Your World Within Podcast by Eddie Pinero - Unlocking Your Potential: The Power of Small Changes and Connecting the Dots

Episode Date: August 9, 2024

"Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become." - James Clear Monday Motivation Newsletter: https://www.eddiepinero.com/newsletter Free Ebook: www.eddiepinero.com/ebook  YouTube: www.eddiepinero.com/youtube  In this episode, Eddie Pinero shares the transformative power of connecting the dots in life to reach your goals. He emphasizes that you already have what you need and that success comes from linking the steps between where you are and where you want to be. When life feels overwhelming, it's not about making a giant leap but about making small, positive changes like waking up early, eating well, and exercising regularly. These adjustments build momentum and steer you toward a more fulfilling life. Tune in to discover how to move forward with energy and purpose, focusing on progress rather than perfection.

Before we begin, I want to thank the sponsor of today's episode, Pro Compression. Coined the best compression socks you'll ever wear, they're a big part of my running, my lifting, as well as my recovery. For those unfamiliar with compression socks and the value that they bring to your fitness journey, they're known for a few things. One, alleviating swelling and soreness after a workout, boosting blood flow, energy, and also enhancing performance and recovery. So being as into fitness as I am, become a big part of my routine.

And I'm happy to pass that along to you guys. I've teamed up with them. They're currently offering 40% off their entire website. If you use the code EP40, the website is pro-compression.com. And again, the code is EP40. One of the most important lessons I've learned is that I already have what I need most. Now, as I unpack this, think of it not in a fluffy sort of your magical just the way you are context. And instead, let's look at it through a truly practical lens.

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

Just not feeling good about yourself how things are. Okay, we've all been there in some capacity. You might think about your ideal life and think, well, I have none of that. I have none of those things. I'm not any of those things. That's just a different world altogether. And when you look at it in one giant leap like that, you're correct.

But again, your job is not to wake up tomorrow and be perfect. Open your eyes and be a God. or goddess, jump out of bed with the PhD and have your life all figured out, right? No, there's none of that. Your job, and this is the point here, is to simply connect dots from one little thing to the next. So again, you're stuck. Let's say theoretically, the road to something better starts with energy.

Having to feel good, right? Otherwise, doing anything is difficult. Feeling good, feeling energetic is a baseline. So draw a dot at waking up at a reasonable time, right? Breathing in the morning air, letting the sun hit your face as it comes up in the morning. Boom, dot connected. You did that. You're a little bit better.

Next, make a dot at groceries. What are you taking in? How are you fueling yourself? Make a few changes that will have you feeling good about how you are taking care of your body. boom you just connected another dot next dot at gym three days a week you get the point right these little changes you're starting to feel like a different person

and you can see how this upward spiral works none of those three things was a monumental transition they were small manageable tasks and everything of substance is a little change like this sometimes that's just hard to see right when you're frustrated when you're looking at what you don't have when you're comparing yourself to others

when all you see is the delta or the gap between where you are and where you want to be all that is poison but true change is about connecting little dots making little roadmaps being consistent but patient expecting more of yourself but also giving yourself love and grace

as you make the journey And it's from this vantage point that you truly do already have everything you need. It doesn't matter the goal, objective, or pursuit. You have exactly what you need to win. Why? Because you have everything you need to connect that next dot. Always. If only we would stop wasting time looking out, wishing and chasing things,

we think will solve our problems. When in reality, we walk around with the solution every single day. You know, Jim Rohn used to say it's not where you're going. It's who you become along the way. And I think this is because as we seek to evolve and grow, we learn to create and connect those dots. We trust ourselves that, look, we don't need one giant leap. We need to step.

We need little consistent action and we're more capable of that than we could ever imagine. And I'll get personal for a second. A goal of mine, I want to be one of the most impactful thinkers in orders of our generation. That invigorates me. It also is a lot, right? Even saying it feels like a lot. As the words come out of my mouth, it feels pretentious, right? Who am I to categorize myself with the best of the best, the nerve, right?

But I believe it, and I believe it wholeheartedly, to the point that I've bet my life on it. Why? Because I don't need to wake up tomorrow and write like Ralph Waldo Emerson, or speak like MLK. I don't need to think like Nietzsche or inspire like Churchill. Nope, not tomorrow. I just need to keep creating those little dots that will bring me closer and closer. I need to find ways to connect them in real time, one day at a time, one dot at a time, and I will do that. And the best part, so can you.

I'm not special. No, not in this regard. What am I? I'm a decade into connecting dots. A decade into understanding that I have everything I need to take one step and another and another. And my friend, you are capable. of the same. So understand that strange dichotomy of thinking big and small simultaneously. You have to dream big, otherwise what's the point? You dream big because it forces you to ask big questions,

pushes you to arrange and rearrange until you have evolved. But when we get caught up in the end result, we forget how to get there. You don't transport to greatness in your endeavor. No, you follow that roadmap, that roadmap of consistent steps. You connect the small immediately achievable. They are the formula to outcomes that exceed expectations and bend reality. So what do you need to ultimately arrive where you most want to be? Not a miracle. You need a simple understanding, you need to acknowledge that right now, in this moment, you have everything required to build and connect the next dot, and that will always be enough. In 1519, Ernan Cortez arrived on the shores of Mexico with roughly 600 Spaniards, all of whom quickly realized that a mighty

the empire waited for them not too far inland. And Cortez, inspired by Spain's current golden age and the encompassing sense of ambition and adventure that gave life to the whole journey to the new world, he pushed his men forward into the unknown ordering them, as Winston Reynolds writes in Hispania, to destroy the ships behind them. the valiant push forward with no return. Everything would be on the line. And over the years, this act has become folklore, evolved into the famous phrase we all know, burn the boat. Burn the boat. Why is this an important idea? Well, I look at it in very simple terms.

Doing anything meaningful is hard. Not planning on it. or hoping to do it, but actually doing it. And when you're in the heat of metaphorical battle, right, when you're on your way facing the adversity and the challenges and the hardships, whether it's social, physical, or mental, that growth comes with discomfort. Our instinct is to want out. When we are in pain, our brain's default is, how do I stop the pain?

And what I've learned is that if you give yourself off ramps, you'll take them. If you allow for a plan B, it will become more and more appealing. If the mentality is give it your all until it's inconvenient, well, we all know what happens, since excellence doesn't allow for skipping the inconvenient.

When you can't turn it, around and get back on those boats, you're forced to create outcomes. Because suddenly everything depends on it. Does this mindset come easy? No, I don't believe it does. Took me into my mid-20s to realize, hey, I'd never done anything without a life-wrapped or a safety net. I always carried option B, C, and D around with me in my pocket.

And the result? above average at plenty of things was great at none. But when your back is to the wall and those demons are closing in,

it's incredible what you can do, which you can create. You will shock yourself with your competence and your ability waiting to be unlocked. Now I'm not saying keep jamming this square peg in the round hole if you know something

not for you. I'm simply saying if there is something you want, something that you know in your soul is pulling you in, and you really want to see that thing come to fruition, you can't have pre-made off-ramps for yourself when the inevitable difficulty comes in, because it will. It always does. I refer to those moments as checkpoints, areas of internal deliberation, high security, guarded gates where many arrive, but few get to pass through. Not because they couldn't, but because the cost of access was expensive, too expensive, mentally, physically, and socially expensive, taxing. Most simply say no thanks. They get back on that boat, waiting for them by the shore they arrived on and return to the world they've always known. The way I see it, this is not about right.

right or wrong. No, that's missing the point entirely. I see the question being, how bad do you want it? A little? A lot? How about enough to go all in? Because if you want to see levels of yourself, you never thought possible, you need to kick the ladder down behind you. Force yourself to rise to the occasion amidst the chaos, map your path straight into the darkness of night. Not because it's the most convenient, but because you gave yourself no other choice. You burned the boats and are content to watch their flames slowly disappear behind you as you go where few have gone. You know what one of the best things to ever happen to me was?

Migraine headaches. Yeah, I know. Those excruciating, debilitating, sometimes can't get out of bed that day, headaches. Because when the pain in the chaos would ultimately subside, it always left me with something I didn't have before, which is an appreciation for the baseline. Gratitude for the absence of pain. And I'd understand what a gift it is to be able and capable,

living, breathing, functioning. In its own unique way, it made me realize that we only appreciate things when they're taken away. And if you can only ever love what's gone, you never really love at all. See, life goes fast, right? I'm watching it to spin around me in real time. We all are. And I believe we need to manuevae. We need to manufacture some sort of perspective pertaining to the beauty of the now. We have to go.

We have to build. We have to start the company, send the message, take the chance, not because we are obligated, but because our souls want it. They need it. See, our minds just don't understand. We've already been admitted to the show. It's hard to fathom just how precious each trip around the sun truly is. And if it takes pain to understand the value of its absence, I'll pay that price, gladly.

Because personally, I've wasted too many sunrises. I've told my heart know and my soul to be patient too many times. Life is happening now. It's here now. And so if your eyes can open and your feet can move, let the former guide and the ladder carry you. Don't leave your dreams for sleep because the show is now. The beauty is here.

And the power is within you to capture it, all of it. So give yourself that permission. Go forth into the night and light it up. I promise you the alternative is wishing you had. It's realizing that ship already left port and that's not where you want to be. That's not why you're here. You're here because right now, not tomorrow or the next day, but right now, the world is yours. The show starts now.

And lucky for you in the palm of your hand is the ticket to entry. When you're at your lowest point, you are often without realizing it, positioning yourself to arrive at your highest point. Potential energy accumulating to propel you through an atmosphere of new beginnings. See, I believe our adversity is life asking that we submerge and dive deep, sometimes very deep, just to remember how badly we need that oxygen above. So that when we again come up for air and we will, we notice the warmth of the sun on our face and the calming sound of the waves crashing,

on the beach. You don't make the most of what's around you until you recognize that what's around you is the opportunity. And so life reminds us, a taxing reminder, right? It rarely gives without first taking away. It rarely opens new doors without closing old ones. And that, to put it simply, can hurt.

They don't teach you in school that growth is painful. But as it turns out, a life without growth isn't much of a life at all. And so we must dive deep. We're given no other choice. Without night, there is no day. Without suffering, there is no beauty. Without those depths below, there is no surface above. Our submergence is our truergence is our choice.

transformation. The cocoon that separates who we were from who we will be, but unlike the butterfly, it doesn't just evolve once. Our journey requires that we are continuously growing a new pair of wings. Life is chaos. Life is unpredictable. Life is hard, but you were built to not only endure in its arena, you were put here to excel. to learn the rules and then expand upon the rules. Sometimes break the rules. You were put here to take the difficulty and provide meaning to it.

Piece by piece, as if it were the construction of a rocket to the moon. Little pieces of at one point frustration and confusion and chaos combined, reused and transformed into exactly what you, need them to be. Emergent properties. You just have to be willing to see beyond the now and assemble. To come up for air and soak in all that awaits at the surface like you've never done.

The other day I was texting with a friend of mine. Out of nowhere she goes, what's wrong? And I'm thinking nothing, right? I haven't said anything. You know, what do you mean? She's adamant, right? She goes, something feels off. I thought about it.

I realized, yeah, she's pointing out something I've known for a little bit here. Something is off. I'm hiding from myself. Feel a little burnt out, a little tired. Certain areas of my life had become unevenly distributed. In fact, I was flirting with that thing. I've always feared doing most. Simply going through the motion.

That scared me. I don't want this, right? I've come too far to feel like this. I'm better than this. How do I fix it? How do I solve it now? Figure it out now. But eventually came to realize the now part just might be the whole problem. Fix the now like it's a headache and me shaking my fist at the sky will be ibuprofen. No, bad. Fettling imperfection is a fool's errand. It's setting yourself up for disaster. We are humans, not gods. We are perfectly imperfect. And when something is off, don't fight, listen. Don't retract, expand. Here is the opportunity.

I'm under the surface, diving down into the depths of my own soul. what it has to say so that when I come up for air and I will the sun will warm my face like it never has the crashing waves will offer a symphony to my ears that I've never heard

and I'll see that the world I'm taking in is more a reflection of me than of it as that saying goes you don't see the world as it is you see the world as you are and how lucky to have taken a step back, a trip below the surface, to realize again that I am

the painter, not the critic. My world had become black and white, not because we live in a black and white world, but because sometimes we forget to put the color in. Sometimes we don't give ourselves permission to expand beyond the parameters we've created for ourselves. So with the breath and the oxygen will come a new appreciation, a liberating gratitude. There's nothing so sweet as remembering that both the castles in the air and the chains at our feet are imaginary. And hey, you get to choose which one to believe. in. See, what time has taught me is that there is strength in our vulnerability, in the times we fall or lose ourselves. And I know the inclination is to panic, perhaps assess too quickly,

to not hear but talk, to not listen but attempt to solve, which leads to the application of Band-Aids on bullet wounds. When we are low, when we are lost, it's our time. chance to better understand ourselves. It's the metaphorical equipment room where we stock up prior to our next descent. And if I could emphasize one thing, it would be that our perceived understanding of life, it oscillates. Sometimes we feel like we get it. We do. And sometimes we feel like we're sprinting with our eyes closed. It's a riddle we will never fully come to solve. But I do know one thing. We can't change the unpredictability of the world, but by observing, by listening, by getting back up, we can change ourselves. By recognizing our strength, we can utilize the

downtimes as they are the education we've been longing for. Remember, the world does not and will not ask perfection of you, so don't ask perfection of it. You were, built to endure, to overcome and to recreate yourself. Losing your wings will never be the problem. It's forgetting that they must be regrown. That is the problem. So step out. Rise to the surface of your world and breathe. Take in the surroundings that will become your resurrection story if you left them. run tells the tale. All those streets, sidewalks, and paths, paint a picture. Each footstep enshrines forever a moment in time that comes together to comprise the now.

From my time in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, it was asking, why not? Why not find out if I could a little faster than yesterday. My first dance with the clock. Waking up early, running up Snake Pond Road, sun shining in my face, inhaling that crisp morning air. It was running along the canal where the distance was precisely mapped out in paint on the ground below. Tattooing a path that seemed to go for his

as long as I wanted to push forward. It taught me that we could do amazing things when we decided to. That we have more in us than we could ever imagine. In a sense, Cape Cod was my eyes opening up to the idea that what life gives us is directly correlated to what we ask of ourselves. So ask for a lot. In Boston, it was exploration. It was pushing myself harder and further, but also stretching my worldview wider, a time for transformation.

It was beginning to see the mundane, the commonplace for the wolves in sheep's clothing that they are. I began exploring city street, like I simultaneously began exploring life's possibility. I saw how taking new routes often came with two distinct components. One, an unsettling, nervous feeling in my stomach, and two, an eventual gratitude for finding the courage to go there. The world will never tell you to go where you have not yet gone. It will never assign you a map and hand you keys, a plane, or a bus ticket. That desire must be cultivated in turn.

Boston was me realizing the unknown wasn't a border keeping me in. It was a hand extended. In Roanoke, Virginia, it was in a sense a rebirth. Moving away post-college. Everything was new, was foreign, but everything was exciting. I had to learn who I was in new surroundings with new people. My Nike running shoes took me through woods, downside streets, streets into the heart of downtown, I ran and I ran and I ran because with all that change,

it was one of the few constants in my life. It brought me to the realization that with so many moving pieces, so many things shuffling in and out, there are parts of me that are non-negotiable. That in life, it's okay and even necessary to change, but one should not be a lot of never lose themselves in that process. They call Roanoke the Star City of the South for the giant glowing star that lights up on the mountain overlooking the city. Perhaps a reminder to never lose that North Star

in our own lives. In South Florida, it was about connecting the dots. That had been relentlessly doing, now it was seeing. seeing, seeing myself as that person, as someone ready for more, worthy of a spot at the table capable of creating monumental change. Those soft sand runs reinforce the notion that I get stronger when the world moves under my feet. Those hundreds of thousands of footsteps under the hot sun reiterated that I'm willing to do what is often deemed unnecessary, or even

even over the top. And lastly, living in the luxury of no winter reminded me to appreciate the sun, the perks, the advantages, and the victories we collect along the way. But to never take them for granted, to be ready. Because life's winters don't always wait until after fall to show up at your doorstep. See, every step we take is a lesson.

Every street, sidewalk, and path is part of a story. And sometimes we don't understand until we look back at the chapters. We don't get it until we have the luxury of hindsight. I didn't know that I looked back on Snake Pond Road as sacred ground, as a launch pad to everything that would come next. No, in the moment, it was nothing more than a temporary escape from a world that felt bigger than me. I didn't know I'd see the city of Boston as the place that taught me to question the normalcy of everyday life. To show me that one could be moving awfully fast and still going nowhere at all.

No, in the moment, it was merely a decision to dip my toe in the water to entertain the curiosity and sense of adventure that always seemed a few feet ahead. I had no eye. Roanoke, Virginia, would be where I learned that, as Emerson said, to be yourself in a world, constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment. That there are non-negotiables, and shining down above all the noise and intricacies of everyday life exists the path and the resources to become who you were meant to be. No, in the moment I was simply stepping off my branch in Landis. branch and landing somewhere new.

I didn't know South Florida, I would be my consistent reminder to level up, to hold tightly that intersection of love and value, to find gratitude for what I have and maintain faith in bringing about what has not yet materialized. No, at the time I was taking my life, my business, and my running shoes to warmer weather. You may not see it now, but your path, the one that led you to today, is the right path. You are exactly where you need to be for the beginning of your next adventure. But here's the thing. You must keep lacing up your shoes.

Keep getting up in the morning and chasing those sunrises. Keep dreaming, growing, keep your eyes, ears, and your eyes. and heart open, because the world has so much to give you, but you have to allow your feet to carry you there. You have to give yourself permission to take it all in. The normalcy of right now, down the road will end up being anything but normal. These steps are the steps that make you who you are. So own them.

Believe in them. and most importantly, keep taking them. Life is delicate, defined as easily broken or damaged, fragile. There's nothing around you that's forever. There's no permanence in our world, and sometimes this is a difficult thing to grasp. Certainly, it's why we long for patterns of consistency where we can find them. We do everything we can to manufacture some semblance of predictability for as long as we can. Doing our best to repress the idea that everything we know is as temporary as a setting son.

I had a family member rushed to the ER a few days ago. And thank God she's completely fine. She's back home. She's doing her thing. But I can't stop thinking about the call. how it shook me to my core, how my walls of certainty and predictability were breached. It was this unsettling reminder that life as we know it isn't guaranteed, that things we love they're not untouchable.

I had to look my helplessness in the face for the first time in a while and realize, well, just how little of the world is mine to control. Which brings me back to a conversation I had when I was younger. I talk about my grandfather often in my work, primarily because of a few impactful conversations that we had. And it's interesting to me how relevant they continue to be. I remember a handful of times we talk from childhood. And it's like I piece them together retroactively. Things make sense as I get older and kind of figure out what it all means.

One of my last conversations with him, we went to this little diner, called Leos along the Cape Cod Canal. And he said to me, there are things now that seem impossible. But as you grow and you get older, they make sense, right? Even the most challenging things become manageable. And I get mad at myself for not understanding the context at the time or putting two and two together. But basically, he was diagnosed with the brain tumor

and he knew what that meant, right? And was basically giving me a heads up like, kiddo, this is going to be tough. But hang in there. That was one of the first times I've dealt with loss of that magnitude. And when you're young, so many things seem stable. They seem certain. You don't yet get the fluidity of life. That stream is moving.

And no matter what, it's going to continue to move. Sometimes that means it takes you places and presents realities that overtake the map that you created for the world, what you understood, what you hoped for, that little understanding of what life means. And I guess I wanted to pick up the baton from that conversation and pass it on to you with maybe a more comprehensive viewpoint.

Because I think contained in those words is a message so powerful, so important that we really can't afford to miss it. It's like, yes, life is unpredictable. And yes, life can hurt and humble us and knock down what we thought was certain it can challenge what we believed and shake our foundations. It can make us feel small in a universe that stretches beyond comprehension. But at the very center of all of that, we are equipped with something that can't be broken. The only thing that can't be ripped away. The sun around which everything else revolves,

your ability to endure, your strength to carry on, to take one step forward. Whether it feels like you're entrenched in the depths of hell or swinging from the stars in the sky, your resilience, your ability to not only handle life around you, but rise from the ashes of its turbulence and its misfortune. That will never leave you if you don't let it. Victor Frankel has said everything can be taken from a man, but one thing, the last of the human freedoms, to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way. See, life might be more than weak in control or comprehend. But amidst the might and power of its ocean, our determination is unsinkable. And believe me, there are times when you hear this and think, well,

okay, that doesn't affect me. I'm good. I'm doing my thing, right? Just like I did sitting at that table over eggs and bacon that morning. And man, I hope that's the case. And I hope it's stays that way. But life has a way of keeping us on our toes. It never lets astray too far from the realization that to be human is in some way or another to suffer. It's inescapable, and that's not to scare you, it's to remind you that one, storms will come. And two, regardless of how heavy the rain falls or how loud the thunder roars, it will pass. And you are strong. And you are strong enough to hang on until it does. That as you grow and as you evolve you become more and more capable of seeing the inevitable not as the world's personal vendetta

against you but is your time to dig deep and find within yourself the strength and the courage that was there all along and that's what that morning was a A message that, look, what's coming will hurt, but you can handle it. And not only that, every time life brings you to your knees, you get back up stronger. That doesn't mean it's easy. But the point is not that it's supposed to be easy. It's that you're capable of handling a world that is not easy. You're capable of navigating a reality that is not simple, a sea that is not smooth sailing.

You're equipped to handle the complex. And sometimes that little reminder is the greatest gift one can receive. There's so much I can't control, but my God, there's so much I can. The reality you have mapped out, the day-to-day, the things you've come to know and rely on, as much as we wish they weren't, they are delicate, withering away with times susceptible to the intricacies, the trials, and tribulations of life. But your heart, your soul, your world within, that is untouchable. It's the divine, the sacred, it's strength limitless, it's breath endless.

So remember, even in the darkest of times, you are the very light you long for. And as long as you believe that, there will always be a path. Naval Ravikon has said inspiration is perishable. So act on it immediately. And what he means is those fleeting moments of excitement, where you have an idea, a concept. Those must be cashed in. They must come to life, otherwise they're gone before they had a chance to change anything. See, what we don't really talk about much is that inspiration is only as valuable as one's willingness to act upon.

Just like a seed without the right nutrients can't grow, or a wheel is only useful once it touches the ground. It's the world able to act upon these objects that makes them powerful instruments. And so with that inspiration, that momentary jolt you've captured, the faster you act upon it, the more likely something comes of it. Inspiration transforms into action, which creates momentum and then more inspiration. And so goes the powerful cycle we must seek to create. Inspiration to action, to inspiration to action. I talk all the time about the myth of perfection.

idea that the perfect moment is out there, that someone or something will give you permission. But no, that green light is self-created. And when it arrives, don't waste it. It's not about reaching a mountaintop right away. You don't need to create the perfect solution right now. But give yourself a chance to see those wheels hit the road. that cycle of inspiration and action to propel you forward. Because so much of life comes down to what you did when that fleeting moment arrived, what

you turned it into if you gave it life. A lot of people out there think that the secret to life is having the right answers. But I'm here to tell you it's the courage, the willingness, the strength to move forward before you have them. To take that little bit of inspiration into this sunset. Let it mean something, let it be a beginning. So when you look back years from now, you'll see that single decision to act

meant so much more than what it felt in the moment. That single step you courageously took was everything. The message in this episode was inspired by some background music. The very music playing behind my words right now, actually. I have this thing for acoustic tracks. I just feel like they completely change the dynamic of a story.

But I digress. I was writing earlier, opened my notes, found a topic I wanted to discuss, spent about two hours on it. But as I listened to this song, looked over my word, I just felt like what I'd written didn't do it justice. Do you know that feeling where maybe it's your work or any other aspect of life really, where you know what you have is good enough,

like no question, good enough to get by, maybe even better than average? But at the same time, you have this little voice in your head almost guilt because you know there is within you something better. Like sure, this is, This will get you through the gate, but you just know you're conceding something. And it's that curiosity, that question, what could I have created and given to the world that just pulled me in a little deeper? I was recently in Cincinnati, one of my oldest friends, Mike.

We met in fourth grade, and we've been in touch ever since. And we were having dinner talking about how we were always in trouble back in the day. And I mean, we were always in trouble as kids. Went to a little Catholic school in Southern California. And the way they disciplined us back then was they had this system where if you were talking when you shouldn't be, you'd get a T for talking. And that T basically counted as one strike. If you did something besides talking that was inappropriate, you'd get an I, which I presume is for inappropriate. and eyes counted as two strikes.

And we couldn't really remember what the system was completely, but I think we landed on, you know, if you got up to seven total strikes before the end of the week, you'd get a note sent home to your parents. And we were going back and forth, kind of disagreeing on the effectiveness of that system. You know, the classic carrot versus stick argument, you know, Mike thinks it was a great system.

And certainly there was a way. was a lot of value there. You know, it kept us in check to an extent. But I saw it differently in the sense that all it did at times was rearrange incentives. You know, like if it's Friday afternoon and I'm sitting there, I only have one T for the week. You bet the teacher turns around.

I'm throwing that apple-shaped stress ball right at the back of Mike's head. You know, I've earned myself a little breathing room over the course of the week. Why not do just enough to avoid that note going home to Mrs. P? And it just seems like looking back now that a reward-based system might have been more beneficial. Instead of tiptoeing around and manipulating the rules so that we could avoid those negative outcomes,

why not learn to aim to reach for more, right, for the positive outcome? And here's why I'm going down this rabbit hole, because I know this seems trivial, but here's the honest truth. It took me into my mid-20s to unlearn this and even the most basic sense. sense. Certainly not just because of my elementary school. It's how we're all raised, right, to avoid the negative, to do enough to avoid punishment or embarrassment. It's not about mountaintops. It's about dodging the T's in the eyes, learning and manipulating this system to get what we need so that we have just enough. You know, and as an adult, I'm not talking merely

finances here. I'm talking relationships. I'm talking health. I'm talking all aspects of life. Right, that little voice that we all have, we all know it. The one that said to me two hours ago, yeah, this speech is fine. You'll avoid missing your deadline. You'll feel like you got everything done on schedule today. You won't have to call your editor or postpone anything. But like, how good do you feel about it? because you're capable of more. This is good, but somewhere behind that curtain, there is great. No, I'm not saying this episode is going to be, you know, third in history

behind King's I of a Dream speech in the Gettysburg Address, but the message means something to me. It means everything to me. The ability to leave good in pursuit of great changed my life. And most of the time, not even in the larger-than-life sense, I'm talking about the little things. I'm talking about the courage to walk away when I had to. To fight for more when I felt slighted.

To get out of bed when I felt like my ego was crushed. In a world where we're conditioned to find and settle for adequate, that little perspective shift lit a fire in my soul, which honestly, if anything, just makes life more. more fun, more exciting, more impactful. When you feel like you're generating meaning in your own life, it puts color into the mundane. And that's the message that I want to leave you with. When you hear that little whisper in your soul, that question, is this your best?

Is this who you want to be? Is it where you want to be? Why not entertain it? dive into the curiosity, walk through the door and see what lives on the other side. At worst case, the decision's reversible as most are, and you backtrack to the start and repeat the cycle. But at best case, life opens up. And sometimes it's a hard conversation to have with yourself. No question.

Sometimes it hurts being that vulnerable with the person in the mirror. But your soundtrack deserves a story. that matters to you. And you don't find meaning running from the T's and the eyes. You don't find contentment hiding in the shadows of life. You arrive where you're supposed to be by following that curiosity straight into an evolved version of yourself.

By listening when the voice asks, is this where you were meant? to be. It's easy to look back and think about all the things you could have done differently, especially since as we get older, we get wiser. Right? Time provides this beautiful gift of clarity. And ultimately we realized things like maybe a lot of our hesitation was unwarranted. Maybe a lot of our decisions or indecision was fear-based. And knowing that, it's easy to look over your shoulder and feel like you could have lived a different life or taken a different path.

At the very least wish you'd done things differently. But the reality is, everything you've done has, in fact, taken you here to this moment. and when you dwell on the past the should-haves and the could-haves, you completely diminish the power of right now, the current moment. You completely underestimate the knowledge and the wisdom you've been collecting for years whose single job is to assist you in your next move.

It's a compounding of experience. The good, the bad, and the ugly has landed you right here right now, and how beautiful right here is. The infinite blank page. The forever fresh start. And that's not to say the past doesn't matter. It's to suggest that your prior discomfort, your mistakes and lessons have equipped you to deviate from the root. routines and the cyclical nature of your past. The past is a gateway to now, not a life sentence.

And there's a difference. You say last year or last month or last week is valueless because you did X when you should have done Y. I say to that, doing the wrong thing has positioned you to now do the right thing. Potential energy. right like a spring being pulled back tighter and tighter and tighter awaiting its opportunity to propel forward you don't get that without those could-haves and should-haves they're integral to the process the reason you'll be different moving forward you can say i wish i'd taken more chances I wish I was bolder, I wish I followed my heart. Two pieces of news for you.

One, that's fantastic. It seems as though you're now aware of those times you fell short and can therefore mitigate them moving forward. And two, you're not dead yet. We have to stop looking at yesterday like it's anything but a ladder to greater competence. The gymnasium for your... your decision making.

Anyone can cherry pick the past. But the practical me asks, what does beating yourself up about what's gone do for you? What does it add to your life? Except for enabling and legitimizing the same identity you're looking to evolve and move on from. See, we don't limit ourselves because of right now. It's always because of yesterday.

Look what happened. Look what I lost. Look how things turned out. And it's like take the data and trudge forward. You now have the tools to move right into that darkness of night. And in five years you'll look back and sure, you'll wish you did things differently. And same five years after that. But that's why life.

is a journey and not a standardized test. We are picking up the pieces as we go, painting the masterpiece one brush stroke at a time. And even though you might wish yesterday's brush stroke was a different color, a little darker, different shade, it's just as valid as all the others in contributing to the mural in its totality. So sure, be your greatest critic. be your greatest ally as well. And that calls for being bold enough to let go of what's gone.

Extract the value from yesterday and use it to build now. Something, anything, that's up to you, but hear the message. It's up to you now. who you were yesterday or what you did, not how people saw you or how you used to live your life. You have an opportunity now to go wherever your heart desires, stronger and wiser at this point in time than you've ever been in your life. So rather than dwell on what's gone, how about asking how you can take those pieces of yourself and build.