Your World Within Podcast by Eddie Pinero - Keep Going and Believe in Yourself || Morning Motivation || Best Motivational Speeches

Episode Date: August 26, 2022

"If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got" - Unknown

If it means something to you, it's not wrong. I'm talking about different roads, going to different places, different ways at different times, none more or less important than any of the others. It's an amazing thing that a perfect life can mean something so different to each and every one of us. You know, I get asked quite a bit about my decision to do what I do, as far as what prompted the journey, the process of turning a page, beginning a new chapter. and in essence leaving what didn't serve me to pursue what does. And what I realize is that a lot of these conversations

are with people that have an outlook very similar to mine. We value a lot of the same things. But there's a distinction between what you see every day and what truly reflects reality. Is what's around you the only option? Is it the real deal or is it a part of the puzzle? Right? Like, if you look at Twitter, for example, you have 20% of Americans supposedly use Twitter.

And of the conversation on Twitter, 80% of it comes from 10% of the users, right? So it's a subset of a subset. But how easy is it to open the app and think that's a reflection of the world and how people think and what's going on? It's not. It's a very small fragment. And the reason I bring it up, the reason it's important is because we tend to look at what we see around us as the right way or the institution. instruction manual. You know, I've talked a lot about the corporate world, like it was essentially a prison

for me, right? And in many ways, it was because of the way I think, how I get fulfillment, right? There was a predictability and a straightforwardness that just doesn't mesh with my personality, but that's me, right? And I had the realization the other day when I was on someone's podcast, and they asked me, well, how come some people don't get it? How come some people don't understand the entrepreneurial spirit or that sort of adrenaline that comes with the high highs and the low lows.

And I spent some time thinking about the answer, and I think it boils down to something simple. It either pulls you that way or it doesn't, right? The thought process isn't the right way to live or the wrong way to live. It's one of many ways to live. It depends on what you gravitate towards. I like to reference one of my best friends, Chris,

because we couldn't be more different, right? He has a nine to five. He loves the structure. He's immersed in it. And because of that, he's moved up the organization very quickly. Comes home, spends time watching TV with his beautiful kids, cooks with his wife, sends the group shots of the, you know, the smoked pork or whatever the hell he makes. He's in heaven.

He loves his world. You know, but then he looks at, you know, my world. He sees the unpredictability of my life, my choices, traveling, moving around all the time, the financial oscillation, where it's like one month is great financially, the next, it's underwhelming, it's up and it's down, and he goes, how do you live like that? You know, and I could ask the same of him, where's the rush, where's the uncertainty? You know, it's two very distinct ways of looking at the world, and I think that's incredible. But I also think it's easy to miss.

You know, like Twitter, you sort of think what's around you, what you see is the real deal, is the path, is where you should be. and it's why a lot of people are concerned or question themselves. It's like there's this invisible metric, whatever side you fall on, there's a right way or a wrong way, and that's not true. There's your way. If it means something to you, it's right. And that's the standard, period. It's where you need to be, right?

Who is anyone else to set those standards? No one knows you. And I think the question is twofold. One, have you taken the time? in your busy life to identify what that is. Whatever it may be, have you thought about it? I'll never forget a friend asked me once, you know, what my perfect day looked like.

He asked me to describe it in detail. And I looked at him like a deer in headlights. I'm like, I don't know. I've never thought about that, right? He could tell me when he got up from when he went to bed what his perfect day was. He goes, well, how could you ever have one? By accident?

Right? So do we take time to think about what matters? And number two, are you willing to drive towards? whatever that is. Whether it's entrepreneurship or athletics, being a rock star in the corporate world, being a world-class painter, an amazing dad, some combination of some or none

or all of these things. Like, what are you aiming for? But it's nice sometimes to get that reassurance that your path, regardless of how different or quote-unquote normal it is, if it's right for you, it's right. And that's something that no one can tell you. You know, so much of life is a conversation

with yourself. It really is. You have to give yourself permission to live. And I've spoken about it. You know, I've spent a lot of years at that intersection of what I thought was right because others were doing it and what truly made me happy, waiting for the light to turn green before realizing that that moment doesn't come. You need to be the one to change it. Life is a beautiful experiment. But it is an experiment, which means you need to get to work. You know, it's testing what you love, what you don't, where you want to be, where you have no interest in being, and embracing that, right? Discovering what you love, what's meaningful, and then trusting yourself to get there. It's a scene from a movie called Dead Poets Society, and this quote just really hit me, hit home.

And to kind of explain this scene, basically, Robin Williams is a teacher. He's teaching poetry, and I think it's a boarding school. And there's a bunch of kids around him and he's explaining to them. You know, these are kids with ambitions. They want to be lawyers and doctors and businessmen. And he's saying, I get that. Right. But here's why poetry matters.

And so it becomes a metaphor for life, essentially. So what he says is to quote from Whitman, oh me, oh life, of the questions of these recurring, of the endless trains, of the faithless, of sin. cities filled with the foolish, what good amid these, oh me, oh life? And the answer is that you're here, that life exists, an identity, that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. In other words, with all the negativity, all the ups and downs, all the quote unquote, you know, terrible aspects of life, all the challenges.

What good? Why are we here? What's the point? And it's that it's gone on for millions of years before us, go on for millions of years after us, like a play that we can contribute one verse and the power in that, right? Just waking up and understanding that we have the ability to create our own history, our own little universe, to change the way things are, to leave our mark. And so he's talking about, I mentioned the kids huddled around him, he's like, you want to be businessmen and lawyers and engineers and doctors,

and that's incredible. It's a noble pursuit. We need those things to sustain life. The reason poetry is important. Reason things like love and passion and beauty are important. Because those are the things that we live life for. They are the pinnacle of what it is to be human. And every day you can decide what to do with that.

You can delve into it to change, to grow yourself. and in essence improve the world around you. You can play a part in something much bigger than you. And it doesn't have to be this grandiose thing. It's using what you have where you are. And the impact you can make is infinite. Never forget that enormous things are just the culmination of small things. Little decisions.

Because for those of you thinking, well, I'm just one person, you know, what difference does it make? And what, why would my verse matter in the, you know, the grand scheme of things, the great play of life? Well, I have a follow-up for you. I thought this was beautiful too. You say you're not special because the world doesn't know about you. But that's an insult to me, I know about you. I know about you. Right.

Everyone touches someone. And the ability to impact those in your immediate circle, it just can't be understated. Right? I, sometimes I worry that we don't value ourselves in our ability to be an agent for change the way that we should. You know, every single person watching this can change themselves, can grow. And I'm not talking about, you know, who you are. I'm talking about moving towards your greatness. So back to the main theme, right, in this play of life, what is your role?

What is your verse going to say? Because it matters. It matters more than you know. It matters to you because it's an opportunity. and it's a chance to live every day to the fullest, to embark upon the important things in life, the elements of being human that really matter, passion, purpose, enjoying what's around you,

growing, learning, and in essence, helping others do the same. When you delve into your greatness, it changes the world. I walked up to the canyon's edge, and I looked. I remember thinking this is my moment. I took a breath, I stepped back and I screamed. At the top of my lungs, I screamed.

And out came my plans and my hopes and my dreams. I let the world know everything I've been building and everything I planned to build. Everything I knew and everything I intended to learn. I explained everything. I felt all of me turn messenger, messenger packaged into these tiny airwaves and dispersed to the sky. Echoing one more time as they left is it for approval.

And then... Nothing. No problem. I thought I'll just wait. But the second hand kept ticking and still... Nothing. No answers and no approvals and no... and no guarantees.

Huh. What was left to do, but stand up and scream again, and I did, and all I got was my own voice pushing through the canyon. Did I say the right thing? Did I make the right plan? Can you be right and alone at the same time? I don't know, I'll wait. Because surely someone cares.

Someone has to care. Don't people care? care at that moment a tear rolled down my cheek as I sighed, sat down, exhausted, tired, tired of screaming and not being heard, tired of swinging and missing, tired of every attempt being the one that might change everything. I was tired of it all. Forget it. Time to go somewhere else. I wasn't sure where, but let's face it. It doesn't really matter when the only way to go is up. So I turned around and took my first few steps. Defeated eyes down at my feet as they marched me away unceremoniously, but then I heard it. Something in front of me. And I immediately

lifted my gaze from my shoes and stopped dead in my tracks. I couldn't believe what I saw. A sea of people standing there. People that had been gathering this whole time, making their way up the canyon as my back was turned as I yelled and yelled. Some I knew, some I didn't. Some who cared so much that my pain was essentially their pain. Some I've helped along the way and some who have helped me. Some I've laughed with, some I've cried with, some I've learned from, some who have learned from me. Some who felt exactly as I had, alone, tired, exhausted, some who felt lost but found their way. Others who thought they had everything figured out, but for that,

moment were lost. Some who felt like they had the weight of the world on their shoulders, others simply looking for anything to carry. All there, not to hand me answers or a shortcut or any perfect solution. But apparently to remind me that when the answers aren't in front of you and trust me they won't be more than they will be. You have to trust what's behind you. What brought you to that canyon's ledge. You have to believe in the things you cannot see. Because you can think you're alone and be loved by many and you can feel like you're losing and be right where you need to be. Life can seem like it's over when it is in fact just beginning. Those words bouncing off your lips, that

They don't disappear. In fact, by speaking them, you are giving them life. They become as real as the hand in front of your face, and it's up to you to never let that blank space make you think otherwise. To never let what you don't have minimize or mitigate what you do. Because the tricky thing about that abyss beyond the canyon's ledge is that it's not for reassurance or compromise or complex. or ego boosts. No, it's the real deal. It's for carving away at who you might be.

And that's, well, that's never going to be easy. In fact, it's always going to make you ask yourself the tough questions. And the hardest part is it will often leave you alone to answer them. But alone for the moment, not for the journey. The echo through the canyons highlights the power of what you have to say, in the river down below emphasizes how high you've already climbed and those people behind you they are your strength. Your reminder that even in the darkest of moments the most trying of times you are not alone. Let those dreams leave your lips and fly off into that abyss. Because as hard

as it may be to understand in the moment they are in fact making their way back. back to you. In a world of seven billion, I am one. One with a voice to be heard and a vision to be realized. I see limitless possibilities in everything I do. I'm energized by what's difficult and ignited by the impossible. In my world, there are no dead ends, stopping points or excuses. excuses, only experiences to build upon.

I am limitless. It's at the core of every action, every decision I make. Limitless possibilities create my reality. I am a dreamer with a vision worth far more than any obstacle that stands before me. Barriers are my reason never to slow down, but to reach, to push harder, to make a statement. See, I believe that the word enough is fictitious, that there's always another level to explore opportunity waiting around the corner, that life will give you what you give life. and I go to bed every night

knowing that I gave everything I had I embrace challenges no great victory ever came about unopposed unrestrained they are the price that I will gladly pay to reach the top I know that every single day

is an opportunity to do something that has never before been done to take the odds and rewrite them, to take perception and re-sculpt it, repainted. Limitless possibility is my canvas, and I have the world to create. Turning today into the beginning of something truly breathtaking, a destination with no bounds, no restrictions, only possibility. limitless possibility. When our backs are against the wall, we're forced to become more.

When the clock is ticking, we are tasked with finding answers, but hide among us. It's in the darkness. We find light, and while lost, we find ourselves. The paradox of life is that from our pain comes our purpose, our evolution, and our greatness. I love thinking back to about 2014, making my way around Boston, having just quit my job essentially purposeless, clinging to a YouTube channel and a podcast idea

that I would name your world within. And why? Why do I think back? Why does this mean everything to me? Well, because at the time, I knew nothing. I understood nothing. Nothing about speaking or media, audio, video, nothing about running a business. But more importantly, I knew very little about life and what's truly required to progress in a world with infinite moving parts.

I didn't know that my lack of understanding is what made everything feel overwhelming and complex, and that it was up to me to simplify. I didn't know the extent to which I'd have to befriend failure. And that was the most eye-opening realization. Because when you gravitate towards a risk-free existence and you box yourself in as I had for so long, of course you don't get the upside,

but you also don't fail as dramatically either. Life was a simple game of cause and effect. Do work, get result. Not much room for more than that. And so stepping outside that box in the way that I did, change some rules. I learned some things. First, you can spend time on something.

You can exhaust energy on something and get nothing in the short term for your efforts. And I mean nothing, unless you count getting your pride stomped on, Unless you count your friends disappearing when you need them most, unless you count self-doubt in a constant worry about not amounting to anything. I mean, these are very raw, very real human emotions. They tend to arise when we start something new, but in them is also the power. This is where the light bulb turns on and the path emerges.

It's where I learn that we only get what we want when we endure or what we don't. And what a foreign concept when you think about it, right? It's like, Eddie, take this mic. Go stand in front of this audience and pour your heart out. Your knees are shaking, chest is pounding, but dude, trust me, it'll be good for you. And funny enough, it was. It was because the fear in my stomach became the indicator that something not. something exciting, something more was around the corner.

Like Pavlov's dog hearing that bell, any time the fear kicked in, I could feel myself getting closer to something meaningful, to a higher version of myself. The pain is an invite, the sheer terror. And let's face it, that's what it feels like sometimes, it's an upgrade. Disguised is the monster that you think you should be running from.

When it is, as I recently mentioned, the adversary you should befriend. We have to change our relationship with discomfort because our initial understanding, the one that comes stock in our minds, is never sufficient to build anything of significance. Its default setting is to preserve the now. not expanded. And so just like those stock speakers that came in my 1999, Ford F-150 when I was in my early 20s, let's rip it out. Let's customize. Let's upgrade the quality of the sound we hear and the things we say to ourselves. What an advantage it is to know that the hard things are what make us level up.

to find that awareness. What a blessing that when life's difficulty startles and scatters the masses, you could be the one that remains. Standing tall, seeking out the advantage amidst the commotion, every little act of courage

becomes more and more meaningful, powerful. But we must lose ourselves to find ourselves. We must embrace our fears if we are to become courageous. We must fail in order to succeed. And sure, sometimes the price seems steep. But I promise not going costs more. Wishing costs more. If only's cost more. So maybe for you it isn't a YouTube channel or a speaking career. Maybe it's something totally different. But it is something. And should you bring yourself to pursue that which your heart pulls you to pursue, you'll

have those moments of defeat, where you're mad at yourself for leaving the comfort and safety of your previous world? You'll have times where you have no idea what to do, where you feel alone or stuck or unsure. The difference will be whether you You see this as the invite you've been waiting for or the reason to turn around and settle for less. That's the question.

How do you internalize all that emotion that will feel like it is consuming you? I couldn't believe how strong that temptation was to go back, nagging at me every day. Just come off the edge. Just be comfortable again. But as my old coach would say in college, when we're doing it, wall sits or something physically taxing. 15 seconds. You can do anything for 15 seconds.

And isn't life just a culmination of 15 second windows? It's compartmentalizing the process. It's turning the difficult into the advantages. You have the ability to not think like everyone else. You have it within you to rewire your previous conceptions of the world, to see darkness not as your reason to hide from conjured up monsters, but as your invitation to become the light. Remember that the best way to be more is to have the courage to put your back against the wall. And you won't want to in the moment. There will never

be a perfect time. But committing to that vulnerability will release from within you the power, the strength, the greatness that has been for so long tucked away. By moving into the chaos, you are simultaneously creating the calm you always dreamed of. You're realizing the possibility that just needed the door left ajar to make its way into your world. I used to think it was 100%. How do I get back to 100? Let's get this fully charged. No cracks or flaws. And so I'd wait. I'd rest. I would prepare. But guess what? Aiming for 100% is a perpetual almost there. Turns out life doesn't care much about 100%.

It wants to know what you can do when you're at 80. Can you find a way to push through when you are at 75%? How about 65? See, life is innately difficult. How do you handle that? How do you compartmentalize it? It was recently back in Boston, running around the Charles River first time in a while, felt a little back spasm reoccurring.

that right knee a little sensitive as it often is and I thought man again if I waited for perfection to run I would never run again I can count on one hand the times everything felt great light bulb moment we work towards that we aim high we give the body what it needs but we also understand

perfect is more of an idea than a reality sometimes you just have to lace up the shoes and go. Just like sometimes you have to wake up even though you're tired. Walk into the room even though you're nervous. Make the change even though you're fearful, cut ties even though you're sad or disappointed. There is no 100% that is going to come down and save you. Life will always provide the necessary ingredients decline to grow and achieve. It does though leave it. It does though, it up to you to decide how bad you want it. So what's the plan?

To wait until you're 100%, until everything is perfect and you're living the problem-free life you dreamt of? Or is this a find-a-way now type thing? An acknowledgement that we aren't given perfection, but we are given enough to move forward anyway. An understanding that while most view discomfort, as an end, greatness means seeing it as an invitation, an unavoidable cost to move into the realm

of accomplishment. So while the rest of the world waits for their 100%, I dare you to conquer your adversaries while at 80. I challenge you to surprise yourself while at 70, to disrupt the status quo while at 65. There is no waiting here. There is no serenity in growth. And how could there be? Growth is a restructuring of comfort, a tearing down to build again. Yeah, I used to think it was 100%. But now I know waiting for that 100 just becomes hope and stagnation. No, we cross finish lines and reach mountaintops while manufacturing momentum. and creating possibility. Yeah, anyone can succeed at 100%,

but seldom do we get there. Seldom do we see that? So that leaves us with this simple question. What will you do where you are with what you have? What will you do now? What can you be the best in the world at? Life is a complex place. Complexity sometimes means confusion.

It means we forget the big picture. What's our purpose? What are we chasing? What are we bringing to the world? What can you be the best in the world that? It's a little question I try and ask myself every day because I know if I stay close to it, my decision will have far greater impact.

There will be more meaning in life. See, it pushes away the things that are appealing in the short term, short term but really don't take us anywhere in the long term. Because one of the coolest aspects of human nature is our ability to illuminate what matters and will mitigate what doesn't. Helps us focus on what's important. We need to go to the grocery store while we step out the front door paying attention to nothing but the task at hand, not the objects to our left or right.

We don't know what colors the cars are where that passes by or the plants we walked by. We don't think about the blood pumping through our bodies making it all possible. as we walk to the car. We don't even see the car as its metallic components, as it really is. We see it as our portal to a place that has the food. See, we are blind, but at the same time have this beautiful gift of vision.

We see the path right to what's most important. So let's leverage that. And what I think we need to remember is to identify in our own lives what that means with regard to our purpose and the context of what we are becoming. See, every day I hear people talk about followers on social media, right? How do I get attention?

How do I get noticed? How do I market myself from my brand to the world? How do I stand out? And every time I hear that, I always have this little internal reaction like a voice saying that's just so wrong and so backwards. You stand out by adding value to the world by being good at what you do. It's that simple. And so look at it like this.

We'll take a specific example to worry about the marketing and the attention. and the followers first is like worrying about the transportation of something you don't have yet, or that's incomplete. It's like spending all your time worrying about the logistics of a cargo van and having no idea what that van is going to transport. Isn't the product the most important thing? And that's the question I ask myself when I'm caught up in something flashy or maybe out of line with my big picture.

To make sure I'm on track in this crazy world, if social media disappeared tomorrow, are you good enough at what you do? That you could take that product or service or skill set to another platform and start again. And if you're not, fine. But are you working towards it? Those are the parameters that we should all live between. Everything else tends to work itself out. Steve Martin's quoted as saying,

Be so good they can't ignore you. And that's what I find so exciting, the opportunity, the chance to build something sustainable. That's why this is a long-term play. And in a world where so much emphasis is put on perception, what's the reality? What's the story? The pictures are great on the surface, but what's the value that resides below that underneath? What are you working tirelessly day and night to be exceptional at? What are you leading to build yourself up as a force to be reckoned with?

As a powerful, valuable individual. See, my world, a lot of what I do is immersed in social media, which is why it's so important. that I remember the perspective that I step out. Social media is not the product. I'm thinking much bigger than that, and I hope you are too, whether it's academics or sports or art. What is your thing?

What's going to be your arena? Where are you unstoppable? Where you add so much value that the world has to stop. We're sure you can capture it on social media, but you can talk about it face to face with clients and family and friends and strangers on the sidewalk. You can write about it, teach about it.

Where it's so much a part of you that the phrase competent doesn't even do it justice. That's where greatness lives. Not in screaming for attention or creating a facade. Those things don't stand the test of time. I'm talking about being truly remarkable. And we all have that ability. We're all capable of mastery in some area, moving towards something that matters. We just have to make the choice.

to own it, to see the world and all its opportunity for what it is, to begin, and what better a time than now. Why is this battle you versus you? With all the complexity, all the obstacles out there, why are you your greatest opponent? Well, to put it simply, because all those obstacles and all that complexity, still can't tell you no. They can't say enough is enough. They can't look back at you and say, let's just settle for what we have now. No, only you can do that.

The world may create the landscape. It may construct the terrain and those obstacles. But you are the sole decider on where along the way you stop. You decide how far you want to go and how much you are willing to endure. When it comes to your advancement or limitation, you are in the drivers. I just picked up a copy of Will Smith's recent book. And one of the ideas that stood out to me was resilient.

And this part in the book, it's actually kind of uncomfortable to get through, but incredibly powerful. He's talking about his childhood and the polarity of his father's personality. A man who would do anything to provide for his family, he took pride in that and saw it as his primary responsibility. But simultaneously was their greatest source of pain. And he mentions his father hitting his mother from time to time. In one particular example, struck his mother in the face so hard that it knocked. her on the floor. And as she stood back up, she said something along the lines of, you can hit me,

but you can't hurt me. And that was the first time Will understood as a child, the difference between what the outside world inflicts upon us and how we choose to react to that occurrence. That understanding is power. And so why you are the author of your story. And this sense, that every single thing dropped at your feet, every situation, every occurrence, they come with an implicit question attached, a question that you and only you are responsible for answering. The question is, what does this mean? And how you respond to that question determines whether you go left or right at that metaphorical fork in the road.

Does the occurrence detract from your ambitions or is it a multiplier? Does it confirm your doubts and insecurities or is it your reason to rise to the occasion? An opportunity to stretch, to evolve. That's a gift, that's an invite. Not some sort of divine punishment. But the challenge is removing the layers until you arrive at the value. And it's hard. But you get there by saying yes.

You get there by choosing to see the value. And here's a quick example. My favorite thing about athletics, which was for me a ton of running. Now I throw more interval training in there, but the same concepts apply. It's a chance to remind myself that I don't negotiate with my weakness. I don't give myself an opportunity. To rationalize with the voice that wants me to quit, that question, that fork in the road, I answered it. I charted its course before the workout started.

Knowing this is going to be uncomfortable at times, but it's where I need to go. There will be no more thinking from here on out. So today's workout, for example, switching deadlifts, burpees to squats to core, You don't think. You see the next requirement, the next task, and you simply say, yes, you don't need your mind for this. In fact, you go before your mind even knows where it's going. Because that dotted line has already been signed. And that was the breakthrough for me.

When you separate what you have to do with the hurt associated with doing that thing, you free yourself. After all, what's there to hold you back if you can't talk yourself out of doing things? See, we tend to think our greatest adversity is the pain or the confusion or the unknown. But it's like, no, those are the byproducts of doing anything of significance. The adversary is the voice that begs you to slow down because of those things. And if you can figure out in your own life how to create space, between the two, how to separate the task and the discomfort often brought about by the task, there's nothing that will ever be able to slow you down.

And look, I'm not saying that you walk around without ever utilizing the power of that brilliant mind you possess. One's ability to think is everything, but what I am saying is there is a time to shut it off. There is a time in which to avoid overthinking we simply. Action, reaction. One more mile, okay, end of story. One minute of jump squats next. Roger that, period.

It's taking the emotion out of the process, refusing to leave the door cracked for the inner dialogue that says, hey, maybe you don't do this, maybe you slow down. Are you sure you can handle what's next? No, all of that is tuned out. It's assignment, go.

Next, go. Next, go. Next, go. You know this is the right thing. You did your thinking before grabbing the sword, shield, and stepping into the arena. Now guess what? It's instinct. It's doing what has to be done.

And what has to be done hurts. And look, you didn't have to accept that. You didn't have to step in. You could have stayed home. But somewhere along the way, you looked in the mirror and said, the difficult path is the one with the value. And now here you are.

Face to face with hungry lions, clashing swords with your adversaries. There's no turning back now. Now is when you parse out pain from the objective. The pain is now part of the audience. It's not with you or in you. it's watching from above as you do what you came here to do. So yes, those swords clash, but the eyes remain focused on what's ahead.

And yes, those lions roar, but that's background noise. When you simplify your world into objective and action, objective, action, objective action, there is time for nothing but forward progress. And sometimes that is all that is required of us. In the face of adversity, in the face of pain, self-doubt, in the face of discomfort, can you break your world down into nothing but one single step forward? One more set, one more rep, one more session, one more attempt, just one more more. No rocket science, no negotiation, no negotiation, no negotiation,

There's nothing to figure out here. It's walking the path before you. It's the discipline to carry on. It's one more swing of the axe Audience or no audience. Lions are no lions. You are bound to the universe at your feet and that Simplified concentration is why you will succeed. Let's right out of the gate draw a line The most important line, one can draw a line of demarcation separating who you were and who you are. A line between the past and the present, and this line marks your return. No, not to the days of old, but to step one. Your chance to begin again, to rise above, to transcend yesterday's character and transform today.

potential. See, what we often fail to realize is that there are ideas deeply ingrained in our minds that rule over us, a sort of subconscious authority. It says yesterday you fell short, so today you are someone who falls short. It says your objective was not reached in the past. So how about a new, maybe easier one? It draws a nice little box, packs you on the the head and says, how about we make a nice, cozy home for ourselves in here? And what this subconscious authority fears most is that you wake up, that you become aware, that you return. Not to the past, but to the power tucked away under all the stories you somewhere along the way decided were real. The second you accept that yesterday is only as relevant as you decided to be,

you unchained yourself. You become unshackled. So return to that place of curiosity, where you're not obligated to perform, but gifted with the journey before you. And that could certainly be hard. It was hard for me to look back at my life and distinguish between what I've simply accepted and life's objective truth. I'd taken orders and been obedient for so long. I'd been listening to that subconscious authority for so many years that I had to, in a way, relearn what creativity meant for me. I had to learn not to feel guilty,

going on a jog in the middle of the day when the rest of the world was working. I had to learn that my instinct wasn't to explore, but to stop short. I wasn't pushing limits or peering around corners. I wasn't testing the waters or seeking out the hidden opportunities. Life hides away. No, I was on autopilot. And life, it had called for my return.

It's funny how when you reject your potential long enough, the universe seems to tap you on the shoulder. It makes it more and more apparent every day that something greater is within an arm's reach. backs you into a corner until you have to address the dissonance between who you are, and who you've allowed yourself to be. Those orders you've been taking don't align with your best self. And so one must not only create, but in a sense return to their greatness.

To accept what they've been running from, you are what you choose to be. And let's face it, it's very easy to choose to be less than we can be. There's a saying that your reality is not destined to be, it is rather what you've chosen to accept. You only get in your life what you allow. And the entirety of this message is about one thing. That light bulb moment, the epiphany, the instant of empowerment,

that this world can only give you what you ask for. And to not ask, to sit back and observe, makes you a spectator, sitting up in the nosebleeds, watching the activity evolve on the court below, it relinquishes control to powers beyond you, and that's existing. It's not living. So ask. Ask life for the things that lift you up and elevate your existence. The reason a book metaphor works so perfectly in my mind is because when one opens to a blank sheet, they can write about anything. There's no limitation.

to what can be placed on that paper. And sure, our proclivity may be to continue on the legacy of last novels, cast and characters, but it's by no means required. In fact, with that pen in your hand, you can craft a new world entirely, new places, new things, new relationships and ideas, new obstacles to face and defeat. A blank page can be and mean anything, and so every sunrise, every door you walk through,

presents in the same sense a blank page. Realize that there's no obligation to perpetuate the past or continue on in the same way you arrived. No, this day is yours. Take hold of that self you've hit away. Find the courage to unshackle yourself from how you were once seen by your friends or your teammates or your coworkers, level up,

and understand that you don't owe the world any type of explanation. Remember, you're not here to conform, to obey, to live a life of obedience. No, you're here to poke, to prod, to explore, to follow the nagging curiosity to embark upon the adventure that is life. When you understand that you are not your past, when you see that the person you were has no concern, control over the person you are in this moment, you are free. So with eyes wide, a beating heart, a head held high, step into that world. Because if you live with conviction with absolute certainty that life may not always be easy or intuitive, but it's there for you, when you see not yesterday's constraints but

tomorrow's hope, all roads lead to an evolved existence. It's not about perfect and it never was. It's about understanding that the past has given you everything you need to break away from its grasp. It has provided the lessons it has knocked you back, pushed you down and tested your resolve all for this moment. This second, the chance to return to the greatness that. that has been tucked away for too long. Again, no miracles, no rabbits out of hats, just you allowing your greatness to emerge

from this step forward because you can, because you have that ability, because it's who you are. So go show the world, but most importantly, show yourself. You will be amazed at what's possible for you. If you simply allow it to materialize, if you amidst the darkness of days past, let yourself light up the night.