Your World Within Podcast by Eddie Pinero - LEAVE THE PAST BEHIND YOU | Powerful Motivational Speeches About Life

Episode Date: January 18, 2023

Let go, move on and leave the past behind you...

In 1519, Ernan Cortez arrived on the shores of Mexico with roughly 600 Spaniards, all of whom quickly realized that a mighty empire waited for them not too far inland. And Cortez, inspired by Spain's current golden age and the encompassing sense of ambition and adventure that gave life to the whole journey to the new world, he pushed his men forward into the unknown ordering them. as Winston Reynolds writes in his spania, to destroy the ships behind them. Symbolizing the valiant push forward with no return,

everything would be on the line. And over the years, this act has become folklore, evolved into the famous phrase we all know, burn the boat. Burn the boat. Why is this an important idea? Well, I look at it in very simple terms. Doing anything meaningful is hard.

Not planning on it or hoping to do it, but actually doing it. And when you're in the heat of metaphorical battle, right, when you're on your way facing the adversity and the challenges and the hardships, whether it's social, physical or mental, that's, growth comes with discomfort. Our instinct is to want out. When we are in pain, our brain's default is how do I stop the pain? And what I've learned is that if you give yourself off ramps, you'll take them. If you allow for a plan B, it will become more and more appealing. If the mentality is give it your all until it's inconvenient, well, we all know what happens, since excellence doesn't allow for skipping the inconvenient. When you can't turn around and get back on those boats, you're forced to create outcomes.

Because suddenly everything depends on it. Does this mindset come easy? No, I don't believe it does. took me into my mid-20s to realize, hey, I'd never done anything without a life-wrapped or a safety net. I always carried option B, C, and D around with me in my pocket. And the result was above average at plenty of things, was great at none.

But when your back is to the wall, and those demons are closing in, It's incredible what you can do, which you can create. You will shock yourself with your competence and your ability, waiting to be unlocked. Now, I'm not saying keep jamming this square peg in the round hole if you know something's not for you. I'm simply saying if there is something you want, something that you know in your soul is pulling you in, and you really want to see that thing come to fruition, you can't have. have pre-made off-ramps for yourself when the inevitable difficulty comes in.

Because it will. It always does. I refer to those moments as checkpoints, areas of internal deliberation, high security, guarded gates, where many arrive, but few get to pass through. Not because they couldn't, but because the cost of access was expensive, too expensive, mentally, physically, and socially expensive, taxing. Most simply say no thanks. They get back on that boat, waiting for them by the shore they arrived on and return to the world they've always known.

The way I see it, this is not about right or wrong. No, that's missing the point entirely. I see the question being, how bad do you want it? A little, a lot. How about enough to go all in? Because if you want to see levels of yourself, you never thought possible. You need to kick the ladder down behind you. Force yourself to rise to the occasion amidst the chaos.

Map your path straight into the darkness of night. Not because it's the most convenient. but because you gave yourself no other choice. You burned the boats and are content to watch their flames slowly disappear behind you as you go where few have gone. I want to start the episode with a story pertaining to criticism, doubt, and how we internalize it, how it affects us,

or doesn't. which is the point of the story here. And in this little story, there are some frogs and they're hopping along and two of them fall into this little pit. Right? And they're stuck down there. And you have the ones up top looking down saying,

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

you're done. It's over. Stop. Don't waste your time. One of them finally, He concedes, maybe you're right, jumps further down into the pit, and ultimately dies. The other one keeps jumping, keeps jumping, and the frogs on top are saying, stop, don't waste your time. There's no point.

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

Truth is defined by the author. You are the author of your own story. The future hasn't been created yet. And so giving someone else control over that outcome, you know, doesn't. It doesn't make sense. It actually doesn't make sense, right? Similar to one of my favorite, I don't know if it's a quote, but the idea that, you know, most of the people who did fantastic things were too ignorant to understand the odds, right? It's like when you allow outside circumstances to dictate what's real, they're holding the pen and they're deciding. But when you have clarity and when you have a laser, on what matters and what's important, you know, all the nuance and the detail outside of that, what other people think or what they say or what they believe has no relevance to what you do or what you're trying to do. There's always going to be that chirping, there's always going to be

that negativity. And the question is, you know, do you internalize it? Do you jump into the pit? Do you believe it? Or do you tune it out and you jump out and make a world for yourself that matters to you. I've spent the last year incredibly focused, building, creating. In fact, I've spent my whole life building, putting countless hours into something that I believe wholeheartedly will allow me to leave this place a little better than I've found it. And I'm not unique in this way, right? We all have ambitions. We all work toward positive change in our lives. It's essential. But like everything in our world, there is more there than meets the eye. Last weekend I decided to head over to the beach.

Summer's turned to fall, I wanted to get one last trip in, kind of bring closure to an amazing summer. And I was walking around and came across a sandcastle, standing in beautiful detail, seemingly untouched by human hands after being completed. yet slowly deteriorating from the elements. And seeing this was a little disconcerting, right? You have this natural tendency to want to preserve it and the effort that went into building it.

But the more and more I thought about it, the more it occurred to me that the true beauty of it all is not in the sand castle. It's not in the towers sculpted to perfection where the meticulously carved out doors, windows, and bridges, they're only symbolic. We don't live for the final product. We live for the journey, the adventure, the joy of the process,

tackling the unknown, and turning it into something of beauty. That's why we get up every day. That's why landscapes, oceans, and skylines run away with our imagination. They're representative of what makes us feel alive. Sometimes it becomes extremely easy to forget that. The degree, the championship, the executive position, these things we seek. They are validation, right? But they are not life.

What you do every day is life. How you turn ordinary things into extraordinary things, cherish the time you spend. there is nothing of greater importance. Sand castles will not stand forever. The tide, the wind, a million things will assist in bringing the sand back to its original form. Just like us, its time is finite. But the joy of creating such a masterpiece can never be lost. That's why we build.

It's why we create. There's vulnerability that comes with risk. I'm not sure we can get the full extent of it from a book or a video. Rather, we only understand it once we experience it firsthand. Where you step further out into the world, a short distance beyond what was once the status quo, whatever that looked like for you. and suddenly you become susceptible to criticism and rejection.

You feel things you've never felt, see things you've never seen. Sometimes it feels like you're taking off your armor and marching directly into battle. And it makes sense in the beginning. But there is always, always a point during the heart of the storm, we look around and ask why. It's like a hangover, right, where there's this internal tension, frustration, knowing that the whole thing was self-induced. You could be comfortable right now.

Comfort was always an option. But you chose differently. And as you push through, something becomes evident. It takes time, but all things of value do, you realize that life is now offering you things previously unavailable, as though your ticket now permits you to relocate from the bleachers to court side. The lock has come off the door. And immediately, you see why there was a cost associated with leveling up. After all, what is value, if not scarce? If this were easy, what would it mean? If it were always accessible, where would the significance exist?

If everyone could snap their fingers and arrive here, what would be special about it? What's remarkable is that it is reserved for the few willing to make the trip. And oh, the things we learn about ourselves along the way. In the book Unbroken, Hillenbrand tells a story of Louis Zamperini, a runner who went to fight in the Second World War, his plane is shot down. and almost the entirety of the book navigates the horrors he endures. First being rescued in the Pacific, then tortured in Japanese POW camps, where he sees many around him die and even comes within inches of losing his own life

on a handful of occasions. And when he's finally rescued at the end of the war, and I'll never forget this, he's asked about what he went through, when he says he'd rather die. then go through it all again. And I'll tell you why that's so meaningful to me. Because it shows you what human beings can endure when we take things one day at a time, an almost unfathomable amount of pain and suffering and sacrifice.

We are so strong and so powerful when we, as Louis did, take the battle day by day. And sure, looking at the horizon, it's an ocean to traverse. But broken down, merely droplets of water. Certainly manageable. Now, of course, we are not POWs, and I'm certainly not equating our adversity to his. But the reality is we are, in our own context, in our own ways, fighting our own battles. We're all navigating personal obstacles.

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

wrong, perhaps create lines in the sand that they refuse to cross, And sure, they play conservatively, their hearts won't be broken, their maps won't be necessary, their pride won't be crushed. But for what? What kind of existence is one where you never play the game because there was a possibility of defeat? We can all endure what is required to live fully, every single one of us. Yet so many will never leave the harbor because we struggled to see the journey. as a collection of manageable pieces. You deserve more and you're capable of getting more.

Don't deprive yourself of it. 1,000 heart breaks is worth finding that someone who lights you up. In 1,000 miles in the wrong direction is worth uncovering that place you were meant to be. 1,000 swings and misses is worth finding your place amongst the stars. Vulnerability is not a burden, it's a staircase to the moon. Why not make today the beginning of your ascent? Eight lessons to live by.

Number one, remind yourself to see those things we've taught ourselves not to see. The things that don't directly correlate to money or status or ascension up some social hierarchy. hierarchy. Underneath those things are what keeps us alive. Keep our souls lit, our eyes open, our days meaningful. We don't think we need music to invigorate the soul. We don't think we need wind on our face or sand on our feet. We don't think we need to shut the world off so we can hear ourselves think. Now we fall into the trap of believing that beautiful is a luxury. It's not. It's why we're here. And it's not about being anti-money or status or whatever your goals are. But it is about realizing that those things without beauty and art and nature and calm are empty.

There are plain without wings, lungs without air, the things we have taught ourselves not to see. are the things we need above all else. Number two, you are stronger than you think you are. You are made to endure. It's a pave, a path, find away, rise to the occasion. And we know this when it's easy, but we forget when it's not. When the world feels stacked against us. When you're writing things, no one reads, saying things no one hears,

things no one sees. When you know you have somewhere to go but aren't sure where that is, no, you need to evolve into something but have no idea what. This is when you need to know that you have everything you need. It's not about finding new pieces. It's about arranging the ones in your hand. Like smoke expands to fill any room, your potential can expand to conquer any obstacle you are stronger than you think you are. Number three, some things are beyond our control. But being ready for the opportunity when it comes our way is very much in our control.

And maybe it takes a day, a month, a year, longer. You can't control that. You can't control the path of that firefly, but when it lights up and comes your way, you can have the jar ready and the lid off, you can be well read, well prepared, rehearsed to the point of confidence, reliance on repetition and not hope. No endeavor is a coin flip when you use a double-headed quarter. One of the most valuable questions I've learned to ask is when and where in my life can I create those magic coins.

Number four, we are at our best when we are moving towards something. Inaction has an opportunity cost that is more expensive than anyone wants to pay. Places I haven't gone, risks I haven't taken, they're the loss. The dragon has the gold for a reason, and to avoid the former is to forfeit the latter. If we are not growing, we are dying. So as Emerson suggested, find a star to hitch your wagon. into. And even when the world forces detours upon you, inserts roadblocks or temporarily covers that star up altogether. Remember that it's still there shining as bright as it ever

has, waiting for you to reorient yourself. Remember who you are and carry on. Number five, when it's your fault, you are in control. I used to hide behind the notion that bad grades were because of a bad teacher. That missing the promotion was because of the boss. That an inability to influence was because the world didn't understand. And to whatever degree these things may be true, we win when we dial them back to zero. If your bad grades are completely your fault,

you'll better prepare. If your lack of promotion falls entirely on your shoulders, you'll find ways to add more value. If your inability to influence is because you're missing the mark, you'll stop projecting yourself onto the world and start asking the world how you can serve. Before it can become an opportunity, it has to first become your responsibility. To grow, we have to plant roots where it hurts, where the eagle lives, where we have to first be humbled, then we can accelerate vertically.

Number six, if it means something to you, there is value. It's not stupid. Just because they don't get it doesn't mean that they shouldn't. Just because it's not happening today doesn't mean it won't be tomorrow. Life is a lot like six-year-olds playing soccer. Everyone chases the ball because that's what we're told. That's where the attention is, that's what's flashy. But as an outside midfielder most of my life, I know that some of the most potent attack sequences manifest on the outside of the field and then are re-centered.

To run up the sideline without the ball is to see what happens before it happens. The magic is created in the empty space before it translates to the high traffic, high reward areas. And just because you're metaphorically running without the ball doesn't mean you're not in prime position to have monumental impact. You're not reacting. You are creating. Don't forget that. Number seven, nothing is mandatory. Everything we do, we choose where we are, who we're with, how we spend our time.

And it's easy to look around and think we are programmed to exist between specific parameters. not. And often we don't see until life forces a change upon us how much flexibility we have in life. Now sure, change obviously brings with it challenges. New questions, uncertainties, new places to map and people to meet that as Mark Manson says there is no problem-free life. No, the beauty of life is that we get to choose which problems we will spend our time solving. Problems to solve are what make life meaningful. So if you're looking around and not seeing what you want to see, you're not stuck.

You're simply solving the wrong problems. Perhaps it's time to find some new ones. In number eight, tomorrow is not your answer. It's your problem. Tomorrow is your excuse to wait, to hold off to rationalize stagnation. Tomorrow is the status quo. It's a fresh new coat of paint on a car that won't run.

We're a new roof on a house with a cracked foundation. Tomorrow can only tell the story that has acted out today. That means without stepping into the limelight right now, in the immediate, in the present, there will be no story. Because stories aren't made tomorrow. They're made now. So let's stop expecting the messenger to be the author. And let's take fate into our own hands, write our own headlines, during the only moment we'll ever have.

The present one. So let the rest of the world dance around tomorrow. That's not where your mind should be. You should be working on the melody of today. Strong enough is all life asks of us. Strong enough to carry on. strong enough to take an uncertain step forward, strong enough to be better than we were yesterday.

Everything starts with strong enough. The decision to make a single move towards an existence that is not yet yours, not yet. But it's arguable that understanding it could be yours is a greater accomplishment than making it so, As the old Latin proverb states, once you've started, you're halfway there. Halfway, not because you found a shortcut or some previously undisclosed path, but because convincing yourself that you have everything you need is the greatest barrier to entry.

It's the wall around the castle, and once you scale that, well, everything else works itself out with time. But life asks that we be sure. strong enough to start the clocks. It asks that we have the strength to begin. See, because just as things start with strong enough, well, they could just as easily find their end there as well. How many journeys weren't started, because we forgot that our responsibility wasn't to suddenly arrive at the destination, but rather find the courage to take a small step in that direction. How much of ourselves do we leave on the shelf?

Because we forgot that transformation overnight wasn't the goal, but rather a trust in the process. The heart to paint a first stroke, make a first call, walk out the door, strong enough can be an ending or a beginning. It's a fire that can enhance, it can nourish, or it can burn out. And that is perhaps the greatest question of our lives. When the time approaches, when life demands more of us, will we only see the finish line, the mountain tops, the vastness of the terrain? Will we feel small and inadequate?

Or will we remember that we are strong enough to advance to push back against the chaos of life? And that's not only all that's required of us. But it's the key to everything worth doing. The start of transformation, the seeds of beauty, the foundation of impact. That is our challenge. Where some bow down to the impossible. You have to see it for what it is. The many possibilities that comprise it, the hope.

The understanding that an improved existence is about having the strength, not to change reality in one false swoop, but to carry on to take another step and see that as time unfolds, those steps become the blueprint to a better tomorrow. Those steps, that courage, that strength, is everything you'll ever need. I was recently reading a book called The Boys in the Boat, about nine American rowers from Washington that won gold in the 1936 Olympics,

And there's this incredible exchange at one point in the book between the main character Joe, who's part of that historic boat, and a man named George Pocock, who was not only a brilliant rowing mind that helped the team out, but he also had his own business crafting in making the boats or rowing shells, as they were called, and he would make them and send them to schools all over the country. And so Joe's deal is that he's this natural talent, Strong kid, tough as nails, but just seems to lose his composure from time to time. When he's in the boat, there are these moments of jaw-dropping excellence,

unprecedented speed across the water, and then there are moments when he loses his focus. And the boat sort of follows suit, right? They're inconsistent. And so George Pocock, being the rowing expert that he is, made a commitment to see if he could help Joe figure that out, right? The mental game. So he calls Joe into his shop.

And he starts showing him how he puts together these highly coveted boats, showing him the tools and the pieces and how it's nothing short of an art. He has sort of this divine respect for his craft. And at one point he pulls out a cedar plank that he'll be using to make one of the boats. And he points to the growth rings in the wood, mentioning that they tell the story of the tree's 2,000-year life. So here's a quick quote from the exchange. He says their thickness and thinness spoke of hard years of bitter struggle,

intermittent with rich years of sudden growth. The different colors spoke of various soils and minerals that the tree's roots had encountered, some harsh and stunting, some rich and nourishing. Flaws and irregularities told how the tree endured fires and lightning strikes, windstorms, and infestations, and yet continued to grow. Almost as if there was something sacred about it. The wood taught us about survival,

about overcoming difficulty, about prevailing over adversity, but it also taught us something about the underlying reason for surviving in the first place. Something about infinite beauty, underlying grace, about things larger and greater than ourselves, about the reasons we are all here. I paused after reading that and thought for a minute or two. What is it about those rowers crossing the finish line

after giving everything they have that touches us so deeply? What is it about a cedar tree standing the test of time, those 2,000 years of adversity only to triumphantly pierce the sky when all is said and done. It moves us because it tells us what we already know, yet forget, in our hearts believe, but often fail to see, that we are greater than the sum of our parts. Ernest Becker, when he was touched on the aspect of the human predicament, He famously noted that we are simultaneously worms and gods,

earthly and divine. And I think it's in those moments, the crossing of finished lines, the times we did more than we ever thought possible or looked back and smiled about all we overcame. It's in these times we're able to transcend the mundane, the everyday. We're able to remind ourselves that sure, some aspects of us are merely human,

but no aspects are ordinary. The greatest power one can witness is that of the human spirit, bending but never breaking, making light of the odds and an example of the predictable. So know that whether now is difficult or not, it's part of your journey, A defining chapter in the incredible story of your life. And if you find yourself up, cherish that.

It's more precious than gold. If you find yourself down, remember that you'll look back on this growth ring of your life and be grateful that it gave you that which smooth sailing never could. Because at the end of the day, all you have is what's in front of you. The next move, the next step, and the faith that all these little pieces will someday mean something, that standing the test of time will speak for itself at your finish line,

whatever that may be, it will. You'll look back and see that without your knowing or awareness, they propelled you into the current moment. They gave life to something beyond the realm of worms and dirt, beyond the realm of humans operating in their day-to-day world. No, they allowed you. you for a moment in time to touch the infinite, if only to prove to yourself that you could. What are you willing to endure? Because to become something more is not to react to the world,

but to create a new one, yours. As my dad explained to me when I was in grade school, it's taking initiative, right? Seeing what isn't there, what's needed, and then making a it happen. And while the setting certainly change, the situation is no longer about helping around the house so I could go to the concert with my friends. Right now, as we get older, our world seems to get bigger along with us. The stakes are higher. Now it's everything I see when I open the blinds and I look out that window. It's all there. And we can have as little or as much of that as we want. But what we receive

will always be directly proportional to what we're willing to endure. To how long we push forward before results arrive. How long we can carry on with the sole company of our beliefs.

It's about Bezos' packaging and delivering his own books from a garage. Knowing it's not about today, it's about tomorrow if he can just hang on if he can just endure it's Tony Robbins with $20 in his bank account knowing that has no reflection on him or what he's capable of if he can just hang on just keep pushing it's not that they have the ability to bring their dreams

to life a lot of people do they had more they had patience they have the discipline right to remain calm and collected that's nerve-racking that can be unsettling They had the ability to be focused, to remove all the noise around them, the doubt that stops people before that desired payout is achieved. And one of my favorite ways to look at this concept of growth is a little anecdote about lily pads in a pond. And basically, it's posed as a question, right? So the lily pads in this pond double in size every day. And by day 30, the pond is completely covered in lily pads. So then what day is it half covered?

That's the question. A lot of people instinctually, they say, oh, okay, day 30, half of 30 is 15. So on day 15, it was half covered. But that's wrong. They're doubling every day, which means the pond wasn't half. covered until day 29 and only a quarter covered on day 28 and the reason that's important is because that means on day 1 through 27 those lily pads were growing they were working they were moving yet they occupied less than a quarter

of that pond all that work for a result that was barely visible and then at the very end right the payout becomes exponential and that's what success is. That's what it means to pursue anything of significance. It's days, months, years of unrecognized work, of marching forward, covering ground when no one knows or cares or believes, except you. That visualization is your sweet spot, but like we all know, easier said than done, right? This is an incredibly challenging thing because we get impatient, and our pride starts to hurt. We become tempted to jump to something different or easier.

We don't hang on long enough to hit day 28 or 29 or 30. When things really start to evolve. It's like James Clears metaphor in atomic habits, right, where you have an ice cube sitting in a room and it's freezing and you start slowly shifting the temperature up. You don't see anything going on with the ice cube. Not until you hit that 32 degree mark. But there are things happening when it goes from 26 to 27 degrees and 27 to 28 and 28 to 29.

Those little molecules are moving and bouncing around. But then boom, suddenly it hits that mark and it changes rapidly right in front of you. That's why this single shift in perspective changes everything. It's not about right now. You're doing this for the exponential growth to come. You're believing. You're laying the groundwork. groundwork until what I call the overnight success period when the world finally

recognizes and goes who is this wow that was quick but they have no idea about you know day one through 27 they don't know about the the effort and the mental gymnastics they don't know how many times you had to talk yourself out of quitting or out of rationalizing a day off they just don't know the road you took to get there and that's fine in fact that's the beauty of it all you not only saw first but you brought something beautiful to life by enduring turmoil by navigating discomfort and chaos you would become the maker of a new universe your universe because you stood there because when others would have ran turned back

you endured there's a quote from He says, the closer you are to the truth, the more silent you become inside. Found that interesting. I've got an email recently from someone asking for my thoughts about their being overlooked for a promotion at their work. They say that they're dedicated, they work hard, they show up and execute. So what is the act of being overlooked mean? Well, like so many things, it's contextual.

but let's play with it. What does feedback ever really mean? It means what you decide it does. Here's how I see the act of being overlooked, as this person expresses. Let's look at it as an iceberg, that rejection as a floating block of ice in the Atlantic, and the top, the piece that's exposed and above water, the smaller piece. Is your chance to look around and self-reflect? to ask why

where are the places I could strengthen myself the gaps I could close and the spaces I could occupy you know disappointment it causes us to self-reflect and that can be a valuable thing there are often tangible quantifiable reasons we didn't hit the mark

and I think that top of the iceberg is our recognition that we have things to do places to go and what better a time than now to start moving in that direction. Now the part of the iceberg underneath the water, supporting all that, there has to be a foundation of self-belief, of self-trust. Not only a hardness and understanding

that you are not defined by rejection, but also a certainty that things will work out, that you might have to stumble fall, even aimlessly wander for a set period of time. But when your focus is on a particular North Star and you are serious about it, committed to it, you'll find a way. And being overlooked in any capacity is not defining because right now is not an end. You decide where the end is.

And there just so happens to be a lot of space, between that point and where you stand now. The vast majority of an iceberg exists under the surface, and that's valuable here, because I believe that the differentiator when it comes to success and failure is how one internalizes the process and their place within it. If you know you're going to succeed,

if you are confident in yourself and who you are, then the little wins and losses along the way tend to mean less. Getting overlooked in any capacity is a nice little bit of feedback, but in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't hold the weight we tend to give it when we're less sure of ourselves and the process. So let's get back to the quote. The closer you are to the truth,

the more silent you become inside. Well, here Naval is stating, In one of his podcast episodes that the wiser someone becomes, the more quiet or stoic they become. Referring to the character that I allude to all the time in this podcast, the loudest person at the table. Right? Always talking or seeking attention. Often this character is overcompensating for something. And that's what Naval is, in my opinion, properly stating. But I want to hijack the quote a little bit.

because I think this applies to our own mental chatter as well. When we are sure of ourselves and what we're doing, the internal dialogue is reduced. When we believe ourselves to be correct and in line with our values and our vision, the mind tends to be calmer. And I can use this YouTube channel and podcast as an easy example. I have self-belief when it comes to my mind.

ability to do this. I've invested years and years and believe that over time it's become a strength of mine. So when that inevitable negative feedback or comment comes in, which happens, right, it's the internet, I take it for what it is. It's the tip of the iceberg. I assess whether there's any value to be extracted. And if there is, I put it in my back pocket. But the point is, I then move on. Because underneath, the surface under that tip of the iceberg, there is such a substantial amount of self-belief and determination in the process that negativity, it means very little, doesn't define me. And that's the point that I aspire to cling to.

And conversely, as counterintuitive as it seems, I think we should be the same way with positive feedback. Like when nice things are said, it makes us feel good and we should be grateful, sure. But the idea is the same. Examine, pocket the feedback, and move on. Because if we rely too extensively on good feedback for our self-worth and our sense of identity, it's going to be hard to avoid doing the same thing when the other stuff comes in. It's about having a vision and trusting yourself, right?

This is not you versus the world. This is you versus you. And we can't forget that. It's a person committed, determined, on fire in their purpose. Collecting data along the way to something greater. And look, sometimes that data comes in the form of being overlooked. It highlights ways you need to make yourself stronger and better. But sometimes it validates and recognizes your greatness,

the value you're already adding to the world. Either way, you're moving forward because it's, It's who you are. And as long as you tell yourself you're going to win, and those two feet underneath you haven't stopped moving, you're putting yourself in position to capitalize on all the opportunity life has to provide. You are going to see the compounding of all those steps you took, the ones you took when it hurt and the ones you took when it didn't.

you were sure and when you weren't, when you had all the energy in the world and when you barely got yourself through. All those times they mean something. And it's the ability and desire to move forward regardless that becomes the determining factor. If you know that, the mind can be at peace. is happening for you, not to you. The obstacles become much needed information and the victories further contribute to your momentum. It's all moving you closer to where you need to be. There's a saying by Steve Martin, he says, be so good they can't ignore you. And that's not a point,

It's a process, an evolution. It takes time. It takes patience. It takes self-belief. But trusting that mountaintop you're chasing also comes with a great sense of security. That this epic adventure is yours and yours alone. It comes with discovery, growth, joy, sadness, and everything in between. But it is yours.

And if you sign that dotted line, it doesn't matter if you are overlooked in some capacity. No person or external event can take away what you know in your soul to be true. Every single dream, vision, or idea in your life starts with a simple understanding. That it's obtainable. that you can make it real. That's the beginning of everything. Self-belief is the gatekeeper that stands between current and future. See, if you think of reality as these city walls you're living in,

it's not crazy to think that there are going to be people that only know that existence within the walls, right? That's what they see, that's what most believe. It's how they live. It is only self-belief, a confidence in something greater outside those walls that opens the gate, that expands your reality. And if you don't believe anything good exists on the other side, why begin? If you don't think you're capable of getting there, why start? And this formula is simple, right? Let's not overthink it.

We only move towards outcomes that we believe. to be possible. And that's more important than ability, skill set, strength. I mean, you name it, believing in yourself trumps all that. Because the person with an inferior skill set, maybe an average natural talent, but they believe in something and they move towards it. They give everything for this idea. They know it to be true.

It will always beat the talented person that's unsure, that procrastinates, that has one. foot in and one foot out. And if you don't believe in yourself, you're building a city on sand, because I'll tell you what, great things, they're great for a reason. They're in rare supply. They're limited, which means not everyone can have them, which means those who do have them have to fight for them, have to deal with being uncomfortable, have to give more, sacrifice more, pay a steeper price than the masses. And if you don't look in the mirror,

stare yourself in the face and know you are one of those select few, what's going to happen when light kicks back in you? You'll fall. You'll resort back to what you know. You'll flee the battle for safety, security, and comfort. But when you know your movie ends at the top of the mountain, When you know at the end of the day,

you're going to cross a finish line or hold a trophy, your brain internalizes conflict differently, very differently. For someone with self-belief, obstacles don't make you wonder if you should keep going. Because you already know you have to keep going. I mean, come on, you haven't arrived yet. There's still a road to travel. No, in this situation, obstacles simply prompt you to ask how.

How can I get through this? And that's a small discrepancy that changes everything. Because at some point, you'll look to your right and you'll look to your left, and you'll find very few people get to the how question. They all stop at if. I wonder if I can do this. I wonder if I'm capable. Well, they'll never know.

They'll never see that sunset beyond those metaphorical city walls. because they never truly believed in themselves. They never opened that gate. Look, I went through 16 years of education without a teacher or professor telling me, Eddie, 99% of life is just believing in yourself to figure challenges out as they come. To figure life out as it comes.

That's it. Only X% make it through law school. Only Y% succeed at this and that. That's what you hear, but no, none of that matters. It's simple, it's simple, it's simple. Most of the world quits when things get challenging. If you don't, if you have the courage to believe in trust in yourself, you'll succeed.

Why? Because you won't stop until you find a way. That's the power of self-belief. It's not quantum physics. It's not complex. You know, at one point, I didn't think I could make a living outside of a cubicle or office building. Then I saw others do it.

And for the first time in my life, I believed it was possible. I changed my actions to support my beliefs. And here we are. At one point, I didn't think certain financial goals were reality. I didn't know about a free, flexible lifestyle. I wasn't aware of the type of relationships that would change my life. Why? Because they existed outside those city walls.

I didn't believe they were real. I didn't believe in myself to create them, to make them in my own life. But with the change in belief comes a change in reality. You will always follow through on who you believe you are. So let's go back to that mirror visualization. At some point today, look at your reflection and think about nothing but what I'm about to tell you, everything you need you have. I promise you, you are.

are equipped to change your life, the lives of everyone around you, and the world in which you exist. So take that back. Feel it and never ask it again. From now on, the question is how. Your fate is not a coin flip, it's a puzzle. It's about arranging the pieces. And those two eyes looking back at you are more than capable of figuring that out.

Ask simply, do you want it? And if yes, open that front door, take that first step and inject yourself into a journey that will be unlike anything you've ever experienced before. A journey where you have the answers, the aptitude, and now the self-belief. And when you find yourself in the lowest of lows or the darkest of nights, find solace in that fact that that will be more than enough to get you to do. Dawn.