Your World Within Podcast by Eddie Pinero - Nothing Changes If YOU DON'T | Powerful Inspirational Speeches | Morning Motivation

Episode Date: February 21, 2025

Your life is not confined to what you see—it’s built by what you dare to dream. Stretch beyond the now, design a world internally, and project it outward. Everything extraordinary begins in the mind, taking shape long before the world recognizes it.But vision alone isn’t enough. Execution bridges the gap between “I wish” and “I did.” Step by step, bring your ideas to life. Be the architect of your own reality, the messenger between imagination and existence. The world is waiting for what only you can create.More from Eddie Pinero:Monday Motivation Newsletter: https://www.eddiepinero.com/newsletterYour World Within Podcast: https://yourworldwithin.libsyn.com/Stream these tracks on Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2BLf6pBInstagram - @your_world_within and @IamEddiePineroTikTok - your_world_withinFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/YourworldwithinTwitter - https://www.twitter.com/IamEddiePineroBusiness Inquiries - http://www.yourworldwithin.com/contact#liveinspired #yourworldwithin #motivation

Dream, visualize, execute. Dream as in stretch beyond the now. Let your mind wander beyond the confines of what it sees every day. Allow your world to be one not assigned to you, but designed internally and projected out. Visualize. Once you've latched on to something that matters to you, see it. close your eyes and truly watch it come to life. Nothing's brought into existence without first living in the mind.

Nothing is built, if not a recreation, of an already existing model. The world will act like it's new, but it's not. It's just the first time they've put eyes on it. Lastly, execute. Allow yourself to be the messenger carrying correspondence from your mind to the space that surrounds you. transport the brilliance from one world to another. Step by step, day by day, become the architect that shares new things with the world.

Execution is often the difference between I Wish and I Did. There's a famous story about Jim Carrey in the way he manifested his acting career. First, it was a dream. It was something that pulled him in and that he believed in with all his heart. Second, he visualized. He'd drive around Hollywood at night, you know, after doing the comedy clubs,

would park on Mulholland Drive, overlooking the city, and would visualize being a successful actor, being presented with, you know, the best opportunities, playing the roles, getting the big money. He even went so far as to write himself a $10 million check for acting services rendered. Head in the clouds, feet on the ground, principle, because during this time period, he also worked and practiced and performed like a man on

fire. It looks to me, and I'm fairly confident Jim would agree with me, that it was the culmination of these steps that landed him, you guessed it, a $10 million check for I think it was the mask down the road. I think a lot of people misunderstand what the law of attraction truly means. It's not that you close your eyes and what you want to appear. it's that it's not possible until you dream it and it doesn't feel real until you see it and it doesn't materialize until you build it these three pillars create space for the evolution of your own personal journey it's funny in so many ways like the little benchmarks i hit in life they feel special to me not because of you know how they feel in the moment they don't feel new

but because in a way I feel like I'm coming back to them. I accepted them as true years ago. Now they're just being realized. The same way a builder agrees to the plans, then proceeds to bring them to life in 3D. When you believe it and see it in your mind, the day-to-day is just essentially making that model 3D. And I'm kind of realizing, you know,

as I speak this into existence, that that's what we are. 3D printers, bringing our ambitions, our dreams into existence. If not in your mind, it won't be printed onto the pages of your life. Have you ever wondered how different life would be if you'd chosen another path? If you dreamed a little bigger, closed your eyes and saw something a little different. Well, two things can be true at once here. First, the past is gone and it's not coming back.

but second, you have full control of everything that will come to fruition from here. What you dream, what you see, and how you execute will determine what surrounds you when you wake up every morning. So give yourself permission to dream big. Trust yourself to see it when no one else does. And believe in your ability to execute day in and day out. Life will look very different. down the road than it does now. But you know that because it's already there

when you close your eyes. 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 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 back-then moments that start everything. 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, you know, 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 have planted 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 we'll 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.

Fifteen 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 want it. Like truly wanted. And if no, fine. But if yes, then what was required was, 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.

Reality comes down to what we do with what we have. This is an idea I brushed shoulders with again right over there this morning, staring out the window. My mind sort of wandered into this place of, I wish I had a few more pieces. I wish I had a few more things in my arsenal before moving on to this next chapter. And I think we've all been there.

More tools in the toolbox. Maybe more advice or guidance from people that I look up to. Maybe more research. You can go down that rabbit hole forever. Before sort of remembering that life always gives us some of it, but never all of it. And some of it is always enough. Let's call this the law of broken crayons. Go back, go way back, grade school. You're sitting on the floor at the table with the other kids, blank piece of paper in front of you. You reach into that box of crayons. Grab your color, and you

go. The crayons cracked, probably broke it in half, somehow always had other colors intentionally drawn onto the wrapping. But like, who cares, right? I don't ever remember thinking, if only this box was pristine, you know, if a new box is opened right in front of me, that would be amazing so I could create with the flawless, untarnished instrument. It's like, no, it wasn't even on the radar.

We used what we had and what we had. It was always enough because we made it enough. So flashed through time, boom, back to the window this morning. I'm longing for, metaphorically, a fresh box of writing instruments, unopened and in perfect shape. The stuff I'm carrying around is cracked and drawn on and feels no longer pristine. But that's not what life provides us when it calls us to grow, when we're ready to step into something bigger. Now, life gives the cracked ones.

Maybe you have to grip the little piece that remains tightly with your thumb and your index, as though you're threading a needle, but it's usable. Maybe the color you need is missing. But there's a shade close enough to make do. I think you get what I'm. It's a lesson we need more than any other Because it's not that every once in a while We don't get that fresh box of crayons

It's that life rarely ever provides it Life simply says here are the fragments The pieces, the blueprint They will work But that's not up to the instrument It's up to the artists Who hold them And personally, I've been blown away

By how many times I've seen the same set of circumstances produce wildly different outcomes, depending on who happened to be the artist, depending on who was holding the instruments, right? Back in the day, when I was criticized, I would struggle. Someone would say, for example, you're not good at basketball. That comment would make me think less about myself as an athlete, how I played ball. It would plant this tiny seed of doubt that I would have to navigate my way out of. And then I remember learning about some of the toughest minds, right?

Notoriously strong mentalities, the Jordans and the Kobies, you tell them they suck. That doesn't create doubt. That ignites a, well, I'll show you mentality. They shined in those moments. Same instruments. Just different interpretation by the artists. And you realize the world has nothing to do with this. Criticism has nothing to do with this.

It's the relationship I have with me. And if I trust myself, if I believe in my growth and my commitment to excellence, the other stuff, it's just detail. And it will always be detailed. Starting a new business, right? No one has ever had what they needed out of the gate, ever. I think it was Alex Hermose who said, you know, starting your own business is like running a marathon out of shape

and getting yourself into shape along the way. I thought that was spot on. It's the only way to do it, and is the opportunity perfect? No. Is your body acclimated? No. But life provided those metaphorical running shoes,

a road and a journey, and it turns out that's enough. So what I'm asking of you is that you keep this realization as close to you as you possibly can. It's that you remember having everything is wildly different than having enough. One is an illusion and one is your superpower.

And maybe you're looking around at a world that feels cracked and flawed, maybe it feels like it's missing pieces, requiring that you make tradeoffs and improvise. That's not the world working against you. That's life placing a map in front of you. like Jim Rohn has said, it's not where you're going, it's who you become along the way. The truth will always be, if you want it, the pieces to take that necessary first step are there.

Some people wait for perfection. Sure, that perfect box of crayons, a life without curveballs, twists, or turns, great. But as it turns out, they find themselves waiting a very long time. So why not step into the world now? armed with two things. First, what you have now. And second, the understanding that what you have now is enough. It will multiply, it will evolve with time, exponential growth is bound to occur down the road.

But first, pull up the shades and let light in. Give life a chance to enter the equation. Let's not forget those basic unlawful. unspoken truths, those things that at one point, way back in the day, were intuitive. Open the box of crayons. Turn on the camera. Make the call. Write the book.

Try the workout. Apply for the position. Share your thoughts. Is the moment perfect? No. And maybe even a hell no. But is the moment enough? That's the question you should be asking.

And the answer is yes. Always. As you open your eyes, your feet hit the ground, you step out of bed, maybe as you sit and reflect with your coffee at the kitchen table. I want you to do me a favor. This is something that brings me substantial peace of mind, and I'm thinking it could be of value to you as well. I want you to take those things that you consistently think about, right? The ones that have been bothering you or troubling you consistently come up in your mind, the ones that you thought about yesterday and the day before and the day before,

you know, the so-called problems, not so positive narratives, stories about why you can't. And instead, think about each one's corresponding ideal, What the perfect situation would look like if you could turn each quote unquote problem around. The perfect story, the most exciting narrative. And then ask, what can you do today to move one step closer to the place you want to be? How can you make those ideals real? And the reason this is valuable is because it reminds us that we are not powerless. Quite the opposite. It shows you how new and exciting and untapped your future is.

This is your opportunity to remind yourself that you are not yesterday. You are not your past, you are not your mistakes. You're not any of those things. Even though our minds often trick us into believing it's so. It's kind of like running around the same block over and over again you become so accustomed to it that you forget you can take a right out of your street and go anywhere you want to go, see anything you want to see. Every morning is a fresh start. An opportunity to connect new dots. And you can point that compass, any direction you choose. You are shackled to nothing, bound by no one.

And admittedly, that can be hard to hear. I remember the first time I had that realization that most of my limits were self-monthed. that I was complaining about the work I did, the places I spent my time and who I was spending it with. It bothered me from the second I opened my eyes in the morning until I closed them at night, until I realized that I had more control than I could even imagine. And that detaching from the past, yeah, it would hurt, it would be scary. sure I would lose some things. But what a world to gain. What a story ahead.

For some reason, things seem so messy and complex that we overlook our ability to simplify and change them. If it doesn't bring value to your life, you have the power to fix it. And maybe not overnight. But human beings are resourceful, resilient. If you have an outcome in mind and you believe in it, a step in that direction every day will come to mean everything.

It's defining. So no, this is not just an ordinary morning. This is the beginning. This is where you are blessed with the opportunity to move away from the old and towards the ideal. I wouldn't make excuses for you. I wouldn't look you in the eye and tell you everything is great when in actuality the wheels are falling off the wagon. No, I'd point to the insufficiencies and remind you that you're capable of chipping away at them.

I think that pragmatism can save someone's life. But guess what? Being human is knowing there are things you don't know. realizing that growth is picking up little understandings along the way and bringing them with you into the future allowing them into the evolution that is you and part of my personal evolution was coming face to face with the fact that looking forward isn't all of it

it's part of it yeah we need to be better of course yeah we can always squeeze more value out of the time allotted to us 100%. This forward progression, as far as I'm concerned, is intertwined in human fulfillment. But we are in this moment the manifestation of the obstacles we've already overcome. We are the times we wanted to stop and didn't. We are the losses we bounced back from and the adversity we forged into opportunity. the endings that we melted down into beautiful beginnings. We are the mistakes, the obstacles,

the little encounters with hell that didn't define us, but instead changed us. And that matters. So quick story time. For about five years after I graduated college, some of my friends and I have this fantasy baseball league we'd use to stay in touch, right? And I think even they would begrudgingly admit that I was oddly good at it. I won like three or four out of the five years or something like that. And you know what my strategy was? It was simple. I picked players based on who they were over the course of their career, not based on how they performed last year, which is a trap people seem to fall into. So a guy that hits 30 home runs six years in a row, and then last year suddenly only

hits seven, it's not out of the question to think he'll hit 30 again, revert back to the mean, to his average, his track record. That to me is more meaningful than some recent struggle, and I took that bet every time. Now, as you can imagine, the point I'm making here has nothing to do with baseball. All it has everything to do with life in general. So much of the time, we completely focus on the current insufficiencies. The bad things happening now, the misfortunes in our lives, we're striking out and our brain goes into panic mode.

It says gap, gap, gap, how do we fill it? And again, yes, that's important. And our plan for resurgence is necessary, but we can't forget who we are and what we've done. we can't overlook our track record. As the saying goes, you've survived 100% of the bad days. You've lived through countless struggles. You've climbed out of many catastrophes, at least I have.

And it seems as though it's when we need that reassurance most that we are most inclined to forget. It's when we, more than any other time, need to prove to ourselves that we are unconquerable, that we question our ability to persevere. I'd never say to you the road ahead will be easy. I'm not saying it won't suck at times. I'm not saying it won't take all of you.

I'm merely saying that you are equipped to emerge victorious, to handle not some of it, but all of it. I'm saying that the person in the mirror is stronger than you can even imagine. But understand you're not operating, on blind faith here. You're not hoping for some miracle. You're operating

on your own record of success. What you do is find a way. What you do is win. You don't believe me? Look over your shoulder. Take a trip down memory lane. Glance back at all the mountains you've already

climbed. And life, it won't be smooth sailing all the time. You'll have your slumps and your adversity, no question. But they're not you. They are what you were made to navigate. Everything has brought you to this point. And it's great to focus on this point, but don't lose the everything.

Sometimes it's not about who you will be someday. Sometimes it's about what you've already become. It's about who you are. Now, 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 ball went off for me.

Like so many epiphanies, you know what happened during a difficult kind of a trying time. I wasn't where I wanted to be and I remember 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.

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 root, one stem, one pedal at a time, the same field 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. I could walk.

But what if I ran? I could learn the rules, dedicate myself to efficiently following them. But what if I learned the rules to break them? What if I created a new game entirely? I could take who I was, polish it up, change my approach. But what if I completely recreate? created myself. What if I push yesterday out to sea like a paper boat in a storm

and watched it sail away? Life is a game of levels. And believe me, no one understands the importance of showing up more than I. Fulfilling that promise to yourself that you'll be there for you. standing tall and ready, willing to take the world on. But isn't it logical? Once showing up has been instilled into one's DNA, once stepping forward has become second nature,

to look around and ask, how can I show up in an even more powerful way? How can I take this walk to a sprint? Turn the few into many. transform the I participated into I dominated because it's subtle. Right, moving from one level to another. There's no indicator. When does the right thing suddenly become not enough? When are we ready for more? It's a tough one. But for the few who really, truly, with all their heart, want it, it's a question that must be asked.

Perhaps it's when the hard thing becomes, well, routine. When you find yesterday's ceiling under your feet. Perhaps it's when the excitement has subsided. So look around and ask, is it time? Is it time to find a new level to elevate yourself to? Is it time to open the cage and let yourself further into the world? Because few find the courage to go, But even fewer find the courage to repeatedly ask more of themselves when life is heavy, when the road is untravelled.

So, yes, you could walk. But what if you ran? What if you gave every ounce of yourself to the journey so that when it ends, as all journeys do, you can say you held nothing back? You conceded zero. Life is a game of levels and should you decide the ascent is where the magic lives, you'll find yourself with the view that only the few will ever get the luxury of laying their eyes. You'll find that every time you were tired or depleted or unsure and you stepped forward anyway, you were creating the life of your dream.

The most important promises are the ones you make to yourself. Of all the people on planet Earth, it's most critical that you believe you. That when you commit, you show up, when you make plans you follow through. When you tell yourself you'll do something, you actually do it. What's interesting. Being that this is, I believe the North Star, I'm consistently chasing down this standard, trying to be better and better and better at following through. I clearly think we all should, but keeping promises to yourself is different than keeping

promises to others. When you let other people down, especially those close to you, you feel the social repercussions. and for human beings, negative social repercussions are painful. We care greatly about our reputation. Don't want to let others down. Don't want to be known as the person who doesn't show up. And that's incentive enough to push us towards following through with others. But with yourself, where do the repercussions go?

What are the consequences? You tell yourself, today is the day. I'm starting, beginning, trying something new. And then you don't. There's no phone call with someone on the other end saying, hey, where were you? Hey, you promised. Hey, you owed me this.

No, when we break promises to ourselves, it seems like the situation, after maybe a second or two of disappointment, just floats away into the ether. It feels as though there is no substantial cost. But I actually think those broken promises stick around. I think we wear them. We feel them.

We see them when we look in the mirror. And sure, maybe there isn't that friend or family member staring us down with disappointment in their eyes. But how we see ourselves changes. Every broken promise to yourself reinforces the idea that not having high standards is okay. Every time we let ourselves down, it supports a narrative that being let down is normal, par for the course. If you don't show up for you, it begs the question, why should others show up for you?

Why should others follow through? when you wouldn't even do it for yourself. I've always believed that so many facets of life start internally and are projected out. How you see yourself, treat yourself is the sun around which all that other stuff revolves, right? Like the world will notice and act accordingly. It will conform to the standards you create for you.

So let's work on those standards. Let's make it so there's skin, in the game. So that when we break promises to ourselves, say, ah, not today, or, this is good enough for now, that we understand the magnitude of those decisions because they're not insignificant. They're crucial. And sometimes we have to highlight the consequences of what we don't do. Sometimes we have to make ourselves truly feel the opportunities we let slip away.

as though we did actually hold them in the palms of our hands. There is a price to letting yourself down, and perhaps there's power in quantifying it. There's an idea that, you know, life isn't really you versus anyone or anything else. It's you versus you. And just like you would never let a stranger talk down to you or tear you apart, Why would it be okay for you to talk that way to yourself? Right? Like if a friend says he's going to meet you for coffee at 7 a.m. every morning and never shows up.

In what world would you keep driving there, sitting down, waiting, brushing it off and, you know, rinse, repeat? Of course not. You'd look around and go, this is crazy, I don't deserve this, I'm better than this. Your defenses would kick in, you'd make adjustments. And just as you shouldn't tolerate it from someone else, you shouldn't tolerate it from yourself because you're better than that. Growth is a game of, one, identifying what's important.

Two, creating small steps that move you in that direction. And three, following through on those steps. That's the formula. Being there for yourself when you fall. Hey, get back up, right? Falling is an indicator of progress, courage, and strength. Being there for yourself when you don't want to. Hey, I know you're tired.

I know this doesn't seem fun right now, but you committed and think about how good it's going to feel when you're done. Being there for yourself when you know there's more in you, but that voice in your head is tempting you to pack it, all in or call it a day. Hey, it doesn't matter what that voice in your head says. There is no negotiating. You already made up your mind. See, there's power and simplicity. Find a target, aim, shoot. And although life is turbulent, there are certainly highs and lows. We are at our best when we decide what's important, initiate the journey, and show up. When I sit there

the alarm clock. It can't be about rationalizing sleep. That beeping can't be about X many hours. No, it merely signifies a promise. It cries out, hey, remember what you said right before you closed your eyes last night? Well, time to bring that to life. So sure, that means be careful of the promises you make to yourself. Don't take them lightly. But once they are etched into the universe, they must be law. And I'm not talking about failure to adapt or try things. I'm not talking about being stubborn. I'm talking about the initial follow-through that precedes all that.

Will we do what we said we would do? And I'm not emphasizing, you know, making this the standard because life should be some perpetual boot camp, but rather because discipline is freedom. Because when we go to bed at night knowing we set goals and meet them, we see ourselves as winners. People follow through on who they believe themselves to be. It's an endless feedback loop. You see yourself as a winner.

You carry yourself as a winner. You carry yourself as a winner and other people see it. They treat you as such and around and around it goes. So when you feel like skipping, or procrastinating or quitting on yourself, remember that it's not just that immediate moment at stake. It's not a little thing. It's one brushstroke on the mural that is your current reality.

It becomes you. And again, you wouldn't let other people talk down to you. So stop doing it to yourself. You wouldn't allow being stood up by others. So stop doing that to yourself. Become the king or queen of your own empire. Rule over yourself like it all matters because it does. To keep the promises you make to yourself is playing offense.

It's essentially building a bridge to the outside world so that you may go shape it, as opposed to merely putting up your hands and living at life's mercy. Never forget how much control you have, how powerful you are. and that you don't need to convince others, you need to convince yourself. During the highs, the lows, the ups and the downs, the sun and the rain, you need to be there for you. If it means something to you, it's not wrong. I'm talking about different roads, going to different places, different ways at different times, none more or less important than it's not wrong. less important than any of the others.

It's an amazing thing that a perfect life can mean something so different to each and every one of us. You know, I get asked quite a bit about my decision to do what I do, as far as what prompted the journey, the process of turning a page, beginning a new chapter, and in essence, leaving what didn't serve me to pursue what does. And what I realize is that a lot of these conversations are with, with people that have an outlook very similar to mine. We value a lot of the same things. But there's a distinction between what you see every day and what truly reflects reality. Is what's around you the only option?

Is it the real deal or is it a part of the puzzle, right? Like if you look at Twitter, for example, you have 20% of Americans supposedly used Twitter. And of the conversation on Twitter, 80% of it comes from 10% of the users, right? So it's a subset of Twitter. of a subset, but how easy is it to open the app and think that's a reflection of the world and how people think and what's going on?

It's not. It's a very small fragment. And the reason I bring it up, the reason it's important is because we tend to look at what we see around us as the right way or the instruction manual. You know, I've talked a lot about the corporate world, like it was essentially a prison for me, right? And in many ways it was because of the way I think, how I get fulfillment, right? was a predictability and a straightforwardness that just doesn't mesh with my personality, but

that's me. And I had the realization the other day when I was on someone's podcast, and they asked me, well, how come some people don't get it? How come some people don't understand the entrepreneurial spirit or that's sort of adrenaline that comes with the high highs and the low lows? And I spent some time thinking about the answer, and I think it boils down to something simple. It either pulls you that way or it doesn't, right? It's the thing. It's the thing. thought process isn't the right way to live or the wrong way to live. It's one of many ways to live. It depends on what you gravitate towards. I like to reference one of my best friends, Chris, because we couldn't be more different, right? He has a nine to five. He loves the structure. He's

immersed in it. And because of that, he's moved up the organization very quickly, comes home, spends time watching TV with his beautiful kids, cooks with his wife, sends the group chat shots of the smoked pork or whatever the hell he makes. He's in heaven. He loves his world. You know, but then he looks at, you know, my world. He sees the unpredictability of my life, my choices, traveling, moving around all the time, the financial oscillation where it's like one month is great financially.

The next, it's underwhelming. It's up and it's down. And he goes, how do you live like that? You know, and I could ask the same of him, where's the rush? Where's the uncertainty? You know, it's two very different. distinct ways of looking at the world, and I think that's incredible. But I also think it's easy to miss.

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

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

And I looked at him like a deer in headlights. I'm like, I don't know. I've never thought about that, right? He could tell me when he got up from when he went to bed what his perfect day was. He goes, well, how could you ever have one by accident? Right? So do we take time to think about what matters?

And number two, are you willing to drive towards whatever that is? Whether it's entrepreneurship or athletics, being a rock star in the corporate world, being a world-class painter, an amazing dad, some combination of some or none or all of these things. Like, what are you aiming for? You know, but it's nice sometimes to get that reassurance that your path, regardless of how different or quote unquote normal it is, if it's right for you, it's right. And that's something that no one can tell you.

You know, so much of life is a conversation with yourself. It really is. You have to give yourself permission to live. And I've spoken about it. You know, I've spent a lot of years at that intersection of what I thought was right because others were doing it and what truly made me happy. Waiting for the light to turn green before realizing that that moment doesn't come, you need to be the one to change it. Life is a beautiful experiment. But it is an experiment, which means you need to get to work.

It's testing what you love, what you don't, where you want to be, where you have no interest in being, and embracing that, right? Discovering what you love, what's meaningful, and then trusting yourself to get there. Don't envy them. instead become one of them. Why is this perhaps one of the most important mantras you'll ever hear? Well, to put it simply, to envy is to build walls.

It's to create divides between you and them, between where you are and where you most want to be. We're not in the business of creating divides. We're in the business of building roads. It's about understanding that you're perceiving, not a tale of two different worlds. You're perceiving the beginning of one journey, your journey. The dedication and time and commitment required to start today

to step into something new. There's a Chinese proverb that states, the best time to have planted a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is today. And my friend, you don't have 20 years ago, but you have the now. And the now is everything. Oh, but how much time I've wasted, you might think.

Nope. That's wrong. For two reasons. One, first, you're ready to go now for a reason. You're not the same person you were a year ago or two years ago or three years ago. If it took until today for that journey to start, then so be it. Here you are. You can't compare your timeline to the timelines of others.

There's too many variables in life. It'd be impossible to crack or understand. Just go now. Make use of the clarity and inspiration. You just greenlit, perhaps the most important thing you'll ever do. Don't you dare sit and wait. Second, if you think days past were lived in vain, that they were wasted or filler,

I ask that you think again. Because the lessons that will be derived from those experiences, some of you don't even understand yet, will become so valuable in this next chapter that it's mind-blowing. There are no wrong terms. Those detours were the way, the only way, as you'll see in due time.

But too much time has passed. I'm too old. I'm to insert X. No, stop separating yourself from what you want and move towards what you want. Stop categorizing that or them or that North Star as anything other than possible and step into its orbit. See, being that we are all storytellers, we are all sculptors, we are all artists in our own way, it's worth understanding that those artists who came before you, well, the sunset never cared how old they were. It didn't ask how many years they'd spent thinking about their dreams instead of chasing them.

It never asked, hey, why didn't you start sooner or begin sooner or step out the front door sooner? No, it just was. It was bold and vibrant, daring them to join. And in that moment, staring at the colors streaking across the sky, they realized something. The sky wasn't asking for perfection. It wasn't asking for years. of experience or dedication. It just wanted them to pick up a brush and create, to do, to begin, to step into a world

they could rightfully make their own, and so they did. And I'm sure their first strokes were messy, hesitant. You bet they were self-conscious and doubtful. You bet imposter syndrome knocked at that door. But they were there. in the moment realizing that there is no too late. The sunset taught them that life isn't about the time we've lost. It's about the beauty that we can create starting now.

Always now. And by the way, our minds will always try and fight now. They'll try and rationalize their way out of now, villainize now. Come up with a million different reasons. Now is impractical or counterproductive. while its adversary. Tomorrow, on the other hand, always seems to sit glowing on its pedestal.

Tomorrow is always so safe and inviting. Easier to accept than now. Far easier. But tomorrow is fool's gold. And you understand this when you realize you've been tricked by tomorrow your whole life. Tomorrow is a fraud. It's a con man.

It's a wolf and sheep's clothing. Now is what solves all your concerns. It seems to be the answer to almost every predicament we face, every fork in the road. It's like, go, act. It's okay that it took until now. Perhaps you'll come to understand it's even ideal that it took until now. But it's time to start treating now like it's precious, like it really matters because it does. If it's meaningful, step into it, move towards it.

Allow yourself to become it. Everyone has a different story, a different journey or road that's taking them to today. Fine. But know that the wake of the boat does not drive the boat. Where you've been is not attached to where you can go. This is your reminder that you can become that version of yourself you most want to be. It's not easy. It will feel at times like the world is pushing back.

But this is where purpose is cultivated. The right journey is everything. And its cost of admission was, is, and always will be your very next step. It's impossible to know how this story ends. I don't think we're expected to, nor do we need to. But we do need to be willing to light up the 10 feet in front of us. We need to be willing to illuminate the now. It's how little nothings transition into those very meaningful some things.

One illuminated piece of the puzzle at a time. They say that complexity is the enemy of progress. Things seem too big, too far away, when all the world appears dark. We pause. We become crippled by how much we don't know. We hide in the shadows of life's unknown. But I have, and hopefully will, until my final days, hold on to the idea that we have within us enough light. Just enough light.

to brighten up the path before us, directly in front of us. It's always been just enough to get through anything. When the world is dark, you can't see the hand in front of your face, it will always be true that you possess the ability to cut through that darkness. To highlight the next stepping stone. There's just enough light to collect the data and information sufficient to make one more logical decision, one more. To take one shaky and uncertain step, it's amazing what they become over time. See, I've spent some time in that metaphorical darkness. I've also been in the

light. I've believed, I've had all the answers and been brutally humbled by life. There have also been times where I bet on myself when the odds were small and emerged victorious, whether up, down, high or low, the saving grace was remembering that if I turned the light on, the headlamp initiating from my eyes and projecting out into the world, it would always provide enough for me to do perhaps the most important thing I'm capable of doing, moving forward. There's no skipping. in life, no jumping races to arrive at any particular finish line. But there is always enough

to carry on. This realization has been interesting to me. Our struggle when it emerges is usually not derived from an inability to do the right thing. It's not like we're missing something. No, our struggle comes from thinking we need

more than we do. It's frustration that our goals are so big and so far away and so out of reach. We lose sight of what we can control, blinded by a standard that no human can live up to. Stop beating yourself up for not being a god. No mere mortal ever leapt a mountain.

Everything is not the goal. One thing is the goal, and you are capable of one thing. Everyone is capable of one thing. One little action to initiate momentum and push you further into that unknown. But where? You might wonder, I need to know where, to which I say, breathe.

Because the wares make themselves known when you're in motion. As you move forward, the wrong destinations prompt you to learn and then self-correct. And the right ones inspire you to push further in their direction. Both valuable, right? The only way to lose is not go. The only way to lose is to say, because I don't have it all figured out, I'll remain right here.

Like a toddler refusing to put a puzzle together because he can't see the completed mural in each individual piece. The whole point is to put it together. The fun is to put it together. The growth and the value isn't putting it together. And I get it. We want to know, right?

Humans want to know. That's why evolving is hard. We have to be okay with not knowing. And that's what life is about, formulating your hypothesis and then letting the data derive from your progress alter your approach. That data is not gifted to you

while you stand stagnant. So the question is, will you sign that dotted line? The one that says, when you can't see the mountaintop, what you will be left with is solely trust in yourself that you can bring it about.

It's easy to say yes, when the sky is blue and the birds are singing. But amidst the storms, when your mind begins to whisper that perhaps it will never end, when it begins to ask you if there was ever even a point,

after all, look around, there's nothing but, gray. That is when you have to remember the rules of the game. That's when you have to remind yourself it's not about knowing, it's about trusting, about creating puzzle pieces, not finishing murals. Anyone can create just one puzzle piece. And then just one more, and just one more. Because yes, it's difficult, as is life. But you'll remember why as you move, into the storm and watch all those little pieces connect around you. So not too long ago, Jordan Peterson was doing a tour and he made a stop in Phoenix, Arizona.

And he was talking about the role of God in our lives. And I really enjoy that type of philosophizing that conversation. And I went and it was a blast to just have. have that discussion, be in a room, an auditorium with so many different people from all walks of life with different beliefs and backgrounds. And one of the things he mentioned was that perhaps there is a too rigid view of God in some circumstances. And maybe that turns people away. His question that he posed is, what if God, is simply one's willingness

to pursue what they were meant to do. The courage to accept life's challenge, face adversity, and find that level of meaning, embrace that calling that each of us individually have available to us. Stepping into that greater version of yourself. And I won't get too far into it, But just for some context, he specifically referenced a story about Abraham and the Old Testament

and how he was a really old man before he stepped out and basically became that person he was meant to be. And so I'm going to quote Jordan Peterson here. He said, as long as there is breath in you, there is room for another adventure. Think about how powerful that is. Not something we hear every day, right? For me, it's profound for two reasons. One, it's the reminder that there must be adventure in life to begin with. That's a prerequisite.

And that decision to step out the front door and become the person you were meant to be, it's not a luxury. It is life. And second, in sort of the corresponding piece, is that it's never too old to do that. It's not like when you're 18 or 25 or 35, that ship sails and heads to a distant horizon and you missed it. No, there's always the ability to step out your front door and take that path you've never taken. Become who you were most meant to be.

And that calling refer to it as whatever you want. You know, nodding your head and finding the courage to embark upon that journey is where you get. to see who you really are. You get to unveil a version of yourself that's been caged in waiting to come out, that potential that's been hiding away in your soul and waiting to be released. The chance to give to the world

which you were meant to give. To both ignite your soul and simultaneously be a light in darkness for others. You know, another quote that night, he said, people are capable of carrying an immense burden and still struggling uphill. If you're willing to grit your teeth and go, the sky's clear. The path emerges. But I promise you will amaze you how much you can endure, how far you can go. And you might look

around and wonder, me, surely this is for someone else. But no, this message is for you. That remind you that time is finite. And those hypotheticals, you know, entangled in your curiosity, those what-ifs, those if-onlys, they're waiting for you. They matter. And they're calling you now. You know, in a way less formal setting, my friend Steve, and I'll never forget this. Some things just hit you.

You know, we're sitting there, random Tuesday, having lunch at Panera. And he said, you know, Eddie, we are. sacks of meat on a rock floating through the infinite, nothing matters. And I thought that was such a beautiful sentiment. You can take that as two ways. Nothing matters, so why leave? Or you can take it as nothing matters. So why wouldn't I try?

Why wouldn't I cash in this once-in a lifetime lottery ticket? Why wouldn't I do what I'm called to do? Those worst-case scenarios, the playing small, none of that matters. How could you not step into life when you're only here for such a short amount of time? How could you not want to see how far you can go and what you're capable of when that clock is ticking in the background? It's an irrefutable fact that there is more for you should you choose to pursue it. That curiosity, that voice calling your name, that's not a coincidence.

That's not a fluke. That's a hand reaching out and asking you to accept that next version of you. And you can call it anything from divine to a pragmatic, why not? But the truth is, there's more for you. There's more beyond that door. So I ask, why not? When you're at your lowest point, you are, often without realizing it, positioning yourself to arrive at your highest point. Potential energy accumulating to propel you through an atmosphere

of new beginnings. See, I believe our adversity is life asking that we submerge and dive deep, sometimes very deep, just to remember how badly we need that oxygen above. So that when we again come up for air and we will, we notice the warmth of the sun on our face and the calming sound of the waves crashing on the beach. You don't make the most of what's around you until you recognize that what's around you is the opportunity. And so life reminds us.

A taxing reminder. Right? It rarely gives without first taking away. It rarely opens new doors without closing old ones. And that, to put it, simply, can hurt. They don't teach you in school that growth is painful. But as it turns out, a life without growth isn't much of a life at all. And so we must dive deep.

We're given no other choice. Without night, there is no day. Without suffering, there is no beauty. Without those depths below, there is no surface above. Our submergence is our transformation. The cocoon that separates who we were from who. who we will be. But unlike the butterfly, it doesn't just evolve once.

Our journey requires that we are continuously growing a new pair of wings. Life is chaos. Life is unpredictable. Life is hard, but you were built to not only endure in its arena, you were put here to excel, to learn the rules and then expand upon the rules. Sometimes break the rules. You were put here to take the difficulty and provide meaning to it. Piece by piece is if it were the construction of a rocket to the moon.

Little pieces of at one point frustration and confusion and chaos combined, reused, and transformed into exactly what you need them to be. Emergent properties. You just have to be willing to see beyond the now and assemble. To come up for air and soak in all that awaits at the surface like you've never done before. The other day, I was texting with a friend of mine. Out of nowhere, she goes, what's wrong? And I'm thinking nothing, right? I haven't said anything.

You know, what do you mean? She's adamant, right? She goes, something feels. I thought about it and realized yeah she's pointing out something I've known for a little bit here Something is off I'm hiding from myself feel a little burnt out a little tired Certain areas of my life had become unevenly distributed in fact I was flirting with that thing I've always feared doing most Simply going through the motions that scared me I don't want this right I've ever come too far to feel like this, I'm better than this, how do I fix it? How do I solve it now? Figure

it out now. But eventually came to realize the now part just might be the whole problem. Fix the now like it's a headache and me shaking my fist at the sky will be ibuprofen. No, battling imperfection is a fool's errand. It's setting a yourself up for disaster, we are humans, not gods. We are perfectly imperfect. And when something is off, don't fight, listen. Don't retract, expand. Here is the opportunity. I'm under the surface, diving down into the depths of my own soul. Hear what it has to say. So that when I come up for air and I will. The sun will warm my face like it never has. The crashing waves will offer a symphony to my ears that I've never heard. And I'll see that the world I'm taking in is more a reflection of me

than of it. As that saying goes, you don't see the world as it is. You see the world as you are. and how lucky to have taken a step back, a trip below the surface, to realize again that I am the painter, not the critic. My world had become black and white, not because we live in a black and white world, but because sometimes we forget to put the color in. Sometimes we don't give ourselves permission

to expand beyond the parameters, we've created for ourselves. So with the breath and the oxygen will come a new appreciation, a liberating gratitude. There's nothing so sweet as remembering that both the castles in the air and the chains at our feet are imaginary. And hey, you get to choose which one to believe in. See, what time has taught me,

is that there is strength in our vulnerability, in the times we fall or lose ourselves. And I know the inclination is to panic, perhaps assess too quickly, to not hear but talk, to not listen but attempt to solve, which leads to the application of band-aids on bullet wounds. When we are low, when we are lost,

it's our chance to better understand ourselves. It's the metaphorical equipment room where we stock up prior to our next descent. And if I could emphasize one thing, it would be that our perceived understanding of life, it oscillates. Sometimes we feel like we get it. We do. And sometimes we feel like we're sprinting with our eyes closed. It's a riddle we will never fully come to solve. But I do know one thing.

We can't change the unprediting. predictability of the world, but by observing, by listening, by getting back up, we can change ourselves. By recognizing our strength, we can utilize the downtimes, as they are the education we've been longing for. Remember, the world does not and will not ask perfection of you, so don't ask perfection of it. You were built to endure, to overcome, and to recreate. Create yourself. Losing your wings will never be the problem. It's forgetting that they must be regrown.

That is the problem. So step out. Rise to the surface of your world and breathe. Take in the surroundings that will become your resurrection story if you left them. Frenay Brown has said, courage starts with showing up. and letting ourselves be seen. It's one of my favorite ideas,

because to me it's symbolic of a building process. Taking what would otherwise be blank space, nothingness, and stepping into it, believing yourself enough to say, there's a void here and I can fill it. I'm strong enough to show myself to the world, my ideas to the world, my work to the world. I have in Brunay's world,

words, the courage to be seen. Seven years ago, in 2016, I wrote about my first experience with this epiphany in a video called, fittingly, courage. I talk about my light bulb moment where I'm walking down the street and realize everything around me, all of it, was built by people with enough self-belief to think I can add value to the world. I can in one form or another, take a blank space, and create within those parameters something beautiful, something meaningful. I, not him or her, I can be the reason things change for the better. That's a hard notion to grasp. Because it's overwhelming to put faith or stock into ideas. You're just writing yourself IOU notes. And it's particularly difficult when things take time

or don't go the way you want them to, immediately, you start to feel crazy. And you know for a fact those around you can't see it or understand. How could they? This is a you thing, right? It exists in your head and your head only. But that building to your left, that song you're listening to, the book you're reading, that car you're driving, these things exist because those who brought them to life survived the storm. They believed and hung in long enough, pushed beyond the self-doubt. They escaped that

maze that chews up and spits out so many. And a few weeks ago, I was in Vegas for a podcast and doing some marketing for a new venture. It's with a friend and business partner. We're on the balcony looking out over Vegas. And we're both inspired in that moment because we're reminded how big the world is and how everything below us is a product of courage. Opportunity captured and acted upon by those who believed in themselves to do it. And Tyler's pointing down to different things.

Those offices were built by someone. Every light built by someone. Every car going down the road, built by someone. Emphasizing just that beautiful reality, it's all possible But you have to initiate it. And it's incredible how things come full circle. Seven years ago, the scary thing was putting my voice out there.

You know, fast forward a little bit. Same game, just different stakes. It's like it will always be true. If you want to increase your impact, do not forget two things. One, it's possible for you. And two, it takes courage. Sure, self-belief alone. it won't get you through the finish line.

But without it, there is no race to begin with. There is no starting point. Only dreams, only wishing, only hoping. Courage says everything around me was brought to life by people with the strength to convert nothing into something. And those people, they are not gods. They are no different or better

or greater than you are of. they see blank space and ask why not me why couldn't I leave a mark or make a change and that's just it you can be the one not some other guy not your neighbor not the folks on social media you but you have to believe it and be willing to trudge through the storm you have to be willing as difficult as it might seem at first to be seen To step out of the darkness and into the light, you have that courage within you. So remind yourself that one, it's there, and two, it's who you are.

And I promise you, the world will change around you. The hard thing brought me through hell. But also to that which exists on the other side. The hard thing prompted me to question and doubt, but also provided the pieces I used to build my confidence little by little. It made me ask the tough questions, the ones maybe I didn't want to hear the answer to, but also gave me the power to transform those answers I didn't like. The hard thing meant forfeiting being the expert in my world in exchange for the role of student in a foreign arena. It gave me new ladders to climb, new possibilities to reach for.

It showed that true growth requires a willingness to be the beginner. It took some people out of my arms, my circle, my work, and in some cases my life altogether, but always seem to open the door to those souls better aligned, to those conducive to the journey and the process. Let's remember what the hard thing is. Beyond the pain, because we all know it does bring that,

beyond the challenges, because there are certainly many. Beyond all that exists, the hope and the chance. change and the promise, Robert Frost says the best way out is always through. Through because it's the chaos, the haze, the darkness of night that shapes us. It's in being broken that we learn to rebuild our world with the pieces, and perhaps most importantly,

we learn that such a rebuilding process is possible to begin with, that the now is not mandatory or permanent. The hard thing, as it turns out, is nothing more than a transaction. Turbulence for the view above the clouds, fear in the moment for confidence in the future. It's learning that although life sometimes appears to paint a picture of conformity and helplessness, there's always a path leading to the very place we need to go.

It just asks we find the courage to walk it. Churchill has said the pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty. And this beautiful message rings true. Because from the difficulty is the advantage. And sure, our first instinct is to see the problem. our eyes tend to initially fix it on that which is unfortunate. But beyond that is where we get the most incredible things life provides,

as if one is removing the shell or outer layer in order to get to the nutrients in the center, the ingredients required for growth, the pieces necessary to experience life at its fullest. And so we must be reminded that those, opportunities they're not rare they're not reserved for everyone but you they just tend to disguise themselves as the things were most inclined to disregard or walk by but if one finds the courage to move into them through them if one can see the difficulty not as a deterrent but as a bargain they'll be given everything

on the other side reality is not changed with the magic wand or the granting of a wish. It's from staring down the heart thing and moving directly into it one little step at a time. If there's time, then there's time to turn things around. If there is a tomorrow, then there is hope today. The only half to bes in life are the ones we prop up, and adhere to. And how interesting that oftentimes we don't even realize we're the ones holding them up. There's a simple question that I like to ask as the sun comes up in the coffee bruise. Am I living today like it's an obligation or something more? Is it an automatic continuation of the past or a methodical move towards a future that

that lights me up. And these aren't small distinctions. Right, I've lived both ways, I've felt what it's like to feel both. I remember going to work and joking around that a flat tire would be a real treat. That's not accountability. That's not control.

That's essentially living life as a jellyfish floating along with the tide. And while the lack of required output, Innovation and planning may have felt like a win in the moment, or a burden lifted off my shoulders at the time, deprived me of that which resides in the soul of every human being alive. Purpose. Personal agency.

See, you can only go so far, so long, being the spectator of your own journey. You can only go so long looking out the window before you wonder just what it'd be like to be behind the wheel. When we put our actions up against the question why, it astounds me how many things are done because it's what we've always done. We act like we're expected to act, think like we're expected to think, see who we're expected to see, but expected by whom? One of my greatest breakthroughs in life emerged after being asked, why, by people I look up to or respect.

Why have you accepted that? That's your income? Okay, great, but why? That's how you spend your day? I see how calm. And when one is tasked with looking at their own life through a magnifying glass, some hidden truths. always emerge. It shines a spotlight in the corner of the room,

illuminating those shadows where one can, if they look hard enough, make out the wolf in sheep's clothing that is the phrase, because that's how I've always done it. We get in life what we accept. We are what we allow ourselves to be, and if we don't ask ourselves which mountain is worth climbing,

Which ocean is worth crossing. We simply float with the tides. We're at the mercy of the winds. We forfeit the mastery over our own lives that awaits if we're willing to take that wheel and navigate. So here are a few things to take with you. First is you are bound by nothing. The parameters you exist between are of your making.

you can get in that car and drive. You can walk away and begin something new. You can entertain that vision that's been conveniently tucked away in the back of your mind. Understand that to not go is fine, but it's a decision. And perhaps a decision you'll wish you made differently.

And second, difficult today liberate you tomorrow. It's easier to observe. It's easier to say how you wish things were. After all, stepping out into the fast-paced chaotic world is tough. It's scary, it's unpredictable, but it's where you find yourself and the path that's calling your name. It's beyond the pins and needles emerging as one jumps into the cold water that they're able to find that evolution.

If there's time, then there's time to turn things around. If there is a tomorrow, then there is hope. The world is a culmination of mirrors that reflect right back at you the stories you've already told. It doesn't seek to change, alter, or adjust. In fact, it doesn't do anything. It's neutral. It is simply a collection of parts waiting to be put together. a series of characters awaiting a story.

If you're hopeful, you'll find contained within your surroundings hope. If you're hateful, you'll find hate, loving, you'll find love, optimistic, you'll find optimism, and skeptical, you'll find doubt. Life reflects your preconceived notions back at you. Which is technically great news, right? I can't think of anything more empowering than the idea that we decide what the occurrences around us ultimately meet. And I'm not suggesting that if one closes their eyes and dreams, life becomes free of problems or obstacles. I'm saying when our walls fall, we get to decide what that means, if, when, and where we build again. And this is evident in the fact that some don't look for value.

their proclivity to walk right by. Others teach themselves to seek it out, even in the most unlikely of places. We'll never be able to control the weather. But as Bob Marley famously put it, some people feel the rain, others just get wet. In a lot of ways, we don't get to choose what the world around us looks like, but are given the power to decide what it all becomes, which is the precursor to change to a life of freedom and abundance, the ability to interpret is monumental. It is strength. Because there will be a time when life becomes difficult, when you lose your way, and it becomes evident in those moments just how easy it is to find the negative, to see why you can't go on,

why your adversaries are too strong and too numerous. But it's also when if you can dig deep and find within yourself a reason to not shrink because of it but grow despite it, your potential becomes limitless. If life's obstacles become opportunities and its supposed problems empower you, then you have made allies with an otherwise hostile world. You have disarmed the only thing capable of slowing you down, you. And open the door to a world of possibility. 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 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. And 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. And it 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 nod 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, That's 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 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. 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. forward only with what he had in the moment. And that was enough. Then the 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 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 hero

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. It's crafted during times far from ideal, with resources far from abundant, with words, far from perfect or related or self-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 peace. How do you visualize the road you're on? With its twists and turns, smooth terrain, rough terrain, straightaways, hills, what is it all mean? Do you find it odd that it gets more challenging as you get closer to your destination? Right? The further along you get the more tension life puts between you and the finish line. Almost like the universe is adamant about weeding out those who think they can skate by. What is the difference between saying you want it and really wanting it? Perhaps it's a willingness to fight through a storm just for the opportunity to find calm and serenity in its center.

This morning, as the sun was coming up, I went for a run. A nice five-mile run down the coast. And the way I planned it out was simple. 2.5 or halfway up in soft sand. And then I'd stop and I'd turn around and I'd run 2.5 back but on the harder surface. Easier to handle, almost like a reward for pushing myself on the way up.

And things were going perfectly. I made the 2.5 mile run up. And when it came to stop and turn around, I realized what should have been obvious from the beginning was high tide. which means I didn't get that hard surface to run back on instead. Not only was it softer than the way up, but I was running on a slope. And that just threw my mind for a loop, right?

I'm embarrassed to admit I was actually angry about it. You know, I pushed myself hard going up and wanted that breather. Almost felt like life pushed the finish line back 2.5 miles. And trust me, as I'm writing this, it seems ridiculous to talk about. But in the moment, just irrationally annoyed. that was the carrot that had been chasing the whole time. So I begrudgingly, you know, moved forward, kind of trying to figure out what to do, and ultimately just continued forward, and, you know, the emotion subsided,

and as usually happens, you pull yourself out of the weeds a little bit, the big picture tells a different story. Different story means different perspective. And that's what I came across, right? this idea or this question, well, why do we expect life to be flat ground? Why was that my assumption to begin with? The easy to navigate path. Why is that the standard?

And the more I thought about it, right? The more I wondered if that's the very reason why we underperform. It's the little spark that ultimately lights this wildfire of regret. because when convenience is the standard, everything else becomes unfair, everything else is a burden. When the road should be flat, what are we to make of the hills in our path? Thinking life should be easy, it provides oxygen to a victim mentality.

And sometimes it takes these little experiences for me to refocus on these subtle realities. The flat ground is not the standard, it is earned. It's a gift. It should be cherished and appreciated because guess what? Life wasn't easy. It isn't easy and it never will be. But I believe the differentiator is knowing that. So I kept running on the slope, feet sinking into the sand. I got my teeth kicked in just a little bit longer and life didn't end. In fact, I think the mental aspect was tougher than the physical.

We're only talking five miles here. But when the standard changes, so does the performance. It's about just moving forward. And like poetry, with about three quarters of a mile left, right? The beach widened. It leveled out. The ground became harder. Each step became easier.

And yeah, I was running. But in my head, it felt like I was lying on a bed of feathers. Because when you prepare to face life's demons, when you're ready for battle, when you went and take it. You'll have to give everything. Any adversary that falls short of that feels like wind behind your back. We can endure anything. The question is whether or not we put ourselves in position to you.

Mistakes, they don't define us. Heartbreak, it doesn't kill us. And criticism, it doesn't shape us. But I'll tell you what? The fear that they do stops a lot of people from becoming who they're capable of becoming. Panicking at the slightest sign of discomfort, moving away from anything but the convenient, when in reality, inconveniences are the path. As Dryden Holiday famously put it, the obstacle is the way. See, satisfaction, it doesn't even exist without a will to overcome.

What meaning does the finish line have without miles of self-doubt and questions and fear and dragons being slayed while you prove to yourself over and over again that you know what? I am more. And I can be more. And the crazy thing is that there's not even a stop. point here. This rocket will propel as high into the ether as you choose to take it. And look, it's not about running on slight inclines or sinking a few inches into the sand. It's not about being rejected, losing or castigated by seven billion self-interested souls. No. It's about not being

scared to take the bridge that connects current to future. Complacency to recreation, the known to the seemingly impossible. You're made of so much more than you give yourself credit for. You are so much stronger than you think you are. So for yourself and for the world, capture that. Own it and redefine. what it means not to simply exist, but to your core with every ounce of your being, your soul, every fiber in your body to truly live.

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 mistake. mistakes themselves, you fear. It's what you think those mistakes will mean. Ridicule, embarrassment, lack of direction or identity losing what 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, refine. 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's something.

Perhaps you hadn't before. Space. Space between where you are and where you started. It's not sudden, but gradual. And undoubtedly, 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 offer. 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. You're 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. 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 him or her or them over there? 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 concerned. 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 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. Now it's on you. Now you can get lost. Now you're responsible 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 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. I 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 purpose. 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 can. 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 and maybe even thought to yourself, there's no way forward here. You found a way to get up and create something new. I'll never forget listening to Jim Rohn. I was taking a walk in the middle of the day. I needed to get out, decompress, rethink, re-align. 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.

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 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. 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, Brani 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 Brunney 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. And 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. 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 makes the endeavor just as meaningless the 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 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 is 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 dissimilar. integrating 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 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 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. No, 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 when you're pointed to the right north star while 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 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. I woke up, put my coffee on the desk, opened my laptop, stared at a blank screen, and a little button popped up in the top right corner.

Check for updates. Nope. Ask me again later. Why? Why not now? I don't know. I don't necessarily care about the improvements. I guess it's just inconvenient.

It can wait. And that's kind of it. Let's face it, the laptop doesn't matter. The update in this scenario is not important. But bear with me, because I think what it stands for, and when you apply it to the big picture, does matter. Our proclivity to take less because less is convenient. Our predisposition to sell ourselves short

because it's safer to leave so much of ourselves on the shelf because well things don't break when they're on the shelf. But you can't be both flawless and live your life. Because life comes with wear and tear. The value is the experience. And a flawless existence is void of experience, of stories of adventure. There's a little parable about two seeds being planted.

And one of them just wants to grow, wants to feel what the sun is like, wants to see how high she can get, experience the breeze, the cool air, and so she grew. And sure, she dealt with hard days. She had her difficult times, but ultimately grew to live her best life.

The other seed worried. Worried about leaving her home, the world that was the ground around her, worried about damaging her roots, worried about what could be waiting for her in the dark, about the sun being too hot and the breeze too strong, and ultimately stayed right where she was, playing it safe until one morning a chicken came wandering by and ate the seed off the ground.

And see, this spells out a few things. One, we can at any moment, decide to step into that next level, evolve into that next chapter. But also, not doing so, comes with a cost, sometimes a hidden cost. There's a tendency to think that preserving the status quo, because it's safe, is valuable. But understand something, you are not a collector's item. You weren't made for preservation, you were made for growth, to expand, to reach out towards the heavens and feel that sun, that breeze, ensure upgrading means vulnerability, it means accepting that

the unknown is bigger than you, but also contains within it everything you need. Whether it was people, things, money, resources, I used to think like that seat. How can I hold on to what I have? Contain, play small, I can't lose this, I've come too far, I've worked too hard. What if everything goes wrong? I can't upgrade now, maybe later. Maybe someday when the time is right, when it won't hurt or require that I step outside of this little world, I've created, but guess what?

Growth always asks of us that we leave the comfort of now. It always offers us the world in exchange for the courage to see the unseen and trust ourselves to bring it to life. And when I realized this, I saw how the act of trying to perpetually maintain the status quo is debilitating. It's looking at life through a lens of scarcity. It's only when you start to grasp how abundant life is that you realize

by simply stepping into that person you are destined to be, you'll attract what matters. Some things will go, and you'll leave them behind. But those things no longer serve you. They played their part, they added their value, and are now merely stepping stones as you move to something.

greater and that's just it. Sometimes living means wishing you did things differently, looking back and acknowledging that you need to be better. Sometimes living means losing the wrong people in your life to make space for the right ones. Sometimes it means spending days, months, even years wandering down the wrong path so that you can get a glimpse so that you can realize

what the right path looks like. Sometimes it means no reward, no validation until that compounding finally takes place. Finally, you see just how powerful those small steps were and will always be. It means seeing yourself as the person you know you can be. Maybe not necessarily the one you are today, but betting on yourself when no one else would.

There's an idea that people are neither good nor evil, but they have both within them. They choose through their day-to-day action, how they'll live, who they'll be. And sure this is a tad oversimplified, but I think the duality is useful, right? Because in a different context, for everything that occurs in your life, you can find a reason to celebrate or a reason to grief, a reason to grow, or a reason to hide. it all comes down to what one chooses to see, how they choose to look at the world. I'll never forget when Peterson talked about curtains, right, with tears or holes in them, same world on the other side.

But the opening that you choose to look through paints an entirely different picture, right, contributes to an entirely different understanding. And look, I'm a pragmatist, I just am. I'd never ask people to close their eyes and pretend everything's perfect. to wander down the path before you, expecting everything to be easy. No, but what I am saying is that the path before you

is where you'll uncover the meaning in life, and meaning requires that we are from time to time uncomfortable. To go where we most want to go, we must leave something behind. And the reality is that while it's scary, while it can be alarming and even painful, it is always worth it. That what's on the other side is what makes life worth living.

I want you to know that you don't need to be walking into the same rooms, talking to the same people, doing the same things. No, not if you've outgrown that reality. Not if you're ready for the next chapter. So let's make a pact to view life not as an obligation, but as an opportunity. something challenging but beautiful mysterious but plentiful let's view the challenges along the way not as something going wrong or some kind of alarm but rather an indication that you are doing something right that you're stepping into the controlled chaos of your day to day finding the

courage to meet new people try new things take risks evolve this is a is what life is about. And if you can find it within yourself to see it that way, to be grateful for the discomfort that makes its way in and out of our lives, you'll know that you are evolving, reaching towards that sky. Because the danger, as far as I'm concerned, is never what happens along the way. It's what doesn't happen

because we never let ourselves accept what the world had to offer. And so on that note, I think today is the perfect day to upgrade. What is the complex, but an accumulation of that, which is simple? What are big things, if not just a multitude of little things? There's comfort in the understanding that all we have in life, all there is, is simplicity. easy to understand pieces. It's just that sometimes we stack them so high

that they start to take a new shape. But like Greg McKeown references in his book Essentialism, the power isn't always in acquiring answers. You already have them. They're in front of you. The power is in cutting away the things that don't need to be removing, all that stands between you and your ideal existence.

And I think that's one of life's great misunderstandings. We don't need to find more. We need to remove the excess until we're face to face with what matters. And to adopt this principle, it's nothing short of liberating. Chaos, confusion, disorder, they don't imply that you lack the right things. They suggest you haven't stripped life of the wrong things you have not simplified.

A thousand miles is intimidating when you look at it holistically. It's a long journey. But it's just a collection of steps, and well, shouldn't we find solace in the fact that anyone can take one step? It's not a game of complexity. It's a game of understanding what's in front of you. And what's in front of you is always manageable. So much of our stress stems from forgetting what that journey is made of.

Whether it's a change in career, mastery of an art, some kind of personal transformation, the result we want. When looking at it from the starting line, it's too complex to understand too many pieces stacked up. So let's break it down. Let's find the foundation. What's really there? What are the one, two, three things we need to do? What is that golden question? What matters? If you lose sight of that, then you will stumble through life.

I've learned this. I've lived it. The time I take to myself every day is invaluable to me because I ask myself those two questions. What matter and what are the simple steps I need to take? What can I remove? I was talking about this during an interview this week, my personal growth. And one of the most important aspects has been the understanding and the zeroing in on what's important.

I used to take so much pride in composing the background music to these speeches, end to end. I used to love to be able to say I did it all. That was so I thought the great differentiator. But ultimately I learned to take a step back and ask what matters here. What do you care about? It's the storytelling that I love. It's the impact. And let's be real.

No one cares who wrote the background music. It's holistically. How does the piece make you feel? And this understanding allowed me to cut away. License the music. Save two days a week. Acquire clarity. And realize my goal is not to be Mozart.

My journey is to be one of the great communicators, storytellers of our time. I mean, if a day goes by where I'm not taking a little step towards that, it's the wrong move. Small example in the grand scheme of things. But right on point. It's the power in understanding what matters that makes a difference that allows you to grow, evolve. And I'm confident that this not only applies to long-term pursuits, but also our challenging times, the dark moments, the periods of uncertainty and discontent. Same concept. Where do you want to be and how do you get there?

What's the simple thing you can do to close that gap? Because you are never helpless. You can always do something. And my friends, those little somethings ultimately evolve into everything. And when we put our phone away, step beyond the noise, spend time with ourselves, we can see how much of life is running in place. Stacking and stacking pieces that aren't even part of the masterpiece we're trying to assemble. If you want answers, start with the understanding that they're buried under mountains of things you don't need.

So cut away. Cut away the people and places and things that convolut your story. Cut away the exhaustion of time that provides no value in return. Cut away the thoughts that make life more complex than your journey from where you are to where you'd like to be. As you stand right now, you have everything you need, and there's nothing greater than that, nothing more powerful than that understanding. So why not step outside the complexity that you've manufactured that you're living in into a world of clarity, simplicity. I'm taking a walk a few days ago and was listening to an audio book called 10x is easier than 2x by Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy. and this is a book essentially about how exponential growth requires a reframing,

a change to the way we think about ourselves and the journeys that we're on. And in it, Sullivan states, and I'm paraphrasing, the things that brought you to the current moment will keep you there. Powerful. In a lens through which I hadn't really looked at my personal growth or journey before, I've always thought of progress as a stacking of repeatable habits over and over again. And while this may not be wrong, Sullivan and Hardy make a pretty effective argument that it's only part of the story. See, if you show up and you do the exact same thing every day, you'll get growth, no doubt, but it will be linear in nature.

exponential growth requires instances of self-recreation, of evolution as we make our way forward. It's a continuous pushing aside of things we don't need to be doing and a simultaneous deep dive into the things that bring us the most return. They use the example of the famous Michelangelo, who is known for his paintings, right? And then some time goes by and he produces a 17-foot statue. of David. And then he pivots again, as he's commissioned by Pope Julius II, to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, and then moves on to direct even larger project. And each example here is a 10x evolution. Certainly not a road that could have been mapped out from day one. How would he ever have known? But it's a series of sometimes even lateral moves.

instances of following your intuition, your strength, doing what felt right, instances of breaking down and building back up the self. Same foundation of talent and skill, same general competency, but he continuously stacked new and enhanced versions of himself on top of one another. Sometimes reminders hit you exactly when you need to hear them. You know, personally, I loved everything about this message. The idea that there should be more emphasis and courage, for that matter, on one's 10x trajectory, multiplying my strengths,

on taking the value I bring to the world and putting it through some stressors, seeing what comes out the other side. Because the danger in playing it's safe, which the second we stop being intentional about things is, ultimately what we tend to do, it's that you don't experience that transformation. It was not safe, using the same metaphor from Michelangelo, a painter, to create David. The safe thing would have been to keep doing the same thing every day. But you have to trust your skill, your heart, and your intuition.

There's immense value in all of us understanding that and to some degree emulating it. There's value in all of us finding our David. Stepping into that, which is a little unclear, makes us a little nervous, but at the same time allows us to take the skills and talent, the parts of us that are most meaningful and inject them into the world in a bigger way.

Which would never have been possible, had we stayed the same. The things that brought you to the current moment will keep you there. Well, here's defining your 20%, that which matters, and using it as the template with which you paint. Not getting so stuck in the routine that you forget,

the routine is a means, not an end. You have the ability in your own unique way to change the world around you. The question is, Do you have the courage to reach for it?