Your World Within Podcast by Eddie Pinero - REMEMBER YOUR DREAM | Best Motivational Speeches 2025 Eddie Pinero

Episode Date: March 12, 2025

Who are you beyond what you do? That’s the question that stuck with me after a powerful two-day mastermind with my friend Evan Carmichael, where Jonathon Cronstedt shared a simple yet profound idea: “If you don’t know who you are, you become what you do.” It’s easy to let titles, routines, and obligations define us, but real fulfillment comes from intentionally shaping our own path—not just flowing with the current.In this episode, we dive into the battle between being passive and truly taking control of our lives. Are we actively creating the future we want, or are we letting life decide for us? It’s time to step back, ask the hard questions, and make sure the life we’re living aligns with who we truly are.More from Eddie Pinero:Monday Motivation Newsletter: https://www.eddiepinero.com/newsletterInstagram - @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

If you don't know who you are, you become what you do. Right now, I'm getting off a two-day mastermind with my friend Evan Carmichael, who's helped me tremendously over the years. And one of the folks at the event, his name is Jonathan Cronsted, was talking about his book and kind of the pillars to building a successful business. He's a co-founder of Kijabi. And he used this quote. You said, if you don't know who you are, you become what you do.

And I poached that. And I said, I want to dive into that idea. Because I think it's a battle that, quite frankly, I'm facing all the time. And I'd be shocked if we all weren't in some capacity, this kind of push, pull. How passive versus active are we in our lives? How intentional are we about identifying what we want and making it real versus just sort of flowing down, stream and letting life put us where life wants to put us. I'll never forget Mr. Betancourt in 8th grade, holding his hands to the sky and telling my classroom full of students, hey, a lot of people go through

life like this, hands up, hoping the universe drops something good into them. But that's not how you win. That's not how you build a meaningful life, a successful life. That's not how you build a reality that matters. To have a life of contentment and meaning means being intentional and going out and shaping it. And I remember sitting there nodding, right, but not really understanding how many people actually live that way, not getting how easy it is to exist in default mode, waiting for permission or luck or fate to intervene. But how could I?

It's like, as a student, your job is to follow instructions. quite literally to stand in line. So it's not until you step out into the world and you have, you know, this freedom to create your own reality that you understand the pluses and minuses, you know, the breadth of which you can live your life. You know, and to use a sort of simple metaphor,

at least this makes sense in my head, are you going to be someone that grabs a hammer and hits a nail every day because that's what you do? You're the guy who hits nail, with hammers, or are you building something? Are you an architect? Is there a purpose in North Star to your time and attention?

If you don't decide that, right? If you don't create a path forward, one will be created for you. And someone will always put a hammer in your hand. If you don't build your dream, someone else will happily pay you to build theirs. as that borderline cliche Instagram quote hits on so beautifully are you okay with that and that's the question that needs to be asked

are you okay being a spectator in your own story watching from the stands and others take the stage drifting through a world where decisions are made for you where limits are imposed on you where you become a passenger instead of a driver because that's what happens when we live passively which, by the way, living passively isn't some huge decision. Living passively happens when we don't think, when we don't take time to reflect, when we don't ask ourselves what we want.

Living passively is an easy trap to fall into because all it is is an absence of intentionality. You can't hit targets that you don't aim for. So what are your targets? The last thing we want to do is let society and circumstances and the opinions of other shape who we are. It's to conform for the sake of conforming, adapting to expectations, becoming our job titles, our daily routines, the things we tolerate, it's letting the past dictate the future, it's reacting instead of creating.

That is not a life well lived. And I personally, obviously, I wouldn't be here talking about these things, I don't believe I believe we're made to be background characters in someone else's production. I think we're meant to step into the spotlight, whatever that is for you in your world. I think we're meant to write scripts, to shape the world that we live in,

not just exist within it. It's not the world within. It is your world within. That's what intentionality is. Deciding, susing, taking that wheel, Instead of being in the passenger seat with your feet on the dashboard saying, hey, wherever we end up works for me. It's waking up in the morning and asking, we're here once.

What do I want from this life? And no, not in five years, not next year, but today, right now. What do I want to be? What story would I like to tell? What steps can I take, even if they're small, even if they seem insignificant, to move in that direction. Because I continuously learn over and over again,

the people who shape the world, the ones who live with purpose, they were not given a map. They weren't handed blueprints. They weren't waiting for luck or circumstance. They identified what mattered to them, and they started building. Step by step, brick by brick, moment by moment.

They made choices. They adjusted when things went wrong. They refused to sit back let life happen to them. I think that's the difference. The difference between those who leave their mark on the world and those who fade into the noise. And so the question remains, and I hope you'll take some time to think about it, not just today, but often moving forward. It's been a saving grace for me. It keeps me on track. It keeps me focused. This question, do you want to be the scriptwriter or the audience in your own life? As my eighth,

grade teacher so brilliantly asked, will you hold your hands out hoping for the world to give you something or will you step up and take what's yours? Because this life, your life, is waiting, but it will not wait forever. There is one person who can save you. And that person exists in the mirror. I was recently doing an audit. of some of the most important conversations I've ever had. Mentors, friends, coaches, people that have changed my life, people that I love and am beyond grateful for, and started kind of going one by one.

What did I learn from this person? What was it that I took away from them? And, you know, in one way or another, across the board, the answer was the same. It was some variation of confidence. It was belief that I could step into that next chapter, that I have what it takes, that the unknown, you know, wasn't impenetrable.

In fact, you know, the unknown is inviting. And truthfully, I don't know how many people started from the same starting point that I did where I essentially had to learn every step of the way that I was good enough, had to re-teach myself that I belonged where I was, that the room that I was in, there was a reason I was there, that the circle I was in, that I earned a right to be in that circle.

They say confidence is earned, and I had to continuously earn it. And I value that progression, truly, for a few reasons. One, because, you know, I've been on the other side, and when I see other people, you know, making that assent, I do everything I can to make them feel welcome and comfortable. But the second thing is, I understand at a deep level how much of success is simply believing you are worthy of it. You know, I look at the things that I do now, and it's like so much of it's just because I allowed myself to do it. At some point, I looked around and said, you are worthy of this.

Believe it. Step into it. There's nothing stopping you, but you. And I've seen the power of, as someone near and dear to me once said, walking into a room. like God sent you. It's not a fake it till you make it game. It's believing in your heart that you are worthy game. No one who's achieved success on a consistent basis got there accidentally.

At some point they looked at that reflection and said, hey, this is me. At some point they looked around and said there is no difference between me and the people who have done great things. Those people just gave themselves the green light and chose to stay consistent. I can do that. You can do that. Everybody can do that. Will you? That's the question.

No one can save you because no one can make you believe. No one when your eyes open in the morning can position your mindset to say, today is mine. The world is my operative. No one can convince you that you're capable of magic on your short time on this planet. That's an internal decision. Do you believe you are worthy of it? And if not, let's get you to that point. That's the name of the game.

Look hard at that reflection and remind yourself that you have everything you need to begin. Not a few things or some things, everything you need. You're good enough. What's required is you giving yourself permission to go on whatever journey you deem important. It's allowing yourself to tap into the strength that's already there. Be resilient. Chip away, little by little, every day. That's it.

That's the formula. You approach that lane with tenacity and drive. And life changes, right? As the saying goes, days turn into months, which turn into years, and you'll look back and, you know, you'll see you're not the same person you once were. You'll see that you had this potential all along. You just had to give it life. See, we attribute complexity to things we don't understand.

We assume people on mountaintops were placed there, that they had godlike abilities. And it's like, no, they just believed they were worthy and stepped forward into the night. Just like a seed must be planted, you too must give your potential the opportunity to be nourished by what's around you. When the alarm clock goes off,

your eyes open and your feet touch the ground in the morning, remember that getting what you want is far less complex than you think. It's simple. Not easy, but it's simple. You say yes to more and start walking down the road. And you'll change, you'll adjust, you'll evolve. There will be times when you backtrack, course correct, and perhaps even switch lanes altogether.

But the gift of going is the best gift you'll have ever presented to yourself. No one is coming to save you. And when you realize how powerful you are, you will have not wanted it any other way. So I want to revisit one of my favorite quotes. Mark Twain, if you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to pause and reflect. This idea resurfaced in my mind last Saturday night. Just because of what was going on during the day, I didn't really have a ton of time to get to the gym,

so I ended up going pretty late. And there was not a soul around in the gym, completely empty, completely quiet, going from, you know, machine to machine without any people or having to wait or anything like that. And I just got this moment of clarity, this sort of ever-relevant reminder, that there is a ton of value to be extracted from the abnormal decisions that we make. Now, I'm not saying there's anything heroic about going to the gym on a Saturday night. Working out is working out.

You get it in, that's wonderful, right? I'm not even saying there's anything wrong with working out on, quote-unquote, normal hours or during. normal hours. What I'm saying is being exceptional necessarily means you are doing that which is not ordinary. In that situation highlighted, you know, or I will say reminded me that there's an entire world slightly beyond the scope of normality and that world accumulates to provide treasures beyond comprehension. I love that message. It's changed my life over the years and every time I come face to face with it, I feel reinvigorated. It's like an opportunity to re-audit where I'm focused and how I'm spending my time. I'll never forget that interview with Kobe Bryant

where he's talking about his morning routine, right? And he says, you know, he practices no matter what two hours every morning he's there before everybody else, whether that's shooting or drills or working out. I'm not sure exactly what he does. But he's, he's. He's there and no one else is. And he says, you know, a week, that's not much. A month, that's not much. But months turn into a year, which turns into multiple years, which turns into a decade. And that much time, that much extra effort compounds into an advantage that just no one else can reach.

At some point, Kobe is too far along because of his additional concentrated effort. He can't be touched. my life, you know, I've found my greatest return on investment by highlighting the things that matter most and consistently delving into them in a way that most wouldn't, right? No miracles. Just an acknowledgement that right beyond where most people stop, there's value. Not even far beyond, just right there. You know, in my world, it was showing up every week to create a YouTube video, even when the response for years had been underwhelming. Would most people do that? I don't know. I was practicing writing speeches and speaking them out loud in my studio to an audience of zero.

Would most people do that? It was acclimating myself to risk, and my ego to bruises along the way. Would most people do that? And see, the great news is there's nothing special about any of that. Those are simply the metaphorical gyms I chose to walk into. The daily shoot-around. that ended up ultimately changing my life. And so now, because you know I have to ask,

what are yours? What can become your empty gym? What can be the thing that's a little out there, a little different, the opportunity left on the table, waiting for you to reach out and take it, control it, make it your own? Remember, just because the crowd goes one way,

It doesn't make that particular decision wrong, but it does make that particular decision ordinary. In ordinary, my friend, is not why you're here. I was once told that to become who you might be, you have to walk away from what you are. That maybe I couldn't see it at the time, but somewhere locked away in the depths of my soul. Existed the spark the flicker of light that would change everything. All I had to do was find it. Those footsteps, they define your destiny. A symphony that becomes your soundtrack,

wind for your sails. They are the song that will guide your journey. In your pockets, they can be empty if you're. your heart is full. The book can be unwritten if you hold the pen, the path can be unclear if you just trust yourself. This is the lens that illuminates your world. And when you fall, promise to get back up. When you feel misplaced, remember that getting lost is how you find yourself.

When you're scared, know that it's darkest before the dawn. These are the stairs that will take you higher. Tired is not defeated. Wandering is not lost. Vulnerability is not weakness. Mistakes are not defining. Hardship is not a deterrent. These are pages in the story you're writing.

And it's the story. of a lifetime. So pull back the curtains. Dance in the moonlight. Sing at the top of your lungs so that every soul from here to infinity ignites. Life is too short to miss a moment, too beautiful to overlook, and here you are.

With a map, a key, and a horizon, waving you on. So follow it. The airwaves past the mountains beyond the desert. Follow it until your legs are weak and your eyes wide.

Let it be the song that carries you home. This is the story of a light time. The answer you're looking for is right there in the room always. Now that's certainly a bold statement. And as I've gotten older, I've kind of learned to avoid speaking in absolutes. Nothing in life is 100% guaranteed. So why am I so confident

about that message? Everything you need is right there in the room always. Well, because I believe in the premise, you're always one decision away. from a totally different life. And when we're stuck or lost or looking for change, we need not some crazy, grandiose answer to be delivered from the heavens. We need to find the little action, the tiny movement that's going to set us forth on the journey.

We need this snowflake that will become this snowball that will become the avalanche. It seems like so much of life comes down to simply outsmarting our lives. biology. It's like the panic or the emotive defense mechanisms that come into play when we're sad or lost or feeling unsure or down. And it's an absolute superpower to know that when we're in those moments, what we need is an arm's length away. It's a perspective shift away. And I look over my shoulder and I see tons of examples here, right? With my keynote speaking, there was a period

where it just wasn't quite clicking, where I knew I wasn't performing the way I could. Then I was going back and forth on solutions, trying different things, experimenting, not quite getting there, feeling overwhelmed. It's like, why can't I recreate there what I'm doing here? And then one email to the person who's now my speaking coach, and I had my light bulb moments.

Like, everything started to transform. Or my YouTube channel, right? It's up, down, up, down, everything in between. And like I've said before, there are times where a simple thumbnail change, and that video explodes, causing the channel to explode. That's not a big, grandiose thing. I can always change a thumbnail. That answer is sitting in the palm of my hand with my phone.

Or an example that falls on the more human side of things, right? There are times where, you know, I felt like I've neglected the relationships in my life in order to really focus on my creativity and my businesses. Sometimes that mentally doesn't feel good. And I can pick up the phone, start a group chat, plan a dinner with some friends, and feel like my cup has been refilled. It's like you don't have to have it all figured out,

which is great news because you never will. You just need to start creating momentum. There's nothing more powerful than going to bed at night feeling like you are moving towards something meaningful. Again, doesn't mean you need to have it all figured out, but in a world where progress largely equates to happiness, it means you are actively manufacturing momentum. That's everything.

You know, I often think of my friend's son, Wyatt. He's become sort of a metaphor for that childlike instinct that seems to be the answer for so much. He's wandering around the living room, just reusing everything as it suits him. The world is not as it, quote unquote, is, it's as he sees it. Picks up a TV remote, becomes a microphone, finds a blanket, becomes the roof for the fort he's building in the living room. Everything is a solution to what he needs. Everything is a color that can go on his canvas.

I think that's the place we need to be. That's the idea. The next brush stroke is in the room. Maybe it's a phone call, an email. Maybe it's a walk outside, a stroll to the gym. Maybe it's literally cleaning your room, your apartment, or a house. Maybe it's one social media post. Maybe it's a DM.

Maybe it's 10 pages of a book. Maybe it's watching a how-to YouTube video. Maybe it's signing up for a class, meeting up with someone to talk. business, life, or anything in between. See, we spend so much time trying to get to the moon that we overlook the staircase it'll take to get there. Oh, and surprise, step one is at your feet. Don't think miracle.

Think momentum. It's very hard to slow down an object in motion. So stop beating yourself up for not having all the answers and simply keep moving. Don't feel down for not having all the solutions and be proud you're walking towards them. Remember, everything you need is in the room. Always. So I'm going to share a life lesson with you, something that over the years has been a true game changer.

Ready? It's simple. It's very simple. Like most things, it's easy to understand. It's easy to comprehend. It's the implementation. That's the challenge, right? But it's the idea that progress is not always a visible step forward.

Growth is not always a measurable inch or mile to feel good about it, to celebrate. It's not always a tangible victory or pat on the back. It's a smile about it. Sometimes it's sidestepping. Sometimes it's stepping backwards, reminding ourselves to look up and gain perspective. Because we are always inclined to look at the immediate. That's what feels good. And this lesson says, no, there's a big picture to keep in mind.

It reels us in. The big picture is what gives us purpose. It drives our happiness. That thing we want on the top of the hill. The North Star, the X on the map, that's what's sustainable. And I say it's been a game changer for me because, you know, one of my biggest adversaries over the years has been that voice in my head. Almost pleading with me to indulge in the thing that will bring that immediate result.

It's money now, growth now, vows. validation. Now, there's comfort there. Our minds want that satisfaction. That's why you see all those guys standing next to whiteboard saying they have the formula to make you rich tomorrow. We want tomorrow. We believe in some capacity that that can be real tomorrow. But that's what tends to lead us astray. And so I've spent a lot of time reflecting over the years on how to incentivize those steps that aren't immediately impactful. There's not the flashy metal you're going to get right now, but I know that if I do it, It's going to bring me to my long-term goal. How do I incentivize that? Because, like I said, the natural inclination is to dismiss it. I'm walking laterally across the mountain so that ultimately I can find the most applicable path and ascend. And that's a scary thing.

You know, building long-term gives you very little to immediately slap on a resume, to brag or rant about at holiday parties. There's nothing flashy to impress with, but it's believing in a long-term game, doing what most people can't, trading that certainty that you could have had for an extraordinary later.

It's never a loss to do what has to be done so that you can position yourself for the future. Sometimes you have to wade through the muck, work quietly in the dark, so that you can build something that you feel will have an impact. It's not a loss to step backwards to tweak the things you're not happy with. It's not a loss to explore or question or reinvent.

It's true. those actions in and of themselves aren't going to put money immediately in your pockets. But if you find the discipline to see the big picture, you realize that long term those things bring happiness, contentment, excitement. Which guess what?

Leads to accomplishment and progress and the financial stability that you're looking for. Chasing flashy things, chasing the immediate moment, yeah, it'd get you a quick rush, a nice blast of dopamine, but it's empty. Ultimately, it's

unfulfilling because nothing worth having is quick. That's life. But it's often the illusion that guides us. You'll never see how many auditions the 33-year-old actor went through before he was cast in a major film. You don't see that. You don't see the countless hours and shows and midnight gigs in front of three people that the rock star endured.

You just don't. It's not celebrating. We celebrate what we see. And what I've learned is that the most important things, they're just not visible to the naked eye. And it's funny. It's like people, they're ashamed or embarrassed by the fact that they're climbing to the top of their own hill

to something truly significant to them because the person next to them is bragging about blindly leaping three steps. And that's great. Progress is great, but unless it's taking you to where you want to be most, is it a win? I have many friends that have left six-figure or hire jobs to podcast or create

or start their own businesses. And people's first reaction is always like, wow, look what you have. Look what you're walking away from. We see scarcity. We are naturally inclined to see life through a lens of scarcity. You need to remember that. That's what we do. We establish and protect our well-being. That's why I've worked so hard to transform my thinking over the years. To look out and think, who cares what I had? Look what's out there. There are no limitations to what can be yours. If you're not on top of the world, make it happen. And I understand. People are complex. situations, they're not easy, they're intricate.

Everyone's different. Everything is different. But there's a principle that's consistent. And it's that you can always improve your situation. That will never be false. To some degree, you can improve your situation. There's always opportunity. It's just what you see.

A friend of mine sent me a text yesterday, saying the past and the future, they're just imagination. All you have is now. Everything other than split second is the story you're deciding to tell yourself. That's it. Think about that. We're operating off what we decide is real or imaginary, possible or impossible. We're living in a world that is our own.

There's no them or they are crowd, just individual people, all telling themselves some variation of a story. And so taking this back to the point, caving into that pressure, accommodating to the now so that we feel important, so that our self-worth sees that temporary spike, it neglects the opportunity. It makes us feel like we're stepping forward that we're progressing, but in reality, are we? You know, that voice, that pressure to conform to what will impress Richard next door, it will always lead to, it will always be to our detriment. And it takes truly what I believe is the most pure, important aspect of life and sticks it in the closet so that we can feel like we're on par with everyone else.

And I'll never forget starting out. And I bring this up a lot because it was one of those moments where I knew I recognized that a huge shift was happening in my life, went out with some friends from college, right? And one's working for a senator, one's at Goldman, one's a lawyer, and I'm thinking, well, you know, geez, I just quit my job. But I have this really cool idea for a YouTube channel. And I just, you know, I don't think any girls are going to be swooning over that.

And I struggled, right? At the time, it was difficult for me. And I look back and I'm just thankful every day that at the time I was able to locate somewhere in my soul, the courage to stick that out, to believe that if I executed on this dream, I could have an impact. Because like I mentioned above, it was painful in the moment. But when you think big picture, bigger things happen. I'm doing things now that I never ever would have been able to do.

If I didn't have that desire to do the unconventional thing, if I stopped at sort of the discomfort, or if I stopped when I felt like I was losing this imaginary race to those people around me, I wouldn't have the creative flexibility that I have now. I wouldn't be able to do what I do now. I wouldn't have the people in my life that I have now. You have to earn that every single day. And it makes me wonder how many people stopped

when they could have taken their own path, brought their own unique vision into existence if they didn't retreat when they felt like they were a lone wolf, when it felt like they were losing a race that didn't exist, when they felt like their neighbors were getting ahead, or their classmates or their friends were doing the conventional things, so they had to. They were too scared to step backwards,

and I'm telling you right now, I'm telling you that step backwards, that ability to temporarily find yourself, to create yourself, that will mean everything. That will open doors for you that would never have existed. You never would have come across them because you would have been too scared to look for them. You have to make opportunities. Simple metaphor. Gumball machine.

Gumball does not come out if you don't put the quarter in and turn it. It's a price that has to be paid. Except in reality, the price is a lot higher than a quarter because we're conditioned to want to fit in. We're terrified to look like we don't know what we're doing. Every significant thing around you stemmed from someone pushing into that unknown. It came from someone risking everything. It's not easy when your family doesn't know what you're doing, your friends don't know what you're doing, or you don't know what you're doing.

But if you want to have an impact, that is the road you have to take. That's the cost you need, the price that you need to pay. It'll be a hard year or two years or three years, but you won't regret it. So hopefully this can be a reminder to you. When I talk about lateral steps, that's the sentiment I'm trying to recreate. I think that's the great thing because it means the people who create, who build something meaningful, they've earned it. And that's what I tell myself every day.

Earn that dream. Earn that change. Take that road less travel. What you're doing right now is not insignificant simply because it's not immediately bearing fruit. I think if you listen to this back from the top, you'll notice the constant theme, immediate, now, present. These things are delusioned.

As far as results are concerned, the word immediately is a con artist. Action should be immediate, but results. No, they are gradual. They require persistence. Stick with it. Remind yourself to look up. Because that's what you're after.

It's a pursuit. You're building a foundation. You're creating the things that permanently alter the artistic and political and social landscapes. That's remarkable. It's the road few have the patience to walk. Remind yourself why you're skipping the small stuff, brushing off the little winds and losses.

Why building something substantial, in silence is more powerful than gloating and screaming at the top of your lungs after every visible step. Look up. Reminds yourself that you are going to change the world and you can see it. As many of you know, the great Charlie Munger recently passed away. And a friend of mine sent me a video of his most powerful quotes, soundbites. And as I was listening, one stood out to me that I really wanted to share. Charlie Munger said that the acquisition of knowledge is a moral duty. Basically, it's our responsibility to capitalize on the opportunity presented to each and every one of us.

We owe that to ourselves, and we owe that to the world. And it just so happened that this particular message was said during a commencement address, talking to an audience of students who weren't ending, but right? Rather, were beginning the greatest undertaking of their lives. They'd be released beyond the confines of the campus to go navigate the world. I remember being in that position, right, asking myself the question, well, what do I do now? Felt like the weight of the world was on my shoulders. And actually, beyond that point, I've found myself at that crossroads many a times.

But being that there are really no right answers in life. life, I find Charlie Munger's advice here even more meaningful. Because it's not about what you're supposed to do, at least not when we zoom out. It's about a willingness to step forward and continuously pursue knowledge, your personal evolution. It's to try things you've never tried so that you can learn from them. It's going where you've never gone so that you can stretch beyond the boundaries you previously existed in. You owe it to yourself and the world to find what you love and shake that tree until all its fruit is gone.

And that's an adventure, not a right or wrong question. Life is not a checklist. It is one great journey. A journey in which we acquire knowledge we never had and become the people we know. knew we could be. It's a moral duty not to get it right, because again, there is no right. It's a moral duty because you have it within you to change things, to make an impact, to better

the people around you. It's a moral duty because you will be a difference maker in whatever arena you choose to step into. And just imagine forfeiting that. Imagine the greatness that would be wasted. If you looked in the mirror and thought to yourself, I don't know what that future looks like, so I'll stay here. I don't understand, so I won't go.

I'm not where I want to be right now. So, hey, this is where we'll close the book. See, endings are just beginnings in disguise. Because they set you free to start writing a new chapter. to adjust and reimagine the impact that you can have on the world. Those students, the ones that Charlie Munger was talking to, they aren't done learning. They're merely at an inflection point.

And by the way, I think that's why it's so painful to feel stuck, to feel lost. Because our souls want growth, but don't know where to go. We feel confined because the target is uncertain, but I can tell you this. Sometimes knowing that the current chapter is over is enough, is all you need. Sometimes knowing that you no longer need to be where you are is plenty. Because it prompts movement. One who is willing to keep their feet going. Who's willing to try.

make educated guesses and adapt. That is someone who is constantly learning. Someone who's realized that the only way to assure success is not achieved is by standing still. Worrying so much about losing what you currently have that you disregard the infinite upside. It is a moral duty to grow because you are a game changer. You have perspectives and ideas and abilities that will make this place better.

And when you look around and think, me? No, you've got the wrong guy or gal here. That just means it's time for you to walk, to move, to create momentum, to stumble, to stumble into life until you find a little portion of it. You want to put a stake in and call your own. And please, this isn't a life is rainbows, butterflies, and everything's magic message. This is a find your thing and give it to the world message. This is a you can always be evolving message. And most importantly, this is a progress is happiness message.

Because a life lived to the fullest is one where we are stretching and exploring. We're stepping out into the vast unknown and mapping it for ourselves and others. It's your duty to acquire knowledge and allow that acquisition to propel you into the ether. It's your responsibility to not sit on your gifts, but bring them to life and create that ripple effect that will change the world. I was recently on a flight to Boston and the plane lands were taxing to the gate. And eventually we get there. The plane stops, the fastened seatbelt light goes off. And as soon as this happens and I'm sure, you know, everyone's seen this,

a large number of people in the plane jump up and they go to stand in the aisle. Where at that point they proceed to stand there for about 15 minutes depending on where they are in the plane. And I've always gotten a kick out of this, right? Everyone has their thing, this is my thing. I think it's hilarious. You watch people just standing there. They're kind of annoyed. They're cramped.

You know, they're reaching over each other to grab their carry-ons and, you know, find a way to stick them between their feet. It's amusing, right? It's certainly not a life or death situation. There's nothing serious about it, but it is a lost 15 minutes of reading or listening to music or whatever the case may be. The moral of the story is that it's a prompt decision made without much thought and, you know, not much value is provided.

return. And I turned to my brother who was traveling with me, made a joke, we started talking about kind of that irrationality of human beings. Why do he do things like this? Our lives are filled with things like this. And we sort of carry on like mindless drones. And then it hit me, right? I'm certainly not immune to this type of thing. And I don't think anyone is. Maybe I don't stand up in the plane for 20 minutes, but there are certainly parallel situations. which prompts this question. Imagine if they can be recognized and weeded out. Like, what are the airplane aisle moments in my life?

When am I acting just to act without thinking about it? Or doing things that, you know, they're not helping me, but they're around. Maybe because there's this, you know, manufactured urgency I grew up with or I'm seeing everyone else do it. Like how many things that I do every day aren't getting me closer to where I want to be? Impulse versus what's best.

And they can be small. My impulse is to check my phone first thing in the morning. But that's probably not what's best for me. Actually, I know it's not. But I could easily see a situation where I never think about that or recognize that and just continue doing it. The world doesn't end, but I'm missing an opportunity to be a little better. My impulse is to think and worry about things I can't control. That's my impulse, but that's not what's best for me.

And sure, I can see a world where I don't take time to think about that or recognize that and just mindlessly keep doing it my whole life. But I'm missing an opportunity. These things can also be big, right? Things that we all do. They're commonplace. They're hidden in plain sight. Limiting yourself because of what others might think of you.

We hear that so much. It almost feels like a cliche, but we do it. If you've ever retracted or not done what feels right in the world, moment because of that inherent fear, that nervous feeling in your stomach, because you're worrying about standing out or being different, that is your airplane aisle decision. If you've ever made a life choice so that you can feel adequate or feel like you're keeping up with the Joneses next door, that is an airplane aisle decision. If you've ever wanted to or done something to bring others down, right, so that you can stifle

the competition so that your insufficiencies feel smaller, that is an airplane aisle decision. If you've ever spoken or reacted from a standpoint of emotion, rather than taking a second to collect yourself to stop and to think about what's best for you, that is an airplane aisle decision. And these things matter. Because if you truly thought about it, you'd know that when you're old and you're looking back on your life, the great tragedy won't be these little things, won't be these shortcuts or who said what or when. No, they'll be having neglected to live authentically. Neglecting to do what's meaningful so that, why, you could appease people that don't care about you? It matters because your happiness doesn't come from the Joneses. And that impulse to fit in,

it derails the special gifts you bring to the world. It's cutting out your own feet from under you. It matters because there's always room at the top for anyone who works. And building people up will always come around to be more beneficial than the alternative than trying to cut people down. When you go out of your way to do that, you don't make yourself better, which is exactly what you need to do. Make yourself better. That's what gets you results. It matters because emotional responses usually aren't the right response. And if you don't take time to think in the heat of the moment, you act irrational and you give up a tactical advantage over everyone and everything that happens around you.

And my point is absolutely not to call anyone stupid or make anyone feel inadequate. As I stated, we all have our thing. We all act on impulse. Without thinking about it from time to time, there is a point in your life where you do that, whether you like to admit it or not. My point is simply that, why don't we take time to think about it? They say simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. And imagine, just imagine if our lives could be streamlined to do the things that matter to us, that make us happy, that are productive, and that's it.

Our lives would look a lot different. So, question, question your life, question the decisions you make, question the things you do, especially if they're done every day. Almost like a business analyst walking into an organization and studying it, calling out the inefficiencies. In my prior life, I dabbled in that world. And something I learned was that the beauty, the value of a consultant or business analyst is that they come in with fresh eyes, fresh perspective, and then smooth in the process. They get more out of the pieces that are already there. So be that in your own life. Examine. Even if it's one or two things, even if it's small. Standing in an airplane

aisle, this example is silly. It's small. It's not important. But who is, Who knows removing it could reveal untapped value. It's funny, small things always seem to become big things at some point in time. And that example I gave, not looking at my phone in the morning. That can be big, right? The morning's quiet time. I'm not rushed into problems or focusing on things that other people put in front. I mean, I can focus on what feels right to me.

It allows me to collect my thoughts, which allows me to decide how the day will go, which prompts me to conquer the things that matter, which prompts me to feel good about myself and my work, which prompts me to identify as someone who wins every day, and so goes the pattern. It's just about not being blind to your actions. That's all it is. So when you're commuting or you're in between classes or you're at lunch, whenever it is, just take a second. Think about what you do and see if you can identify any of those moments. Work on them. Success is becoming who you want to be. It's defining yourself, not letting the outside world, not letting your senseless actions or lack of clarity define life for you. This episode's going to be a little different, perhaps a little heavier than

usual. I want to talk about the power of reaching out. How simply being there for someone can make an unfathomable difference. Right? We tend to think of, you know, a monumental impact requiring monumental action. And sometimes that's simply not the case. Sometimes it's just showing up and letting someone know that, hey, I'm in your corner. And I've been thinking a lot about this, right? This came to mind because over the past couple weeks,

I've had two people I went to high school with Passaway. Young men in their mid-30s gone. And by the way, there are two of many people from my high school that have either OD'd and died or taken their lives. It's an epidemic. And I'm sure it is across the board, right? But being that I am one and hear about it often, I know that particularly young men are feeling isolated.

They're feeling lost. They're feeling depressed. Pandemic exacerbated this quite a bit. It's a problem. And it's a complicated problem. You can point. to a lot of things. The way we connect now doesn't actually make us feel connected. We can't trick our brains into thinking that followers online are the same as friends grilling steaks with us in the

backyard. It's different. But it's not only isolation, right? I think there's a crisis of meaning, of purpose, of feeling a part of something. There's a societal void. I don't think there's any question about that. You know, and in my little corner of the union, universe here. I talk frequently about the process of growing a business, of building a brand. A lot of you are in the midst of the same thing. And so I delve into the highs and the lows, the ups, the downs. I have convos about it, live. And I can tell you, right, nothing was as challenging as the loneliness of trudging through that, right, the middle. Not rejection, not failure, not being humbled by life, not being broke.

No. It was the feeling of solitude, right? Almost haunting. And you could make the argument part of that self-induced, right? It was focused. Social life took a back seat. But regardless, it was very real. And what was worth gold were the texts from family saying,

hey, I watched your video, great work. or it was my friend Zach, you know, out of the blue saying, hey, this will be worth it. You're on to something. Don't you dare stop? You can call me on a Tuesday just to get me excited about my own company. Right? And like, when you're deep in the battle, that's not a little thing.

That's not like a smile and appreciate it thing. That's everything. That validated my reason to get up. when things were difficult. One message. And let's be real, right? My process was not catastrophic. You know, I had it pretty good.

That was a pretty fortunate situation. My brain goes to imagine the people really fighting, right? Really going through something. Battling with their demons. And I'm reminded, you know, as I watch all these people from previous chapters of my life decide the pain of being here is too much, that we can help.

No, we're not magic. No, there's no singular cure to a complex issue, but I'll tell you what, we all have the power by taking 30 seconds to shoot over a message that says, I love you, or I see how hard you're working, or keep pushing because your effort matters, to give someone hope.

That stuff is life. changing. And not only that costs us nothing, but can mean everything on the other end. Some of the email responses I get from my newsletter just reminds me. It's like, you don't know what people are fighting. You don't know what demons they're living with when you walk by them on the street, right? And if we can be the ones to be a bit more compassionate, the ones where hope and reassurance is derived and then distributed out to the world, Think about how incredible that is. How amazing it would be to simply be a part of that.

And for those of you going through it now, thinking, yeah, you know, I would love to. I will spread that message, but my own glass feels empty right now. I'm having a hard time getting through in my own world. I want you to know two things. One, you're not alone. A lot of us are going through it with you in our own arenas. fighting our own battles. So don't think this is a burden placed solely on you.

Life is hard. That's the challenge, but it's also the beauty. Which leads me to number two, there will be, I promise you, a point where you look back on the storm of right now and smile because you made it out. You're different now. better equipped now, stronger now. That's not a possibility, it's an inevitability.

As Churchill is famously quoted, saying, if you're going through hell, keep going. Because you're strong enough and what awaits will be worth every second of the journey. I wish we could see that in the middle, understand that in the thick of it, but we can't. That's not how it works. That's why we need to remind others, and it's why I'm reminding you. Life is a beautiful thing, but beauty can't exist without its inverse.

We all endure chaos so that we can appreciate the calm. We all endure valleys of despair so that we can experience the rush of climbing out. It's a duality that's not always fun. but appreciating that is liberated. So keep going. Keep trusting. Keep pushing through. Hope is the greatest gift one can give.

So give it to those around you and let it evolve into strength in your own world. It matters. More than you know, it matters.