Your World Within Podcast by Eddie Pinero - Your Pain Will Be Your Strength | Powerful Motivational Speech | Wake Up Positive

Episode Date: August 25, 2023

“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” - C.S. Lewis

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What is the complex, but an accumulation of that, which is simple? What are big things, if not just a multitude of little things? There's comfort in the understanding that all we have in life, all there is, is simplicity. Easy to understand pieces. It's just that sometimes we stack them so high that they start to take a new shape. But like Greg McKeown references in his book Essentialism, the power isn't always in a requiring answers.

You already have them. They're in front of you. The power is in cutting away the things that don't need to be there. Removing all that stands between you and your ideal existence. And I think that's one of life's great misunderstandings. We don't need to find more. We need to remove that excess until we're face to face with what matters. And to adopt this principle, it's nothing short of liberating.

Chaos, confusion, disorder, they don't imply that you lack the right things. They suggest you haven't stripped life of the wrong things. You have not simplified. A thousand miles is intimidating when you look at it holistically. It's a long journey. But it's just a collection of steps, and well, shouldn't we find solid? us in the fact that anyone can take one step. It's not a game of complexity. It's a game of understanding what's in front of you. And what's in front of you is always manageable. So much of

our stress stems from forgetting what that journey is made of. Whether it's a change in career, mastery of an art, some kind of personal transformation, the result we want. When looking at it from the starting line. It's too complex to understand too many pieces stacked up. So let's break it down. Let's find the foundation. What's really there? What are the one, two, three things we need to do? What is that golden question? What matters? If you lose sight of that, then you will stumble through life. I've learned this. I've lived it. The time I take to myself every day is invaluable to me because I ask myself those two questions, what matter and what are the simple steps I need to take? What can I remove? I was talking about this during an interview this week,

my personal growth. And one of the most important aspects has been the understanding and zeroing in on what's important. I used to take so much pride in composing the background music to these speeches, end to end. I used to love. I used to live. love to be able to say I did it all. That was so I thought the great differentiator. But ultimately, I learned to take a step back and ask what matters here. What do you care about? It's the storytelling that I love. It's the impact. And let's be real. No one cares who wrote the background music. It's holistically. How does the piece make you feel? Right? And this understanding allowed me to cut away. License the music. Saved two days a week, acquire clarity.

and realize my goal is not to be Mozart. My journey is to be one of the great communicators, storytellers of our time, and if a day goes by where I'm not taking a little step towards that, it's the wrong move. Small example in the grand scheme of things, but right on point. It's the power in understanding what matters

that makes a difference that allows you to grow, evolve. And I'm confident that this is not a good, only applies to long-term pursuits, but also our challenging times, the dark moments, the periods of uncertainty and discontent. Same concept. Where do you want to be and how do you get there? What's the simple thing you can do to close that gap? Because you are never helpless.

You can always do something. And my friends, those little somethings ultimately evolve into every. And when we put our phone away, step beyond the noise, spend time with ourselves, we can see how much of life is running in place. Stacking and stacking pieces that aren't even part of the masterpiece we're trying to assemble. If you want answers, start with the understanding that they're buried under mountains of things you don't need. So cut away. Cut away the people and places and things that convolut your story. Cut away the exhaustion of time that provides no value in return.

Cut away the thoughts that make life more complex than your journey from where you are to where you'd like to be. As you stand right now, you have everything you need, and there's nothing greater than that, nothing more powerful. than that understanding. So why not step outside the complexity that you've manufactured that you're living in into a world of clarity,

simplicity, and capture what matters. The hard thing brought me through hell. But also to that which exists on the other side. The hard thing prompted me to question and doubt, but also provided the pieces I used to build my confidence little by little. It made me ask the tough questions, the ones maybe I didn't want to hear the answer to, but also gave me the power to transform those answers I didn't like.

The hard thing meant forfeiting being the expert in my world in exchange for the role of student in a foreign arena. It gave me new ladders to climb, new possibilities to reach for. It showed that true growth requires a willingness to be the beginner. It took some people out of my arms, my circle, my work, And in some cases my life altogether, but always seem to open the door to those souls better aligned, to those conducive to the journey and the process. Let's remember what the hard thing is. Beyond the pain, because we all know it does bring that.

Beyond the challenges, because there are certainly many. Beyond all that exists, the hope and the chance. change and the promise, Robert Frost says the best way out is always through. Through because it's the chaos, the haze, the darkness of night that shapes us. It's in being broken that we learn to rebuild our world with the pieces and perhaps most importantly. We learn that such a rebuilding process is possible to begin with, that the now is not mandatory or permanent. The hard thing, as it turns out, is nothing more than a transaction. Turbulence for the view above the clouds, fear in the moment for confidence in the future. It's learning that although

life sometimes appears to paint a picture of conformity and helplessness, there's always a path leading to the very place we need to go. It just asks, we find the courage to walk it. Churchill has said the pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty. And this beautiful message rings true. Because from the difficulty is the advantage. And sure, our first instinct is to see the problem.

Our eyes tend to initially fixate on that which is unfortunate. But beyond that is where we get the most incredible things life provides, as if one is removing the shell or outer layer in order to get to the nutrients in the center, the ingredients required for growth, the pieces necessary to experience life at its fullest. And so we must be reminded that those opportunities, they're not rare, they're not reserved for everyone. one but you, they just tend to disguise themselves as the things we're most inclined to disregard or walk by. But if one finds the courage to move into them, through them, if one can see the difficulty not as a deterrent but as a bargain, they'll be given everything on the other side. Reality is not changed with the magic wand or the granting of a wish.

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With thousands of glowing five-star reviews and a loyal community, the results speak for themselves. Revive your skin and give yourself the routine refresh you deserve by visiting dimebeautic.com. That's dime beauty co.com. Your best skin awaits. Hey there, it's Ryan Sechrest for Safeway. Now through February 25th, stock up on your favorite self-care items and save up to $3. Shop in store or online for items like Old Spice Deodorant, always ultra-thin pads, Gillette Fusion Razors and Refills, Old Spice Total Body Spray, Tampax Pearl,

and Gillette Mach 3 Razors and Refills, and Save Up to Thirteen. $3. You won't want to miss out on these deals. Offer ends February 25th. Offers may vary. Restrictions apply. Visit safeway.com for more detail. Quite some time has gone by since the last letter I wrote to my younger self. A few years, actually. And I think we're due because older me continues to learn to both enjoy and be humbled by life, to experience hello and endure goodbyes. to win and to lose, to acquire, and to cut away. The world is a maze of complexity to navigate.

And maybe we should start right there. Because look, kid, there are some fundamental ideas about life that you just have wrong. There is no door that you walk through where you suddenly go from not understanding to finally having all the answers. Part of growing up is realizing how little human beings know about anything. And that's okay. What you'll understand is it's not a reason to run,

it's a source of courage to draw from. Oh, but adults are wise, you might think. No, adults are just children with mortgages. You'll learn that, and as we all become renters, even that, change it, right? Oh, but him over there, or her, wait, them, they have it all figured out. No, they just walk with conviction into their individual unknowns. That's all. Oh, but there has to be some certainty. We have to know some things for sure, you might think. Well, certainly we do,

or at least we think we do, but you have to understand, 150 years ago, science said bleeding someone out would cure them of their illness. Our pursuit of truth is crucial, but it's a work in progress. Life is a work in progress. You are a work in progress. So what am I talking about? Why does this matter? Because I don't want you to think that you are ill-prepared to venture further into your potential.

I don't want you to think that other people have what you don't, that you're not enough. The world around you is chaos. It's a mess. It's clay. Some people use it to build and create and shape the reality. And others, well, others don't. The kicker here is that nothing is built if you don't first give yourself permission. To take the unknowns and make something with them. Once you understand that there is no secret code that must be figured out, you free yourself to explore and capture the essence of being alive.

Again, life is messy. So go flail around, wander, go get lost. Who cares? You see what I'm saying? You can watch from afar, succumbing to the illusion that the world is some meticulously constructed orchestra where everything's playing in unison? or you can dive in and make your own music,

dance to your own melodies, because there is no perfect. There are people who stand still and people who pick up the pieces as they go. Next, and very closely related, younger me, give yourself a chance. Try things. No, more things, bigger things, terrifying things. You see those posters of people you have hung up on your wall?

They're not of a different world. They're people like you. But they decided along the way that they would try, that they would step out a line, break some rules, push life, and see how hard life pushed back. Younger me on my college essay, I referenced one of my favorite quotes. I attributed it to Mark Twain. Turns out it wasn't even by him, but hey, life goes on, right?

It said, 20 years from now, you'll be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than the ones you did do. So throw off the bowline. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sales. Explore, dream, discover. It's a beautiful quote. And here's what I gather from it. The biggest mistakes I've made over the course of my lifetime

ended up being my greatest teachers, leading me to something new, to where I most needed to be. I mean, a lot of my mistakes are even funny stories, right, that I joke about with buddies over a beer. The vast majority of things you're worried about, they either won't happen or they're reversible. But what gets you, younger me, What truly hurts is wishing you have the courage to apply to that thing that you instead let the deadlines slip away.

Or talk to that person you walked right by. Or audition, or train, or travel, or follow your intuition, your heart to someplace new. Those are the things we tend to carry around. The second you learn that not going is far scarier than stepping out into the unknown, you'll possess a perspective that's incredibly valuable. It will change your life. And lastly, this one's kind of hard to articulate, but let me tell you, it continues to resurface.

Here it is. If your intuition is telling you something, listen. Trust it. If something feels wrong, let it go. If it feels like it's where you need to be, you're being pulled in that direction, explore, move towards it. When you know in 30 seconds that someone isn't a good person, don't give them your time. When something doesn't align with your goals or objectives, don't feel bad walking away.

When something excites you, trust that feeling. This is all intuition, and I've come to find that initial response to be more and more valuable. What that feeling is telling you matters. Don't turn your back on that. Now, of course, there's a line we have to walk, or an element of pragmatism we have to hold on to. Sometimes, when we're particularly upset, it makes sense to let the emotions subside

and allow rationality to enter. But this is more about being aware of who you are and what you want, right? Don't talk yourself out of what you know you want and into what you know you don't. Life gives clues. It's not always 4D chess. Sometimes it can be simple. What's needed is right there.

But you have to look around. You have to listen and trust yourself, and no one will ever know you better than you. But if you tune yourself out, then how can you have a shot at living a meaningful life? One on your own terms. be impossible. So younger me, trust yourself.

Beyond what anyone else tells you is best, are most beneficial. Again, those are answers only you know. So listen to you. One of my favorite messages is that you are your own experiment. That as we move forward into the haze of the unknown, we understand that at times we'll fall. At times, we'll see our plans disintegrate right in front of us.

But this is, when we step back and really examine not a cause for alarm, but a chance to celebrate. Celebrate because the world's pushing back at you implies that you are moving forward. And that is strength. As the saying goes, in the broken places, the light shines. through younger me promise me you won't be scared of breaking that you won't fear leaving the harbor because nothing out there is bigger than you or too much for you to handle or navigate the funny thing is younger me that your journey is reliant on you giving yourself permission to go to see to explore all that starts with

you green lighting your own adventure. But remember what I'm telling you. There is no rubric for life, it's trial and error. Remember that if you don't give yourself a chance, you simply watch the opportunity slip by and remember that you are the only one who knows what's best for you. So trust that intuition. The world will be whatever you choose to make it. And my hope is that you realize you are strong enough. You're bold enough, you're capable enough to make it whatever that might be. So younger me, go pave your path, go blaze your trail.

And remember along the way as you navigate the ups and downs, highs and lows, remember to look up and enjoy the ride. Understanding what you want sometimes requires learning in 1,000 different ways, what you don't. Uncovering who you are means first experiencing who you are not. Finding the right person or people in your life calls for initially letting the wrong ones in. Life seems to demonstrate that there's a price to pay in order to get where we need to be. Patience, exploration, they're expensive. They exhaust energy, time, resources, but they are the only way, as though one needs to dig a hole in their heart before fully understanding how to best fill it in. It's stepping back to leap forward. I've always

believed the nose teaches more than the yeses. The chaos more than the calm. We are tasked with taking our hurt and from it better understanding ourselves, holding our losses and with them finding answers we once overlooked, embracing our fears and alongside them becoming courageous. That's why maintaining perspective is everything. When we find that we've been slighted by life, we have to recognized that, yeah, maybe we didn't get the answer we wanted in the short term, but still picked up something beautiful, something necessary. We still learned what didn't work and saw where not to go, because every step taken in one direction is a simultaneous decision to not go another. To embrace one option is to neglect its inverse. Every loss is a data point. Every time we fall, our worldview is shaped.

And that's not just helpful, it's imperative. It's a brushstroke just as valuable as the ones derived from our successes, all culminating into one all-encompassing masterpiece. And I look back at the mistakes I made. The time spent learning where I shouldn't be, the days with people who didn't lift me up, and I'm incredibly thankful for them. They brought me clarity.

Like marble being slowly chiseled away peace by peace, they have left an understanding, a self-identity that takes shape one day at a time. So as we make our way through life, let's not fail to see the value in these short-term misfortunes, for in many ways we are fortunate to have them. Perhaps the value lags. Maybe you don't see why the mistakes saved your life while you were making them. But they are contributing to the building up of a greater you. They are mitigating the noise and lighting up the path.

So hold your head up high. And not just for the sake of doing so, but because you had the courage to step out into a world that you knew would at times bring you to your knees. Hold your head up high because every time you stood back up, you made a statement. You declared that you wouldn't let discise comfort and obstacles deter you, but rather shape you.

You were willing to learn where not to go in exchange for the privilege of taking your road, through the haze, across the war-torn ground beyond the hills, and toward a distant horizon, your horizon. 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 is one's willingness to act upon it. 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. The 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. Allow 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.

Ready to prioritize yourself in the new year? Your skin is a great place to start. Dime Beauty, founded by a master aesthetician, is more than just a skincare company. With four skin-conscious categories, skin care, beauty, body care, and fragrance, Dime offers simple, spa-worthy products that will help you enter 2025 with confidence. Whether you're revitalizing your regimen with nourishing products or building one from scratch, Dime makes it easy. The work system, our all-in-one best-selling routine, includes a cleanser of your choice,

toner, serums, and moisturizers, taking the guesswork out of skin care for your healthiest, happiest skin yet. Dime's commitment to clean ingredients and sustainable packaging ensures every product is as gentle on your skin as it is on the planet. With thousands of glowing five-star reviews and a loyal community, the results speak for themselves. Revive your skin and give yourself the routine refresh you deserve by visiting dimebeautyco.com. That's dimebeautyco.com. Your best skin awaits. It's Orion Cicrest for Safeway.

Now through February 25th, stock up on your favorite self-care items and save up to $3 shop in store or online for items like Old Spice Deodorant, always ultra-thin pads, Gillette Fusion Razors and Refills, Old Spice Total Body Spray, 10-Packs Pearl, and Gillette Mach 3 Razors and Refills and Save Up to $3. You won't want to miss out on these deals. Offer ends February 25th. Offers may vary. Restrictions apply. Visit Safeway.com for more detail.

The other day, I went to check out an open mic. And basically people sign up to share their short stories, their poetry, stuff like that. And I'm sitting there soaking it all in, enjoying each one as they went up on stage. And eventually this girl makes her way up. The first thing she does is she tells the room, hey, I've never done this before. But I've always wanted to, so here I am. She takes out her phone and begins reading some of her poems. And pretty quickly, two things stuck out to me.

One is she was brilliant. It's just so incredibly talented that I'm thinking, man, if she keeps doing this, she's going to find herself in some crazy places. She's really going to make an impact. That was the first thing. And the second, as I sat there and watched, was that I noticed that her hands were visibly shaking. I was pretty close to this stage.

And I could see this happening to the point where she had to place one on top of the other, right, to keep the hand that was holding her phone from bouncing around while she read. That's how visibly nervous she was. And immediately my mind went down this road, reflecting back on the moments I've had just like that, because, man, I've been there, where you're both determined and terrified at the same time. But somehow, the design.

desire to try outweighs the fear just enough for you to find yourself in that exact situation. Just enough that you step into a foreign world, still wondering whether you made the right move, you know, every step of the way from the car, the building onto this stage until you hit the point where, okay, well, now you can't turn back. Now you're here. You can't leave. And the thing is, And this is what was so beautiful to me. She was never forced to do this at gunpoint. No one made her step into that chaos. It was self-created.

She could have stayed home. She could have closed her journal or the notes app on her phone. And that would have been the end of that. But no, not today. Today, one yes would lead to another, would lead to another. another and despite the nerves, the sweaty palms, and shaky hands, she would open a new chapter in the story of her life. Proved to herself that she's bolder than she thought she was just a few

hours ago. That there's upside when you confront those unknowns in life. And as I sat and watched, I was so incredibly moved, so proud, so impressed. Partly because I know that to many of the people in that room, it might not have looked like much. You know, it's like, okay, great, round of applause for the new artist or poet. Welcome. But I knew the gravity of the moment. I understood how big it truly was,

and regardless of what words came out of her mouth or how well they were assembled, that night was not about the performance. No, it was about new beginnings. It was about outstretched wings, opening one's eyes to the learned helplessness and pinpointing the opportunity that was simply waiting for that first step to occur. And see, that's what I want to emphasize. That's what I believe every single one of us needs to understand, to fully get the biggest

moves we make in life. Well, it's easy to convince ourselves that they aren't necessarily. or worth it. The things that transform us hide themselves. A lot of the time they don't feel urgent. They aren't life or death decisions. They can be the stages we never step on. The people we never talk to, the chances we never take.

Because, well, what happens if we simply stay right where we are? Say thank you, but no thank you to those fleeting operas. those fleeting opportunities. Nothing. Nothing happens, more of the same, and realistically nothing is far less scary than all that other stuff. We don't fear nothingness. We don't intrinsically fear more of the same. No, we fear stepping onto the stage. We fear vulnerability. We fear messing up, looking stupid, being judged. And yeah, when you do nothing, you get to skip all that. Avoid all that discomfort and that potential pain. But you also miss the feeling of victory.

Of closing your eyes at night knowing how badly you wanted to just let that ship sail, how terrified you were about what could go wrong, but you did it anyway. You get to feel you have earned the rush of stepping into a chaotic world. And even if temporarily you tamed it, that's what life is about. Always remember that we have a natural proclivity to avoid pain, not to pursue the things that make us feel alive. Deep down in our DNA, there exist instructions,

instructions to run away from the things that could hurt us, embarrass us. Our minds will race, our bodies will kick and scream, our hands will shake, that's just the way it goes. And so we prove to ourselves that it's all conquerable, that reality can be relearned. It's a layer of resistance that has to be faced and then dismantled. Why was I so moved that night? Because I got to watch in real time someone dismantling that fear

on their way to something incredible. It's courage. stepping into the arena not for the people next to you or anyone else but for you because you know there's more you know that where you are pales in comparison to where you can be

I'm definitely one to look back from time to time and reflect and I'll tell you what I'm incredibly thankful for the hard times that shaped me the challenges that were forced upon me and made me who I am. But beyond that, and perhaps even more so, the times I stepped out on my own accord, terrified and manufactured change, the times that the fear of staying the same eclipsed the fear

of failure. The times I could have stayed home, woken up the next morning and lost nothing, but instead saw what there was to be gained and threw myself into that metaphorical fire so that confidence could be forged and new chapters could be written. Let's all remember how out of focus the present moment looks. Remember how inclined we are to look at life through a lens of scarcity. We are trying to avoid, avoid, avoid. but if you can even briefly find the strength to step back and ask, what is there to be gained?

You see that not going is the real danger. And those stages that seem arbitrary, that seem like optional, stops along the way, while they're just as imperative as the air you breathe. They are not some things. They are everything. We all hit a point. Will we look back on the roads we traveled and see the culmination of footsteps that have come to constitute our lives?

And we want that moment to feel full. Like no stone was left unturned, like we put it all on the line. So will you step onto this stage of life? Stand your ground as the curtain opens, reads your poems to a foreign audience. Will you share your voice even though. it trembles because if you do, you're giving yourself permission to truly live, to feel. Look, we're not here for a long time. This is a very short ride. So why not give as much of yourself to the world for as long as you possibly can? Why not step out knowing that the difference

between nothing and everything is what you do with shaky hands. As long as I've been alive, there's existed a battle between what I want in the moment and what I need. And it transforms, it takes different shapes,

but its impact is always felt. And so the question remains, in spite of the option to concede the temporary way out, are we willing to endure the now for a beautiful forever. Commit to that delayed gratification. Hold off just a little longer, do a little more.

See, every time I hold the line, every time I refuse to give in, the victory tends to be just a little sweeter. So what is this force keeping us from greatness, this invisible, unquantifiable adversary? Telling us to stop, to submit, to just accept things as they are. Well, as Stephen Pressfield states in his book,

The War of Art, this is resistance. The ego in disguise, it's the desire to stay the same, pushing us away from the very action necessary to obtain what we truly want, not in the moment, but in our souls. Our true reason for being, after all progress is happiness. So we follow this train of thought.

The next logical question must be, well, can we control this enemy? This resistance. As it turns out, not only is the answer yes, but one's ability to do just that makes all the difference. We can harness that demon that lobby so hard for the status quo. We can learn to laugh every time it throws a fit when we attempt to change ourselves,

our situation, our environment. can be told no. In fact, Pressfield states that people who live free lives have learned to master themselves. People that can't master themselves will find someone else to rule over them, whether it be excuses, critics, or other outside constraint. See, the key, the answer couldn't be simpler. It's not easy, but it's simple. Show up. And as a writer, I really really resonated with this, this line. The hardest part isn't writing. It's sitting down to write.

It's arriving. And now life can flow through you. You're able to be that messenger that carries the divine so that it can be shared with the world distributed to the masses. But you must first say no to that voice proclaiming that it's not important. That it doesn't matter.

You must tear down the idea that you're not good enough. Walk up and sit in that metaphorical seat, whatever it is for you. Begin speaking, writing, painting, analyzing, constructing, devising, but you must sit down and begin. That is the essence of the war of art. The war that is you versus you, that resistance, or claiming that your next move is too little to matter, that the same is the best.

But you have to see beyond what's in front of you. It's why the author is so adamant about not giving in, saying if you cave in today, you're twice as likely to cave in tomorrow. It's like talking to a telemarketer. You cave, you give an inch, and it's over. See those little decisions, the ones we're so inclined to overlook, the ones we say, eh, we'll come back tomorrow. They're insignificant.

That's essentially making a hole right through the center of a dam. Eventually, the entire thing is coming down. But the good news, those same little decisions are within your grasp. You can own them, master them, and ultimately master yourself. Start by simply showing up when you don't want to because this is war. and this war, the one fought every day, is what will ultimately hand you the key. There's often a vast distinction

between what we think is holding us back and what is actually holding us back. And that may even be putting it lightly. Most of the time we're just plain misinformed. Most of the time, we're looking at least We're looking externally at irrelevant discrepancies between ourselves and someone else. We're looking at things that happened yesterday, possible outcomes that may happen tomorrow. We're creating entire stories, crafting narratives, building hostile worlds that simply don't exist.

When what we need is simple to give ourselves permission. mission to let ourselves walk out that front door and towards what we long for. And this came to light recently. I shared a simple 20-second message on TikTok where basically I highlighted John Green's quote about the best things in life occurring after we find the courage to depart or leave where we are, right, to build again. And as I was looking at the response, it was both beautiful and eye-opening hundreds and hundreds of comments from people saying that the message helped them feel empowered to do what they've been putting off and some called it fate some called it what they needed to hear at the exact moment they needed to hear it and as I'm

going through I keep thinking the same thing over and over and over every single one of these people they already knew in their hearts what needs to to come next. They knew what would make them feel alive. They knew where the compass was pointing, yet their default led them to the same place we've all been, waiting for external permission, waiting for life to give us a reason to say, okay. The light is now green. You can go. The time is right. Now don't get me wrong, it means the world that a simple message can shift one's perspective that way. I've been on the receiving end. I'm stock looking for some type of guidance we all have, but I think we'd all agree that if that guidance helps us get back on

track, then the real question should be, how do we live so that we can stay to the best of our ability on track? Find ourselves less prone to those occurrences, more confident in ourselves, in our dreams, in where we're going. For me, it's been understanding. that in my life, I am the one that creates, signs, and sends the permission slips. I say go. And when I remember that, I'm free to do what's best for me. I'm simultaneously the architect and the pieces, the wind, and the sail. See, you don't need a reason to walk out of a relationship you're not happy in.

You don't need a reason to leave a job that's not pushing you to be who you most want to become. You don't need a reason to change a habit or reinvent yourself or begin again. Know all you need is the courage to green light what your heart already knows it wants. We think that the external world has the answers for us. when in reality we've had them the whole time. We just want something to point to, to say, see, I was right. But we don't need to be reactive. We can be proactive.

You can be the one that lights the fire. When you follow your intuition, your heart, your sense of purpose, life conforms because it has to conform. When you become an immovable object, Life around you moves. It makes way and if it doesn't, then you go back to the drawing board. You adapt and adjust. And that's the beauty of life. That's how we build meaning, trusting ourselves to walk into that resistance.

Because the friction and the headwind is never what's holding us back. Are they uncomfortable? Yeah. At times. Does it scare us? Sure. It's supposed to. But it's not what holds you back. Waiting for someone or something to come along and greenlight your journey through life is what holds you back.

And it's funny, I think we again and again overlook the simplest of truth. The hardest part is starting. It's convincing yourself that, one, it's possible. and to you're worth it. Everything else you face from the second you walk out, that front door can be conquered. In fact, we ourselves grow along the way so that we can rise up and meet the demands of life,

but it's unquestionably doable. That thought as you look out the window, right? What if the worst case scenario happens? Can't. Because the worst case scenario is, is sitting in that seat your whole life, looking out the window and imagining a world

where you found the courage to be more, to explore, to live life as it was meant to be lived. But let's say, let's say that what we fear does come to fruition. Then I ask, what are the odds? It's reversible, probably high. Let's say I want to start a podcast

and I finally work up the courage and I get my mic and I start my show and no one listens. But I keep going and I keep going and nothing sticks. And most importantly, I learned, look, I'm really not crazy about this idea. It wasn't what I thought it was. It's not me. Okay, perfect.

Now you know. And sure, it took time to learn that lesson. But you have the rest of your life to continue the beautiful experiment to search for what lights you up. But you found the courage to explore, to try, to begin, and you are now better because of it. That's your worst case scenario? Sounds a lot less scary to me than a life lived sitting there looking out the window. See, we can't let the fear of an unlikely worst case stop the possibility of that, oh, so coveted best case.

Don't let the virtually zero percent probability of losing everything overshadow the opportunity to gain everything. Let's never allow ourselves. to get caught standing still waiting for the universe to give us the answer as though we're waiting for a letter in the mail no give yourself permission to see the upside to make your own decisions and most importantly to live your life remove the lifelines eliminate plans be c and d let the curtain The curtains close and the lights dim. See, the beginning of something new requires the ending of something current.

So make life propel you into Chapter 2. Let the door slam and lock behind you throw away the key. With the boats burned and turning back off the table, we have to make it work. make it work. We have to figure it out. Well, how we might ask, with only these pieces, with only this circumstance, with only these resources. Well, it's funny how when walking away is no longer a possibility, so many other possibilities are born. When we're stuck between the wall and our demons, we roll up our sleeves and do that. that which we have been, let's face it, running from.

We fight. We become proactive. We take initiative. It was always there. We just never had to. So if you can't do it on your own, make life make you. Because the bottom line is there are new horizons that await your arrival. They are always there.

but they require you to make the trip, to look out over the vastness of what's before you and convince yourself that what's ahead can become your new normal. And oh, how I wish we weren't biologically preconditioned to preserve, to stay safe, to stay the same. How I wish we weren't constantly being pulled to stay right where we are. Our minds, they love it here.

With the rest of the world, the change, the hope, the progress, all on the other side of that window. All outside, all foreign to us. You don't need any of that, it'll tell you. Or maybe, after you conjure up a little courage, it might compromise. It might say, fine, it's worth a try. Put one foot out the door, but don't forget, you can always come back to me. You can always retreat. It's warm here, safe here, it's predictable here.

The mind wants you to know that when things get tough, mediocrity, and comfort are always right behind you, ready to embrace you with open arms. And it's for this reason that those boats must be burned, that the door must be locked, and that chapter must be closed. The journey before you, it's going to be difficult. There's no question about that. Anything of value brings difficulty. And when faced with the adversity, the only way to defeat it

is to know there is only one way. One option available to you. And that one option is forward. It's through. There is no backwards or compromise. there is no safety. Not if you want from life, that which is extraordinary. Not if you want the things we covet dream of,

whether they're interpersonal, financial, career-oriented, health-related, maybe you just know in your soul that right now ain't it? Any move to something better will present to you its obstacles. And my advice, if it's what you really want, is to have decided before you started that there is no other way. There's no negotiating with yourself. Because if you allow that door to be cracked, life will kick it open. So point the compass north and dismiss any notion

that what's comfortable is more important than what's meaningful. When you're cold, nothing is more appealing than that warmth. But warmth is deception, a short-term ploy for you to forget. what really matters, an illusion. See cold subsides, but victory is forever. Knowing that you pushed forward when most wouldn't is forever. Transforming potential into strength when your knees shook is forever. So burn the boat.

For no other reason that there is no way forward so long as there remains a way back. Make life make you win. And where most would look around and see evidence of defeat, you'll find again and again in the same quote-unquote evidence to tools to build ladders to new beginnings and bridges to new worlds. There's a saying that I love

that most of life's successful people were too ignorant of the odds to know their accomplishments were considered at one point impossible. And I love it because it highlights that there was never a fallback option, a concern for the statistics. There was no worry or exhausted energy on what if.

Rather, it was constant building and adjusting, finding ways over, through, and around the walls that inevitably stand before us. There was no way home. so they pushed forward into their greatness. And so can you, whatever shape, form or color greatness looks like in your eyes, whatever mountaintop appeals to you, if you want it, if you're willing to decide before you go that you will one day stand amongst the cloud

peering out at that world you deemed wasn't against you but for you. Anything is possible.