability and the difficulty in life

and some of these things so that people will see that and comment on that and send some positivity there to counteract the negative comments that I'll get about, you know, dancing and being made fun of and all these things. You can just see like the circus going on in his brain, right? He's the loops he's jumping through to rationalize this in his mind. And he says, I'm so embarrassed that I did that.

I can't believe that. Right now I dance and I just post it. Who cares? And not only that, people like it. And I'm listening to this and I'm like, but that's exactly it. Right? We look back at our beginnings.

And we often laugh to ourselves. Oh, back then, I was so naive. I was so scared. I tiptoed in. I crawled before I walked, before I ran. Like, it's a sense of shame. You know the phrase, meet people where they are? Well, how about meeting that older version of you where you were?

Because back then, it wasn't a silly hedge. Back then, it was courage. It was everything you had. And yeah, maybe you had to make some small concessions in order to get the train on the tracks. You had to go the roundabout way. In a perfect world, would you have just dove in? Would you have just shared yourself with the world and said, whoever doesn't like this? Oh, well, it's not for you.

Yeah. But we live in an imperfect world where the most powerful thing is not a direct line to a goal or objective. it's starting when you're terrified to begin. Perhaps when that heartbeat in your chest is reminding you that being scared and feeling alive aren't all that different. It beats the same way. The question is, what do you do with it in that moment? And see, by starting, even with the training wheels

or holding the edge of that cliff and tiptoeing around, you're able to breathe life into something that matters. You're able to give yourself an opportunity to say years later, wow. I remember how slow I moved back then. I remember how I tiptoed back then. I remember how much I cared about people's criticism back then. But now, now I don't. Now I get it.

That is the entirety of the point. You may not have been able to pick the fruit, but you planted the seed that would become the tree that would bear the fruit. that would bear the fruit. And in the real world, that means a lot. Sometimes it's not about how you start or where you begin. It merely matters that you do.

That you do start, that you do begin. I'll never forget a quote that Jim Quick shared. It said, when all you have is 40%, 40% is 100%. And I've spoken about that in a few different contexts in the past. I think it applies here beautifully because time passes. And Clayton, for example, could say, man, I was operating at 40% back then. No, my friend, you were operating at 100% back then because that at the time was the obstacle in front of you.

Simply starting was the ocean you had to cross, and you did. And what's interesting to think about is you, right now, are that person your future self someday will look back on and smile at? Oh man, I remember. I remember that version of me. I remember being scared, slow. I remember not knowing. I remember feeling stuck and lost and insecure.

But guess what? I found the courage somewhere to set sail. Ill-equipped, ill-prepared. And in that moment, at that time, that was my Everest. So my friends, here we are. And I posed this question. What will you give life to? What is it in your soul you want to share

to explore, to give to the world, but you're sitting back thinking, I can't, because I don't have all the answers. This is too big or too much. Now is a good time to remind yourself that it can be ugly. It can and it should be something you laugh at down the road. You should smile at this, novice version of yourself beginning a journey completely foreign to you. But the key word is beginning.

Give yourself the gift of an imperfect launch into the ether. Let your world expand to places you've never been and things you've never seen. Give yourself that gift. In all, it's imperfection, because going through the imperfection is the perfection. Give yourself the gift of someday laying back, closing your eyes, imagining the starting line and saying, thank God I did whatever I had to do in order to put one foot in front of the other. That little footstep, that hedge, that tiptoeing around the canyon,

and it was a leap. It was traversing the ocean. And so because you found this courage, ultimately, a door opened to the infinite. I recently started the book Managing One's Self by Peter Drucker. And there's a pretty powerful point he makes in here early on that I want to share. admittedly, an idea that I came to a tad later than I wish I did, but the second I did, a lot changed for me.

And it changed pretty quickly. Essentially, Drucker tells the reader, stop wasting time on areas of low competency. The things that they don't really have a natural proclivity towards. And at first, you might see this and think, you know, wait a minute, haven't we always been taught to improve the things we struggle? isn't that the name of the game? Well, not necessarily.

And in fact, a lot of us are held back trying to become moderately competent in areas we have no business being. When, if we just took the things we loved, the things we were naturally drawn towards, we could truly be impactful in those areas, leaders in those areas. That's where you change your life

and ultimately the lives of those around you. of those around you. In my world, I like using map as an example, because it demonstrates this pretty well. You know, my second year of calculus, I realized absolutely not. I do not like this. For me, it felt like a square peg in a round hole.

I just didn't see a life where calculus would be a necessity. And so I dropped the course and sought out something that felt like a better fit. Now, looking back, could one see my decision decision to walk away from that class is quitting sure meets the definition but what happened well I filled that slot there would have been many slots if I could to do that path with courses that ultimately impacted my life for the better that built a foundation for what I do today they were aligned right I got to express

myself creatively to write to speak You know, I wrote papers about difficult topics. If I spent my entire life trying to become competent in calculus, it would have been a different story. Right? Could I have improved? No question. Like, with time, it might have even gotten really good.

But would I have enjoyed it? No. That's not where my skill set is best utilized. That's not what I was born to do. And because of this, my ceiling would have most definitely been lowly. than someone who is naturally drawn towards calculus and loved calculus. You know, when you find what you love and it adds value, there are fireworks. You become a force to be reckoned with.

And I get asked every so often, you know, whether it be on a podcast or Q&A, whatever, the occasion, what are your thoughts or suggestions around someone who finds themselves unmotivated? In my first thought, right, the first thing I'd always want to rule out is that perhaps that person has slipped into the wrong arena, right? Trying to win a game that isn't theirs. You know how hard it would have been for me to be motivated every day if I woke up knowing calculus was what was on the docket? You know, how would I have incentivized myself there?

There would have been a very clear layer of resistance. Which is why, at a Drucker's point, it's silly to allocate substantial time and resources and energy to endeavors that don't lift you up, that you don't care about. Now, I'm not saying you only do things that you're amazing at. That doesn't make any sense either. My friend Evan says, if you love doing it, but you're not that good at it or it doesn't add value to anyone else, you know, that's great. You don't need a reason.

You don't need to be excellent at everything. But what you have there is a hobby. Okay, I'm talking about people in the midst of trying to expand their careers or build businesses, gain expertise for practical reasons, navigate something, of significance. In those scenarios, that's where it's critical to stop trying to make all your threes, fives, and instead focus on making your eights, tens. That's where, again, you will have that monumental impact.

No one's ever celebrated for the things they were decent at. Even if it took you 10 years to become decent, 20 years to become decent. No, it's the things you do well. Right? And if you look at the world that way and your pursuit that way, you'll live a happier life in a more productive, successful life. Now, there's so much power in the freedom you have to chart your course, but the first step is understanding you have that freedom and flexibility. It's understanding that when things don't feel right or feel a bit off, it's that it may not be you. It may be the path you've taken, the decisions you've made. Take some time to find a journey that aligns with who you are

and the world will give back outcomes that were previously unimaginable. Let go of what she'll never be good at. Who cares? There's too much upside to be had chasing down the things that will actually light you up that will actually set you apart. The things that will create meaning in your life. The other day, I went to check out an open mic.

And basically, people sign up to share their short stories, their poetry, stuff like that. And I'm sitting there soaking it all in, enjoying each one as they went up on stage. And eventually this girl makes her way up. The first thing she does is she tells the room, hey, I've never done this before. But I've always wanted to, so here I am. She takes out her phone and begins reading some of her poems. And pretty quickly, two things stuck out to me. One is she was brilliant.

It's just so incredibly talented that I'm thinking, man, if she keeps doing this, she's going to find herself in some crazy places. She's really going to make an impact. That was the first thing. And the second, as I sat there and watched, was that I noticed that her hands were visibly shaking. I was pretty close to this stage. And I could see this happening to the point where she had to place one on top of the other,

right, to keep the hand that was holding her phone from bouncing around while she read. That's how visibly nervous she was. And immediately my mind went down this road, reflecting back on the moments I've had just like that, because, man, I've been there, where you're both determined and terrified at the same time. But somehow, the design. desire to try outweighs the fear just enough for you to find yourself in that exact situation.

Just enough that you step into a foreign world, still wondering whether you made the right move, you know, every step of the way from the car, the building, onto this stage, until you hit the point where, okay, well, now you can't turn back. Now you're here. You can't leave. And the thing is, And this is what was so beautiful to me. She was never forced to do this at gunpoint. No one made her step into that chaos. It was self-created. She could have stayed home.

She could have closed her journal or the notes app on her phone, and that would have been the end of that. But no, not today. Today, one yes would lead to another, would lead to another. another and despite the nerves, the sweaty palms, and shaky hands, she would open a new chapter in the story of her life. Proved to herself that she's bolder than she thought she was just a few hours ago. That there's upside when you confront those unknowns in life. And as I sat

and watched, I was so incredibly moved, so proud, so impressed. Part of the world. Part of the partly because I know that to many of the people in that room, it might not have looked like much. You know, it's like, okay, great, round of applause for the new artist or poet. Welcome. But I knew the gravity of the moment. I understood how big it truly was. And regardless of what words came out of her mouth or how well they were assembled, that night was not about the performance.

No, it was about new beginnings. It was about outstretched wings, opening one's eyes to the learned helplessness and pinpointing the opportunity that was simply waiting for that first step to occur. And see, that's what I want to emphasize. That's what I believe every single one of us needs to understand, to fully get the biggest moves we make in life. Well, it's easy to convince ourselves that they aren't. necessary or worth it. The things that transform us hide themselves. A lot of the time they

don't feel urgent. They aren't life or death decisions. They can be the stages we never step on. The people we never talk to, the chances we never take, because, well, what happens if we simply stay right where we are? Say thank you, but no thank you to those fleeting on. opportunities. Nothing. Nothing happens, more of the same, and realistically nothing is far less scary than all that other stuff. We don't fear nothingness. We don't intrinsically fear more of the same. No, we fear stepping onto the stage. We fear vulnerability. We fear messing up, looking stupid, being judged. And yeah, when you do nothing, you get to skip all that. Avoid all that. discomfort and that potential pain. But you also miss the feeling of victory. Of closing your eyes at night knowing how badly you wanted to just let that ship sail,

how terrified you were about what could go wrong, but you did it anyway. You get to feel you have earned the rush of stepping into a chaotic world. And you're you, you get to feel you have earned the rush of stepping into a chaotic world. And even if temporarily, you tamed it, that's what life is about. Always remember that we have a natural proclivity to avoid pain. Not to pursue the things that make us feel alive. Deep down in our DNA, there exist instructions, instructions to run away from the things that could hurt us, embarrass us.

Our minds will race, our bodies will kick and scream, our hands will shake, that's just the way it goes. And so we prove to ourselves that it's all conquerable, that reality can be re-learned. It's a layer of resistance that has to be faced and then dismantled. Why was I so moved that night? Because I got to watch in real time someone dismantling that fear on their way to something incredible. It's courage, stepping into the arena, not for the people next to you or anyone else, but for you. Because you know there's more. You know that where you are pales in comparison to where you can be.

I'm definitely one to look back from time to time and reflect, and I'll tell you what. I'm incredibly thankful for the hard times that shaped me. the challenges that were forced upon me and made me who I am. But beyond that, and perhaps even more so, the times I stepped out on my own accord, terrified and manufactured change. The times that the fear of staying the same eclipsed the fear of failure. The times I could have stayed home,

woken up the next morning and lost nothing, But instead saw what there was to be gained and threw myself into that metaphorical fire so that confidence could be forged and new chapters could be written. Let's all remember how out of focus the present moment looks. Remember how inclined we are to look at life through a lens of scarcity. We are trying to avoid, avoid, avoid. And if you can, even briefly find the strength to step back and ask, what is there to be gained? You see that not going is the real danger.

And those stages that seem arbitrary, that seem like optional, stops along the way, while they're just as imperative as the air you breathe. They are not some things. They are everything. We all hit a point where we look back on the roads we traveled and see the culmination of footsteps that have come to constitute our lives. And we want that moment to feel full. Like no stone was left unturned, like we put it all on the line. So will you step onto this stage of life?

Stand your ground as the curtain opens, read your poems to a foreign audience. Will you share your voice even though it trembles? Because if you do, you're giving yourself permission to truly live, to feel. Look, we're not here for a long time. This is a very short ride. So why not give as much of yourself to the world for as long as you possibly can? Why not step out knowing that the difference between you. between nothing and everything is what you do with shaky hands.

Lead yourself first. Before we can influence, before we can ever persuade or change anything externally, we have to first lead ourselves. And that means delivering on the promises we make to ourselves. It means showing up when we tell ourselves we're going to show up. It means putting ourselves in an environment conducive to growth. There's an old metaphor from Wayne Dyer about an orange, where he essentially says that it doesn't matter what you do to an orange.

It doesn't matter how hard you squeeze it, or how many you have, or how you manipulate it. Grapefruit juice will never come out of an orange. Only orange juice can be emitted, and similarly, we can never give or contribute what we do not have inside ourselves. We can't expect our lives to look like anything other than a culmination of the tiny action, steps, and decisions we make on a daily basis. The external world is a product of the internal world, and the internal world. and the internal world is not realized until we learn to rule over ourselves and our lives with conviction. You can break this down in many different ways.

Chaco Willink says discipline equals freedom. John Maxwell talks about a leadership lid where success levels can never exceed leadership capability, and sure it applies to teams, but it also applies to self-leadership. Are you searching for and committing to the little hinges in your life that as W. Clement Stone says, swing big doors that make the difference? Are you taking responsibility for your shortcomings like leaders do? Are you learning to trust yourself? Are you seeing past the trap of perfection and committing to progress? Are you taking the little things seriously?

Because at the end of the day, all things are comprised of little things. and only little things. The bottom line is that we master nothing until we master ourselves. Trust ourselves. The bottom line is that we win when we lead ourselves, to hold ourselves accountable for the little things that matter even when it hurt or retired, even though no one's going to come up and reprimand us for falling short.

There are often no visible consequences when we let ourselves down, so let's manufacture that urgency. If you promised yourself you'd get up when that alarm clock goes off, it becomes no longer optional. If you promised yourself, you'd go down the road that scares you, it becomes no longer one road of many. It is now the only road.

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

and multiply those little decisions like they are gold. Your strength is that when it's easier to run, you'll be the one that instead stands up and leads yourself to greatness. Looking back and understanding what you might have done differently is a source of strength. Awareness is a currency of sorts. but being sorry for yesterday, dwelling on the days gone by, that is a waste of time.

See, those feelings of discontent, the emotions that rise to the surface as our minds sort through that catalog of regret. You know, the emotions that try and pull you back down into the very moment in which they occurred. if you let them lead you by the hand back into a manufactured hell, they will. And down you will go reliving an expired pain that you can neither prevent nor do anything about. After all, it is the past. But alternatively, if we can do one of the hardest things for humans to do, which is depersonalize the occurrence, remove the emotion, and find the value you stand face to face with an advantage in life that is exponential.

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

the ability to get it right. To be better and faster and stronger and wiser. The reality or life in the big city is this is. saying goes, is having to fall in order to rise again. Because if nothing falls, there are no ashes from which to rebuild. We change when we've lost. We evolve when we're cornered. We become more when life shakes our worldview. There's power in this suffering. That is, if you choose to find it. And that's always a decision that's our worldview. to make. Again, those same memories that can pull you down if you let them can also be used

to elevate yourself. Higher than you've ever been. There's just saying that life is 10% what happens to you and 90% what you do about it. And when you think about it, it's obvious. Because knowledge is only as powerful as our willingness to put that knowledge to work. Yesterday's pain, its lessons can be the very reason you transform, evolve to a higher version of yourself, but that's only if you stop using those lessons as an attack on your self-esteem and start seeing them as the gateway to tomorrow. Otherwise, they'll remain that ball and chain around your ankle. Is the mistake that cost you your business, maybe the inaction that fractured a relationship,

a swing and miss that hurt your pride somewhere along the way. Are they going to remain sources of pain in your mind, mental images or reflections of where you fell short? Are they going to fuel the comeback, the sequel? When we fall, we're given one of life's greatest gifts, a part two. Armed with the knowledge we otherwise would never have had. Armed with an understanding that with the failures comes, the strength. As I've grown, I've placed more and more emphasis on thinking. How do I perceive

myself? Because when that slips, life is never too far behind. But when you capture and maintain a healthy perspective, things seem to improve along with it. Not because thinking makes it so, but because how we think prompts how we act and how we act changes. our lives. It's that simple. So the question, okay, that happened, now what does it mean to you, will always be crucial? What are you going to do about it now? Will always be imperative. And if you look, you'll find that opportunity everywhere. I was thinking recently about all the books, I've read all the podcasts I consume, and there are a ton, right? But how very? How valuable is that information if I don't act? How much could any of it mean if it's consumed and then forgotten? A memory with an image and a title. I'd be better off reading one good book a year, listening to one podcast and injecting that wisdom into my life immediately, acting on it, using it to manufacture momentum. If the acting is more important than the knowing,

why have I not placed greater emphasis on the action, like 90% more emphasis? And I think that's a question we should all be asking. And so let's move from the book example back to the thinking, reminiscing about our mistakes, the times we let ourselves down. What are our memories, if not just little novels, where we as the main characters, embark upon the hero's journey? Warriors called to something greater, leaving a previous world, facing our demons, learning about ourselves along the way, perhaps cut short, left without a conclusion, only in need of an ending. And these painful experiences are essentially us walking around with novels unfinished in our heads.

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

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

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

And the ones who move courageously into the future know that more than anyone. Life pushes back. The world has a say, and sometimes that means we must be humbled along the way. It means we swing and miss. It means plans fall apart. But you will prevail, maybe not immediately, but eventually because you perceive the adversity as merely a cost of admission, specifically because you don't let it run loops in your mind. Rather, you extract the value and transform it into momentum. You are not your past. You are what you decide to make of your past.

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 the beauty. They show the image that's always been so highly coveted. In other words, the process of reason, building create 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 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 Rakeau 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 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 around 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. 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 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. Don't think so much.

You might overlook the obvious. You might see past all that you've achieved. Don't move so quickly. You might overstep the moment. You might miss all the moment. You might miss all the things. the beauty you're created. One can wake up, get dressed, walk out the door thinking that they're on their way to a someday,

achievable, brilliant finale, and simultaneously fail to understand the miracle of the now. It's in what you're doing now, who you're helping now, what you're becoming now, your miracle is now. And you can't see your impact because it materializes behind you as your back is to it and you step toward those distant horizons. There's a direct link between always wanting

to be better and never feeling like you're good enough. If you don't properly compartmentalize the two, you'll always be chasing something you can't obtain while you walk right by the brilliance you're piecing together in real time. That carrot just outside of reach for the runner on the treadmill. And I'm not saying your goals and aspirations aren't incredible. I'm not saying you aren't one in a million.

I'm not saying you won't shock, change, add unparalleled value to the world. No, that's most certainly. possible. But I'm saying you're doing that now too. Like right now, you're not on a trajectory to someday be one in a million. You are one in a million on a trajectory to live life fully, to further expand, explore as you should. But let's not lose perspective along the way. It's hard to watch someone who has changed your life feel like they're not good enough. It just is. It's hard to watch something so beautiful feel like they must first evolve before they're worthy.

And it's like, sure, I get it. We celebrate visible, tangible successes, the innovators and CEOs, world-class talents. People who have built the present and will build the future. But notice, there are no ceremonies. for the ones who lift others up every day, who lead by example, who show up again and again when they're going through their own private hell. There are no record books for them. But I'll tell you what, if there were, you'd be there, and if I could remind you of that every day, I would.

The small things you do do not feel so small to those around you. In fact, your mere existence changed my life, and I know I'm not alone, not even close to alone. It's a tough world we live in. Tough enough to bring even the strongest amongst us to our knees. Yet you think you're flawed and insufficient. I ask, compared to what? A lot of people would have folded a long time ago. Wouldn't be fighting for a dream or standing for anything.

A lot of people wouldn't be giving so much of themselves. Again, I continuously run into this question. Why is it that the ones who are changing the world, not with their social media follower account, but with their actions, so often fail to see their own value? Perhaps they're using the wrong measuring sticks. Maybe their sights are set so high they don't realize all that they're making better along the way.

Maybe they don't know that every soul they light up puts in motion a ripple effect, an exponential value add. But if you just lift your head up and look around, you would see quite the ripple effect, you would see quite the chain reaction, you would see that you are not just working towards change, you are actively embodying it. Don't be the only one who can't see that. Why do I say this? Why spend the time?

Well, because one, I think it's not something we say enough. The ones who truly change us or make our lives better need to be told that. There's just something tragic about keeping it to ourselves. And two, because you don't give yourself enough credit. You're blind to the path you've traveled and the dragons you've slayed. I couldn't believe my ears when you apologize for being weak. Weak? Weak is retreating.

Weak is being selfish. Weak is forfeiting your gifts. Those descriptors are antithetical to who you are. And sure, we all slip into them once in a while. We're human beings. We all endure our valleys of despair. But to fight with everything you have on your way back up, that is not weakness. That's courage.

I think our definitions might be crossed here. See, I'm a firm believer that absolutely we have to be our own greatest critics, no doubt. But the value in that, the expectation is that it's coupled with a commitment to also be our own greatest ally. Are you? Are you your own greatest ally? Because sometimes I'm not so sure. Do you see how much light you bring to the world? How much better people around you are when you enter a room and smile, when you listen to them in their problem,

when you inspire them by making decisions with so much at stake, when you don't let the hardship of your past keep you down. And I know how hard it's been. I'm telling you this because maybe you don't know. Maybe you talk so much about what the future will be. and how big and incredible things will become, that you overlook the parallel worlds you are creating with each step along the way, a pilgrim, a wanderer in search of an impact you are already making.

So look, keep your head up and your expectations high. You will do remarkable things. But don't be afraid to look over your shoulder and see that you all ready. Don't beat yourself up for not yet arriving at an imaginary place while you change the world along the way Give yourself the same grace and compassion you would give to me allow that for yourself Don't think so much that you overlook the obvious You just might see past all that you've achieved and don't move so quickly that you overstep the moment You might just miss all that beauty that you're creating.

This isn't a pep talk. This is me holding up a mirror so that you can see the value at. You're not merely an IOU to some future self. You are all the people around you whose lives you make better every day, the lives you touch. By being... There's an old idea that one. 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 complex can be broken down one day, one situation, one little step at a time. The only real demon here is the possibility of inaction because you couldn't make yourself believe it. You couldn't see yourself at the top of that mountain. And so the front door was never opened. Emerson says, hits your wagon to a star. A beautiful reminder that that

The 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, 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...