Your World Within Podcast by Eddie Pinero - RISE AGAIN | Turn Your Setbacks Into Comebacks | Inspirational & Motivational Video

Episode Date: December 25, 2024

When life feels like it's crumbling, when the walls come down and the silence of loss echoes louder than the chaos, you might feel like you're facing the end. I've been there—a heart silenced by betrayal, a future rewritten by unexpected endings. But here's the beauty in the ashes: it’s not just an ending; it’s a beginning in disguise. This is the moment to rebuild, to take the broken pieces and reshape them into something stronger, something new. As Hemingway said, "You are strong at the broken places." The storms that shake us also shape us, and in the aftermath, there’s an opportunity to rise—not in spite of the destruction, but because of it. This episode is a reflection on loss, resilience, and the power of starting over. It’s an invitation to find strength in the silence and create magic from the ruins. What will you build from your ashes? Monday Motivation Newsletter: https://www.eddiepinero.com/newsletter Free Ebook: www.eddiepinero.com/ebook  YouTube: www.eddiepinero.com/youtube 

You hear a loud crack. The ground beneath your feet shakes, the sky's darken. Broken glass covers the ground all around you. Over your shoulder, you see rough, stormy seas. This is your fall. It's what we often refer to as the dark of night. The worst of times. And me, I've had moments like these a few times.

We've ultimately parted ways like two ships passing in the night, but I know the feeling. The feeling of despair, of helplessness. A heart silenced by echoes, a house hollowed by fire, I know the feeling. This is the forever relationship that ended up folding right in front of you. Funny enough, way sooner than forever. sooner than forever. This is the unfathomable, indescribable

loss. This is walls falling. Promise is broken, its betrayal. This is a knife to the back. An ending you didn't ask for. Oh, I know the feeling. And then,

just as the sky caves in, just as your castle seems to dissolve in shifting sands, Silence. As though a 7.0 magnitude earthquake just ripped through your world and left the remains of an ancient civilization. Little keepsakes from a time that is no more. This is when, now that the turbulence has stopped, you get to sit and think and reflect, which is often the part that hurts worse.

the castle walls coming down to begin with. This is the emptiness of winter, a barren landscape, and all you want is home. Me? I've felt moments like these a few times. We've ultimately parted ways like two ships passing in the night, but I know the feeling. The subtle hum of silence where chaos sang.

Who would have thought nothing could be so painful. This is when the music, the podcast, and the YouTube videos play nonstop in the background because, God forbid, I hear myself think. This is when minds race, in worst-case scenarios, dance around the flames of all that's left.

This is when you are left to face the one person you've been avoiding. Yourself. And see, amidst the ashes, the destruction, the ruins. This is when something truly magical happens. This is when if you so choose, you get to build again. This is when you start to look around and see the value

and all that stuff that just brought you to your knees. As though the ending you didn't think you wanted, just open the door to the beginning you didn't know, you needed. This is when, like a phoenix from the ashes, you rise. You take the broken pieces of yourself and reassemble them. And piece by piece, as you put yourself back together, it appears, as Hemingway put it, you are now strong at the broken places. For what's more powerful than someone who learns that even the greatest adversity, even the flames of hell, does not kill him, doesn't hold him down or take him out. It appears as though this thing is not over.

No, this thing is just beginning. And me, I've met moments like these a few times. We've ultimately parted ways like two ships passing in the night, but I, I know the feeling. The resurrection of self, the reconstruction of meaning in my own life. It's why I stand here before you. Not because I never fell, not because those walls stayed up, but because it all came crashing down. And from the ashes, I put myself back together, and here I am tarnished and cracked and broken, but strong enough to tell the tale. To remind you that when the world collapses,

it's not indicative of an end, but a chance to build again, this time better than before. Look, I know the moment hurts. I know the crushing blow of solitude tied to one being humbled by life, But I also know that you are stronger than those things. In fact, you are stronger than you think you are.

There's a new world waiting simply because the destruction of the old didn't end you. It made you. You know what one of the best things to ever happen to me was? Migraine headaches. Yeah, I know. Those excruciating. debilitating, sometimes can't get out of bed that day, headaches. Because when the pain and the chaos would ultimately subside,

it always left me with something I didn't have before, which is an appreciation for the baseline. Gratitude for the absence of pain. And I'd understand what a gift it is to be able and capable, living, breathing, functioning. In its own unique way, it made me realize that we only appreciate things when they're taken away. And if you can only ever love what's gone, you never really love at all. See, life goes fast, right? I'm watching it spin around me in real time. We all are.

And I believe we need to manufacture some sort of perspective pertaining to the beauty of the now. We have to go. We have to build. We have to start the... company, send the message, take the chance, not because we are obligated, but because our souls want it, they need it. See, our minds just don't understand. We've already been admitted to the show. It's hard to fathom just how precious each trip around the sun truly is. And if it takes pain to understand the value of its absence, I'll pay that. price, gladly. Because personally, I've wasted too many sunrises. I've told my heart know and my soul to be patient too many times. Life is happening now. It's here now. And so if your eyes can

open and your feet can move, let the former guide and the latter carry you. Don't leave your dreams for sleep because the show is now. The beauty is here and the power is within you to capture it, all of it. So give yourself that permission. Go forth into the night and light it up. I promise you the alternative is wishing you had. It's realizing that ship already left port and that's not where you want to be, that's not why you're here. You're here because right now, not tomorrow or the next day, but right now, the world is yours. The show starts now and lucky for you in the palm of your hand is the ticket to entry.

I learned recently how grateful I I am for storms. Quiet skies don't show you how strong you are. Calm doesn't force you to level up. No, it's when the ground shakes we learn to endure. We're forced to find within ourselves a resilience that was once tucked away. They say confidence is earned, and well it's earned because when we walk through hell, we give our greatness permission to walk alongside us. We grow in proportion to the discomfort we allow in our lives. Our evolution is tied to the stressors we face. When we don't know what to do, we have to look in the mirror and find solutions.

When we don't know where to go, we learn to navigate foreign, even hostile terrain. When we allow life to push us, we learn to push back. If you want more, allow more to be placed before you. A lot of us want to be slaying dragons, but never find the courage to approach the mountain where the dragons sleep. A lot of us want our blades sharpened but never approach the fire that would forge them. It's not discomfort for the sake of discomfort. No, it's discomfort so that your greatness receives the end.

invite to materialize. It's discomfort so that you can teach yourself what you're capable of. When you stay safe, you remain tied to reality as it is. When you avoid chaos, you never learn to shape it, and it's in shaping the turbulence that we become capable, that we grow. So remember that voice. That voice telling you to step down, to shy away. from difficulty, chaos, and discomfort. That voice is completely at odds with your potential. That voice wants to preserve. It doesn't want conflict because conflict threatens the now.

But a life fully lived takes the current state, it smashes it on the floor, and it rebuilds over and over again. A life fully lived is walking through the fire fire so that you are forced to become someone who can handle the flames. Be grateful for those storms. They give the excellence within you a face. They take you by the hand and show you what you've been capable of since the very day you

were born. 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 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 as 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. 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 off. 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. I 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 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 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 unpredictability of the world. But by observing, by listening, by getting back up, we can change our own. By recognizing our strength, we can utilize the down times 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 yourself. Losing your wings will never be the problem. It's forgetting that they must be regrown. 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. Had a window seat on the plane a few days ago. And during the descent, I watched as we lowered into a thin layer of clouds, which anyone who's flown before nose creates turbulence, right? The plane starts to shake. For a brief moment, can't see anything outside the window, only white. Hey, no matter how many times I've watched this happen, and at this point, probably in the hundreds, I can't help but feel a little uneasy. Heart rate increases a little bit. It's just an uncomfortable thing, and here's the deal. Not only is a plane going through turbulence safe. A quick, you know, Google search will explain to you that no plane was ever brought down by turbulence.

They were built specifically for that to endure it. And I know that. I understand it. I believe it. I guess that, you know, faint nervousness, I feel, highlights the divide between my mental capacity to understand something. and my physiological reaction to it. It shows, to put it simply, that often what's necessary will be uncomfortable.

We'll get easier over time, but the point is there's a very real biological resistance associated with doing what's necessary. Even when we know the necessary thing is the right thing, even when we know we're capable of enduring the journey, right? Just like that plane was built specifically, to endure turbulence.

Well, in your own world, so were you. And yeah, that world might shake. Yeah, you might look around and see an unknown providing no clarity or visibility, at least in the moment. But that feeling of discomfort should not be interpreted as negative. A sign to stop or turn back.

Has a signal that the world is too much. No, it's where you clearly. Close your eyes and remind yourself how much you can handle, despite life trying to make you feel to the contrary. You were built to overcome, made to push into uncharted territory, to take your losses and uncover the hidden away value within them. Sometimes to grow, it's required that we learn not to resist that trembling, but to see it as the courage to say yes,

when it would have been infinitely easier to say no. And that's what this is about. Nothing groundbreaking, no secret formulas, just the reminder we often need but don't hear enough. That during the ascents and descents of life, and there are and will be many, know that you were built for the turbulence. You can harness the chaos,

you can get through to the other side. What's required is simply, that you remember who you are and what you're capable of. Because again, when visibility is limited and our world's shake, it's easy to forget. You will not lose because of the challenge. You will win despite it again and again and again. And sure, stepping up to face that adversary, you may never detach from that nervous feeling in your stomach or the shaky hands, but that's okay.

That's your indicator, that you're alive, that you weren't tricked into submitting to a very beatable opponent, that you didn't turn away from the things that meant the most. Be you always. And you might hear that and think, well, that's obvious. That's simple. That's easy. not if the world has something to say about it. In fact, Emerson is quoted as saying to be yourself in a world

that's constantly trying to make you someone else is the greatest accomplishment. It's not always obvious, but rather the subtle erosion of ourselves. Perhaps not intentionally deciding to wear a mask. It's never taking the time to examine the reflection in the mirror and ask the right questions. Losing our intentionality means we end up

wherever the wind blows us. And that could very well be a destination we aren't too happy with. Now this next part will seem a little trivial and insignificant. But bear with me, right?

Because sometimes the most important lessons are small, but they become a portal or a gateway to understand the bigger things, right? And so for me, this started with a black t-shirt. Walking into a group meeting with some amazing people from all over the country and world doing different things

and helping people in various ways. And all of them, as I entered the conference room, happened to be wearing business casual, which is great, except I haven't worn a collar in a pretty long time. I've been doing my podcast, recording, videos, building my businesses in a black t-shirt. And so that's how I walked into the room. And I found it interesting that almost immediately this self-talk emerged. It's like you stand out right now. They're going to think less of you. Is this disrespectful? Is this showing that

perhaps I don't care, right? All of these things. And so I left that day and I sat with the thoughts. They bothered me, so I wanted to spend some time with them. And here's where I landed. taking those same points one by one. Number one, if they think less of me for being me, then that would be on them and not me. I'd gladly fight that uphill battle to earn people's respect in my authenticity. Number two, it's not disrespectful

because I am happy to be there, proud to be there. I do take pride in my appearance. I just do it in my way. And number three, be you always. How you show up is what matters. Having the courage to live in a way that aligns with who you are and what's important to you. And why do I say this? Because if we can grasp this idea with something as trivial and as small as a black t-shirt in a conference room,

perhaps we can then push it into other areas of life. The bigger things, the more important. things. Like who's in that room to begin with, right? Who are we surrounding ourselves with? How do we spend our time? Right? There's two ingredients to this recipe. One, who am I slash what matters? And two, how can I position myself so that that is the arena I'm operating in? Sometimes we don't do it because we're scared, but sometimes we don't do it because we never ask the right questions. When you can find and hold your authenticity, you feel it and so will love it. The question transforms from how can I blend in and not disrupt to how can I use the abundance that surrounds me to live a life that's meaningful.

There's a lot of us metaphorically walking around in collared shirts when they're not what we're meant to be wearing. A lot of us asking, how do I not screw this up? Instead of asking, how do I go get what's mine and do it in a way that matters to me? be you always and the closer you are to that the more powerful you will be means understanding who in your life adds to that and who in your life detracts from it it means looking around and asking am i doing this for me or for others said old airplane mantra you have to put your mask on first before assisting others or no one gets saved no one gets the value in a way life is a beautiful persuasive of simplicity, of really distilling your world down to what matters and pushing away the rest. Because like moths to aflame, the complexity and unnecessary minutia finds us. It latches on and

becomes what we carry around. I better not let go, says the lizard brain. This is how things are supposed to be. This is what everyone is doing. But when you find that clarity, truly capture it. Yeah, you are the respect of others around you in that metaphorical conference room, but most importantly, you earn your own respect. You to a greater extent appreciate that face staring back at you in the mirror. Think about it this way. They do not build statues for those who blended in the best, who conformed. Right, no, we build statues for those who had the courage to live in their authenticity, to do things their way. Because we understand how unique, how powerful, how difficult that is. Be you. There's nothing more powerful than that. Remove the lifelines. Eliminate plans B, C, and D. Let the curtains

close and the lights dim. See, the beginning of something new requires the ending of something current. So make life propel you into Chapter 2. Let the door slam and lock behind you throw away the key. With the boats burned and turning back off the table, we have to make it work. We have to figure it out. Well, how, we might ask, with only these pieces, with only this circumstance, with only these resources. Well, it's funny how when walking away is no longer a possibility, so many other possibilities are born.

When we're stuck between the wall and our demons, we roll up our sleeves and do that which we have been. in, let's face it, running from. We fight. We become proactive, we take initiative. It was always there. We just never had to. So if you can't do it on your own, make life make you.

Because the bottom line is there are new horizons that await your arrival. They are always there. But they require you to make the trip. to look out over the vastness of what's before you and convince yourself that what's ahead can become your new normal. And oh, how I wish we weren't biologically preconditioned to preserve, to stay safe, to stay the same. How I wish we weren't constantly being pulled to stay right where we are.

Our minds, they love it here. With the rest of the world, the change, the hope, the progress, all on the other side of that window, all outside, all foreign to us. You don't need any of that, it'll tell you. Or maybe, after you conjure up a little courage, it might compromise. It might say, fine, it's worth a try, put one foot out the door, but don't forget, you can always come back to me. You can always retreat. It's warm here, safe here, it's predictable here. The mind wants you to know that when things get tough, mediocrity, and comfort are always right behind you, ready to embrace you with open arms.

And it's for this reason that those boats must be burned, that the door must be locked, and that chapter must be closed. The journey before you, it's going to be difficult. There's no question about that. Anything of value brings difficulty. And when faced with the adversity, the only way to defeat it is to know there is only one way. One option available to you, and that one option is forward.

It's through. There is no backwards or compromise. There is no safety. Not if you want from life, that which is extraordinary. Not if you want the things we covet dream of, whether they're interpersonal, financial, career-oriented, health-related, maybe you just know in your soul that right now ain't it? Any move to something better will present to you its obstacles. And my advice, if it's what you really want, is to have decided before you started that there is no other way.

There's no negotiating with yourself. Because if you allow that door to be cracked, life will kick it open. So point the compass north and dismiss any notion that what's comfortable is more important than what's meaningful. When you're cold, nothing is more appealing than that warmth. But warmth is deception, a short-term ploy for you to forget what really matters. An illusion. See cold subsides, but victory is forever. Knowing that you pushed forward when most wouldn't is forever.

Transforming potential into strength when your knees shook is forever. So burn the boat. For no other reason that there is no way forward so long as there remains a way back. Make life make you win. And where most would look around and see evidence of defeat, you'll find again and again in the same quote unquote evidence to tools to build ladders to new beginnings and bridges to new worlds. There's a saying that I love

that most of life's successful people were too ignorant of the odds to know their accomplishments were considered at one point impossible. And I love it because it highlights that there was never a fallback option, a concern for the statistics. There was no worry or exhausted energy on what if. Rather it was constant building and adjusting, finding ways over, through, and around the walls that inevitably stand before us. There was no way home.

So they pushed forward into their greatness. And so can you, whatever shape, form or color greatness looks like in your eyes, whatever mountaintop appeals to you, if you want it, if you're willing to decide before you go that you will one day stand amongst the clouds peering out at that world you deemed wasn't against you for you. Anything is possible. I was taking a walk a few days ago and was listening to an audiobook 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 this 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 was 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 projects. 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 for Michelangelo, a painter, to create David. Right, 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 this. the skills and talents, 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? 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 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 remembered. 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, it's 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. 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. A tree grows, not because it wants to, but because it was created to. It's a story about potential. Right. And about a decade ago, right when I started writing, speaking, creating content online, I came across that message, and it was transformative for me. The idea that human beings are the only life form that will do less than that. than they possibly can.

The full quote, by no surprise, Jim Rohn, he says, every life form seems to strive to its maximum, except human beings. How tall will a tree grow, as tall as it possibly can? Human beings, on the other hand, have been given the dignity of choice. You can choose to be all or you can choose to be less. So why not stretch up to the full measure of the challenge

and see what you can do. Beautifully said. Right. Imagine every night of your life going to bed knowing that there was more inside of you. Imagine running a race, knowing there were other levels that you could have reached for,

but didn't. Imagine looking back on a life of infinite possibility and knowing you created finite parameters. Now, I'm not saying, saying you have to live every waking moment obsessed with always being better than you currently are. Right? I'm merely asking you a question. Aren't you curious? Don't you want to know what that

ceiling is, that space for which excellence has been reserved? I often think every time I hop on a rowing machine at the gym that, you know, it highlights the gap in black and white between what I'm doing and what I'm capable of. Love-hate relationship with that machine. It brings me back to my college days, the days I first learned to truly push myself. I get on it now for one-minute sprints as part of a sort of a workout program I'm doing. And I just think there's no evading that concrete number the screen gives me. Exactly how many meters I went in 60 seconds.

Right there, right in front of me. And then I ask, imagine if the stakes were high. Imagine if this wasn't just a workout. Imagine if someone said, on sprint number four, Eddie, if this is not your fastest sprint of the day, you lose X or Y is going to happen to you. Whatever those variables may be, Eddie, if this isn't your fastest sprint, insert worst fear. What's going to happen?

I'm going to break that record. I just am. My body is going to find a way. And that's what's interesting. That's the point. What this metaphor is not an indicator that you need to go around scaring yourself into personal bests. But what it is is a reminder that there's always more right there, right in front of you, if you want it. It's a pointing out that we all live somewhere under what our best could be.

And knowing that is such a powerful tool. It's powerful because there's no screen showing you the meters you traveled. When it comes to where you are with your work, or your health, or your relationships, there are indicators, sure. But so much goes unmeasured. How much did you do today? Did you feel good about your output? How good?

Because there's always another level. And maybe the solution is more. Maybe the solution is an audit of time spent. Maybe it's adjusting your compass altogether, but there exists a best in you that is untapped. Always. And the question remains, aren't you curious? Aren't you curious what that next level looks like?

That should make you feel good. Because your current circumstance is as permanent, as today's weather. What you don't like can be changed. What isn't aligned can be adjusted. If it's not good enough, you can make it so. One of my favorite ideas, life is a game of adjustment. The question's how far are you willing to push, to grow, keyword willing.

Some people decide to stop at point A. Others stop at point B, others point C. And that's for them to decide. That's a decision, a personal decision they've made. But the million dollar piece of knowledge is that in all cases, that landing spot was a decision. It was not fate. It was not handed out by a stranger on the street.

You choose how hard to pull, and you decide which levers are worth pulling. See, we are the only living beings capable of underperforming. And that's amazing. Take that, run with that. Because it also means we are the only living creatures capable of rationally looking around,

assessing the situation, and saying, I don't like this reality. I'm going to rebuild my own. The world is yours. You just have to decide which world you are willing to accept. Which world are you willing to fight for? Which world? are you going to call your own?

There's a saying that just because you spent a long time making a mistake doesn't mean you need to continue making it. There's an incredible advantage in life for those who can separate past and future. Who can recognize sunk costs and walk away, walk away from the past, move on to new things. But here's the challenge, right? Like so many things our instinct is to preserve. It's, yeah, but I've invested so many years. I've spent X amount of dollars and maybe I don't like where I'm at,

but look how long it's taken me to get here. Well, here's the reality. That time is gone. That money is not coming back, no matter what you do or what direction you take from here on out. There's no reason to think you have to maintain the same trajectory or hold on to a specific identity or pattern of behavior yesterday isn't the focal point here, the goal is simpler.

What matters now and how will you get there now? You've grown, you've evolved, you've changed, and your targets have shifted, so why shouldn't you? The idea of sunk cost is so important because it's essentially realizing that you're not indebted to the resources you've spent or exhausted. There's no need to be a slave to previous decisions that you've made. No, just chalk it up as an integral step in your learning process, an aspect of growth, and move

forward to what matters, to what you care about. If that seems obvious, I challenge you to think about the decisions you've made over the last year, and I guarantee you you've let factors affect your decision-making that are irrelevant to your goals. Because we feel this camaraderie with yesterday, like there's a debt to be paid, but man, life is too short to run in place. If it's not pushing you forward, drop it. If it's not what you need, forget it. In other words, don't be one of those people that wakes up and makes the same mistake every single day because you've spent a long time making it. See, reality only exists in your head.

and that's why it's beautiful. You can unlock the cell door and walk out. Don't lose sight of the greatest gift you have. The new beginning that lives in every second where you can take a turn you've never taken before, remove the mask and play a role you've never played. Let that sense of excitement pull you to new things. Let go of what you can't change.

and pursue what you can. Forget the time spent. Think of now. Where can you invest now? Your surroundings didn't magically arrive. You chose them. And you can just as easily take that wheel and leave. Simple formula. What is best for you and how do you get there?

Not where you feel obligated to be or expected to be or pressure to be. Where do you need to be? Everything else is not. Everything else is noise. Everything else is a rope, keeping your ship on shore and you are not confined to that harbor for yesterday's destination. You're built to chase the horizon, follow your curiosity into the sunset. You don't make decisions based on yesterday's story.

You sculpt it with tomorrow's possibility.