Your World Within Podcast by Eddie Pinero - The War Against Yourself | Powerful Motivational Speeches

Episode Date: July 14, 2025

In this powerful cinematic speech, Eddie Pinero reflects on his hike up Mt. Humphreys, Arizona’s tallest peak, and how the journey became a metaphor for personal transformation. This isn't just about climbing a mountain. It's about letting go of who you were, and embracing who you're willing to become.With each step, Eddie explores the deeper truth: The mountain doesn’t ask for your past. It asks for your next step.This message applies to every one of us, in business, relationships, fitness, or self-worth. You don’t need a perfect plan. You just need to move forward.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 mountain doesn't ask for your past. It asks for your next step. There's something humbling about standing at the base of a mountain. You look up, and there it is. Seemingly indifferent, standing there, quiet and movable. It's not impressed with your plans, not swayed by your doubts or concerns, and certainly not worried about yesterday.

Which brings me to the lesson. The mountain doesn't ask for your past. It asks for your next step. Mount Humphreys, the tallest mountain in Arizona. It wasn't the endgame. It was a symbol. One step in a larger promise or commitment I made to myself. To build a stronger, sharper, more durable version of me.

Not just physically, but in how I think, how I lead, how I endure. And while I knew I could climb this mountain, I was wrestling with the bigger picture. The same way that a mile or two into a half marathon, your mind starts wondering about what weights around the corner and your ability to overcome. Can I really become that person? the one who does the hard thing and here's the catch not once or twice but every single day this is not a small change

this is a death and rebirth a recreation becoming someone who chooses discomfort over ease and growth over validation because becoming that person means letting go of the person I used to be and as we all know that is no easy task The past is what we know. It's familiar, it's comfortable, even when it's heavy.

That whole, I'll choose the devil I know over the devil I don't, I do. But the trail, it didn't care. It just stared back at me with one demand. The mountain doesn't ask for your past. It asks for your next step. And so we did what we set out to do and started climbing. Not to prove I could summit, but to remind myself who I am evolving into. See, every rock, every gust of wind, every burn in my legs, it all has a purpose.

Not to punish, but to reveal. To strip away the unnecessary, to leave me raw and focused and present. Up there, there are no shortcuts. no elevators or escalators, no helicopter dropping you at the top. There is no pretending. It's just you and your breath. And the question will you carry on? Because the mountain doesn't ask for your past, it asks for your next step.

And as we continued on to the ascent and the air got thinner and our legs got heavier. the irony became clear, the higher I climbed, the lighter I felt. Because every step forward wasn't just movement, it was release of who I thought I had to be, of who I was pretending to be, of all the baggage I never needed in the first place. I wasn't chasing a view. I was shedding an identity, creating a new self, like a chisel to stone. And when I reached the top, I was kind of surprised by how I felt. Not so much victorious.

I felt honest. Like for the first time and a long time, I was exactly where I was supposed to be, and not because the world says so, but quite simply because I'd earned it. Because I'd adjusted the compass, locked in on a new North Star, and pursued it. There was no audience, there was no celebration, just wind and space and silence. But in that silence, I heard it again.

The mountain doesn't ask for your past. It asks for your next step. And so I stood there thinking about life off the mountain. The challenges I still had to face, the moments coming where I'd want to quit, where I knew I'd feel small, where I'd be tempted to shrink back into the old version of me. Just tap the alarm. Just have the beer. That version.

But now I had something I didn't have before. No trophy, no medal, a memory of what happens when you don't listen to the doubt, when you don't argue with the fear, when you just take the next step. So maybe this isn't really about mountains. Maybe it's about life. About evolution. Because if you're waiting for permission to grow, you'll never get it. It doesn't come in the mail. No one delivers you that green light.

If you're clinging to your past for security, you'll never move. But if you let go, if you trust the process, if you take the next step, you'll become someone the old you could never have imagined. And that's the point. The mountain doesn't ask for your past. It asks for your next step. And so does life. Right? You might not be climbing a mountain today, but you're facing one. We all are. For some, it's the courage to leave a job that no longer fits. For others, it's rebuilding after heartbreak.

Perhaps it's forgiving yourself. Starting again quietly without applause. It's the steps no one sees. That's the thing. Most of life's defining moments aren't loud. They don't come with music and lighting and cinematic buildup. They're silent, they're subtle, they're incredibly easy to avoid, but they're there every day. Maybe your trail is waking up early to chase a goal. Maybe it's walking into a gym for the first time in years. Maybe it's a difficult conversation or finally putting your name behind something you believe in, whatever it is. It will ask you the same thing that mountain asked me. The world doesn't ask for your past.

It asks for your next step. Are you willing? And here's the catch. Your past will fight like hell to stay relevant. It will remind you of every failure. It will whisper, you've never followed through before. Why now?

It will say, you're not the kind of person who does this. You know that. And the longer you entertain that voice, the longer you delay becoming the person you're meant to be. Growth isn't about waiting until you feel different. It's about acting different. Until one day you look back and realize you grew into those shoes. So what's your next step?

Not your next 10 years, not your perfectly curated plan, just your next step. You don't need to climb the whole mountain today. You just need to move. Because motion, silences fear, action builds confidence. And the path, whatever yours looks like, will reveal, who you're becoming. Take the step, even if your legs shake, even if your heart's pounding, even if no one else understands why. In fact, especially then, because life doesn't ask for your past, it asks for your next step. There are moments in life that feel like endings,

but what if there's simply the next version of you? a question that brings me right to the present moment. It's funny how something so small can undo something so sacred. This time, it's something as arbitrary as back spasms. A sharp pain when I breathe in. It kind of moves different places in my upper left back to my lat shoulder. And at first it was kind of an afterthought. It was like, okay, you know, it'll heal.

I'll be fine in a few days. after all, part of getting older and lifting is working around these things. You're never 100% perfect. It's been almost three weeks now. And instead of healing, it's getting worse, right? It hurts to sleep, hurts to breathe. Even thinking about a pull-up feels like betrayal. And here's the part worth examining.

I didn't think it would hit this hard. But, you know, here I am, canceling workouts with friends. texting, hey, sorry, man, got a skip today. That Murph workout, I was so pumped to do, that ritual of strength and struggle, you know, shared with people I respect. Gone. Postpone. Forgotten by everyone except me. And this isn't just me whining, by the way.

Like, I'm getting to the point here. I feel less anchored because for me, movement isn't just fitness. It's clarity, it's identity. It's the thread that really weaves the rest of the rest. of my life together and without it, apparently that thread has started to unravel. My wake time shifted a little bit. Don't have to get up early to hit the fasted cardio, right? So morning structure softens and you get the idea that domino effect, kind of stop tracking meals, skipping the cold plunge a few times, turns into a few more, opening Instagram instead of

the notebook. And you know, the part of me that would roar forward with focus, and fire, well, he's just a little quieter now. And I think that's the moment where the wolves come. You know, not suddenly, at least not in this case, not dramatically, but gradually, until they're everywhere, until you look around and go, whoa, you know, one sits on my shoulder whispering, you're losing it. another paces in front of me. Momentum's gone, you'll never get it back.

One hides behind false logic, right? Maybe this is just who you are now. Maybe it's easier to accept that. And the cruelest one of all, he just watches, says nothing. Because he knows that I know. The context here is, for the first time and a long time, I'd finally felt healthy. Like I'd mitigated and sort of remove my...

from a lot of these things I've dealt with over the years. And that's what's been interesting to watch, right? That subtle erosion of self-belief, that part of me that's always said, dude, you've been here before, you'll get through this. Sometimes when you're just down and out, it feels hard to hear. But here's the inflection point, and I love to share these inflection points. This morning I sat alone on my balcony, and I asked the question that matters most. You don't like the person you're becoming, the trajectory you've taken in a very short period of time.

It's like, do I let this moment consume me or do I become something new? Do I let it be a new evolution? Because this is no different than any other challenge in life. You know, it feels big and personal and complex because, well, it's what's right in front of me now. but in reality, you know, it's just another obstacle. You know, pain has a way of asking you who you really are. Not when everything's working. Not when you're strong, but when you're broken.

When the routines fall apart, when your identity starts to slip through your fingers. And the wolves, you know, they are not the enemy. They're the test. In a way, they are the invitation, a hand extended. And so this morning, I gifted myself the decision. Not to sprint, obviously, not to lift, can't do that. But to face that circle of wolves with grace. To stop hoping they go away and to meet their gaze and answer them.

Yes, I'm in some mental duress, right? Poor me, life goes on. Yes, I'm losing momentum. Yes, in a way, holding off for aggression, but I'm still here. Blood in my veins, air in my lungs. And gonna rebuild from the inside out. Again, it's not like I just found out I'll never walk again, right? Perspective here.

Because the wolf isn't some fantasy of me at my peak. It's who's already inside, who I become when everything's stripped away. when normalcy and routine and comfort are taken, who do you become? So if you fill them too, right, those doubts, those whispers, if your momentum has been slowed, if your identity feels like it's dissolving, this is your moment. Not to run or hide, but to rise. To not lay down, shake your fist at the world, and become the sheep. but to meet the wolves where they are.

Life isn't about staying strong when it's easy. It's about becoming stronger when every part of you wants to disappear, when you're frustrated and annoyed. And all you see is off-ramps. Your north star is covered up by clouds. That's when it matters. When the wolves circle, you become one.

It was an opportunity the entire time. It was just disguised as a problem. Let me unpack this for you because this shift in thinking changes everything. So I want you to imagine the particular chapters or seasons of life where what's in front of you feels so big that it's insurmountable. It's constant chaos, fight or flight mode. It's the walls closing in around you, right? In those moments historically, you know, I would feel,

disappointment and shame and just sadness, right, for letting that happen. It's like, how could I not have been better? How could I not have had the foresight? How am I the guy in this spot? This isn't good, therefore, I'm not good. You reap what you sow. But what I've come to learn is that not only is that thinking obviously counterproductive, it's false because it's in those very moments where it feels like,

like the walls are caving in, that we are handed the greatest opportunity of all. Right? We are not past decisions. We're not prior circumstances. We are defined by what we do amidst the chaos. We are defined by our ability to get back up and rise again. Because those moments, yeah, the very moment. that feel like you're suffocating,

they are when life begins. But go beyond the semantics here, because I'm not speaking metaphorically. I'm not trying to be cute with words. Truly, when we feel lost and overwhelmed and stuck and scared, when we feel the odds are stacked against us, when every door seems locked, that's when the universe presses the play button

and the movie starts. And yeah, no one avoids these moments, right? There's a difficulty, a suffering attached to living. That's the human predicament. But some of us, a few of us, accept the invitation to turn those moments and that suffering into something beautiful. A select few take the ticket

and step into a world of their making. It's crazy how context changes our perspective, right? It's like, you really thought, life was getting up and meditating and going into your little cold plunge when things are good when the toughest decision you had to make that day was whether or not

to get Starbucks brother that's not life that's cruise control life well life is what you do when you're broken when you're down 25 at half time life is feeling lost

but continuing forward It's how you bounce back when you lose a loved one. When the sales numbers are plummeting. When you don't know how you're going to keep the doors open. When you're looking around them for the life of you, you can't figure out how you're going to hold it together. How are you going to come out of this victorious? Life is when reality grabs you by the collar and shakes you.

What do you do with that? That's life. It's learning, no, never take it personally, but take it for the opportunity that it is. And I'm not saying it's an easy initiative, but it also happens to be the only good option. Some people use mountains to get stronger. Others set up camp at the mountains base

and forever look up at the top, imagining. What do you do in those moments? When it's sink or swim. What are you able to pull out of yourself? What do you forge with that fire? Sure, let the good times be good. Let the easy times be easy. Enjoy them.

They are a nice reprieve from the necessary ups and downs, but don't trick yourself into thinking easy is the expectation. The opportunity will come from the times that once masqueraded as hopelessness. The purpose will come from the pain, the confidence from walking forward, one step ahead of that doubt that always seems to linger. And now keep in mind, there is no delusion here. I'm not proposing that one smile and pretend it's 72 and sunny,

while the wind gusts and the rain pours down. I'm merely asking you to see that the game-changing moments are conceived during the downpour. The darkness, as the saying goes, is the opportunity for you to be the light. And sure, along the way, feel all the feelings. Be human. But if you marry that to the notion that you can channel those feelings and the circumstance and past decisions, all of it into exactly what you need, you become stronger than you ever thought you could be.

Living is not existing in the absence of pain. Living is becoming greater than you ever imagined amidst the pain, using hell as a lever. to reach the heavens, to grab the stars. They were always yours. Just impossible to see what the lights on. So utilize the discomfort to build. Put the doubt, anxiety, pain, to work. You'll step out of the smoke stronger and more capable,

where most stop and point at the problem, you'll have chiseled away at it like marble until all that remains is both beautiful and meaningful. where most journeys end, yours begins. And that's why the world will be yours. It was not given, it was chosen, one quote-unquote problem at a time. You are not for everyone.

And that's okay. That's a simple truth, we'll call it, that I've picked up over the years, and it's had a pretty profound impact. in not only how I look at the world, but how I view myself as I navigate the world, right? It's particularly useful when you've lost faith in the path you're walking. You've sort of forgotten your power.

And I want to share with you a pretty cool reminder of this very thing. A couple days ago, I was having lunch with a friend, very charismatic guy, for the sake of this little story. We'll just call him friend. And he's telling me about someone that he's now working with in his business, we'll call that person John. And my friend says to me,

Eddie, I am learning so much from John. He's adding so much value to what I do. I can't even describe it. But he's loud. And he's controversial. And he rubs some people the wrong way. And not everyone loves John. Right?

So I'm sort of connecting the dots as he's saying this. I'm like, okay, clearly John pisses a lot of people off. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out. Putting two and two together here. But my friend goes, but you know, he's exceptional of what he does. Maybe the best in his lane.

And so I don't care. Because John's not for everybody, but he doesn't have to be. And you might hear that. And initially think, yeah, okay, where's the value? Some jerk is helping your friend at work. Well, to me, it felt bigger than that.

It felt like fate was screaming that ever-important reminder. To focus more on extreme authenticity than trying to reverse engineer what other people might say or think. It's like stop trying to manufacture their reaction. Because when you're using, the reaction is out of your control and not your problem. Love John or hate John, he is 1,000% John.

And because of that, he'll find his people. Because of that, he won't dull himself down or dim his light. Because of that, John is free. Quick dive into my mind. I certainly have areas of my life. I'd say particularly with my brand and my content creation, where I can be bolder, where I can take more risks. Everyone's got their personal arena. That feels like mine, right?

That's absolutely unequivocally true. I'd be lying if I said my brain doesn't try to reverse engineer stories and topics that will have an impact. Like, I understand what works, and I roughly stay within that framework. That, in and of itself, can be restricting. never reckless but like I don't know maybe there are places

I should be or could be more reckless as it makes this journey so fun you are your own experiment you're always learning about yourself you're always growing

and the more aught-to's you shed the closer you get to your power and by the way I know not everyone here has a business or brand or posts on YouTube or Instagram Wonderful.

Those are just a few examples of many. This applies across the board. Because I do wonder whether we all have parts of ourselves that we dull down. And that's the question, right? Are there pieces of ourselves that we don't share because one third or one half or, hell, three quarters of the people we meet will say, nope, not for me. Are there things you want to talk about, hobbies you want to try, places you want to go, art waiting to be made, stories waiting to be told that are ultimately never brought to life because we'd rather be half of ourselves for a majority of the crowd than be all of ourselves for the right minority of the crowd? It's a button that I'm always pressing. I guess because I see and I've seen firsthand how much talent lays dormant.

People I know, people close to me, old friends, acquaintances. There's just so much there, so much in the tank, so much canvas left blank. So maybe, just maybe, this is finding you at that perfect moment. Or at the very least, prompting the thought. Acting is a little reminder that you weren't put here to be for everyone. You aren't put here to be for anyone. You're here to be you. Not a little bit you,

but as much you as you can possibly give to the world. You're here to continuously uncover what your authenticity is. And with each step, attract those who belong in your orbit. It's like not only do you get to live a life on your terms, but you get to do so. with those who value what you're bringing to the world. He's not for everyone. Thank God.

That's how you know he's really making a difference. As many of you know, the great Charlie Munger recently passed away. And a friend of mine sent me a video of his most powerful quotes, sound bites. And as I was listening, one stood out to me that I really wanted to share. Charlie Munger said that the acquisition of knowledge is a moral duty.

Basically, it's our responsibility to capitalize on the opportunity presented to each and every one of us. We owe that to ourselves, and we owe that to the world. And it just so happened that this particular message was said during a commencement address, talking to an audience of students who weren't ending, but rather were being, beginning the greatest undertaking of their lives. They'd be released beyond the confines of the campus to go navigate the world. I remember being in that position, right?

Asking myself the question, well, what do I do now? Felt like the weight of the world was on my shoulders. And actually, beyond that point, I've found myself at that crossroads many a times. But being that there are really no right answers in life, I find Charlie Munger's advice here even more meaningful. Because it's not about what you're supposed to do. At least not when we zoom out.

It's about a willingness to step forward and continuously pursue knowledge. Your personal evolution. It's to try things you've never tried so that you can learn from them. It's going where you've never gone so that you can stretch beyond the boundaries you previously existed in. You owe it to yourself and the world to find what you love and shake that tree until all its fruit is gone.

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

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

So, hey, this is where we'll close the book. See, endings are just beginnings in disguise. because they set you free to start writing a new chapter, to adjust and reimagine the impact that you can have on the world. Those students, the ones that Charlie Munger was talking to, they aren't done learning. They're merely at an inflection point. And by the way, I think that's why it's so painful to feel stuck, to feel lost.

because our souls want growth, but don't know where to go. We feel confined because the target is uncertain, but I can tell you this. Sometimes knowing that the current chapter is over is enough, is all you need. Sometimes knowing that you no longer need to be where you are is plenty, because it prompts movement. One who is willing to keep their feet going, who's willing to try, make educated guesses and adapt. That is someone who is constantly learning. Someone who's realized that the only way to assure success is not achieved is by standing still.

Worrying so much about losing what you currently have that you disregard the infinite upside. It is a moral duty. to grow because you are a game changer. You have perspectives and ideas and abilities that will make this place better. And when you look around and think, me? No, you've got the wrong guy or gal here. That just means it's time for you to walk, to move, to create momentum, to stumble, to stumble into life until you find a little portion of it.

You want to put a stake in and call your own. And please, this isn't a life is rainbows, butterflies, and everything's magic message. This is a find your thing and give it to the world message. This is a you can always be evolving message. And most importantly, this is a progress is happiness message. Because a life lived to the fullest is one where we're, We are stretching and exploring. We're stepping out into the vast unknown and mapping it for ourselves and others.

It's your duty to acquire knowledge and allow that acquisition to propel you into the ether. It's your responsibility to not sit on your gifts, but bring them to life and create that ripple effect that will change. the world. Sometimes we convince ourselves that right now isn't quite right. It's not the wrong time necessarily, but soon.

We'll have that thing that will make the perfect launch point soon. So we'll wait. You hear it a lot with hopeful creators, right? As soon as I get the camera, I'm going to start the podcast. As soon as I feel

inspired, I'll start writing. Or how about this one we can all relate to in some way? As soon as it's January 1, I'll start taking care of myself and my health. And I'm not talking about this because I read about it. I'm talking about it because I live it. It's an adversary I'm always up against. The allure of waiting for that perfect moment. But here's the deal. When you start now, The imperfections become part of the value. People see imperfections and become inspired by them. He started getting in shape in his garage with two dumbbells. Look at that.

She started writing her novel in a notebook waiting to pick her kids up from school. Going now not only destroys that enemy that is procrastination, it also gives you something of value in return. It lets the very fact that you found a way become a narrative in your story. It allows your imperfections to become your greatness. I recently relocated my studio to Scottsdale,

a move that, according to the moving company, would take seven to ten days. 24 days later, I realized that there are places in life where you can attempt to cut costs. Moving companies should never be one of those things. I found myself with the recording equipment in my camera bag that I travel with and some empty boxes. I'm waiting for my stuff to show up one week, two weeks, three weeks, soon. Soon it'll arrive.

And I'll be able to record then. Because right now there's no lighting. Right now I don't have my tripod. I don't have anything to put behind me in the set. It's like wait, wait, wait. Or how about this? you take the empty shelves and you make them intentional. You lean boxes against the wall. You have a life transition set, right? And not only can you make that work,

not only will it look sufficient, but it's like you have a story now. We like to hear about the times others made something out of an apparent nothing. It's relatable. And that's actually where the fun stuff is and in any conversation. I'm recording this in a hotel room,

doing what I can with what I have. And so, when you find yourself feeling not quite ready and the temptation is to wait, rather than hold out hope for a fake perfection that never comes, why not unpack the beauty contained in the present moment? Or put a much more practical way, the opportunity contained in the present moment. Why not begin with less? And tap into something that no other time in your life will have but now.

Start your podcast using your phone. Mediocre visuals and echoey audio. Let this be the beginning that you look back on and smile. Remember how fun those episodes were? That mediocre at best equipment and stories about where we were in life? Start working out now. Can't get to the gym. Do it in your garage, in your living room.

Then you can point to where it would have been easy not to, but you built your physical foundation on the third floor of an apartment building in New York. People ask you what it took to get into the shape you're in now. wait and a floor just start I find repeatedly that it's not about perfect it's about who we become in making progress

with far less than the perfect we'd hoped for that's what makes you realize how much of what we tell ourselves is just rationalization we're scared to not look good that's all we're scared of new things worried about beginning and so we convince ourselves that the camera angle will make all the different

The expensive lens will be the differentiator. Again, I've lived this. And then you get it, and it's like, in truth, the new camera just sits there. You're still the person in front of it. And what you say in front of your phone versus $2,000 Sony, is still entirely dependent on you. Surprise. The Sony doesn't have much say. And so I call you to think less about the set and more about what's going on within it.

The amount you can do with what you have now will astound you. How little we need is truly magical. You know, in these last three weeks have emphasized that for me. Two pairs of shoes, two pairs of jeans, some T-shirts, and a camera. I didn't miss much. because my ability to think and share ideas didn't get packed away and put in the truck with everything else. That stayed with me.

And we all have some version of that in our own lives. That's what matters. You are LeBron at something. So cherish that. Bring that to the world, regardless of the circumstances. You can put LeBron on a broken down court with no nets. He'd still be pretty good. The environment becomes something different, something enjoyable because of its novelty.

Too often we miss the value because of the details. So I'll end with this. Don't seek perfection. Seek to start now with what you have so that you can give more of yourself to the world. You can give more of yourself when you're unsure. Give more of yourself when you're lost. Give more of yourself when you're starting. Give more of yourself when you don't have all the tools you wish you had.

Give more of yourself at the beginning. Give more at the middle and at the end. Anything that suggests you need some miracle in the mail before you can begin or tap into what matters is fear. It's nothing more and nothing less. So start. Start for the world and for the story you'll be able to share by simply initiating the climb.