Your World Within Podcast by Eddie Pinero - LISTEN TO THIS DAILY AND DOMINATE YOUR DAY! - Best Morning Motivational Speeches

Episode Date: December 12, 2025

A donkey falls into a deep well, and the farmer’s solution seems grim. But as neighbors shovel dirt to bury it, the donkey discovers a powerful truth: with every challenge, it can shake off the burden and step higher. This timeless parable reminds us that life’s hardships can become the very things that lift us above them...if we keep moving, keep believing, and keep rising.More from Eddie Pinero:Wear the Mindset: agns.lifestyleMonday Motivation Newsletter: Business Inquiries - http://www.yourworldwithin.com/contact

You can let the world break you or you can let it build you. See, I've learned something along the way. That pain can become power, fear can become fuel, and rejection, if you're willing to look it in the eye, it can become the spark that ignites a new beginning entirely. The caveat is that it only happens, though, if you stop. seeing your setbacks as the end you start seeing them as the beginning of something bigger. There's an old story or anecdote that I guess in its beautiful simplicity has stuck with me, right? In this story, a farmer's donkey falls into a deep dry well and obviously it's stuck down there

and the donkey's crying and yelling and hours pass and the farmer becomes aware, you And he's doing everything he can to get his donkey out of the well. But it's just too deep. He's too far down there. And eventually with no way out, you know, the farmer has to make an awful decision, the hardest decision he could make. And he begins to shovel dirt into the well, thinking, well, I don't want him to suffer, right? So it's time to put the donkey to rest.

But as he's doing this, something strange happens, right? As the dirt falls down the well and on the donkey's back, the donkey doesn't lay down to die, shakes off the dirt, and each time kind of steps up a little bit. Shovelful after shovelful, he continues to shake off the dirt and step up. The very thing meant to bury the donkey. became the platform it climbed until eventually the donkey

walked right out of the well. And see, I've been that donkey. Maybe you have two. I've had people walk away when I needed them most. And that probably hurts more than anything else. I've heard, you're not good enough more times than I could count.

Sometimes from others, sometimes from yupp, myself. I've stared down rejection letters, empty rooms, silent phones. I've spent months and months and months on projects that I thought would change the world. And newsflash, they didn't. And for a while, I believed that metaphorical dirt. I believed the labels, the silence, the fear. But somewhere along the way, I stopped asking, why me?

and started saying, watch me. Maybe that adversity is not the end. Maybe it's an opportunity to turn whispers of doubt into battle cries, to use the heartbreak as a blueprint for strength. What if it's letting the weight of the world fall on our backs and then standing up anyway?

Not because we're ready, but because staying down is no longer an option. And see, in your world, you may feel buried. Under stress, under failure, maybe under someone else's expectations, you might be carrying that heartbreak, anxiety, that fear of not being enough. But hear me, that pain wasn't sent to break you. It was sent to reveal you. You're not what was said about you. the job you didn't get. You're not the love that left. You're not the voice that says you can't.

You are the one standing in the well and yes, the dirt is falling. But you get to choose what to do with it. Shake it off. Stand up. Every shovel of pain use it. Every bit of rejection rise through it. Every storm you didn't think you could survive. Let it push you higher. Because maybe you weren't meant to stay comfortable. Maybe you weren't meant to avoid the fall. Maybe the darkness you feel right now is just the bottom of that well. But the climb,

that's the magic. That's where you become who you were meant to be. And so all I ask is this. Next time life's chaos, that metaphorical dirt, showers down upon you. Find perspective. Shake it off, step up, and remember the well is not your grave. It's your starting line.

What's up, guys, Eddie here. And before we jump into the next chapter, just a quick note. So, as many of you know, every single video that I've ever put on this channel has been created with the intent of building momentum in your life. If you want something physical to anchor that momentum, we've created the brain. AGMS or always grateful never satisfied for that exact reason. Athletic apparel that embodies the very ideas and concepts I talk about every day. Because you're watching on YouTube or Spotify, we've created a code for this exclusive community, YWW20. You can use that on the website, agns.lifestyle.

We're right under this video on YouTube. All this stuff is there in the shop. Again, code YWW20 gets you 20% off. entire store. It's a great way to support the channel and also elevate your journey. Let it be a reminder to keep showing up. Appreciate your time. Always grateful, never satisfied. On to the next. What goes into your decision making? Particularly the big decisions, the important ones. I heard a quote that moved me from Jeff Bezos. It was a video on Twitter and he said, my best decision in business and in life have been made with heart, intuition, and guts, but not analysis.

He continues, when you can make a decision with analysis, you should do so, but it turns out that in life your most important decisions are always made with instinct, intuition, and taste. And that connected some dots for me. Because I think the big decisions, the life-altering decisions, where we are pointing this ship, should be made via intuition. Data can't tell you which direction is most important to you. And even if it could, if your heart's not in it, if it's not aligned with who you are and where you feel you need to be, it wouldn't really matter anyway. The most important decisions we make, even right out of the gate, there's this feeling of it's aligned or it isn't. We know right away. We feel it right away. Someone once said to me, if you can't decide if something's good or not, flip a coin.

Because you'll know while that coin is in the air, what side you want it to land on. And we do. We know. And so after deciding, after letting intuition guide us, then and only that, in my humble opinion of course, do we calculate the how? That's the analysis part. Once we've committed and our hearts are aligned, yeah, you use the data all around you, the evidence collected along the way to map an efficient path. I think people tend to put the heart in the brain against each other as though they're rivals. I know I certainly have, but I think they need to coexist together.

Think about it. If you select your North Star based on analysis, you'll probably lack the drive to get there. And conversely, once decided, if you map the course based solely on heart or feel, you'll be operating blind. Limiting your ability to make accurate adjustments based on real-life circumstances. You need both. I'm making some pretty substantial changes here in my life. I'm moving again, this time to Arizona, starting up some new ventures, placing myself in a few situations that weren't even on the radar six months ago. I can't explain my rationale using mathematical models.

And I just know deep in my soul that it's where I need to be. It feels right. It's calling me. The same way 10 years ago, writing speeches in a small Boston apartment for no revenue at the time couldn't be explained. Can't show your work on a decision like that, right? It's just something that feels good. And, you know, once you jump in, then yeah, you start relying on the brain, the analysis to grow and improve and evolve.

But I do believe if we made the big decisions based only on the things we could prove or the things we are sure of, the biggest and most important leaps would never have been made. Risks wouldn't be taken. I mean, you don't take risks because you run the, numbers and the odds work. You take risks because life is when you break it down, remove the nuance and details about the journey. It's about the ride. And so you jump. You commit to a path. And maybe you realize it's not the path for you. Let's say things don't work out. Well, now you are gifted that wisdom. Understanding you previously never had. And you've got. And you

can take that all with you onto the next venture. How do you put a price on that? How do you quantify lessons of that magnitude? What data tells you how important that courage was? We all know the answer. Now of course, again, data has a story to tell and numbers don't lie, but they also never tell the whole story. They can't paint the picture in its entire. Which is why I'd scream from the mountain tops. If it means something to you, it's worth exploration. If it matters, try. If it lights up your curiosity, give it attention. Maybe it doesn't work the way you thought or hoped, but it will lead you to the next thing. And then the next, and the next, it will provide the type of value that simply can't be quantified or even understood in the moment.

The story of your life must be written by you. It must align with the person looking back at you in the mirror. That's the litmus test. That's the benchmark. So trust yourself and your intuition to write it. You don't become who you're meant to be in the spotlight. You become that person in the dark while the world sleeps.

As a kid, I remember never wanting to go to bed. I wasn't tired. Not in the way they said I should be. While the lights dimmed and the world quieted down, something in me lit up. A curiosity. The same curiosity I sense most of us dealt with. That feeling that light didn't just stop because it got dark.

that something, something was still happening. And I didn't want to miss it. I'd stare at the ceiling, ears tuned to the hum of the world outside. Every creek of the floorboard, every whisper of wind through the trees, just reminded me things were happening, were moving, that life was going on all around me.

What if a new idea floated by in the night? What if an adventure passed me while I saw, slept? What if the thing I was meant to see or become only showed up once the world stopped watching? And so, for as long as I could, I stayed up. Not out of rebellion, but because I felt like I was reaching for something no one else could see. I think even as kids, we understand. Some people dream with their eyes closed. Others will others dream with them. open. And so while the world slept, I stayed awake. But then some time passes. We grow up. Somewhere along the way, the magic they told you to chase becomes the very thing they urge you

to forget. You trade wonder for a resume. You forfeit imagination for a schedule. You're taught that fitting in is wisdom. Dreaming beyond the blueprint. It's foolish. There's no utility for it. And just like that, the same world that once read you bedtime stories now hands you a manual titled, This is How It's Done. I think a lot of us come to accept it.

Close our eyes without question. Fall asleep in the middle of our own lives, living by default. Difting through job we hate after job, we hate numbing with ache and distraction, mistaken comfort for meaning. For a while, I even went down that road. But eventually, I couldn't.

I couldn't unsee what I knew as a child. I couldn't pretend the fire inside me wasn't real. And so I walked away, not because I was lost, but because I knew exactly what I was after. The next chapter was locking myself in rooms surrounding by notebooks, silence, laptops, and stubborn hope. I wrote, I reworked, I tore it down, and built again and again, I dreamt with calloused hands and tired eyes.

Not for applause. Believe it or not, there was none. Not for validation. There's very little of that as well. But because I refused to die with someone else's version of life in my chest. They told me to settle, to follow the rules, to make peace with good enough. that I was busy making war with mediocrity. So while the world slept, I stayed awake.

What they don't tell you is that growth doesn't come once. It comes in cycles. Sometimes loud, abrupt, fast-paced, sometimes quiet, empty, barren. And every time you think you've arrived, Life has this beautiful way of humbling you, of tearing you down just enough to rebuild something better.

These are the seasons that feel like spring, hopeful, expansive, full of momentum. But it's the winters. It's the moments where nothing makes sense, where your progress feels like it's vanished, where your identity starts to slip through your fingers. fingers. I've lived both. I've stood on mountain tops. I've felt unstoppable. I've also curled up in the valley wondering if I had anything left. But that's the beauty of this life. We're not meant to stay the same. We're meant to be broken open, reshaped by hardship, made wiser by failure. And when those

As dark seasons arrive, when the warmth fades and the questions return, most people go back to sleep. They wait for that storm to pass. They close their eyes and they hope the world makes decisions for them. But I made that promise to myself to never outsource my future to chance, to never drift through another season waiting to be And so I picked up the pen again. I lit the fire again. Began the process again. While the world slept, I stayed.

To life's adversity, thank you. To the challenges, the ones I hated in the moment, I am beyond grateful. They became invaluable. Those moments that forced me to be more than I was. Step out before I was ready so that I could arm myself for the path that was meant for me. Thank you to those times I was afraid. You taught me that the darkness is never as bad as our thoughts make them out to be. And when we learn to trust ourselves, we realize

that fear becomes strength. Thank you to those times I felt short of expectations, the times I didn't quite hit the mark. You taught me that it's not about me, it's not personal, it's about taking that awareness and going at it again more intelligently. Thank you to the times I felt alone,

the times I didn't get the support I hoped for, or anticipated. You did two things. You reinforced the value of an effective, committed team, but you also emphasize that if that candle's going to stay lit, it's going to be because I commit to keeping it lit. And when tempted to point out and blame the external world, I must pause, reassess, and focus on the world within.

Thank you to those times stagnation, the valleys of despair or of uncertainty. You reminded me that momentum has to be manufactured. And the answers we need are never big or complex. They are small and they are simple. We are always one step away from getting back on track. Thank you to the unexpected setbacks. The from out of nowhere obstacles. You taught me that the trials and the tribulations, they are not the exception. they are the rule. That success isn't running from them but learning to deal with them.

There's a saying that life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it. Thanks for showing me to allocate my energy to the reaction. Thanks for the times I looked around and couldn't find a conceivable way. The times things seemed helpless and hopeless You taught me that even in our darkest moments there is an answer that I am capable, I am strong enough.

And who would have thought that all these things, all these situations I would have loved to run away from, were a gift more valuable than any other? Who would have thought that predictability and comfort were wolves in sheep's clothing, that danger is never the obstacle? It's in thinking you've been slighted by life, when the obstacle arrives. In reality, every setback is a chance to be more, to step into that future self, to live life.

It is from our struggle that we acquire our strength, from our pain we find just how far we can go. So to these challenges that made me who I am, thank you for the insight, the lessons, and the evolution. Thank you for showing me what no success could ever have shown. If you want to do yourself a monumental favor, start today. That thing you've been dreaming about, that ideal state.

Take one small step now. Because I promise you there'll be a point down the road where you thank yourself. It's just hard to see in the moment. in fact it's funny how things only make sense in hindsight you know our greatest accomplishments are the result of those little unsure sometimes uninformed steps we took years back decisions we made quote unquote back then and how powerful to think that one choice you make today can ultimately become your back then moment your inflection point that changed at all you are constantly, always, every day navigating a world that contains the pieces for creation.

You're an architect, able to build at your discretion. In those current moments with a vision and determination, will they transform into the back then moments that start everything? One video, poorly edited, sloppily put together, released to the world without aim or direction, was one of my back-then moments. A conversation I initiated with someone who has since changed my life, a back-then moment.

Choosing to move or adjust or stop or start. All back-then moments, those critical inflection points that change everything. The things we need most tend to not be a surprise to us. I think all of us, whatever they are in our own individual worlds, we're aware. We know what needs to be done. The challenge is friction in making it happen, right? Either we're scared in the moment or that road to the ideal state seems like a road too far to walk. We're so consumed by what we don't have that we never give those back then moments a chance.

We never initiate and let them materialize, thinking that you have to know everything before you step out your front door. And this idea changed my life. You don't have to know how things will play out. When you're starting something meaningful, the fact that it feels right or interests you alone can be enough, more than enough. It's a calling or invitation to move into the abyss. That powerful proverb, so many of us,

have heard the best time to a planet a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now. It's like we need to start unrolling the red carpet. Because what we'll learn as it unfolds will change us. You know, we'll zig and we'll zag. We'll adjust, make mistakes. Sometimes have to backtrack and correct. But none of that happens without step one.

Right? Nothing happens until you give yourself permission. to begin. There's a saying, do one thing every day that scares you. Why? Because you learn to see past the facade that is the fear of starting. You come to understand that without going, there's no change. Without change, things remain how they are, and in a world that only gives you what you ask for, what a tragedy to exit empty-handed, to have had so much opportunity and let it slip by. And this is a message I've delivered a million different times in a million different ways.

I do that because, one, it changed my life, and two, I still need it. I need the reminders. It's not like fear goes away. No, I do the thing I'm scared of. It would become normal and without my knowing, I'd create a resistance to doing the next uncomfortable thing. That's the friction that will always have to fight. And it's a good fight to take on. Doing one thing every day that scares me reminds me to keep pushing.

Not because of how it'll make me feel today, but because of what I'll become tomorrow. You know how rewarding it is for me to do things like speak on stage? calmly, confidently, tell a story or share my voice. 15 years ago, I was so bad at that that it was just cringy, it was humiliating. But that's not the universe saying, no, that's the universe extending a hand

and asking if I wanted. Like truly wanted. And if no, fine. But if yes, then what was required was for me to open that door and step out. Practice, be vulnerable. As years go by, those quote unquote back then moments made me who I am today. And I can tell you that I'm proud and grateful that I stepped into that chaos.

And everyone has some version of that. And it comes down to an understanding that someday you'll not only thank yourself, but be overwhelmed. when reflecting back on your personal transformation. Sure, not a giant leap, but the courage to start in a million steps after that point. Some brought value immediately. Some took a little longer, left you with wisdom. But it all meant something.

So remember, if you want to do yourself a favor, start today. Begin the beautiful journey of growth, of adjustment, of evolution. Who knows where it'll take you? There will be highs and lows and everything in between. But one thing that is for sure is you'll emerge a different person, a much different person than you would have been had you stayed. Around 2011, I hurt my left arm and had to get surgery. So for a while, I was pretty limited as far as what I could do with my upper body.

And that's really when I fell in love with running. I started doing it almost every day. Sometimes those long runs outside, clear my mind, sort of reset a little bit, and sometimes I mix it up. Hop on the treadmill and do my favorite workout, which was a pyramid, right, where you break 10 minutes into four segments, four, three, two, and one, increasing in intensity with each segment, and then you start over. and that's where this whole idea comes from. It's this treadmill workout that I want to talk about because there's a little ritual I picked up that I still implement to this day, and it was simple.

At the very end of my workout or my run, I would always add 22 seconds. My lucky number twice, two and two. So for example, if I told myself, you know, the workout's going to be, you know, three pyramids or 30 minutes, I would stop running at 30 minutes in 22 seconds. If I told myself it was going to be an hour, I'd stop at one hour in 22 seconds. Always tacking on that 22, and I don't really remember the first time I started doing it or even why.

But like so many things, that 22-second period organically became a habit, sort of evolved to take on a life of its own and would come to symbolize for me a little challenge. The idea that the end is never really the end. And no matter how tired I was or how bad I wanted to stop, especially when you can see that finish line in reach, I could always squeeze out a little more. But there's always something extra to give. And you could certainly go down that 22-second rabbit hole, right?

Just 22 more seconds. And then you finish that and you realize you can do just 22 more, and just 22 more. It's like this never-ending spotlight into how incredible we are as humans. That our stopping points almost always are constructed. Rarely is there not an extra 22 seconds or 22-somethings we can endure.

And not only that, I think there's a case to be made that our growth occurs in that final push. There's a ton of things. value, you know, hidden away in there. The stretching of the mind and body. The last rep that breaks down the muscle. The last few seconds of that run that forced the lungs to work their hardest. Exhausting that last bit of energy and focus, you know, studying for an exam. Maybe that's where you confirm your comprehension and understanding of the subject matter. It's like when we are

pushing ourselves just outside the limits we drew up, we are simultaneously expanding those limits. And so over the years, I've adopted that mentality. And I look at myself in the mirror now, and I can see it. I'm not the same person I was a decade ago. Those little decisions to add on 22 seconds, they stack up, and they stack up in a unique way. Because it's not necessarily about the time. It's not the same benefit that, say, an hour every morning that the gym would bring. You know, obviously, that would be incredibly valuable, but in a different way. I'm talking about mentally, an armor that we come to wear, an identity that gets materialized.

It's how you see yourself and how you see the world. You understand how manufactured our parameters are. And I get it. have to stop somewhere, sure. But it's an acknowledgement that those somewheres are fiction. They are arbitrary. You weren't made to exist within them, but to stretch them, to recreate them. And that's an endeavor that is always uncomfortable. But as far as I can tell, always worth it. The strength to go a little bit further than initially intended. or designed is what will place you in a league of your own.

And that's where I wanted to start, right, bringing attention to the idea that there's always an extra 22 seconds and you are always capable of obtaining it. That is yours. Whether you choose to see it or not, it's an option, it's always an option, which sort of connects us to my next thought. If I know that's who I am, someone that fights for that 22 seconds, if I know that's what I'm capable of, and that's what lights me up,

what about those times in my life when I had no desire to reach for the extra 22? Because sitting here, I can think of plenty. I can think of times when there was dissonance between my identity and my actions. Here's a quick story. Right, this was a shift in my life and my understanding of reaching for that little bit more. When people ask me about my process, right, what I'm building or where I see myself in X number of years, I tell them I'm playing the long game, right? Like, I'll sacrifice some short-term wins now to continue forward with a plan that I believe wholeheartedly. will transform from linear to exponential, right?

It's like Gary V's motto, you know, you're young, you have time. And impact is not about succeeding at 34, it's about flourishing at 45 and 55 and 65 and 75 and 75. Like, that's fun to me. That's the exciting game to play. And it's methodical. The challenge is, you know, as you're locked into this big picture plan, you have to pass a lot of shiny objects along the way.

A lot of, hey, look at them over there. Maybe I should be doing that too. That worked for her. Will it work for me? Right? Sometimes you forget to trust yourself and stay the course. And so a few years ago, I felt this pressure to pivot, to adjust focus. I'd been, you know, talking with some mentors of mine who were, you know, very successful

in their individual fields and passions. And I thought, hey, you know what, it's time for me to start focusing less on the craft and more on monetizing the craft, right? The De Niro side of things, which is great and it's healthy, but here's the catch. As long as you're doing it in a way that aligns with who you are. And so a few months go by and I found myself living in this overly sized and priced condo on the beach that I was going to use to impress clients. you know, making products that didn't excite me, talking to people I didn't really want to be talking to, living a life that was not my own,

I'd lost myself, right? My love is storytelling. It's capturing life's seemingly overlooked secrets. That's what I get excited about in the morning. That's the value I want to share with the world. And look, money is important. It's necessary. It's freedom.

But for me, it can't be about the money or I lose the drive. Right? And here's the point I'm making where it all comes together. What I found is that when you're a stranger in your own body, there's almost no incentive to push for that little extra. It's like who cares about fighting for 22 seconds? I'm so misaligned.

I don't even want to be here. Right? That is the red flag. That's the indicator that it's time to a, adjust. Because if I'm someone who wants more, who pursues and acquires more, and I don't feel the urge to do so, you know, it's time to change. And I broke the lease, put everything I had in a car, went on a little three-month excursion, realigned. And if I'm not willing to suffer through that little extra, to go above and beyond, it's not for me. And so that's a big example. But it obviously

manifest in smaller ways as well. Yes, you are someone who can and will chase down the beauty in life, who will transform that little extra into something meaningful, but you also have to position yourself and the world around you to make it possible. And when you don't feel that hunger inside, and this is the point you need to understand, it's not you. it's not broken hardware. It's not that you innately lack drive or confidence.

It's that you need to rearrange this scenario. You need to find alignment. Because I promise you if you want something enough, you'll be willing to fight for it, to hurt for it, to break boundaries for it. But you must first make sure that you're pointed at something you want, something that moves you. And here's the part where I remind you of all those things you've already overcome in your life.

Of all the times you thought your tank was empty, but you found a way. All the times you were hurting but kept moving. All the times you were broken, but put yourself back together. We are not told in school or at work how resilient we are. We're not told that we often stop thousands of 22-second days. period short. We aren't told that we're living at a 30% capacity, operating at a fraction of our potential. We don't even realize the little miracles we've created along the way. A strong purpose and a willingness to stretch yourself as you pursue it will change your life. And that's not hyperbole.

That is fact. If you want what you've never had, then Push yourself further than you've ever gone. And we're talking little stressors, expanding one step at a time. Until you eventually look over your shoulder and see the miles you've traveled. Until you look at your reflection and see the evolution that has occurred. It was never just 22 seconds. It was a consistent and sustained shot at the walls you placed around yourself. for the opportunity to see them crumble.

If you want to be empowered, understand this. The world is indifferent to you. It's not an enemy, but it's not a friend either. It's a tool. The same way that attributing any type of motive to a hammer would be ridiculous, right? I've seen hammers build things and I've seen hammers destroy things. Well, the same can be said for the way. world around you. What it becomes is determined entirely by how you choose to utilize it.

You know, there are things we learn as we navigate through life that change us. And one of the most critical for me was understanding that, yes, the world is indifferent to me and no, I am not special. Doesn't mean I can't go do amazing things, help people, change the way things are. But if those results materialize, it will be because of what I made with what surrounds me. Not because of what the world owed me or because I was special or deserving. No, it will be because I set my sights on something and pursued it. And so you ask, why is this empowerment? It's empowerment because it puts things into perspective and perspective is power. It simplifies. It simplifies. the road ahead.

The bad things that happen, they are not personal. They don't mean the deck is stacked against you, and those good things, they are never guaranteed. Everything's a question of grit, of depersonalizing the lows in an effort to capture those fleeting highs. Life is not predetermined. Life is a game. A game that you have the ability to win, to leave this place better than you found

it. But you're also capable of taking a different path. It's just as easy to highlight the flaws, to take on the role of a perpetual victim. The tools are there to do both. And so the question is, what will you do with what you have? Because it's not about where you start. It's not about where you came from. It's about choosing to look around you and say, I choose to be an architect.

From this reality, I will build, I will contribute, I will go forth and conquer. When the walls cave in, it's not because you can't or shouldn't. It's because sometimes in life, walls cave in. And now you choose whether to lay in the rubble or rise from the ashes. And this fork in the road, it's going to present itself many times. The ones who get angry, who point out, who project blame, who will live very different lives than the ones who brush it off as an obstacle on the windy road that is life and press forward. You did not arrive here special, but you sure as hell can leave here special. The world may be indifferent, but you are not.

If you're passionate, if you move forward with conviction, you'll become friends with the truth. trials and allies with the tribulations. You'll see that growth only stops, not when an angry world around you decides it so, but when you do. When your feet stop moving and your heart longs for the horizon no more. But until then, it's all systems go. Until then, you build. You have to see it before they

do. You have to believe it before they will. You have to be the architect of your plans and your goals because no one will build them for you. And that's just it. In a world where victimhood is becoming currency and blame is becoming the norm, we have a choice. Create a temporary fleeting escape or create a life that matters. You know how much easier it is to project out at the world? To never have to look in the mirror and address the things you could be doing better? You know how much easier it is to hate him or her or them over there? To make up stories and scenarios about how much different life would be.

if it wasn't for A, B, and C holding you back. I mean, short term, it's like winning the lottery, right? You don't have to take any accountability. You don't have to have tough conversations with yourself. You don't have to reflect on the painful memories or decisions. No, you can put your feet up. Sit back, point at the world, and say, look what they made me do. If only.

But here's what's not being said. Every time you point your finger away from your own chest, every time you project blame, you're letting yourself down. Why? Because we only grow when we take accountability. And yeah, accountability can be painful. Uncomfortable. But in that discomfort exists the only bridge to a better tomorrow.

That's it. That's it. You go to the gym, you put your muscles through stress. You break them down so that they can be built back up stronger. Personal responsibility cannot be the muscle we refuse to build. There's too much at stake. It can't be the thing you avoid. Why?

Because it's what injects meaning into our lives. I'll never forget in the eighth grade. And I bet every single person in that class still to this day remembers. My teacher, Mr. Betancourt, walking up to the front of the classroom, he had his hands in a bowl shape and was holding it up to the ceiling, explaining to us that you can't go through life, asking the world to give you its scraps. That if you sit and you wait and you hope and you blame, you will lose,

That's the recipe for bitterness and resentment. Think of it like a fork in the road. Where our two options are vastly different. You go left at the fork and you enter a world of escapism, refusing to confront your problems, finding reasons you can't do that which you know you need to do, hating others, those who have built, grown, or created themselves. Or, you go right at the fork.

You learn to do the hard thing, to humble yourself, to take control of your life and your world. When things aren't the way you want them to be, you look around and you immediately ask, things outside of my control may have brought me here, but what can I do to fix it? Those of you have been listening to me for a while, you probably know my favorite articulation of this idea was explained by Will Smith. Basically, he said, look, you can't control where you start and how true that is, right?

Life's not fair. Some people are born into more resources and opportunity. Some people find themselves in social situations that aren't ideal, and that list can go on and on and on, right? Human beings are all different, so there will always be discrepancy. But, and this is Will Smith's point, where you go from here will always be your responsibility.

What happens next is all you. You choose whether to complain, shake your fist at the sky, and blame the world around you, or pick the pieces up and move forward. And like I said a minute ago, don't be fooled by the temptation to latch on to that fleeting moment of relief. of running from accountability, the only way to win in the long run is to face your demons.

It's that whole saying, when you're riding shotgun, you can dispute the route all you want, but ultimately, it's the driver who's in control. When will you take the wheel in your own life? Ensure the stakes become higher. Right? Now it's on you. Now you can get lost. Now your response. for the maintenance. Now, if you don't end up at the right place, or I don't know, you're late to a destination, it's your fault. But now, you can also be the one overseeing the journey. Now it's yours, and that's power. And as our world becomes more and more one of escapism, it's becoming more prevalent, easier to avoid or not fix something, but tweet about it. How easy it is to not confront our problems, but rather open Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and mindlessly scroll. How easy it is to leave that message on red and go about our lives because that's easier than saying what needs to be said. Strength is being the one amidst all this escapism and avoidance to confront what must be confronted. Whether it's an interaction with someone else or that hard conversation with yourself, a personal change that must be.

must take place. Life is such a gift, it's such an opportunity, but we have to move through it with our eyes open. We have to see things that matter and gravitate towards truths that will shape us. Like Mr. B said, over 20 years ago now, we can't ever fall into the mentality of holding our hands up to the sky and asking life to give us anything. We can't only point it ourselves when things go the way we want them to go. No, let's be about accountability,

empowerment, understanding that if I don't like what's around me, the transformation starts now and it starts with me. That wasn't perfect, I never will be, but I can learn, I can evolve, and most importantly, I have everything I need to make that happen. It's all awareness. The victimhood idea is a wolf in sheep's clothing,

and I know that may seem harsh, maybe even lacking empathy. But dropping that narrative was truly the best thing I've done in my life, and I know countless others who would say the same. You can't be both a perpetual victim and be in control. No, life is tough. It knocks us down and at times it brings us to our knees, but this is a reminder that you cannot stay there. It's a reminder that those who contributed to the situation

are now minor detail and background noise. It's a reminder that the path forward is about you. It's about you pushing all that aside and asking yourself what's required to move in the direction that I most want to go. because you are that powerful. You are strong enough to make that move. And there will be a point

where you look around you and the circumstances of change. The people are different. The environment is different. You're different. And you'll smile at yourself knowing it's not because of what the world provided. It's not because of what anyone gave you.

It's not because of what people out there did or didn't do. No, it's because when you were at your lowest, when life was presenting curveball after curveball, when you looked around it maybe even thought to yourself, there's no way forward here. You found a way to get up and create something new. What's the difference between simple and easy?

Well, simple is straightforward, uncomplicated. easy, on the other hand, means achieved without great effort. The difference between those two words is subtle, but essential to understand. One deals with the complexity of an outcome. The other, your will and determination to achieve that outcome. Becoming who you most want to be is simple. But becoming who you most want to be is not. easy. Just like walking is simple, yet hiking up a mountain is not easy. The procedure

didn't change the context did. So let's talk about context. Let's talk about this cyclical nature of growth because it's not that most people can't. It's that most people won't. It's not that most people don't get how. It's that they don't have a strong enough why. The path is laid out before you, you just have to be willing to walk down it. Will you? Step one, realize there's more out there. It's not that what you're doing now isn't amazing.

It's just that yesterday's act of courage is now today's status quo. What was the spectacular is now the mundane. What was once the ceiling you had to jump to touch is now the floor you walk on, so at the very least, it prompts you to ask, well, what's next? Simple. Not easy. Step two, the acquisition of courage. Yesterday's courage was a fight.

It took a lot out of you, and it's ultimately what got you here. But it dropped you at the curb, it waved goodbye and went on its merry way, and here you are. You can stay here, a lot of people do. You can reminisce of the glory days, the old path, yesterday's triumphs. Or you can do that perpetually uncomfortable exercise of vulnerability. Stepping into tomorrow's unknown, reminding yourself that life's greatest rewards have a hefty price tag and that price is discomfort. But I've already played this game, one might think. No, what you did was learn the rules.

Now it's time to apply them to a new setting, and around goes the merry-go-round. It might seem like a replication from the horizontal, but here's the secret. You can't see the vertical. You have yet to look down and see your ascent, see what you're becoming. Just by staying on, holding tight, just by believing in yourself enough to begin again, you are fanning those tiny flames of courage in your soul that wait to be spread like a wildfire. Simple, but not easy. Step three, mistakes.

Now, of course, it's not the mistakes themselves, you fear. It's what you think those mistakes will mean. Ridicule, embarrassment, lack of direction, or identity, losing what you think. you have, but here's the catch. When you realize the upside is greater than the downside, you liberate yourself. When you realize there's more to gain than to lose, your potential for greatness is born. How does one act on this? Mistakes. By making mistakes, by injecting yourself into the turbulence of progress. Our biology has not yet learned that the uncomfortable thing is the right thing and that's why you get resistance. That's why it hurts. And it's why few people will

accomplish what you will. When it comes to your climb, every day is opposite day. When they run out, you're running in. When they play safe, you play for the victory. To become who you might be, you must learn how to get there. Mistakes are your curriculum. Simple, but not easy. Step four, Trust yourself. Okay, sure, no problem. Easy. Well, yeah, it's easy when you're getting what you want. But evolution takes time and there's nothing quite like giving and giving and giving and

not getting. There's nothing quite like stepping up to the plate again and again and again and bringing no runners home. So how does one find the strength to continue walking up to the batters box? Well, growth is exponential. And those swings and misses matter. The infield singles matter. everything matters

because it's all chiseling your future self out of stone nothing is dependent on the next at bat as much as all at bats in the aggregate that's why success is so often considered to be sheer will dependent not on the home run but on the discipline the self-belief to keep walking up to the plate repetition and adjustment repetition and adjustment repeat and refine repeat

refined, those are the materials from which all things are made. Simple, but not easy. And then we have the finale. The ending step five. Celebrate and adjust. At some point you'll be able to look over your shoulder and notice something that perhaps you hadn't before. Space, space between where you are and where you started. It's not sudden, but gradual. An undefined, With enough persistence, it will emerge. These moments they are precious. They are times to acknowledge what you've accomplished, the sacrifices you have made. They are life's way of reminding you what you are building and who you are becoming.

It's a time of celebration. Every little win means something. Every small victory matters so relish in it. And then transform it. Normalize it. Recognize that that mountaintop is your foundation now. Your starting point has changed and so have you Which means so have your expectations with an increase in ability comes an upgrade to what's possible what's expected and look at that we have arrived at a new step one realize there is more This is the process for capturing that which life has to

If you can fall in love with that, appreciate it, respect it, while simultaneously understanding it's not scary, it's dependent entirely on your ability to push forward. If you can understand that, there is nothing you can't do. Nowhere you can't go. Simple, yes, easy, no. But you're not in this for easy. You're in it for the journey, the growth, the adventure. your in it because it's not easy.

You'll see in time as will the world that this decision to endure was simply the best one you ever made. There's a saying that what you water is ultimately what grows. That where you place your attention ends up guiding your feelings, your perception, your actions and your life.

Focus becomes identity. And change comes from bringing awareness to what we're focusing on. I remember when this light bulb went off for me. Like so many epiphanies, you know what happened during a difficult kind of a trying time. It wasn't where I wanted to be. And I remember, you know, sitting down and asking myself, you know, dude, are you on your own team here? Are you helping yourself? Using the metaphor, the question was, am I watering the weeds in my life or the flowers?

And by the weeds, I mean, am I allocating energy to thoughts that are detrimental to what I want? Am I keeping myself in places I don't want to be and in relationships that are counterproductive? Am I thinking about what can go wrong instead of all that can go right? Or am I watering the flowers, the positive, highlighting the possibility, the things I'm appreciative for, the seeds, the potential that can grow a mile high? See, I've always known the value in choosing to see the possibility. But the million dollar question is, how do you remain aware? Because that's the thing about weeds, they're sneaky, they'll take control of your life without letting you know they're doing it. So I'm thinking this through and it dawns on me.

This is not complex. This is simple. It's one, identifying where you want to be and two, analyzing your actions. based on those priorities, right? That's it. And so for every pillar of my life, health, relationships, career, finances, I made two dots.

One for where I am and one for where I want to be. Everything in the middle is life. The ups, the downs, the joys, the sorrow. Everything in between is the path, the line. And it's simple. You start on point A, knowing that you can always get to point B.

be that what you want exists it's there it's available and your attention all of your energy should be allocated to the thoughts that reinforce that truth that's your path that's what you believe that's what's important and it's going to happen anything beyond or outside that line anything that tells you you're not good enough anything that accepts not achieving that priority suggests it won't work out That is where the weeds live. That is wasted space. Why exhaust that energy? To think, you know, I'm not good enough to get this promotion.

How does that help you get to your point B? It doesn't. Eliminate that thought, right? Point B always exists. Just that notion pushes a lot of things to the side. You have to be good enough. You just need improvement. Maybe it's enhanced skills.

Maybe it's more effort. Maybe it's changed approach. But tackling these things will water the flowers. It moves you along the path, and progress is happiness. For me, health is a big thing. I run all the time, but I'd like to be more fit. I'd like to eat healthier. There's room for improvement.

And I know it's possible because that is my point B. I know that saying I don't have time or I don't have the right body type or genes or trying to convince myself that fast food, just this once will be okay. No, all of that stuff is watering weeds. It exists outside my path. My time should be spent realizing how incredible the human body is, taking care of it, pushing it, being proud of it, taking accountability for it. That's me. I only get one of these things, even if it's just a little at a time.

That's the beauty. Simply existing on a path and revolving around your ideals, your vision, your priorities brings about joy. Negativity, it truly is a learned thing. It's manufactured. All there are in life are circumstances. circumstances that are neither positive nor negative, just pieces. And you decide what to do with them. Do you focus on the negative? You can. But that won't put you in a position to change your circumstances or bring about happiness. When you decide to see the opportunity, you free yourself

from the shackles of fate because destiny never put you in the situation you did. But guess what? You can take yourself out of it. A field of sunflowers grew one rule. one stem, one pedal at a time, the same fuel that was at one point nothing more than dirt and weeds. It was always possible and so was your ideal life. You just need to water the things that matter. Seth Godin wrote in his book, The Dip, quit or be exceptional. Average is for losers. And I love this and I love it for a few reasons.

First, it calls out the fact that if we are going to live, we might as well live. in pursuit of the exception. Why just float by? Why just stand there while time elapses around you? No, seek out the things that matter. Exist not in life's shadows, but in its fringes, where few look but the best things live. The places where most only dream of but the courageous go.

Quit or be exceptional. or be exceptional. Second, it suggests that quitting isn't always a bad thing. And context is everything here. It's a beautiful thing if it's done for the right reason. In other words, it's far better to quit the wrong thing to pursue what matters than it is to stay and immerse yourself in a lifelong dance with mediocrity. It's not that you quit. It's why you quit. I have a problem with the word quit to begin with. Stopping the wrong thing is less quitting that it is pivoting. It's evolving. But ultimately, that's neither here nor there. It's semantics, right? The moral of the story is, if I never quit personally, would I believe to be wrong for me?

I'd still be in the same building I was 10 years ago. And I'm not being emotional here. I'm being practical. To become your best self, you have to shed yourself of the things that aren't you. There's an idea that what we say no to is one of the most important components of growth. So if you take that and create a little thought experiment, if you have the courage to adventure and try new things, some of those new things will inevitably fall short of expectations. They'll be wrong for you. They can't all be aligned. And so what then? You do the wrong things forever?

Or do you take the lesson and move on to those level 10 opportunities? That's what this is about. Quit or be exceptional. Leave mediocrity behind. Do you have to? Well, you don't have to do anything, but the question is, what do you want? Because the world where you chase down the exceptional will be better for you.

It will be better for those close to you. It will be better for the world at large. You will live a fuller life. And since you can never give more than what you are, means the amount of value you can then distribute to others will grow. What we give is directly proportional to what we allow ourselves to be. So don't be mediocre. Don't allow that.

Don't even entertain the thought. That's not you. Quit or be exceptional. Go all in or don't go. Believe in it fully or walk away. Average is for losers. The fence is for people who forfeit the upside in an attempt to escape the downside.

Completely unaware that the true loss is the moment of reflection years down the road where you wish you had the courage to do a little more. To chase down the things that invigorated you, to wish you'd lived a little more boldly with just a tad more conviction. quit or be exceptional.

To simply put, whether we realize it or not, we have defied the odds in simply existing. And I don't care that this idea is pushed to the point of it being cliche. I still don't think we get it. I don't think we've grasped the magnitude. Perhaps a metaphor we could use to help us think about it and still not indicative of our reality,

but worth a shot, is walking into a theme park and spending the entire day standing by the entrance, holding the ticket, or being handed a lottery ticket and keeping it in your pocket. For fear of what could go wrong when you cash it out. Being there, but not experiencing there. See, chasing down the exceptional feels good

because it's what you were meant to do. And if you haven't found it yet, don't give up. Find what lights you up until you can capture it and immerse yourself in it. Be the best at it. Let curiosity lead you to exploration and findings that few would be tenacious enough to discover. Quit or be exceptional. Or maybe better put, don't stop pursuing that thing worthy of your commitment. And once you have that target go, like everything is riding,

on it. Go. Like it's the sun around which all else revolves. Go. Life is simply too short to leave your greatness on the shelf. Sometimes the most important things we do in our lives are the product of sheer will. Of taking little nothings that surround us and making something out of them. In other words, the greatest opportunities, often the ones we need most, they simply aren't obvious. They're hidden. Hidden behind what looks like difficulty, what appears to be hopelessness. The reason I place so much value on a single step forward when we're overwhelmed or at a low point is because a single step means you're in the game. You're giving yourself a chance to find and obtain those little hidden away pieces

that can't be found when we stand still and dwell on a situation. Mobility is empowerment. And when we move forward only with what we have, we're continuously reminded that what we have is enough. We have the tools, the resources, and the ability. We just have to somehow remind ourselves that with those tools, we are capable of building, of creating the incredible. So a quick story about what I believe is the best song ever written,

certainly one of them. And it's a little bit older now, but in 1998, a band called The Goo Goo Dolls released a song called Iris. And that song changed my life. It was the first album I bought. It introduced me to music. I listened to it probably thousands of times. And even 24 years later, it gives me chills listening to it.

And so I wanted to find out a little more about the song. And I came across an interview from Johnny Resnick, who is the frontman and songwriter for the band. And in this interview, the interviewer is asking Johnny about the song, basic questions, how it came out, how he wrote it and stuff like that. There's a few points that I think are amazing. I want to share them with you. First is the state he was in prior to writing the song.

He just came out of a divorce, personal life sort of in shambles, coming off of a bad record deal where the label from his previous album had done what record labels are notorious for and ended up keeping the vast majority of the revenue. He had writers block, you know, just felt down. left his home to stay at a hotel in Los Angeles. Bottom line is it's not a dream scenario by any stretch of the imagination. And then gets a call from his manager about potentially writing a song for the City of Angels soundtrack. And he says he went and sort of auditioned with what he had, which was two lines of a song and a guitar with two broken strings. It was evidently good enough. He gets a

from the label and starts writing. And the verses, according to Johnny in the interview, they align perfectly with the movie, right? It's an angel willing to give up anything, even his immortality to be human so he could be with this girl, right? And it's this deep dive into, you know, what it is to love someone so much, you give up everything for them.

And then, and this is the icing on the cake for me, when I realized that I wanted to write about this. The interviewer says essentially, okay, Johnny, the verses aligned with the movie, but the chorus, this revolutionary, big, beautiful, powerful chorus, it seems to take a left turn. Like, can you explain that to us? What were you thinking?

And he just kind of pauses blankly for a second. And I'm thinking, no, don't you dare say what I know you're about? about to say, and sure enough, he does. He basically shrugs and goes, I don't know, the words just kind of worked. And, you know, I'm paraphrasing, that's not a direct quote, but that's the idea. You know, one of the deepest, most powerful, beautiful songs I've ever heard is patchwork, right? Even the song title, he says, was named after a country singer on the cover of a magazine

laying next to him, Iris. That's patchwork. It's pieces put together, right? And then as I thought about it for a minute, it's like, of course it is. How perfect, how absolutely perfect, the whole thing is an assembly and construction, a metaphor for the human spirit. Conceived when its author was down and out, right, taking L after L, called to present an idea, didn't have some crazy budget or equipment to pitch this song, nope.

move forward only with what he had in the moment. And that was enough. Then this song, a beautiful depiction of, you know, the movie's theme combined with elements of real life, his personal situation, what he goes through, maybe even components that mean nothing other than an ability to encapsulate a feeling or an emotion. Words that allowed him to put a bow

on all these little pieces himself and get it out the door. and millions and millions of people listened to that song and were changed by it, not because of what it meant to Johnny, but because it gave them a chance to take it and fit their own worlds and struggles into those same lines. It became a vehicle to inspire others to push forward, to find things in themselves they didn't know were there. This has become one of my favorite metaphors for finding the huge, buried deep within yourself.

Changing your life, changing your world, changing the world around you, the lives of others can truly be, and in fact often is the result of just moving forward with what you have. Right? Realizing that even when the mountain seems too tall to climb, there is a way. We just require that mental shift. Listen to this question, right? Because I used to ask myself all the time, is this possible? Can this be done? Well, then that becomes the question that I focused on. And everything that occurred around me became evidence that would either support or invalidate that possibility.

The second I came up against an inevitable barrier, I'd think, ah, maybe this is telling me the answer is no. Right? life will always be evidence for or against the questions that you choose to ask, which is why it's so important that you're asking the right questions. Because the second, you change that question to, look, I know this can be done, but how will I do it? You start looking at life as a puzzle that must be solved. That same obstacle that was once interpreted as a stop sign is now merely an indicator that the path exists just perhaps somewhere else. You've extended the pursuit. You've given yourself permission to keep looking. And it's because of these self-created expeditions that we find

more in ourselves. You know, things won't always go perfectly. But when you look at those imperfections through the right lens, you see that this isn't about you. It's about that particular door being locked. All you have to do is believe in yourself enough to move to the next one, to continue knocking until you find a door that opens, until you find that bridge to whatever comes next. And that's why I love that story about Iris. Why I wanted to share it today is crafted during times far from ideal,

with resources far from abundant, with words far from perfect or related or self-examined. explanatory, but you end up on the other side with this masterpiece, this song that certainly changed my life indefinitely impacted many others. And it's like we have to realize when we're sitting on the edge of the bed, you know, maybe it's not divorce or writer's block, but whatever it is holding you back, that's not the end. It's your reason to keep going, to begin again. You don't have to know how things will be, but you do have to know how they won't be. They won't be like this, because you won't let them stay this way.

And maybe it's not two written lines in a broken guitar. Maybe it's moving forward when your strength is not at a 10 out of 10. When you don't really have that spark, or you're longing for some resources, some finances, wondering where they'll come from. But pushing forward one little step at a time until things start making sense. And maybe it's not a combining and restructuring of song lyrics, using your personal experiences to fill the gaps on the paper before you. But it's trusting that your own story will ultimately tell itself if you don't put the pen down.

That the heroes will rise, the villains will fall, and the adventure will continue on. After all, that's what life is. One giant adventure testing us, pushing us and transforming us when we're at our lows, while reminding us during the good times, why we're lucky to have been gifted that same adversity we once looked at with contempt. Why we're lucky that when everything's made to be broken, as the lyrics suggest, we get to make something imperfectly beautiful with the pieces. 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. Underneath those things are what keeps us alive. Keep our souls lit, our eyes open, Our day's 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, to 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, making things no one sees. When you know you have somewhere to go but aren't sure where that is, 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, 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 to. 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 ego 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. We're 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 is 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 where a new roof on a house with the 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. 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. I'll never forget listening to Jim Rhone was taking a walk in the middle of the day. I needed to get out, decompress, rethink, realign. And this message came through my headphones. He said, we must all suffer from one of two pains, the pain of discipline or the pain of regret.

The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons. And I needed that. I needed that because sometimes we forget why. In the midst of the day-to-day, the trials and tribulations of life, we forget why. we endure. And there's a strange dichotomy that exists because you know you can't measure discomfort that hasn't arrived yet. You can identify regret that hasn't materialized. Yet in a way you have to. You have to somehow make that tangible. You have to know that sacrifices of today deliver you from the anguish of I wish.

or if only, or maybe I could have. I've heard it said that humans' ability to delay gratification is what makes us so unique, incredible even. But that doesn't mean it comes easy. So as I walked, I became reacquainted with the trust that I had in myself

in the future, in the steps I was taking, It wasn't that I'd reached some grand finale, but that I gave myself permission to stop constantly expecting one. Worrying when things didn't go as planned, feeling disgusted with myself when I fell short. This is, after all, part of a process. And if one stays the course, builds a foundation of discipline to guide them towards what they believe in, things will evolve. We feel uncertain because new things don't have a precedent, at least not a personal one. And that feeling of, I wish I knew or had some predictability, it's real, it's common. But if minimizing regret is what means the most, then it also means that we must have the

discipline to walk steadfast into the unpredictability of tomorrow. a long-term sustained discipline. And one of my favorite interviews, Bronnie Ware, who wrote the top five regrets of the dying, was talking about surrender and how she mentioned in her book, Letting Go. And I asked her, can you explain that? What's the angle?

Because the way I look at life, there's always something you can do. You can always improve your situation somehow. And she basically said, it's not about what you can control, what you can do. It's about putting yourself in position to live the life you want to live, and then letting go of that which you cannot control. It's about not worrying over external forces as you walk your path, because all you can do in life is walk your path.

And that became the marker. Or the question, am I walking my path? Right? Now look at it like this. First, a vision gives you direction, purpose, keeps you excited, injects meaning into life. Second, discipline keeps you moving. Becomes the tiny steps that transport you through your pursuit of meaning.

And third, trust in the process. That you are here to give everything you have to give, and then the rest, as Brunny says, must be surrendered. But the reason I bring this up is because all of it fits together like a puzzle, like three pillars of a parthenon. Now, when people reach out to me all the time, They're upset that they're not as disciplined as they'd like to be. And they're listening to the speeches, they're watching the videos,

they're absorbing the content, trying to improve. But nothing seems to get the engine going. And I'm wondering, what is your North Star? What are you aiming for? Because as far as I'm concerned, it's impossible to be disciplined if you don't have a reason. You know, when Jim Rohn states that the pain is in ounces now, well, there's an implicit, compared to what being asked, right? Compared to that top of the mountain that you'd presumably miss out on. So if the mountaintop's not defined, you're on a fool's errand.

That's why I had so much trouble with my old career, for example. It's hard to be disciplined. There's no buy-in on the purpose. Using my previous metaphor, it's little steps, sure, but towards what? If you don't know, it's only practical then to look around and ask yourself, why am I taking them? Why not go drink with my friends? Why not stream this series on Netflix until 4 a.m.?

Why not skip the workout? You can listen to people on YouTube, scream at you to do more and be more and try harder all day, but without that piece, it will not get you very far. A vision, the discipline to pursue it, and a trust in the process. And you could say the same with someone who might have a clear vision, a dream, a perfect idea of what they want, but never take action, right? The discipline never materializes.

It makes the endeavor just as meaningless. Things don't change until you take that big picture, that vision, and you break it down, into little things you can do every day. That's it. And isn't that amazing? The greatest, most influential people, from the friends and family that inspire us,

to the greatest athletes and entertainers, to our greatest thinkers, creators, world leaders, all they do is a handful of things consistently every day in the direction of things, something that is meaningful to them. A process that has been talked about since the beginning of time. The compound effect, as Darren Hardy calls it. That breakthrough was huge for me.

The realization that I don't need to leap any mountain. I just need to ascend one tiny rock at a time. And that is not a superhuman ability. That is a single decision. So here the question isn't, can you be more disciplined? Of course you can. The question is, which few things are most meaningful to you? Which will you be focusing on every day so that they expand and inject value into you in the world?

And then, lastly, there is trust. Sometimes the most difficult. Seeing the unseen. maintaining confidence in that which is unknown. An incredibly challenging expectation in an instantaneous world, a world where things are immediate. Feedback is immediate. Messages are sent across the planet instantaneously.

Goods and services arrive within hours. We have forgotten patience because it is disintegrating before our very eyes. We are a society. of now, but the best things in life, they take time. They require that we hold up our end of the bargain and that we trust life will fall into place. Belief in a process that will come to mean more than anything that arrives in 30 seconds ever could.

A vision, the discipline to pursue it, and a trust in that. the process. So perhaps you're overdue for your midday walk, your little excursion into the soul, to ask yourself, what is it you are moving towards? Why are you doing what you're doing? Does it mean something? And if not, perhaps some adjustment is in order. Perhaps you've lost sight of that north star that lights up our lives and illuminates the way. Take solace in the the fact that life is not as serious as we make it out to be. We don't live in a world of right and wrong, good and bad, yes and no, but a continuum, an opportunity to seek out and find the beautiful ups and the meaningful downs to set our sights on the

horizons that matter. See when the little things feel too complex or burdensome, it's because the big things are misaligned. And that is a powerful idea to grasp. It's never that life is too difficult. It's that we have closed our eyes. So don't be fooled by those selling you reality as some problem, some obligation that must be dealt with.

today is the greatest gift of your lifetime. And the same will be true every day moving forward. And to echo Jim Rohn, absolutely it is a gift comprised of sacrifice, discomfort along the way. But that's a small price to pay for entry to the show. For the ability to embrace the mystery and embark upon the adventure. pointed to the right north star, well, the road, it feels less treacherous on your feet, the hills less strenuous on your legs, what we often deem to be a lack of preparedness, ability,

strength, well, might just be a lack of alignment. So adjust, because this world, flexible and limitless, invites you to do just that. It invites you to explore until you've uncovered your vision. To pursue it like nothing else matters. To sidestep the obstacles, invert the setbacks,

and lastly, to find hope when there appears to be none. To set your sails, walk your path, run your race and surrender to that which is being, beyond your control. And you'll find that with a vision, with discipline, with trust in the process,

there is no situation or circumstance outside the scope of what's possible for you.