Your World Within Podcast by Eddie Pinero - THIS WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE | Best Motivational Speeches

Episode Date: April 3, 2024

"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself." - Leo Tolstoy In this transformative episode, we explore the theme of life change and the profound impact personal evolution can have on our paths. We dive into the practical steps, mindset shifts, and inspirational stories that illuminate how change is not only possible but essential for growth. Whether you're seeking a new direction in your career, improving personal relationships, or embarking on a journey of self-discovery, this episode provides the tools and motivation to take that leap. Our discussion offers insights into overcoming fear, embracing uncertainty, and the power of making deliberate choices to shape our destinies. Join us as we unlock the secrets to changing your life, proving that with the right approach and mindset, transformation is within everyone's reach. YouTube: youtube.com/yourworldwithin

You're not the same person you were a year ago. It's an important thing to understand. Progress is incremental. We often fall into the habit of looking forward, looking ahead. That's wonderful. We want to push boundaries. We want to be looking down that road. But something that differentiated the chapters in my life from stress and inadequacy

and just not feeling like enough versus being content, but understanding this is a process, it's the realization that you have to pat yourself on the back, that you have to turn around, you have to look behind you and you have to say, you know what, I've come further than I thought. I'm not the same person I was last month, last year, two years ago. There are things I'm doing now that I couldn't do.

I think in certain ways that I never thought before. And what this does is it helps you maintain perspective. That life is an evolution. And that you are exactly where you need to be for whatever journey you are on. In today's world of keeping up with the Joneses or Instagram, I think social media culture can be incredibly dangerous. It has its value, but like everything, the truth is always right in the middle.

It's a problem when you're looking around you and seeing and highlighting things that you're not. I'm not this, I'm not that, I wish I was, but I'm not. For a few reasons. One, because that stuff often is a highlight reel. It's not reflective of reality. And two, it's not your journey. It has nothing to do with where you're going.

And it creates this false sense of panic. Like, I'm not where I should be. No, you're exactly where you need to be. And you've done things and you've overcome obstacles. Some you haven't even realized that have been monumental. Success is so incremental. It's counterproductive. It goes against everything we are.

It goes against how we think. Right? It's like you exert yourself. You exhaust energy. Well, where's the feedback? What do you mean there's no feedback? Well, it takes time. Right? And the idea of showing up and showing up and showing up and showing up and getting very little back can be devastating. It can be exhausting. That's why it's so important to remember that you are evolving and that you have evolved. You are the culmination of all these beautiful, incredible steps you've taken. And let me tell you something. Sometimes the most important thing you can do is simply not stop. It's not some magic solution.

It's not to hit a home run every time you're at the plate. No, sometimes it's simply carrying on when most people wouldn't. And if you can look back and you see a sample size, you see a day one and a starting point, you've done the incredible. You're in the minority. You've continued on into an unknown that scares most people to death. Doesn't mean there's not more to do. It doesn't mean you shouldn't continue evolving,

but it means you're the product of courage. That those little yeses mean something. And so I have people reach out all the time. You know, I'm down. I don't feel like myself. I don't know what I'm doing. I feel like I've lost my why. Hey, I get it.

We all do. Literally every single human being has felt like that. It's not reflective of you or reality. The reality is, When you've forgotten your why, you've forgotten how far you've come. You've lost your momentum in relation to your North Star. And it's a feeling that you can pick right back up with a small win. It's amazing how many things in life, you know, they feel so big

when we're looking at that mountaintop, when we're looking at the solution. They feel larger than life. And that's what puts us in these slumps. That's what intimidates. It's like, look where I need to be. I'm not a fraction of that. But you don't need to be that. You need to take one little step forward.

And as I say all the time, anyone can take one little step forward. Anyone can do that. Anyone can create a spark of momentum. Spark of momentum over time accumulates to the good stuff, the important stuff, the meaningful stuff. So when you feel like that, remember, you're asking too much of yourself. Not in the big picture, but today, right now.

Because what you need to do right now is show up. That's it. You need to make one little decision and start a pattern that can accumulate, create a snowball that will become an avalanche. That's your job. When you keep your mind in the mind. moment. You open all these doors that would otherwise have been shut. No one can leap a mountain. Anyone can climb a rock. What's your rock today? What's your one thing today? Some things are made

from little nothings, right? What's your little nothing? What are you going to transform? You don't have to be Bezos tomorrow. Maybe you make a business plan today. Maybe you make a call today. this afternoon, it's morning, whenever. But it's compartmentalizing that. You have so much control over your life when you realize what's actually required. And that's why, you know, again, going back to that point, you're not the same person you were yesterday.

All those little decisions, all those little emails, all those times you stepped outside, all those times you made the call, created the website, networked, all those things you did brought you to this moment. Every time you ran, every time you worked out, every time you studied, took a course, took a class, took a test, they all comprise you in this current moment. They mean something, but we don't look around and say, wow, look at all the things I've done. No, we look out and say, look what I'm missing. Look what I'm lacking. You're not lacking anything except a single step forward.

The realization that all you have to do is move one step. And that simple understanding completely, completely transformed my life. I spent the first three, four years as a creator, as a business owner, just in this feeling of scarcity. Like, look at all the things I don't have. To the point where, as I'm building, I don't even realize I'm building. I never look back. I never look around.

I never appreciate life as it is. That's the recipe for disaster, because there will always be more to build. Always. It doesn't matter how far you've come or what you're doing. But when I learn to acknowledge, hey, everything that you've done has brought you here, appreciate. Relish in the moment.

And then decide where you want to go next. It's a journey. It's not that serious. Life is not that serious. I tell my friend Zach all the time, you know, life should emulate his son, walking around the living room, poking things, prodding things, pulling blankets off the couch and making tents.

Like, it's an experiment. It's not a test. And you're well equipped to move any direction you want to move. You've come this far, and you can continue down that road. So that's my message to you. It's a simple one. Simple but crucial. Appreciate how far you've come

and understand that where you're going, requires not some magic formula, but a single step forward and a commitment down the road that you choose to go down. That will create transformation. That will bring about a life that you've never had before. Subtally, right, without even realizing. Little by little, compounding into the beauty that we are equipped to capture, to bring in. Have an amazing day. That to find ourselves requires we must first lose.

lose ourselves is I believe life's greatest paradox, leaving that carousel of comfort, the predictability of what we know, the certainty of who we believe ourselves to be. For a promise with no real guarantee of being kept, it's nothing short of irrational. Are the odds in our favor, perhaps not. By stepping off, by placing our bets on a different track with a different prize, at a different time, we have increased those odds from zero to, well, I guess we decide. And see, the world teaches us that it's advantageous to spin. A spinning carousel is predictable.

It can't be cheated. There's very little room for loss or humiliation or setbacks or even life to get in the way. You know where you start and you know where you end and that's just the thing. This spinning world is so easy that people don't want to leave. In fact, it's not until you walk away from the crowd that you even face the unknown. And that's precisely why it's so hard to walk alone. It's hard, it's challenging because of the now. Not because the now can't be measured or understood.

No, we get it. But because there's this level. little whisper in the back of our heads that the now might go on and on and on forever, that that check will never be cashed, the summit never reached. No, just footsteps down a perpetually long, windy road. And that's, you know, when maybe, just maybe we miss that carousel. We miss the safety and security. And that's what sometimes makes it such a stressful thing to walk alone.

We think about all of ourselves, our mind, our heart we've left behind along the way. Truths, we now have to face things. They never taught us on that carousel. We had to learn that we were wrong about who'd be by our side through all. We could no longer hide behind the notion that when things got tough, someday everyone, everything would be there would be the same. We learned to swim by jumping into the deep end. seeing in real time that people only believe it already exists.

What's put in front of them. That ideas are empty. That a dream is a language only spoken by its creator. And if you want it to mean anything, you must dedicate your life to translating it. We learn how much is backwards, how much of life is reactive. That success is being one of the few who don't react,

but build a world to react to. And in the thick of it all, to internalize the process because talking while talking does nothing, plans are just potential energy confined to your pocket. You have to be okay growing that seed by yourself. Like a runner making her way past a crowd, right? The crowd sees calm, sees peace, sees the finesse of an athlete gliding over the pavement. They have no idea the war being fought behind her eyes. The silence of constant whispers to slow down to do less, the repression of pain that consumes her to such an extent,

it can't even really be pinpointed. It just kind of floats over her body. They'll never know that. And what we learn is that they don't need to. It's the truth. And see, it's also what makes it quite lonely to walk alone. Walking alone, well, it's a lot of things. But it's never boring.

It's never dull. And if you can hang in there long enough, without even noticing, the headwind you've been fighting, it becomes a tailwind. And where we may have felt alone, the idea pops into our heads that maybe that's not quite right. If anything, the wind at our back is now momentum. It's a partner along the way. That carousel, yeah, it's still spinning, but somewhere else. Some far off place beyond our field of vision.

And no, things don't ever become easy. We wouldn't want that. But difficulty is interpreted differently now. Not a burden, but a cost. And one we'd gladly continue to pay. And that space that once felt so empty, so desolate, so helpless. Well, now it's made up of people who see what you see. Who hopped off their own carousels and wandered through the desert, they too navigated

through the impossible and the never been done. It's funny how at some point we always find each other. And I suppose now, having traded the carousels for the adventure, we can walk alone together. us against the world, standing up in defiance of the odds, chasing that glimmer of hope, all in on a pursuit to find what most won't and see what most can't, not because we were made different, but because we chase down the idea of different. It gets a tough rap walking alone. And in so many ways, it's a fight. It takes all of you.

But you don't come out the same person you were when you stepped in. The same person you'd still be today had you stayed on that carousel. So if you are still spinning, step off. And if you have, if you're still adjusting to the discomfort of reality, if you're making your way through the hell of uncertainty or questioning whether you have what it takes, or have the strength to commit, I promise. In fact, you're right where you need to be.

So don't be distracted by those screaming of their successes or communicating, capturing every small win as they make their way around the carousel. It's the quiet ones who change themselves. The ones who take life one step at a time, one battle at a time, who redefine reality. And I'm sure you can't see it now.

No one can. No one can see the sun amidst the storm, but you'll emerge. Stronger than you ever were. You will navigate towards the ideal and away from that life you once settled for. It's a long path, but it's worth it. So get up and let your feet guide the world. Let's go walk. alone. Einstein said imagination is more important than knowledge.

For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world. Stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution. There's a distinct difference between today and tomorrow, the real and the so-called imagined. One has already been created, and the other is in desperate need of a creator. And see, until we learn that we can be proactive in this regard, imagination doesn't mean much. It's just a car without wheels. Plain without wings, it's more of an escape than a bridge to something better. But once we realize how much control we have over tomorrow, we become, in our own right, creators.

Not just waiting to read and react to stories already written and handed down to us, but possessing this incredible ability to pick up a pen and craft something new. Become agents of change. I recently came across an interesting article. Had some info that made me think. Basically, it said if you take some domesticated animals like pigs or chickens and you place them back into the wild, some of their previously repressed biological tendencies come right back into play. So, for example, chickens change their breathing habits, how they take care of their eggs, pigs regrow their hair and that mane going down. down their back and these old repressed kind of hidden away genes are reselected for again over time.

And the animals begin to reacclimate as though that potential was never lost. It just needed to immerse itself in the right environment. And it's like, well, if we view ourselves in that same light, Now we might ask, what if we positioned ourselves to gravitate towards an environment that was best for us? What if I imagined a world? Not exactly like today, but one better conducive to me being me. A world where I'm set up to thrive. Where sure, there will be bumps and bruises and losses and lessons along the way,

but where I'm immersed in a journey towards a destination, that excites me, that lights me up. Can I find the courage to not only imagine that finish line, but also act accordingly, move towards it? You know, I always say the hardest thing to do is to recreate outcomes that look different from the current moment. Because, well, the current moment is all we know. It's all anybody knows.

And by the way, it's all anybody wants to know, right? Right, until something new is placed right in front of them at their feet, until proof exists. Changing your life or the lives of those around you means you have to literally look at the road before you and see outcomes that are not there. Then you have to believe in those outcomes. You have to drive towards those outcomes. Have conviction in your ability to overcome obstacles on your way to those outcomes. on your way to those outcomes. Truth be told, chasing your imagination is simultaneously

one of the greatest burdens one can endure, as well as a key to that which makes life worth living. There's something about being human that pushes us towards hope, towards the possibility of a tomorrow better than today. And that's not to say, Don't be grateful. It's not saying don't see the beauty around you

or appreciate the world you live in, but I believe we're here to take that torch from yesterday and move it one step forward. Maybe it's in our own lives, a small step forward in our careers, a relationship, or our health. Maybe it's improving the lives of those around us, family, friends. Maybe it's something larger, societal, Whatever it is, I'm convinced that true meaning in life is finding the courage to push one foot further down the path of possibility.

To add one step to that ascending staircase, knowing that it will allow us to someday look back on today and be proud of what we faced and overcame. And as I wake up and I look around, I think to myself, that has to mean, share. the ideas in our heads. It has to mean we understand the power of our instincts, of our beliefs, of hope. It means understanding that it justifies all the hardship that comes with taking those ideas and giving them life. Because everything around us was built

with the courage to take little nothings and make them something. And when we're lost, or feel alone or for one reason or another forget that. We need to remember that right now is not forever, it can't be. It's a stepping stone to whatever you decide tomorrow is. And that goal isn't perfection, you don't need all the answers. You need the courage to take one little step in a new direction,

to write just one sentence on a brand new page. Because that imagination is not fiction. It's not the delta between the possible or impossible. It's not there to entertain. It's there because it's your map. And you may look at that map and think to yourself your loss. That it's unclear that the directions, well, they're incomplete at best. But what I can promise you is the pursuit of this world you've imagined.

It will bring you greater satisfaction than anything else could. It will remind you why you're here and show you that life isn't supposed to be easy while helping you appreciate it for being that way. See, your imagination is your path to that ideal state. Where you can thrive. Be you, push your boundaries and spread your wings. Don't ever let the current state of today convince you that your heart. hopes and your dreams for tomorrow are too big, that you've missed the mark or stepped out

of the line. In a world of reaction, be one of the few who looks in the mirror and decides to live life proactively, take initiative. Be one of the few who stands wholeheartedly behind that world. They've imagined there's an African proverb that states every morning. A gazelle wakes up and knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed. And every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up and knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle or it will starve. It doesn't matter whether you're a lion or a gazelle.

When the sun comes up, you'd better be running. Because stagnation is losing. Because wishing is a sealed fate. Because immobility is regret. As David Goggin says, you are either getting better or you are getting worse. And in a world comprised of no finish lines, that really simplifies the picture, doesn't it? Because this has nothing to do with yesterday. For the self-defeating stories you used to tell yourself, it's about what reality can become.

And the best news you'll ever hear is that the steps that brought you to right now, they are not the same steps that will carry you forward. Every single sunrise is a chance to chase down that which sets your soul on fire. Lion or gazelle, day or night, it is never too late to become what you have never been, to rewrite your story. Not for the doubters or the naysayers, but for you. See, they'll never get it. They'll never understand that your progress is your happiness, while you'd endure the depths of hell twice to be five seconds faster, a little better to build a little higher, it's not nuance.

It is survival, woven into your DNA, and just as much a part of you as the heart in your chest. See, today is a currency, the most valuable entity you possess. Clay where dreams are molded, light that turns unknowns into outcomes, into stepping stones, it's why each step is so precious. Because each one is a bridge to a part of you yet to be explored. See, Nietzsche said it best, one must still have chaos in oneself to give birth to a dancing star. It is why we build these metaphorical arenas. Because without them, there are no dragons to slay.

There are no mountains to climb or armies to conquer. It is from chaos that order is born. Every crack of the sword brings understanding. When the sun comes up, there is no wishing for a better world. There is creating in yourself the one who will make it better. The one who will lead himself and others who will find amidst the horizon. the existence of a world within. I'll never forget listening to Jim Rohn.

I was taking a walk in the middle of the day. I needed to get out, decompress, rethink, realign. And this message came through my headphones. He said, we must all suffer from one of two pains. The pain of discipline, or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons.

And I needed that. I needed that because sometimes we forget why. In the midst of the day-to-day, the trials and tribulations of life, we forget why we endure. And there's a strange dichotomy that exists because, you know, you can't measure discomfort that hasn't arrived yet. You can identify regret that hasn't

materialized. Yet in a way you have to. You have to somehow make that tangible. You have to know that sacrifices of today deliver you from the anguish of I wish or if only or maybe I could have. I've heard it said that humans ability to to delay gratification is what makes us so unique, incredible even. But that doesn't mean it comes easy. So as I walked, I became reacquainted with the trust that I had in myself, in the future, in the steps I was taking. It wasn't that I'd reached some grand finale,

but that I gave myself permission to stop constantly expecting one. worrying when things didn't go as planned, feeling disgusted with myself when I fell short. This is after all part of a process. And if one stays the course, builds a foundation of discipline to guide them towards what they believe in, things will evolve. We feel uncertain because new things don't have a precedent, at least not a personal one. that feeling of, I wish I knew or had some predictability. It's real.

It's common. But if minimizing regret is what means the most, then it also means that we must have the discipline to walk steadfast into the unpredictability of tomorrow. A long-term sustained discipline. And one of my favorite interviews, Brani Ware, who wrote the top five regrets of the dying, was talking about surrender, and how she mentioned in her book, Letting Go. And I asked her, can you explain that? What's the angle? Because the way I look at life, there's always something you can do. You can always improve your situation somehow.

And she basically said, it's not about what you can control, what you can do. It's about putting yourself in position to live the life you want to live, and then letting go of that which you cannot control. It's about not worrying over external forces as you walk your path, because all you can do in life is walk your path. And that became the marker, or the question, am I walking my path? Right? Now, look at it like this. First, a vision gives you direction, purpose, keeps you excited, injects meaning into life.

Second, discipline keeps you moving. Becomes the tiny steps that transport you through your pursuit of meaning. And third, trust in the process. That you are here to give everything you have to give, and then the rest, as Brunny says, must be surrendered. But the reason I bring this up is because all of it fits together like a puzzle, like three pillars of a Parthenon.

And when people reach out to me all the time, they're upset that they're not as disciplined as they'd like to be. And they're listening to the speeches, they're watching the videos, they're absorbing the content, trying to improve. But nothing seems to get the engine going. And I'm wondering, what is your North Star?

What are you aiming for? Because as far as I'm concerned, it's impossible to be disciplined if you don't have a reason. You know, when Jim Rohn states that the pain is in ounces now, well, there's an implicit, compared to what? Being asked, right? Compared to that top of the mountain that you'd presumably miss out on.

So if the mountain top's not defined, you're on a fool's errand. It's why I had so much trouble with my old career, for example. It's hard to be disciplined. There's no buy-in on the purpose. Using my previous metaphor, it's little steps, sure, but towards what? If you don't know, it's only practical then to look around and ask yourself, why am I taking them? Why not go drink with my friends?

Why not stream this series on Netflix until 4 a.m.? Why not skip the workout? You can listen to people on YouTube, scream at you to do more and be more and try harder all day, but without that piece, it will not get you very far. A vision, the discipline to pursue it, and a trust in the process. And you could say the same with someone

who might have a clear vision, a dream, a perfect idea of what they want, but never take action, right? The discipline never materializes. It makes the endeavor just as meaningless. Things don't change until you take that big picture, that vision, and you break it down into little things you can do every day. That's it. And isn't that amazing? The greatest, most influential people from the friends and family that inspire us, to the greatest athletes and entertainers, to our greatest thinkers, creators, world leaders, all they do is a handful of things consistently every day in the direction of something that is meaningful to them. A process that has been talked about since the beginning of time. The compound effect, as Darren Hardy calls it. That breakthrough was huge

for me. The realization that I don't need to leap any mountain. I just need to ascend one tiny rock at a time. And that is not a superhuman ability. That is a single decision. So here the question isn't can you be more disciplined? Of course you can. The question is, which few things are most meaningful to you. Which will you be focusing on every day so that they expand and inject value into you in the world? And then, lastly, there is trust, sometimes the most difficult, seeing the unseen, maintaining confidence in that which is unknown. An incredibly challenging expectation in an instantaneous world, a world where things are immediate. Feedback is immediate. Messages are sent across the planet instantaneously. Goods and services arrive within hours.

We have forgotten patience because it is disintegrating before our very eyes. We are a society of now, but the best things in life they take time. They require that we hold up our end of the bargain and that we trust life will fall into place. Belief in a process that will come to mean more than anything that arrives in 30 seconds ever could. A vision, the discipline to pursue it, and a trust in the process. So perhaps you're overdue for your midday walk, your little excursion into the story, soul to ask yourself, what is it you are moving towards? Why are you doing what you're doing? Does it mean something? And if not, perhaps some adjustment is in order. Perhaps you've lost

sight of that North Star that lights up our lives and illuminates the way. Take solace in the fact that life is not as serious as we make it out to be. We don't live in a world. We don't live in a world, of right and wrong, good and bad, yes and no, but a continuum, an opportunity to seek out and find the beautiful ups and the meaningful downs to set our sights on the horizons that matter. See, when the little things feel too complex or burdensome, it's because the big things are misaligned. That is a powerful idea to grasp. It's never that life is too difficult.

It's that we have closed our eyes. So don't be fooled by those selling you reality as some problem, some obligation that must be dealt with. No, today is the greatest gift of your lifetime. And the same will be true every day moving forward. And to echo Jim Rohn, absolutely it is a gift comprised of sacrifice, discomfort along the way. But that's a small price to pay for entry to the show. For the ability to embrace the mystery and embark upon the adventure when you're pointed to the right north star,

while the road, it feels less treacherous on your feet. the hills less strenuous on your legs, what we often deem to be a lack of preparedness, ability, strength, well, might just be a lack of alignment. So adjust, because this world, flexible and limitless, invites you to do just that. It invites you to explore until you've uncovered your vision. to pursue it like nothing else matters, to sidestep the obstacles, invert the setbacks, and lastly to find hope when there appears to be none. To set your sails, walk your path, run your race and surrender to that which is beyond your control.

And you'll find that with a vision, with discipline, with trust in the process, there is no sense. situation or circumstance outside the scope of what's possible for you. How do you visualize the road you're on? With its twists and turns, smooth terrain, rough terrain, straightaways, hills, what is it all mean? Do you find it odd that it gets more challenging as you get closer to your destination? Right? The further along you get, the more tension life puts between you and the finish line. Almost like the universe is adamant about weeding out those who think they can skate by.

What is the difference between saying you want it and really wanting it? Perhaps it's a willingness to fight through a storm just for the opportunity to find calm and serenity in its center. This morning, as the sun was coming up, I went for a run. A nice five-mile run down the coast, and the way I planned it out was simple. 2.5 or halfway up in soft sand, and then I'd stop, and I'd turn around, and I'd run 2.5 back, but on the harder surface. Right? Easier to handle, almost like a reward for pushing myself on the way up. And things were going perfectly. I made the 2.5 mile run up. And when it came to stop and turn around,

I realized what should have been obvious from the beginning was high tide, which means I didn't get that hard surface to run back on instead. Not only was it softer than the way up, but I was running on a slope. And that just threw my mind for a loop, right? I'm embarrassed to admit I was actually angry about it. You know, I pushed myself hard going up

and wanted that breather. Almost felt like life pushed the finish line back 2.5 miles. I didn't trust me as I'm writing this. seems ridiculous to talk about. But in the moment, just irrationally annoyed. That was the carrot that had been chasing the whole time. So I begrudgingly, you know, moved forward, kind of trying to figure out what to do,

and ultimately just continued forward, and, you know, the emotion subsided, and as usually happens, you pull yourself out of the weeds a little bit. The big picture tells a different story. Different story means different persuasive. and that's what I came across, right? This idea or this question, well, why do we expect life to be flat ground?

Why was that my assumption to begin with? The easy to navigate path. Why is that the standard? And the more I thought about it, right? The more I wondered if that's the very reason why we underperform. It's the little spark that ultimately lights this, this wide, wildfire of regret. Because when convenience is the standard,

everything else becomes unfair. Everything else is a burden. When the road should be flat, what are we to make of the hills in our path? Thinking life should be easy, it provides oxygen to a victim mentality. And sometimes it takes these little experiences for me to refocus on these subtle realities.

The flat ground is not the standard. It is earned. It's a gift. It should be cherished and appreciated because guess what? Life wasn't easy. It isn't easy and it never will be. But I believe the differentiator is knowing that.

So I kept running on the slope, feet sinking into the sand. I got my teeth kicked in just a little bit longer and life didn't end. In fact, I think the mental aspect was tougher than the physical. We're only talking five miles here. But when the standard changes, so does the performance. It's about just moving forward. And like poetry, with about three quarters of a mile left, right? The beach widened.

It leveled out. The ground became harder. Each step became easier. And yeah, I was running. But in my head, it felt like I was lying on a bed of feathers. Because when you prepare to face life's demons, when you're ready for battle, when you went to take. You'll have to give everything.

Any adversary that falls short of that feels like wind behind your back. We can endure anything. The question is whether or not we put ourselves in position to... Mistakes, they don't define us. Heartbreak, it doesn't kill us. And criticism, it doesn't shape us. But I'll tell you what? The fear that they do stops a lot of people from becoming who they're capable of becoming.

Panicking at the slightest sign of discomfort, moving away from anything but the convenient, when in reality, inconveniences are the path. As Ryan Holliday famously put it, the obstacle is the way. See, satisfaction, it doesn't even exist without a will to overcome. What meaning does a finish line have without miles of self-doubt and questions and fear and dragons being slayed while you prove to yourself over and over again that you know what? I am more. And I can be more. And the crazy thing is that there's not even a stop.

point here. This rocket will propel as high into the ether as you choose to take it. And look, it's not about running on slight inclines or sinking a few inches into the sand. It's not about being rejected, losing or castigated by seven billion self-interested souls. No, it's about not being scared to take the bridge that connects current to future. Complacency to recreation, the known to the seemingly impossible. You're made of so much more than you give yourself credit for. You are so much stronger than you think you are. So for yourself and for the world, capture that.

Own it and redefine it and redefine. redefine what it means not to simply exist but to your core with every ounce of your being your soul every fiber in your body to truly live. I was never a runner until one day in grade school I got running shoes and decided that I was. I never ran a successful business until I saw myself as a an accomplished business owner. See something I've realized through the years is that we are nothing more than the role we are playing. And every day we are auditioning for a part. I'll never forget years back listening to some actors doing a Q&A session. And a film student asked

one of them for some strategies and approaches to getting into character. And one of the actors who volunteers to answer, he looks down at his feet, looks back up and says, it all starts with the shoes that we wear. Because from the ground up, they define how we carry ourselves, how we feel. They allow us to embody a specific character and sort of move forward, taking on that persona. What he had just done was spell out the relationship between identity. The story that we've convinced ourselves we should live by and the actions that we take. Our lives are defined by the metaphorical shoes we wear. You can only be what you believe you are and you will never believe it until you own it, live it.

Even though you haven't identified as something in the past today is different, the script is new. Just like an actor is not confined to his previous role, why would you be confined to yesterday? That abstract idea we used to bundle up recent events and make them tangible, just so that they can act like an anchor. Oh, yesterday, I couldn't complete my workout, so I'm not a runner. Yesterday, I was shy at the conference, so I'm an introvert. Yesterday I failed my math test. I don't do math. Look, my question is, is that right? Is it you?

Or are those simply the shoes that you've chosen to wear? The role you were playing, because it never fails. If that's how you think of yourself, that is positively the result you're going to get. Wanting something better, positive change, greatness requires more than wishful, thinking. It requires a deliberate shift in mindset, a change in character, becoming something new. Maybe you're a millionaire. Maybe you're a millionaire with no money right now. Maybe you're a millionaire with a hell of a lot to learn. But if you don't believe you are right now, at this very moment, you will never be one. People always live up to the image that they have created of themselves.

Period. How you think of yourself is what you'll get. We are actors. The majority of us playing the same role, the one we played yesterday and the day before and the day before. But if you could just convince yourself to be something new to wear the shoes, to sing the song and dance, the dance, you'll evolve. You'll walk away from the fiction holding you back, just like the elephant tied. like the elephant tied to the plastic chair. You are not the problem. It's the shoes on your feet and the way that you think about them. And I suspect that it's time for a new role. To life's

adversity, thank you. To the challenges, the ones I hated in the moment, I am beyond great. They became invaluable. Those moments that forced me to be more than I was. Step out before I was ready so that I could arm myself for the path that was meant for me. Thank you to those times I was afraid. You taught me that the darkness is never as bad as our thoughts make them out to be. And when we learn to trust ourselves, we realize that we realize that fear becomes strength. Thank you to those times I fell short of expectations,

the times I didn't quite hit the mark. You taught me that it's not about me, it's not personal, it's about taking that awareness and going at it again more intelligently. Thank you to the times I felt alone, the times I didn't get the support I hoped for anticipated. You did two things. You reinforced the value of an effective, committed team, but you also emphasize that if that candle is going to stay lit, it's going to be because I commit to keeping it lit. And when tempted to point out and blame the external world, I must pause, reassess. and focus on the world within.

Thank you to those times of stagnation, the valleys of despair, of uncertainty. You reminded me that momentum has to be manufactured, and the answers we need are never big or complex. They are small and they are simple. We are always one step away from getting back on track. Thank you to the unexpected setbacks, the from out of nowhere obstacles.

You taught me that the trials and the tribulations, they are not the exception, they are the rule. That success isn't running from them, but learning to deal with them. There's a saying that life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it. Thanks for showing me to allocate my energy to the reaction. Thanks for the times.

I looked around and couldn't find a conceivable way. The times things seemed helpless and hopeless. You taught me that even in our darkest moments there is an answer that I am capable, I am strong enough. And who would have thought that all these things, all these situations I would have loved to run away from, were a gift more valuable than any other? Who would have thought that predictability and comfort were wolves in sheepings? clothing, that danger is never the obstacle. It's in thinking you've been slighted by life when the obstacle arrives. In reality, every setback is a chance to be more, to step into that future self,

to live life. It is from our struggle that we acquire our strength, from our pain we find just how far we can go. So to these challenges that made me who I am, thank you for the insight, the lessons, and the evolution. Thank you for showing me what no success could ever have shown.