Your World Within Podcast by Eddie Pinero - STOP WAITING, START BECOMING

Episode Date: June 27, 2025

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

The world you're dreaming of is ready when you are. There's a mountain range I can see from my rooftop. And on those mornings when I'm up there, sipping my coffee, looking out, I see them. Same peaks, same shadows, same silent challenge that seems to call. I've always wanted to climb it since I've been here. And not just a metaphor for, you know, the hard things in life, but literally. It's a hike known as Tom's Thumb. And I've always wanted to go to the top.

I just haven't made the time, right? But, you know, I've sort of fantasized about being on top of that mountain and looking back at my home from that vantage point as the sun is coming up. Kind of the inverse of the view I get from my roof every morning. I think something in me knows that the mountain is not waiting to be discovered, it's there, is very clearly there. It's waiting on me. It's whispering, hey, ready when you are. See, most of us wait.

We wait for clarity, for confidence, for the time. for the timing to be perfect. But the truth is, the climb doesn't begin when the path is easy. It begins when you choose to take that first step. A power. Check this out. That is always within your control. Fate whispers ready when you are.

I have a friend who works in the oil industry. Very rough conditions, right? Long weeks away from home, sunup to sundown. No real rest, no room to breathe. And, you know, that takes a toll on people. And behind the paycheck was something darker, a silent war with his own mental health in dealing with that situation.

But he never really talked about it. And as he describes it, none of the guys really did. Because in that world, pain is something you bury. It's not something you say out loud. One day we're talking about it. He calls me up. He says, I'm starting something. He said, oh, yeah.

What changed? He said, I'm tired of watching good men go through such difficult times. Someone has to talk about this. Someone has to create space for growth and transformation. And so he did. He started a new business doing exactly that, speaking to those who, who have walked the same path he's walked,

you know, understand the same struggle, and he is a messenger now reminding them of their strength, that they're not alone, that there are people and resources available. And he's been on this journey, right? Let the safety of the familiar, started that company from nothing, speaks to crews across the country about resilience brotherhood, staying alive and silence gets too loud. That company that he started, it had been well.

It was there. It was merely whispering ready when you are. See, you think your dream is something you have to go find. You think your purpose is hidden in the distance, but what if it's already there? What if the road's been paved? The doors unlocked, the canvas stretched out. What if the only thing missing is your first step? What if it's whispering, calling out, hey, I am ready when you are.

That mountain outside my window wasn't getting closer. It wasn't changing shape. And today, I put on my shoes, walked out that front door, and was sitting in my car at the base before the sun came up. Today was the day I met the mountain. No more thinking it could be cool or wishing or hoping or planning for some day. today I would stand on it

as the sun came up life doesn't hand us meaning we create it stride by stride choice by choice that climb I've been thinking about for about a year and a half now it's been saying the same thing all along

I'm here I'm ready when you are and there are plenty of those in life real and imaginary So whatever you're holding back, whatever chapter you've delayed, whatever mountain you're looking out at, know this. The world you've been dreaming of is not behind some locked gate.

It's not waiting for permission. It's whispering right now in this moment over and over again, ready when you are. Ready when you are. ready. The first step towards creating the life you want is taking responsibility for the life you have. What does this mean?

Well, it's easy to accept the good things. The things you're proud of. It's easy to move forward under the banner of victory. But what about the things that may not be under your control? the things that happened unjustly, or what about the things you did in your past that you're not proud of? See, if you're going to own the good, you have to own the bad, too. Because you can't change anything.

You can't alter the reality on the ground until you own it. You can't make something better that you have not acknowledged and claimed to be yours. See, our inclination when we feel like we've been wronged by life is to shake our fists at the sky innately aware of the cosmic injustice that has occurred. And I get it, we want to point out that injustice, label it as an adversary, maybe even an excuse. It feels good in the short term. But ultimately, it's depriving you of your strength, the ultimate advantage. which is substituting the word fault for responsibility.

When you're fixated on the word fault, the emphasis is placed on finding the blame. It's replaying yesterday's movie. Responsibility, on the other hand, says regardless of how or why this came to fruition, it's mine to fix. Maybe it was brought forth by your doing. Maybe it wasn't,

but you'll learn and adjust in the present. That attitude will place you in position to succeed in ways most couldn't even dream of. When others project out, it leaves you to find the solution. Where others assert blame, it pushes you to begin the process of building again. See, there's nothing so detrimental as one who, feeling slighted by life, doesn't start where they are to make the most of what they have. feeling so angry and disparaged by the path that brought them to the present moment that they forget it's not the same pact that will lead them forward from here

this moment is yours and there's a lot packed into that statement it means looking in the mirror accepting the face staring back at you letting go of what you cannot control forgiving yourself and the world around you for what may may not have happened yesterday. Look, you're here now. With all the opportunity in the world, everything in front of you, the question is, will you take it? Will you leave fault behind so that you can accept responsibility for the greatest gift one can be given? The chance to begin again. There's a place commonly referred to as the end of the world.

It's in Saugris, the southernmost tip of Portugal. Early settlers, before the age of discovery, looked beyond the rocky cliffs, out at the endless blue ocean and assumed there was nothing more. This sense of isolation and mystery and intrigue culminated into the belief that it was, in fact, the end of the world. I'm currently in Saagris now with my folks, where we've made our way to the edge of those rocky cliffs multiple times at sunset. And I can say it's probably the most incredible sunset I've ever seen.

The water crashing against the massive cliffs, the teal ocean, the fiery orange sky. Watching the sun sink below the water is nothing short of breathtaking. The end of the world. But of course, those early settlers were incorrect. It was not the end of the world. It was the end of the world as they knew it. It was the end of their reality, of their understanding. It wasn't an end, it was a bridge to the next thing.

They just didn't know. Sometimes I think we need to be reminded of the same. That where we stand on the edge of those rocky cliffs in our lives, they look like an ending. They look like, quote, the way things are. And so very often that's what we deem them to be. But almost always, the possibility is restricted by our own personal snapshots of reality.

We only see the world through the hole in the curtain we choose to peer through. That ocean stretches to foreign lands. That horizon with all its mystery and intrigue is not putting a border. around the current moment. It's reminding you that the current moment is a bridge to wherever you want to go. That sunset in Sagres, at the end of the world is objectively beautiful.

And I think even more so because it represents a stunning ending to one chapter and a beginning of another. It is an appreciation of the now and a simultaneous celebratory. of all that awaits. So as you look out from the cliffs at the horizon's open arms, as the sun sets and lights the sky ablaze, I ask you, When this world ends, where will your next one be?

What's in store for you? Maybe you didn't think to ask. Maybe you saw the towering cliffs and their jagged edges, their jagged edges and thought, this is forever. And maybe you want it to be. Maybe you found your little slice of heaven. But for those in a different season, perhaps those stuck, those trapped, overwhelmed, lost, disappointed, tired, or just simply ready to move on, I need you to know this.

I need you to know that when the sun sets, Where the waves crash and the world ends, something new always begins. In 1519, Aran Cortez arrived on the shores of Mexico with roughly 600 Spaniards, all of whom quickly realized that a mighty empire waited for them not too far inland. In Cortez, inspired by Spain's current golden age and the encompassed. sense of ambition and adventure that gave life to the whole journey to the new world, he pushed his men forward into the unknown, ordering them, as Winston Reynolds writes in his spania, to destroy the ships behind them. Symbolizing the valiant push forward with no return,

everything would be on the line. And over the years, this act has become folklore, of all into the famous phrase we all know, burn the boat. Burn the boat. Why is this an important idea? Well, I look at it in very simple terms. Doing anything meaningful is hard. Not planning on it or hoping to do it,

but actually doing it. And when you're in the heat of meadowed, metaphorical battle, right, when you're on your way facing the adversity and the challenges and the hardships. Whether it's social, physical, or mental, that growth comes with discomfort. Our instinct is to want out. When we are in pain, our brain's default is, how do I stop the pain? And what I've learned is that if you give yourself off ramps, you'll take them. If you allow for a problem, if you allow for a plan B, it will become more and more appealing. If the mentality is give it your all until it's inconvenient, well, we all know what happens,

since excellence doesn't allow for skipping the inconvenient. When you can't turn around and get back on those boats, you're forced to create outcomes. Because suddenly everything depends on it. Does this mindset come easy? No, I don't believe it does. Took me into my mid-20s to realize, hey, I'd never done anything without a life-wrapped or a safety net. I always carried option B, C, and D around with me in my pocket. And the result was above average at plenty of things, was great at none. But when your back is to the wall.

and those demons are closing in. It's incredible what you can do, what you can create. You will shock yourself with your competence and your ability, waiting to be unlocked. Now, I'm not saying keep jamming this square peg in the round hole if you know something's not for you. I'm simply saying if there is something you want, something that you know in your soul is pulling you in, And you really want to see that thing come to fruition. You can't have pre-made off-ramps for yourself when the inevitable difficulty comes in. Because it will. It always does.

I refer to those moments as checkpoints, areas of internal deliberation, high security, guarded gates where many arrive, but few get to pass through. Not because they couldn't, but because the cost of access was extremely. too expensive, mentally, physically, and socially expensive, taxing. Most simply say, no thanks. They get back on that boat, waiting for them by the shore they arrived on, and return to the world they've always known. The way I see it, this is not about right or wrong.

No, that's missing the point entirely. I see the question being, how bad do you want it? A little? A lot. How about enough to go all in? Because if you want to see levels of yourself, you never thought possible. You need to kick the ladder down behind you. Force yourself to rise to the occasion amidst the chaos.

Map your path straight into the darkness of night. Not because it's the most convenient, but because you gave yourself no other choice. You burned the boats and are content to watch their flames slowly disappear behind you as you go where few have gone. The other day, a good friend of mine sent me a message that was exactly what I needed to hear, exactly when I needed to hear it. And more or less, it's a,

paraphrasing of a quote that says, if you're going to be creative, you have to be in a state of play. And you can't be in a state of play if you're fearful, if you're worried about messing up or making mistakes. Here's something interesting I've observed. In order to build something, You have to be creative. In a way, intentionally reckless. You have to take risks and put yourself out there. And then hopefully, after some time living this way, the milestones begin to accumulate.

But, and this is the shift I've noticed in myself, the more you accomplish or the closer you get to that goal, the more your brain wants to do. transition from creative to protect her, from being bold to conserving. We want to hold on to what we've brought to life more than we want to innovate. It's protect the castle on the hill that was, ironically, born of your creativity to begin with. And I know this isn't the way I want to live. But nevertheless, it's true.

It's an example of me finding myself fighting with my biological wiring. Hey, courage got you here. It waters the seed of growth. It brought forth transformation. Abandoning it is a spiritual death wish. Yet, if I let myself run on default mode, and I know a lot of us are the same, courage just so happens to be the very first thing to go. And so the question reverts back to, if you really want more of the excitement, more of the growth, the beauty in conquering life's obstacles, the meaning in diving headfirst into chaos so that it can be tamed and channeled.

How do we place ourselves back into that state of play? That perpetual state of play. Back before I started my own business. I was working in the corporate world, creating onboarding curriculums for new hires in the insurance industry. I would explain to kids out of college the basic ins and outs of the industry and why it was relevant. And one of the key ideas was risk mitigation. That's what insurance is, right? It's diversification of risk.

I even think about it now when I see my cell phone close to the edge of accounting. My brain goes, no, no, no. And I go to pick it up, place it to the center of the table or in my pocket. Where the likelihood of a $1,500 device falling and exploding on the kitchen floor is greatly reduced. And that's a good thing. Time and place, for sure. But in our personal lives, it also happens that the beauty, the fun, the excitement, and the growth takes place on the counter's edge.

It is dancing through life's fringes that we find ourselves. There's some truth to the idea that, hey, we might fall from the countertop and crash onto the floor and, you know what, fine. Be at peace with that possibility. It's not a call for recklessness, but a reminder that a life fully lived is inherently more risky than one where you are, one where you are safe. See, life is a game of trade-offs. Innovation comes from play. Play is not safe because there is a largely increased likelihood of mistakes.

There's freedom. There's exploration. It's removing the guardrails and immersing yourself into life. And if you feel stuck or that life has become mundane, perhaps it's because risk mitigation is taking the wheel and play has fun. found itself in the back seat. Maybe it's that simple. Maybe it's time to step outside and live again.

To remember that play brings with it its mistakes, sure. But contrary to what our lizard brains want us to think, most mistakes are reversible. And using that same little metaphor, one's phone falling onto the floor and shattering doesn't mean person can never make a call, send a text, or use social media again, right? It's a temporary inconvenience in the grand scheme of things until they normalize. I think we want to live in a manner that makes possible the upside, not one that hides us away and reduces the potential downside.

Again, the quote, if you're going to be creative, you have to be in a state of play and you can't be in a state of play if you're being careful, if you're trying not to make mistakes. So take some time and think. Ask the questions that if you don't ask yourself, will very likely go unanswered forever. What does play mean to you? What does it look like? And is it time for you to step back into that feeling? You being here alive today, comes with odds said to be one in 400 trillion. Essentially impossible. If you want to look around for miracles,

look no further than the mirror. And so don't lock yourself away until that ride expires. Don't spend your time protecting mediocrity. Step outside and cash in that check. Invite the play, the uncertainty, the mistakes, and the growth. Because as far as I know, there is no situation where one regrets inviting into their soul more of life. A cheat code in life is understanding the significance of getting to one. Because if you can get one, you can absolutely get two.

And if you can get two, you can get three, four, five, five thousand, five hundred thousand, or five million. Once you realize that something is possible, you're no longer the same person you once were. Your hands need not be held to the sky as though the universe is going to drop something into them. No, you've cracked the code. You have the info. and the burden has now been placed directly onto your shoulders. That little question, is this possible, dissipates. Getting to one was your proof of that.

And then the obvious accompanying question, now what are you going to do about it? What are you going to do? Because the race isn't to one million, it's to one. One is the power. One is the reassurance. One is everything you need. If you can sell one painting, you can sell 50,000 painting.

If you can make one three-pointer, you can make thousands of three-pointers. If you can create one genius marketing video that goes viral, you can create hundreds, thousands, millions. Again, the evidence, you got one. Anything beyond one is procedural. It's a testing of methods. It's becoming relentless in your pursuit to repeat the process with the pieces at your disposal. But make no mistake, those pieces are there, everything you need is there, so long as you get to one.

I had to recently break through to this realization. Like so many of us, I'm an ambitious person. I love the game. I want to add value to more people, reach more listeners, generate more revenue, scale impact. All that stuff, of course. But for a while, I just couldn't figure out how. I became almost disillusioned. What am I doing wrong?

Maybe. What if maybe do I dare say, do I dare even think for a second that I've gone as far as I can go? But was ultimately rescued. Rescued by the realization that I was asking the world for things I didn't have instead of leveraging what I did.

I needed to separate the value I possessed from the logistics that would transport it. Because, and this is what we forget, I've already performed my miracle. I've added value to one person, and if you can add value to one, why not 10? Why not 10 million? It's not a product issue. It's a scaling question. The car works. Figure out how to get it to the racetrack.

The tool is effective. Now get it into the hands of the builders. You see the difference, the confidence that comes with that? Instead of doubting all that you bring to the world, asking yourself if more is possible, you say, yeah, of course it is, because I've already done it. Here is my proof. Now what's around me that I can use to deliver it?

How can I try things? Reposition things. figure out how to scale and get further, but I know it's possible. So many of us have already gotten to one. We're adding value. We're doing what we believe in. But we're asking the wrong question. We're still asking whether more is possible.

It is. The burden is just on you to bring it to fruition. The burden is on you to find a way. To scale the value contained in your, one thing. And by the way, if you haven't arrived at one yet, buckle up. Getting to one was one of the best periods of my life. Finding your value proposition, enjoying the process, exploring, finding that intersection of value and personal contentment. You'll eventually arrive there. But remember, for you, the goal is not one million, it's one, one idea that works,

one approach that lights you up, one action that opens your eyes to the upside, that makes the world better to those around you. When you've found your one thing, when you know what makes a difference, then you move on to the scaling chapter, right? Then how do we turn one into one million? But there are two different questions. So remember that moving forward. No matter how stuck you feel, if you have one, you simultaneously have a little seed capability. of producing infinity. It just needs attention. Trust yourself to work through the logistics

because that's all it is. Transform the if into how and start building that staircase straight to the moon. If there's time, then there's time to turn things around. If there is a tomorrow, then there is hope today. The only have-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 and the coffee brews.

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 astounds me how many things are done because it's what we've always done. We act like we're expected to act. Think like we're expected to think, see who we're expected to see. But expected by whom? 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 hope.