Your World Within Podcast by Eddie Pinero - The Mindset Shift: Stop Feeding What Drains You (Motivational Speeches for Growth)

Episode Date: September 2, 2026

This episode is brought to you by:LMNT: Get your FREE LMNT electrolyte sample back when using code: EDDIE at http://www.drinklmnt.com/eddieMOD: Get a free consultation, 10% off your first order PLUS f...ree shipping with promo code EDDIE at http://www.mod.com/eddie🧠 Join the free community: https://www.agns.lifestyle/pages/raise-your-standard📖 Get my Free Ebook While the World Sleeps https://eddiepinero.com/ebook🧢 AGNS Code "YWW20" for 20% off http://www.agns.lifestyleWhat you water is what grows. Every day, you have a limited amount of energy, focus, and attention. Yet so often, we pour our resources into self-doubt, negativity, toxic environments, and things we cannot control. If you want your life to change, you have to change what you feed.In this motivational speech, Eddie breaks down the powerful mindset shift required to stop watering what drains you and start investing in what builds you. Learn how to let go of the noise, protect your focus, and consciously cultivate the habits, thoughts, and goals that align with who you want to become.📱 Follow Along:Support the Podcast on Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2BLf6pBInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/your_world_within/TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@your_world_within📝 Comment below with what's been holding you back as of late. Would love to help you 🙏🙏🙏#liveinspired #yourworldwithin #motivation

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Starting point is 00:00:00 There's a saying that what you water is ultimately what grows. That where you place your attention ends up guiding your feelings, your perception, your actions, and your life. Focus becomes identity. And change comes from bringing awareness to what we're focusing on. I remember when this light bulb went off for me. Like so many epiphanies, you know what happened during a difficult kind of a trying time. It wasn't where I wanted to be. And I remember, you know, sitting down and asking myself, you know, dude, are you on your own team here?
Starting point is 00:00:36 Are you helping yourself? Using the metaphor, the question was, am I watering the weeds in my life or the flowers? And by the weeds, I mean, am I allocating energy to thoughts that are detrimental to what I want? Am I keeping myself in places I don't want to be? And in relationships that are counterproductive, am I thinking about what can go wrong instead of all. that can go right? Or am I watering the flowers, the positive, highlighting the possibility, the things I'm appreciative for, the seeds, the potential that can grow a mile high? See, I've always known the value in choosing to see the possibility. But the million dollar question is, how do you
Starting point is 00:01:25 remain aware? Because that's the thing about weeds, they're sneaky, they'll take control of your life without letting you know they're doing it. So I'm thinking, this through and it dawns on me, this is not complex. This is simple. It's one identifying where you want to be and two, analyzing your actions. Based on those priorities, right? That's it. And so for every pillar of my life, health, relationships, career, finances,
Starting point is 00:01:56 I made two dots. One for where I am and one for where I want to be. Everything in the middle is life. The ups, the downs, the joys, the sorrow. Everything in between is the path, the line. And it's simple. You start on point A, knowing that you can always get to point B. That what you want exists.
Starting point is 00:02:22 It's there. It's available. And your attention, all of your energy should be allocated to the thoughts that reinforce that truth. That's your path. That's what you believe. That's what's important. And it's going to happen.
Starting point is 00:02:36 Anything beyond or outside that line? that line, anything that tells you you're not good enough, anything that accepts not achieving that priority, suggests it won't work out. That is where the weeds live. That is wasted space. Why exhaust that energy? To think, you know, I'm not good enough to get this promotion. How does that help you get to your point B? It doesn't. Eliminate that thought, right? Point B always exists. Just that notion pushes a lot of things to the side. You have to be good enough. You just need improvement.
Starting point is 00:03:15 Maybe it's enhanced skills. Maybe it's more effort. Maybe it's changed approach. But tackling these things will water the flowers. It moves you along the path. And progress is happiness. For me, health is a big thing. I run all the time.
Starting point is 00:03:31 But I'd like to be more fit. I'd like to eat healthier. There's room for improvement. And I know it's possible. Because that is my point B. I know that saying I don't have time or I don't have the right body type or genes or trying to convince myself that fast food just this once will be okay. No, all of that stuff is watering weeds. It exists outside my path.
Starting point is 00:03:54 My time should be spent realizing how incredible the human body is, taking care of it, pushing it, being proud of it, taking accountability for it. That's me. I only get one of these things. Even if it's just a little at a time, that's the beauty. simply existing on a path and revolving around your ideals, your vision, your priorities brings about joy. Negativity, it truly is a learned thing. It's manufactured. All there are in life are circumstances, circumstances that are neither positive nor negative, just pieces. And you decide what to do with them. Do you focus on the negative? You can. But that won't put you in a
Starting point is 00:04:33 position to change your circumstances or bring about happiness. When you decide, to see the opportunity you free yourself from the shackles of fate because destiny never put you in the situation you did but guess what you can take yourself out of it a field of sunflowers grew one root one stem one pedal at a time the same field that was at one point nothing more than dirt and weeds it was always possible and so was your ideal life you just need to water the things that matter we the path is complicated because it excuses us from taking the first simple step. But let's dive in further. If things are complicated, then we don't have to jump yet.
Starting point is 00:05:36 We don't have to feel exposed yet. We don't have to step into discomfort. Perfect. Our lizard brains love that. We can instead go on our comfy fact-finding mission, looking for answers that really can never be found because what we're looking for only materializes in motion. It only shows up along the way.
Starting point is 00:06:07 Sometimes I don't think it's conscious. Sometimes I'm convinced we have no idea we're doing it. Let me give you an example. On this podcast, this channel, I like to share about my friends a lot because I'm fortunate enough to learn a lot from the people around me. So I'm going to do it again here and talk about my buddy Stephen Selly. But first, a little context.
Starting point is 00:06:37 So recently, I've had some writers block just kind of stuck. Believe me, I talk about it a lot. It's not that I'm always stuck. But when I'm not, when I feel like I'm cruising through a particular chapter, I don't share as much because that's not really where I learn the most, right? Most value is in the overcoming. And so that's where I like to, you know, shine my spotlight. And so back to the example.
Starting point is 00:07:05 Here I am essentially trying to pivot on YouTube again. As we all know, this is an adapter die platform. And, you know, while my episodes and stories are popping off on Spotify and that's doing really well, that has not been the case on YouTube. YouTube, right? At least not recently. And so what am I not going to do? I'm not going to blame the platform. Certainly not going to throw a fit. I have to adjust, right? I have to get better, period. I have to make sure I'm giving as much value to the audience as possible. That's it. That's the thing. That's the challenge. And so I'm thinking, all right, I finished a pretty powerful adventure a few
Starting point is 00:07:46 weeks back with some friends. I documented it all. How about turning that into a masterpiece for YouTube, right? And really excited about the challenge, a more advanced production, a pivot to that next level. And so I get all the video clips. I grab my mic. I have these ideas in my head. I have notes in my notebook. I sit in front of my computer. Day after day, I just freeze. It's bizarre, right? I start telling myself, well, maybe you need help. Eddie, why are you even editing, right? Have your editors do this. These clips aren't good enough.
Starting point is 00:08:27 You shot most of it on an iPhone, right? You didn't get drone shots. Ah, this is too much like what I usually do. Oh, now it's too far removed from what I usually do. Right, you get the idea. It's like, you know, this internal dialogue driving myself. insane and the video still sitting there with zero progress okay in comes Steve and Sir Steve has many talents but one of them is being in front of the
Starting point is 00:09:02 camera the dude has courage period objectively he'll try things he'll take creative risks and it's a numbers game right he'll tell you himself sometimes he hits sometimes he misses sometimes he really hits sometimes he wild misses. That's the life of brand building and content creation. But the last year or so, he's gone all in on music. And I get a message from, sends me this music video where he's at the beach performing one of his songs, right? And he asked if I'd give feedback. I said, of course, happy to, right?
Starting point is 00:09:38 And I watch it. And as I'm watching it, I'm like, wow, the cinematography is beautiful. And the idea is simple, you know, simple but well done, like a cinematic simple, the kind that's hard to do. Because when you're filming that type of thing, you take one step too far and you kind of overdo it. It's easy with that kind of thing to quote unquote do too much, right? And so in my humble opinion, the dude just nails it on this video. And so we're talking and I'm like, hey, who did the video for you? And he was me.
Starting point is 00:10:14 And I said, and who else? And he said, just me and a tripod. And I watched it again, and sure enough, y'up, every shot is still, right? There's no movement, clearly set up on a tripod. But the setup and the placement of the subject and the changes of scenery and the color grading was all so good that I didn't even notice. He's just having fun in front of his camera. with, by the way, a lens and setup that costs one-third of what mine does.
Starting point is 00:10:50 This is not about complexity. And that's kind of when I realized, like, I'm trying to complicate the simple. Trying to reverse engineer an outcome instead of just saying what I want to say. Instead of pressing play and letting it fly. I'm trying to find little pieces of perfection all around me when it's the imperfection. that connects with people. It's the realness that matters. You do it because your soul is pulling you in that direction.
Starting point is 00:11:24 You're doing it because you love it. You're doing it because you have something to say. This isn't a paint by number. This isn't how do we get views. And deep down, I know that. I've always known that, but fear has a way of exposing you. It's subtle. And I didn't even realize the reason I was dragging my feet is because somewhere deep down I was afraid.
Starting point is 00:11:52 I was afraid that if this didn't work, I'd be back to square one. If this fell flat, I wouldn't have the answer that I was so sure I had. See, you don't win afraid. You can't win afraid. I don't need a Hollywood film crew or sound engineers or some secret formula. I don't need to study 30 Mr. Beast videos or watch every ultramarathon documentary ever made. I need to trust myself and my abilities than what brought me here. What I need, like Steve, is to trust myself enough to turn the camera on and just go to relish the simplicity because simple means less friction.
Starting point is 00:12:37 It means fewer obstacles between where you are and where you want to be. And look, I've been doing what I love for over a decade. And still, these reminders changed my life. Still, I get yanked under and need to be pulled up by those around me. Still, the basics become camouflage behind things that don't matter at all. And I'm not ashamed of it. It's life. The difference is now I recognize it.
Starting point is 00:13:09 I remember that being stuck is being afraid. They're not different. And for every excuse we make to ourselves about not being ready, not being good enough, or having what we need, there's Stephen Sully on a beach singing into a camera, set up on a tripod with zero excuses. Sure, this is me sharing a personal epiphany, but it's also a call to arms.
Starting point is 00:13:35 Because I don't know you, but I bet you have some version of this in your world. I bet there's something you want to try or start. I know there's something that's been on your mind, perhaps tucked away. kept in the shadows until you promised yourself, the time is right. It will never be right. You'll never have everything.
Starting point is 00:14:03 And the people that live lives of freedom, the ones who change things, they go. They don't tell themselves they need Stephen Spielberg. They grab the tripod and they walk outside. And you, in your world, you have what you need. And when your brain whispers that you don't know what that is, fear attempting to take you down. And so here's to making sure that fear misses. Here's to doing what matters to you simply because it matters to you.
Starting point is 00:14:40 The rest, not some of the rest or pieces of the rest, but all of the rest is noise. What's up, guys, and thank you. for being part of the show. I'd like to take a second and intro you to one of today's podcast sponsors element. Now, if you've been listening to the podcast for a while, you know I scream about these guys from the rooftops. They are a huge part of my daily routine.
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Starting point is 00:16:11 And if for any reason you're not satisfied, Element has no questions asked return policy. So there's no risk there. They'll take care of you. So thanks to Element. Thank you. Back to the show. We were navigating the Las Vegas Strip. And I tell you, it's a tricky thing to navigate that Las Vegas Strip.
Starting point is 00:16:30 lots of up and down and around and over. My girlfriend had her watch tracking her steps, of which she had a very specific target. That didn't mean much to me, except for the ups. You see, most of the time, when you're going from the ground to level two, or level two down to the ground, there would be two escalators, one up escalator and one down escalator. But in between them, there'd be a set of stage.
Starting point is 00:17:00 as if to say, hey, it's here if you wanted. Of course, not many did. I hadn't really thought much about these stairs, to be honest. Just not that deep. But as we climbed and the watchtrakker tracked, I noticed something. And it took me some time to realize this noticing was actually very important noticing.
Starting point is 00:17:25 Ready? Everyone who took the stairs looked like the type of, of person who would take the stairs with almost zero exception. Now, there's no judgment here. After all, patterns don't judge. They are what they are, observable patterns. But time and time again, everyone walking up the stairs seemed fit and healthy and energetic, and I just kept wondering, was it the stairs that made the type of person? Or the type of person that simply always chose the stairs. Right now I'm intrigued, because God, God knows in a world of escalator rides, there's something cool about choosing the climb, something different, a little intentional conflict.
Starting point is 00:18:11 Now, to be fair, the world simply doesn't care, and why should it? No one thinks about considers or pays attention to how you get from Las Vegas Boulevard to level two of the MGM Grand. They just don't. But it's not for them. It's not for them. It's for you. And the simple truth that five million stairs happen one stair at a time, and yes, that does impact the type of person you become.
Starting point is 00:18:43 And yes, that evolved self is noticeable as enough stairs slip away. Patterns, patterns, patterns, patterns. The type of person who runs every day, even when it rains, even when it's cold, and doesn't change their workout based on the weather, well, they're probably the same avatar that takes the stairs. It's not important, it's never important, until it's so important that it separates you from everyone else. How wild is that? Life can be so sneaky, so subtle.
Starting point is 00:19:22 Of course everyone taking the stairs looks like the type of person who takes the stairs. They've been taking the damn stairs their entire lives. See, life will place before you staircases. And it will place before you escalators. And it won't matter in that moment which one you take. Or at least it won't feel like it. Again, which is odd because we know over time it will very much matter. That escalator is so symbolic.
Starting point is 00:19:56 It always represents emotion. The feeling. It's easier. It's simpler. The brain just wants it. Oh, and don't forget, this can't be overlooked. The escalator is what the entire crowd is doing. In fact, when you take the stairs, one might even wonder,
Starting point is 00:20:16 am I doing too much? Am I being a little extra? You know, that whole biological need to blend in and be accepted. Yeah, that's not a small thing, guys. It kicks and screams when you ignore it. There are things in your life that require a consistent, day in and day out, committed climb. The brilliant Jim Rohn said something like, and I'm paraphrasing,
Starting point is 00:20:44 being wealthy, healthy, and successful is easy. So why isn't everyone successful, the crowd asks? Because, says Jim, being broke, unhealthy, and unsuccessful is easy too. It's the little decisions we make every day. It's not rocket science. Walking up whatever metaphorical staircase is in front of you, it's not calculus. It's simple.
Starting point is 00:21:18 You're not risking your life taking the stairs, but it's just as easy to avoid them altogether. They say choose your heart. This makes you wonder if perhaps it should be choose your easy. So the question is, what are you doing and repeating over time? because that repetition will shape you, define you. In fact, as I saw on that sunny Vegas afternoon,
Starting point is 00:21:49 continued execution compounding will make it look like it was never a choice. Like it couldn't have been anything else. It's who you are. It's part of your identity. It was destiny. Now, of course, that's not true. It was very much your choice. but people can't see the five million steps you took.
Starting point is 00:22:11 They just see the fit, energetic guy or gal doing what fit energetic guys and gals do. They find alignment and they attack. They show up. They do what they must do every day. They take the stairs. The other day, I was in a meeting for always grateful. never satisfied with my business partners and a few others. And we were kind of talking about apparel and throwing marketing ideas around discussing where the brand could go.
Starting point is 00:22:55 It's a fun conversation. And at one point, Rose, who's kind of been consulting on this, paused and said something interesting. She looked at us and said, you know, you guys, you're on the precipice of something bigger than you think. you're doing well now, but I don't think you fully understand how close you are, right? Then she goes, if you had a gun to your head, you could figure out how to make X dollars next month. And this is over Zoom, right? And so my business partner, Freddie, some of you guys know him. He sits there and this is like the most cinematic, Scorsese-esque moment.
Starting point is 00:23:40 It couldn't have gone better. He sits there for about three seconds, looks up and says, then someone go get a gun. And it was just, it was perfect, right? So we all laughed. But there's something there. Beyond the sort of cinematic nature of the exchange, there's something very true about it.
Starting point is 00:24:06 Right? Because the more I thought about that, the more I realized how profound the moment. That's the strange thing about human beings, right? When the pressure is real, when the stakes are high, when the moment demands it, we almost always find a way. When we have to, we become sharper, more creative, more decisive. We stop waiting and overthinking, we just go. Because we have to, because that's the standard that we set.
Starting point is 00:24:36 But here's the question that's been sitting with me ever since. since the meeting, right? It's like, if we know we're capable of that level of urgency, if we know that version of ourselves exists, why do we only meet him when the pressure's unbearable? Why do we wait until life forces our hand?
Starting point is 00:25:02 Or, you know, until the clock is almost out before we start running? Because most of the time, thankfully, there is no quote-unquote gun to a, our head, right? And obviously that's metaphorical. But there is no, like, burning platform. There's no external force screaming at us to move. There's only the quiet whisper of potential. The quiet whisper of what we could be doing, and too often we ignore it. We tell ourselves we'll start tomorrow. We're next month or when things calm down. When we feel ready, that's a big one.
Starting point is 00:25:41 But momentum, it doesn't arrive like a gift. I've learned that the hard way. I've learned that over and over and over again. Externalities, outside forces, they don't give you momentum. You manufacture it. It is an ignition switch in your soul. Created by people who decide that waiting is just no longer acceptable. It's not a thing that's going to happen today.
Starting point is 00:26:09 It's people who realize that the biggest threat to the, their lives isn't failure, it's drift. Drifting through days that could have been extraordinary or drifting through opportunities that could have changed everything. Drifting past the version of themselves they were meant to become. The truth is the people who build remarkable lives do something very specific. They create urgency where none exists. They don't wait for that metaphorical gun.
Starting point is 00:26:42 Again, they become that ignition. They light the fire themselves. There's something interesting about treating ordinary days like they matter because they do. So can you move when no one's watching? Can you build when nothing's guaranteed? You don't need the world collapsing around you to become focused or desperation to become disciplines. You just need a decision.
Starting point is 00:27:08 That moment where you say enough waiting, enough drifting, enough acting like time is infinite. Because one day it won't be. That clock will run out, and the question won't be whether you could have done it. The question will be whether you chose to act while you have the chance. So maybe the lesson from that meeting is simple. Don't wait for the moment that forces you to become who you're capable of being. Become that person now. Light the fire.
Starting point is 00:27:41 Create the urgency. Move like the opportunity matters. Because my friends, it does. And I'm so grateful for that convo and sort of the perspective shift it created. If someone ever tells you that you can figure it out, you know, with a gun to your head, maybe the real question isn't where the gun is. Maybe the real question is this. Why are you waiting for one?
Starting point is 00:28:33 We talk a lot on this podcast about showing up with intention. And a big part of that is being present, focused, and alert enough to do the work that's in front of you. That brings me to today's sponsor, Maud. Maud prescribes a once or twice daily medaphanal drink that keeps you energized, focused, and alert throughout the day. Here's how it works. Caffeine temporarily blocks adenosine, that chemical that makes you feel tired. And as it builds and builds and builds, when it finally wears off, you get that crash, we all know, midday. Medafinil works differently. It engages multiple pathways in your brain, including dopamine,
Starting point is 00:29:12 histamine, and erexin to achieve steady energy and alertness for 10 to 12 hours. Medanil was invented in the 1970s and has since been used by soldiers, pilots, astronauts, people in high-stakes situation where concentration and focus is paramount. Now it's available to qualifying patients at mod.com. When you visit mod.com slash eddy, you get a free consultation, 10% off your first order, as well as free shipping when you use code eddie. That's EDIE at checkout. See their website for all the important safety information. And we thank Mod for sponsoring today's episode. Stand up. I know you're tired. I know things aren't perfect. Maybe far from. I know what's before you seems larger than life. All of that can be true.
Starting point is 00:30:14 I'm telling you to stand tall as you push through because you're capable. I'm telling you endure with an exclamation point. I'm telling you that the hellscape before you is an opportunity to make a statement. I have a little anecdote for you. Another one of those examples of fleeting moments acting as doorways to something greater is a little piece of code to understanding life in totality. So a little bit of background. I'm training for a high rocks event coming up here in Houston.
Starting point is 00:31:03 Something a little bit different. It's fun. It's challenging. One of those things that makes it special is the intensity. you have to really push yourself when you're maxed out, when you're well into zone 5. It asks a lot of you. And so, you know, my trainer adjusted the next six weeks of our training to focus on just that, that type of interval intensity.
Starting point is 00:31:26 And the other day we are in the gym doing some of those high intensity lifting circuits. This particular circuit had like, you know, deadlifts, squat to shoulder press, weighted lunges, and you repeat it five times. But here's the kicker, right? Here's the thing. After each of those five circuits, he'd put the treadmill to a 10 degree incline, set the speed to 7.5,
Starting point is 00:31:52 and you have to run for 2 to 2.5 minutes, which I found out quickly is a special kind of hell when your body feels exhausted like that. First two were great, middle two sucked, last one felt my soul leave my body on that treadmill. And that's what I want to talk about, right? And I say all that because something amidst the chaos happened that I didn't even notice at the time.
Starting point is 00:32:19 But we got some footage of the workout and watching it back after it brought me to tears. Here's the clip. 12.7. 6.5. 4. 3. 2. Stand up, buddy. Stand up. Walk that off. Walk that off. Walk that off. Stand up. Walk it off. Stand up. Do not go over. Do not go over. Stand up. Take a lap. Take a lap.
Starting point is 00:33:13 So you probably noticed him repeatedly telling me to stand up, right? Over and over. I was maxed out, right? Total body shutdown. And I wanted to, like my instinct was to lay down or lean on something. pretty normal and he's kind of following me and he's not saying hey you're so special buddy or wow good for you that was that was hard
Starting point is 00:33:40 which is probably what my ego wanted to hear but nope he told me what I needed to hear which was stand the hell up this is about more than simply getting through a workout
Starting point is 00:33:56 it's about how you get through it Compose yourself. Pick your head up. Act like you've been there before. See, we all have these moments. Sure, sometimes in the gym or when we're physically exerting ourselves, but I think most of the time outside the wait room. Because this is life and life is hard.
Starting point is 00:34:28 Life demands a lot of us. It hurts. And this was a reminder that not a reminder that not only are you capable of overcoming, you're strong enough to stand tall in the face of all that's before you. And I know how rare these reminders are. They don't come every day, right? It's almost like the stars have to align. They have to be presented at the perfect time, you know, for it to resonate with you. You have to be willing to hear it. And that was so powerful for me. I wanted to send that your way. Just in case you're in a spot where you're pushing, where you are fighting like hell.
Starting point is 00:35:27 And it feels like gravity is forcing you to the ground. I want to be that voice in your ear, the one that tells you, I know this sucks. And I know you have every reason to fall to your knees, but stand up because you can. Because you're strong enough to do that. And if you have to give yourself a minute, do it. Take time to sit with it, process it, think and feel. Take that breath and stand tall. Proud of who you are, what you've done, all that you've overcome.
Starting point is 00:36:14 See, life is not about running from things. It's about facing them. That day was a powerful reminder. that how you face them matters just as much. Do you trust yourself? Are you confident enough in your own two feet to carry you through? Are you existing? Or are you putting an exclamation point on the moment?
Starting point is 00:36:45 The exclamation point that the moment deserves. That your progress deserves. That you deserve. because this moment is yours. And no, the goal is not perfection. It can't be. It never will be. The goal is to take the road that few are willing to take.
Starting point is 00:37:11 To find gratitude in the suffering to which that journey is necessarily linked. Again, life is hard. The best life has to offer is even harder. But the only thing that trumps all that is the resilience of the human spirit, a willingness to endure, to face what's before you with courage. And so for the final time, I will remind you to find it within yourself to stand up, to lock in, to set free the greatness within you. You might be tired. Weak, sad, hurting, operating at 40% capacity, dealing with setbacks, disappointment, loss, my friend, stand up.
Starting point is 00:38:05 It's not only what you do, it's who you are. There's a notebook in the top drawer of a desk that hasn't been moved in years. Second drawer down, left side, under things that used to matter. It's black leather still stiff at the spine like it's never been asked to open. If you did open it, you'd find one sentence written slowly and carefully. Quote, this is where everything changes. And then nothing. No second page or mistakes.
Starting point is 00:39:00 No proof that anything ever followed. Just the idea of a beginning. He remembers the night he bought it. Sitting on the edge of his bed, turning it over in his hands like it meant something. For a moment it did. So much promise. A symbol for everything that could be. There was a feeling, not loud or dramatic, just this quiet certainty that life could split.
Starting point is 00:39:27 Right here, that fork in the road. There was a belief that if he started, really started things would be different. He even turned to page two. Held the pen above it, let it hover long enough to almost become real. And then, eh, not like this. Not tonight. I want to take my time. I want to do it right. He looked around the room and thought,
Starting point is 00:40:05 I'll wait for the right energy, the right clarity, the right version of himself to show up first. You know the things we tell ourselves. because in his mind it was going to be a perfect day. Clarity, no distractions, that energy you get from the feeling of a new pursuit, right? Time stretching out in front of you like it finally made sense. He closed the notebook and set it in the drawer. It was going to be such a perfect day, that day that never came.
Starting point is 00:40:44 The next morning the sun came up. It didn't feel like a beginning. It felt like traffic. It felt like emails, like small things stacking into a day that didn't really feel worthy of something big. This was the ordinary. Nothing to celebrate here. So we waited again. Not out of fear.
Starting point is 00:41:01 This isn't a monster in the closet thing. It's just out of respect. Maybe that's the best way to put it. I don't want to rush it. I want to do this justice. This is going to change everything. Let's give it the respect. It deserves.
Starting point is 00:41:22 And that's the part that high. because hesitation dressed up as intention can pass for discipline. So the drawer stayed closed, and the idea stayed perfect. Untouched, unchallenged, unreal, in his mind, it still glistened. It was such a perfect day. That day that never came. Years didn't pass all at once. That's not how they did.
Starting point is 00:41:55 slip by. They elude us quietly. In between routines that felt productive enough to avoid asking harder questions. Every so often, he would open that drawer. He'd look in there. Not to write. Just to check. To remind himself that it was still there, that he hadn't given up. No, not him. He could start, but not yet. And that was enough. It was enough to keep the story alive without ever having to live. Because as long as it stayed untouched, it stayed perfect. No bad chapters.
Starting point is 00:42:44 No doubt. No proof or evidence that he wasn't who he imagined himself to be. Just potential. Preserved. Just possibility in a glass casing. Waiting for a version of life. that would finally feel worthy of it, waiting for what he knew would be such a perfect day. That day that never came. Now you've probably put this together. It's always easier to from the
Starting point is 00:43:23 outside end, but he never did. He never realized that there is no day that arrives on a platter, clean, perfect. No morning where you wake up fully line fully ready without resistance there is only this there is this unfinished moment this imperfect opening this version of you as you are the same kind of moment he had that night with the pen hovering over page two the same one most people step away from everyone has that drawer everyone has that notebook just different targets different goals different dreams tucked away, because starting, it does something dangerous. It makes it real, and once it's
Starting point is 00:44:17 real, it can be wrong. Once it's real, it can be criticized, it can be messy, it can fail. But we forget once it's real, it can also become something. And that's the trade-off. You either protect an idea of perfection or you build something that can tangibly matter, change your life, affect the world around you. You don't get both. And one day that drawer becomes a memory. That notebook becomes something else entirely. Not a beginning, but a question. And you know the question. What if? And when you look back, you don't remember the days you waited. You remember the weight of knowing you were close and didn't move. You remember the version of you who stood at the edge of a new life entirely again and again. You remember how good that felt in the moment,
Starting point is 00:45:24 closing your eyes and imagining what it could be, waiting for life to feel just right. You could feel it moved through you. It was such a perfect day. That day. that never came.

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