Your World Within Podcast by Eddie Pinero - START YOUR DAY WITH PURPOSE | Powerful Morning Motivational Speeches

Episode Date: July 11, 2025

This episode isn’t about fitness. It’s about identity.About lacing up your shoes in the heat when no one’s watching, not for likes, not for validation, but to remind yourself who you are.Eddie reflects on a solo run in the scorching Phoenix sun, not for time, not for distance, but to strengthen the most important muscle: belief. The kind of belief that shapes who you are when no one’s clapping, no one’s filming, and no one’s validating your efforts.You’ll hear about:• The power of self-initiated struggle• Why growth lives outside the spotlight• How quiet consistency builds unshakable identity• And why the real reward is knowing… you showed up.This isn’t about the miles.It’s about the message.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

I wasn't training my legs. No. I was training my standards. My self-respect. I think that's what people miss. I went for a little jog last week. Midday. Definitely hot in Arizona.

I knew I picked the hardest time of day, but that was the point. Wasn't chasing a PR. Wasn't trying to impress anyone. It was one of those things, where I needed to remind myself who I am. Because there's always this push and pull, this tug, where if you let go even a little,

you feel it's slipping, maybe not dramatically, but subtly. Letting the little things slide, excusing comfort, convincing myself that tomorrow, well, tomorrow's still a valid option. But I know, just, Just like you know, that's the lie, right? That tomorrow will fix what we're avoiding today.

And so as a cap tip to that evolved self, to the person I know I can be, I simply laced up the shoes, opened the door, and stepped into the heat. Sure, every step felt like resistance in some respect. Like the world was asking me, do you really mean this? Not just this run, but everything I say I stand for.

The discipline, the growth, the vision I've built piece by piece over the years, and out there on that road, with nothing but the sound of my breath and the crunching of gravel under my feet, I remember this is not about fitness at all. It's about identity. Years ago, I had a coach who used to say, you know, Eddie, the workout doesn't start until it hurts. And at the time being in it, you can't do anything but roll your eyes. You shake your head, you go, okay.

But man, I get it now. Because it's easy to show up when you're strong. It's so easy when you have momentum. When you're feeling good, it's easy to train when you're motivated. But I think the million dollar question is, who are you when you're tired? Who are you when you don't want to go? Who are you when your legs are heavy? When your goals feel a thousand miles away?

Who are you when the sun's beating down and every voice in your head is telling you to stop? Perhaps that is when the workout actually starts. Certainly when identity is shaped. And the beautiful thing is it's not just about the run. Because how you show up here is how you show up everywhere. business, relationships, art, life in totality. You don't build greatness in front of a camera.

You build it when no one's around, when no one claps, when it's just you and your thoughts and the decision to keep going. Somewhere around mile four, I ran by some storefronts. Saw my reflection, tired, dripping sweat. And I wondered, is this the person you want to be? Because that is the only meaningful question here. Not the mile split. Show up.

They'll get better. Not the distance. Put in the reps. You can go around the world twice. But that internal moment where comfort begs for your attention and you decide who gets the final say. Who will I give that power to? This isn't about fitness.

It's about identity. It's about keeping the promises you make to yourself when no one's watching. It's about standing up when it's easier to sit down, running towards the fire when it's easier to stay cool. Choosing growth when comfort's pulling you in the other direction. And maybe today, for you, it's not a run. Maybe it has nothing to do with fitness. Maybe it's a conversation you've been avoided. a business you're afraid to launch,

a version of yourself that you keep pushing down because rising feels risky. Let me tell you something. You don't need ideal conditions. You don't need applause, you don't need certainty, you just need to decide who do I want to be. What type of person am I going to become? Choose and back that decision with action every day.

Yes, when it's easy. but especially when it's hard. You don't need to become unstoppable overnight. In fact, that's not a thing. You become unstoppable one rep, one decision at a time, one early morning, one hot run, one moment of silence when you stare your weakness in the face and move anyway.

That's where all this is made. That's where identity's built. It's where freedom lives. Never in what the world gives you, but in what you do with those pieces. what you prove to yourself. So no, this is not about fitness, and it never was. It's about refusing to let your standards slip.

It's about creating a version of yourself you trust, you're proud of, and being that person, again, not just when it's easy, but when it's not. Because that person, the one who shows up when everything in them wants to quit, that lives inside you and each step forward brings you closer to that evolved self you were made to rise

to take your pain and convert it to purpose to take your struggle and transform it into meaning in a world of concession of self-sabbit sabotage and defeat, you need to rise.

And so it's critical that you look around to where you are now and adjust your lens. It's critical that you see the present moment, not as an ending, the culmination of wrong turns or broken plans, but as the beginning of what all that will be turned into. start of the next chapter, a new road because you were made to rise. Life has an interesting way of not pushing us to be more until our backs are against the wall, until we've fallen or found ourselves where we don't belong, but it's down in the ashes that were presented this blessing, that were given the chance to be more than we're. we've ever been. You weren't made to look around and call this diminished reality home.

No, you were made to rise. Life is about decisions, what to accept and what to cut away, and it's in our moments of distress. We must find our calm. When we feel low that we must remember the heights we're capable of obtaining, Look, our greatest invitations, they often feel like defeat, like hopelessness, but see beyond that narrative. Look in the mirror and know that what looks back at you isn't the problem, it's the reason you'll succeed. Someday you'll see the present as the moment that made you, the days that shaped you, just as a sculptor arrives at his masterpiece. So stand up, brush yourself off and look up because that is where you're going.

Now is where it begins. You weren't made to accept what is. You were made to rise. There's an old idea that once you've started, you're halfway there. How does that make sense, one might wonder. Once you've started, you've only just begun. And that's true, technically. But here's the thing.

The journey, the ins and outs, ups and downs, trials and tribulations, they can all be dealt with. They knock us down from time to time, no doubt. But we learn, we adjust, and carry on as we move. forward. Most success stories, they're crushed, not because of that adversity along the way, but because they never begin. They never take shape or materialize. We can't make them real in our heads. We can't convince ourselves that they'll ever be anything other than fiction. We think that's for someone else. look around and assume that reality is different than my reality and overcoming

this mental constraint is always the most challenging step and that's saying the one I continuously find myself coming back to human beings always follow through on who they believe themselves to be continues to be true if you don't believe If you're worthy of something, its pursuit is lost before it began. So while the mind tries to paint pictures of how scary that road is ahead, how it's too different or big or complex, understand that should you move forward, you'll find all that complexity can be broken down one day, one situation, one little step at a time. The only real demon here is the possibility of inaction because you couldn't make yourself believe

it. You couldn't see yourself at the top of that mountain. And so the front door was never opened. Emerson says, hits your wagon to a star. A beautiful reminder that that star is proof your dreams are real. And only as real as the conveys. with which you move towards them. Green light, your own glory, your own contentment.

Because contrary to what we might think, no one comes up and bestows that upon us. To live life fully is a decision. Decision, Latin root words, cut off. It's removing and abandoning your restraint in order to be more authentically you. in order that you'll give yourself permission to chase down that which makes you feel alive and soak up all that aligns with your heart and soul. Once you start, you're halfway there. And oh, that first step, often perceived as the beginning,

but in actuality a point few ever give themselves the luxury of experiencing. Step one, believe it's possible. Step two, believe you're worthy. Step three, go. Everything else works itself out. You're capable of dancing through life's chaos, of managing the world's unknowns. So know that, understand that. But most importantly, be one of the few who gives themselves permission to experience that.

And it starts. Here's to going, even when you don't want to go. To moving forward when you're uncomfortable, to stepping up when you're fearful. Here's to courage. I was talking to a friend of mine earlier today about understanding the difference between two things. On one hand, the fear that presents itself when we're growing,

leveling up, right? Like we've all felt nerves. before a big event or an important life change, things like that. Then on the other hand, the emotions that arise when we start to feel like something isn't right for us, similar discomfort but not quite the same. We feel nervous or uneasy because we know we're misaligned. And where we landed in our conversation was that when you were on the edge of that metaphorical cliff and your body's pushing back, your heart's pounding, your mind is racing, you're nervous,

you're fearful. The question worth asking is, will I be disappointed in myself if I don't go through with this? Will I be letting myself down here by turning back? You have to jump into the future and imagine, you know, future you sitting at the table reflecting on this. If you see yourself as regretful, wishing you pushed through, then it's not an alignment issue, it's a matter of current. And when you think about it, it usually feels obvious looking back.

Like, I can easily recognize in hindsight the things I stopped doing because they weren't aligned with who I wanted to be. When you stop doing the wrong thing, it feels like a breath of fresh air. Like a step back to leap forward. Those decisions create a more fulfilled life. But those times I stopped because, you know, I let the moment get bigger than my end goal. Those times I caved and decided I didn't want to pay the price solely because of the temporary discomfort. I remember those two.

That's a different feeling altogether, a not-so-good feeling, as we all know. Jim Rohn says it like this. There's a pain of discipline or a pain of regret. Choose your pain. One of the things that makes life challenging is that we have to be open to some level of discomfort in our lives. That's just what it is to be human. Now, our power is that we get to choose where we let that pain in and what it means, what it will do for us.

Will it be the type of pain that grows us or the type of pain that reminds us what could have been? And I really think most of the time we stop, not because the path was wrong for us, but because we somewhere along the way forgot that most of life's best experiences and circumstances and opportunities come with a hefty price tag. They demand a lot of us. And in those moments when the lights shine the brightest, when we feel the weight of the world coming down on us,

it's easy to misdiagnose that discomfort as a stop sign. It's like, oh, I feel alone, I feel unsure, I don't have any validation, my pride hurts, my confidence is shaken, whatever it may be. These things just, you know, even as I'm saying them out loud, now seem awful when in reality they're just the cost of admission right it's like you have to not know before you can ever know but try telling yourself that as you're wandering around feeling nothing but pressure right it's a different story altogether it's a challenge but here's the good news

it's a challenge you're capable of handling of overcoming life is about stepping into things we don't feel ready for, and then learning repeatedly that we can piece together the knowledge along the way. It reminds us that fear is going to show up regardless of what we do in life. But to grow into the people we are capable of becoming, we have to understand that fear is in its own unique way an invitation. The discomfort does that. It doesn't mean something's wrong, often the opposite. It's letting you know that more is available, that you are right where you need to be, but you have to change in order to become worthy of what's on the other side.

Life is not saying no, it's merely demanding of you courage and courage you have. recently started the book Managing One's Self by Peter Drucker. And there's a pretty powerful point he makes in here early on that I want to share. Admittedly, an idea that I came to a tad later than I wish I did, but the second I did, a lot changed for me. And it changed pretty quickly. Essentially, Drucker tells the reader, stop wasting time on areas of low competency. The things that they don't really have a natural proclivity towards. And at first you might see this and think, you know, wait a minute, haven't we always been taught to improve the things we struggle in?

Isn't that the name of the game? Well, not necessarily. And in fact, a lot of us are held back trying to become moderately competent in areas we have no business being. When, if we just took the things we loved, the things we were naturally drawn towards, we could truly be impactful in those areas, leaders in those areas. That's where you change your life and ultimately the lives of those around you.

In my world, I like using map as an example because it demonstrates this pretty well. You know, my second year of calculus, I realized absolutely not. I do not like this. For me, it felt like a square peg in a round hole. I just didn't see a life where calculus would be a necessity. And so I dropped the course and sought out something that felt like a better fit. Now, looking back, could one see my decision to walk away from that class as quitting? Sure, meets the definition.

But what happened? Well, I filled that slot, or what would have been many slots if I could continue that path, with courses that ultimately impacted my life for the better, that built a foundation for what I do today. They were aligned. I got to express myself creatively, to write, to speak. You know, I wrote papers about difficult topics. If I spent my entire life trying to become competent in calculus,

it would have been a different story. Could I have improved? No question. Like, with time, it might have even gotten really good. But would I have enjoyed it? No. That's not where my skill set is best utilized. That's not what I was born to do. And because of this, my ceiling would have most definitely been lower than someone who is naturally drawn towards calculus and loved calculus. You know, when you find what you love and it adds value, there are fireworks.

You become a force to be reckoned with. And I get asked every so often, you know, whether it be on a podcast or Q&A, whatever the occasion, What are your thoughts or suggestions around someone who finds themselves unmotivated? In my first thought, the first thing I'd always want to rule out is that perhaps that person has slipped into the wrong arena, right? Trying to win a game that isn't theirs. You know how hard it would have been for me to be motivated every day if I woke up knowing calculus was what was on the docket? You know, how would I have incentivized myself there? There would have been a very clear layer of resistance.

Which is why, to Drucker's point, it's silly to allocate substantial time and resources and energy to endeavors that don't lift you up, that you don't care about. Now, I'm not saying you only do things that you're amazing at. That doesn't make any sense either. My friend Evan says, if you love doing it, but you're not that good at it or it doesn't add value to anyone else, you know, that's great. You don't need a reason. You don't need to be excellent at everything. but what you have there is a hobby. Okay, I'm talking about people in the midst of trying to expand their careers or build businesses,

gain expertise for practical reasons, navigate something of significance. In those scenarios, that's where it's critical to stop trying to make all your threes, fives, and instead focus on making your eights, tens. That's where, again, you will have that monumental impact. No one's ever celebrated for the things they were decent at. Even if it took you 10 years to become decent, 20 years to become decent. No, it's the things you do well. And if you look at the world that way and your pursuit that way,

you'll live a happier life in a more productive, successful life. Now, there's so much power in the freedom you have to chart your course, but the first step is understanding you have that freedom and flexibility. It's understanding that when you're not that freedom, things don't feel right or feel a bit off, it's that it may not be you. It may be the path you've taken, the decisions you've made. Take some time to find a journey that aligns with who you are and the world will give back outcomes that were previously unimaginable. Let go of what she'll never be good at. Who cares? There's too much upside to be had chasing down the things that will

actually light you up, that will actually set you apart, the things that will create meaning in your life. 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 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 people that have an outlook very similar to mine, right? 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 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. 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? There was a predictability and a straightforwardness that just doesn't mesh with my personality, but that's me. Right. 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? The 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. You know, I like to reference one of my best friends, Chris, because we couldn't be more different, right?

He has a 9 to 5. 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, you know, 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 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 looked 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? 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. You know, 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. Jack Welch has said, control your own destiny or someone else will. And I'm passing this along today is I believe it's one of the most.

important things to understand. Not a once and done thing, but a reoccurring question. Where have I relinquished control? How can I recapture what matters most? As the world around us shifts, slips, and slides, so does our grasp on it, which is why I find this continuous self-reflection so powerful. I have a flight this afternoon, which means I have a hard deadline and a lot I need to do before I head down to the Miami Airport. I've been traveling a lot recently, which means I've been finding myself in this situation a lot recently. And here's what's become abundantly clear to me as I work through the logistics.

On travel days, I'm exponentially more productive than on my typical, quote-unquote, workday. I wake up with an urgency and sense of control over my time that apparently is lacking on, say, your typical Tuesday, and I'm shot out of a canon. Today, for example, I've worked out, written and recorded two speeches, counting this one, recorded short video content sent to my editors, planned next week's topics, might even have time to go live and hang out for a few minutes. And I'm sitting here thinking, you know, dude, if I had a flight at noon every day, I'd be worth $500 million by June, what is the difference between two?

today and every other day. Simple. My approach towards it. How I utilize and control the resources at my disposal. This is a powerful, powerful thing to realize. You know, it begs the question, how can this urgency be manufactured? Because that's what it's about, right?

Setting up the parameters so that they are most conducive to our success. Another life-changing quote I came across a few years ago was you are your own experiment. meaning life is about testing things, trying different methods, exploring different approaches, and also having the discipline to observe their outcomes. Why? So that you can use that information to position yourself for success.

That info is as good as gold. One understanding and two implementing. So that we're not pushed back and forth by external factors like leaves in the wind, but are instead creating our own ideal circumstances. These, let's just call them, travel days have helped me realize how much power, energy, control I relinquish on a typical day. And most importantly, how I can change that. Time for a new experiment.

Let's try approaching every day like there's a hard cut off at noon. How? I'm not sure yet. I'll test and explore until something clicks. But there's definitely some information worth noting. I've picked up my phone zero times today, which is obviously valuable. I've second-guessed my messaging and communication a lot less. Don't have time to waste on the small things. Nope, not when you fly out at noon.

This is information I'll take with me. Little nuggets of wisdom that I've been able to collect. And so I'll finish with an important reminder. that this is not so much about efficiency as it is about awareness and a willingness to adapt. Like becoming a robot is not the goal here. But the discipline to step outside yourself and look at how you're spending your time

so that you can make it more valuable and meaningful is. We let the outside world dictate far too much and we don't even realize. We just sort of move through it. We relinquished control because we had no idea it was ours to take. We are very often unaware of the power that we have over ourselves, our circumstances, and our lives in totality. We're unaware of just how much value we walk right by. The opportunity is not days, weeks, or months away.

It lives with you now. Every breath, every step, every decision, you just have to open your eyes and invite it in. 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-bees 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. brew, 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 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 is 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 you who we're expected to see. But expected by whom? Some 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 tide. We're at the mercy of the winds. We forfeit the mastery over our own lives that await 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 high. hope. One of the most important lessons I've learned is that I already have what I need most. Now, as I unpack this, think of it not in a fluffy sort of your magical, just the way you are context. And instead, let's look at it through a truly practical lens.

Life is about connecting dots. And I personally believe there's a way to make almost anything happen, you just need to figure out what dots have to be connected to get there. And even if this message isn't true 100% of the time, me believing in it, believing it so has pushed me to find ways to succeed when I otherwise would have walked away. To me, it's a 100% value ad. So let's dive in. Let's say you're currently going through a rut in life. Just not feeling good about yourself how things are. Okay, we've all been there in some capacity.

You might think about your ideal life and think, well, I have none of that. I have none of those things. I'm not any of those things, right? That's just a different world altogether. And when you look at it in one giant leap

like that, you're correct. But again, your job is not to wake up tomorrow and be perfect. Open your eyes and be a god or goddess. Jump out of bed with the PhD and have your life all figured out. Right. No, there's none of that. Your job, and this is the point here, is to simply connect dots from one little thing to the next. So again, you're stuck. Let's say theoretically, the road to something better starts with energy. Having to feel good, right? Otherwise, doing anything is difficult. Feeling good, feeling energetic is a baseline. So draw a dot at waking up at a reasonable time,

right? Breathing in the morning air, letting the sun hit your face as it comes up in the morning. Boom, dot connected. You did that. You're a little bit better. Next, make a dot at groceries. What are you taking in? How are you fueling yourself? Make a few changes that will have you feeling good about how you are taking care of your body. Boom, you just connected another dot. Next, dot at gym three days a week. You get the point, right? These little changes, you're starting to feel like a different person.

And you can see how this upward spiral works. None of those three things was a monumental transition. They were small manageable tasks. And everything of substance is a little change like this. Sometimes that's just hard to see. When you're frustrated, when you're looking at what you don't have, when you're comparing yourself to others, when all you see is the delta or the gap between where you are and where you want to be,

all that is poison. But true change is about connecting little dots, making little roadmaps, being consistent but patient, expecting more of yourself, but also giving yourself love and grace as you make the journey. And it's from this vantage point that you truly do already have everything you need. It doesn't matter the goal, objective, or pursuit. You have exactly what you need to win.

Why? Because you have everything you need to connect that next dot. Always. If only we would stop wasting time, looking out, wishing and chasing things, We think we'll solve our problems when in reality we walk around with the solution every single day. You know, Jim Rohn used to say it's not where you're going. It's who you become along the way. And I think this is because as we seek to evolve and grow, we learn to create and connect those dots.

We trust ourselves that, look, we don't need one giant leap. We need to step. We need little consistent action, and we're more capable of that than we could ever imagine. And I'll get personal for a second. A goal of mine, I want to be one of the most impactful thinkers in orders of our generation. That invigorates me. It also is a lot, right?

Even saying it feels like a lot. As the words come out of my mouth, it feels pretentious, right? Who am I to categorize myself with the best. of the best, the nerve, right? But I believe it, and I believe it wholeheartedly, to the point that I've bet my life on it. Why? Because I don't need to wake up tomorrow

and write like Ralph Waldo Emerson, or speak like MLK. I don't need to think like Nietzsche or inspire like Churchill. Nope, not tomorrow. I just need to keep creating those little dots that will bring me closer and closer. I need to find ways to connect them in real time one day at a time, one dot at a time,

and I will do that. And the best part, so can you. I'm not special, no, not in this regard. What am I? I'm a decade into connecting dots. A decade into understanding that I have everything I need to take one step and another and another.

And my friend, you are capable. of the same. So understand that strange dichotomy of thinking big and small simultaneously. You have to dream big, otherwise what's the point? You dream big because it forces you to ask big questions, pushes you to arrange and rearrange until you have evolved. But when we get caught up in the end result, we forget how to get there. You don't transport to greatness in your endeavor. No, you follow that roadmap, that roadmap of consistent steps. You connect the small immediately achievable. They are the formula to outcomes that exceed expectations and bend reality. So what do you need to ultimately arrive where you most want to be? Not a miracle. You need a simple

understanding, you need to acknowledge that right now, in this moment, you have everything required to build and connect the next dot, and that will always be enough. One of the more powerful realizations I've had, both in business and life overall, is that what we do to win today and what we do to position ourselves to win tomorrow, they're often very different things. And we've probably all experienced this in some capacity. We get sucked into the cycle of doing, becoming so task-oriented

that we don't make time to step back and ask, which direction do I want this ship to go? Because sure, we have to keep it afloat, and we have to keep it afloat now. But also, we have to navigate. The ship's role isn't solely to float, right? It's a transportation mechanism, a vehicle. Where are we going?

And so the question becomes, how do we balance the two? I came across an awesome book by Lee Benson called Your Most Important Number. And I'm about halfway through, but already finding a ton of value that I'll be sharing in the future, primarily around positioning your business for success. And one of the first things the book discusses is the difference between what calls eating and dreaming. Eating being the things we need to do now to take care of matters that are essential for today, the things that need to get done. So using the same metaphor, actions to keep that boat afloat. And then there's the dreaming, which is essentially doing things now that help

position the organization for success in the future down the road. It's asking what can I do today that we'll ensure we are winning tomorrow. So boat metaphor, it's planning for storms that may arise later in the journey. It's analyzing the best destinations and charting the course. And here's what really struck me. Lee suggests, based on his consulting,

that ideally leaders should be, I believe the number was 80% dreaming and 20% eating. So yeah, doing what has to be done today, obviously, but largely focused on positioning the organization and themselves for success in the days to come. And what he's found is that very often out in the world, that ratio is flipped. People are so consumed by the day to day that the future takes a back seat to the nuance

and the quote-unquote putting out fires of the present moment. We're spending 80% of our time eating. Now, like most things, this is not one-size-fits-all. Say, front-line manager at a factory. is not going to be 80% dreaming and 20% eating. Their task requirements are different. But the point remains, it's imperative that we, in some capacity,

utilize our resources now to look ahead. I don't know if I've ever told this story, but I always joke around with my brother about it. When we were kids in Southern California, we'd have these basically battles on the beach, where we'd go down to the hard sand right in front of the water. and we'd each build these little wall slash fort type things,

maybe 20 feet apart from each other. This is like emulating World War I type stuff. And then we'd make cannonballs out of sand and just throw the sand at each other. So in a way, this is a perfect metaphor because we would always be juggling on one hand, building the fort that would protect us from the other person. So dreaming.

And then on the other hand, I mean, those things hurt, right? We'd have to in real time be dodging incoming sand simultaneously to building that wall. So, the eating. And he's a bit younger than me, so admittedly this wasn't really fair. But regardless, you know, he would get so consumed

with throwing sand that his wall would be really cheaply made. At the beginning, I'd be trying to make this really solid base foundation. He would just be pouting me with this stuff, and it was brutal. But as time went on, I build that wall higher and higher. Eventually it would be lights out for him. He'd have nothing to hide behind.

The young buck was doing, let's say, way less than 80% dreaming. And so I'm no longer building castles in the sand. But as the rose said, now I'm looking to build them in the air, seeking to bring things into life that are merely ideas and concepts in my head. And naturally this prompted me to ask, well, what's my ratio now? Because it sure feels like I'm doing a lot of eating. It sure feels like I spend a lot of time every day, you know, dodging Mikey Peas, incoming sand cannon balls, right? Things are going to be different tomorrow than they are today.

And to truly win, we need to be asking ourselves, how do we build that bridge from the present to the future? How do we lay out stepping stones that will allow an evolution in what we're doing? And I'm thinking, if my day's 95% consumed with eating-type tasks, then I need to figure things out here, right? Is it automate? Is it eliminate? Is it delegate? It's something because the ship needs to be more effectively captained. And I'd love these epiphanies. Just a change in mindset that can completely redirect one's entire trajectory.

And it's funny, I was having a conversation earlier today, with a friend about scaling and impact and growth. Another person I love to throw ideas back and forth to, and he asked me, well, Eddie, what are some of the ways your world within could make money? And I was like, oh, it's easy, right? And so I laid it all out in great detail, the ins and outs. And he says, that's awesome.

But that's not the question I asked you. You answered a different question. You answered, how is the business making money now? I asked, how can it make money in the future? Boom, another epiphany, one of those instances where you catch yourself thinking small. And this isn't a knock on the work I'm doing now, or the systems in place now. They're great now, but again, now isn't forever. If you have plans to add more value and create more impact, build more things,

that has to be baked into your time and resource allocation. We all have to eat because we don't want to starve, but we also have to dream. Because if we're unable to look ahead, we simply will not be equipped to handle the turbulence of tomorrow. There's a duality to this game. And I think the ratio with which we're juggling the two deserves consistent attention and examination.

Now, yeah, life is seasonal. There are times where keeping that ship afloat takes everything we have, but it's understanding that that is a season and not the way things are. Dreaming allows us to start moving in the right direction, even if it's one small step at a time. Building today piece by piece, something we can stand on tomorrow, a staircase to the version 2.0 and 3.0 and 4.0. The future depends on what we do today, and so we must create space for that seed to grow.

We must chart the course and captain the ship to the next horizon.