Your World Within Podcast by Eddie Pinero
STOP PLAYING SMALL | Best Motivational Speeches | Start Your Day Right
Mon, 09 Dec 2024
We’ve all heard the saying, “Comparison is the thief of joy,” and while that’s often true, what if it’s also a powerful tool? What if, instead of stealing from us, it could inspire us to see the world differently, to push beyond self-imposed limitations? I often turn to the lives of history’s great leaders—our country’s founding fathers and early presidents. Their courage, conviction, and willingness to embrace challenges were on a scale that feels almost unimaginable today. It forces me to ask tough questions: What separated their reality from mine? Was it circumstance, belief, or something more? This is about exploring that “delta”—the gap between their magnitude and our modern lives. Not to diminish ourselves but to reflect, recalibrate, and grow. What if comparison wasn’t about feeling less than but about discovering how much more we’re capable of? What questions does their legacy inspire in you? Monday Motivation Newsletter: https://www.eddiepinero.com/newsletter Free Ebook: www.eddiepinero.com/ebook YouTube: www.eddiepinero.com/youtube
Chapter 1: What does comparison mean for personal growth?
Comparison is the thief of joy. We've all heard it before, and it's true. Sometimes. It seems like there's always a sometimes or an asterisk or a gray area. Comparison can be an incredible tool in simply reminding you that you're playing small. Maybe way too small. And so from time to time, I'll use comparison to help me paint that picture, to create that outlook. Quick example.
So on the shelves behind me and on my Audible library on my phone, there's a ton of books and biographies about the founding fathers and other notable American presidents. Why? Well, because they lived lives of such courage. They lived with such conviction. They just lived differently than we live today. And it forces me to ask the tough questions. It's like, why?
Chapter 2: How can historical figures inspire modern courage?
What makes up for that difference in magnitude? I mean, was it simply the times? Were they a product of their moment in history? Were they more determined? Did they have more self-belief? Where is this delta that I'm seeing when I look at their reality versus mine? You read Hamilton's biography, who's not a president, but you get the point.
And my toughest battles seem to contain the same level of intensity and weight as his decision to swat a fly. Right, so I'm gonna run through three bullets that sort of frame my thinking. It's gonna seem like I'm unnecessarily beating myself up here, but the point comes full circle, so bear with me. One, Washington, everyone knows, right? Led an army initially practically destined for defeat.
His execution and death was almost assured. Then I'm like, okay, I led myself to the gym today. Adams crosses the Atlantic four times for his country. At the time, that just brought unfathomable risk, and he does it with a smile. I'm procrastinating about making a phone call. drafting a declaration that claimed independence from the strongest, most powerful empire on Earth.
I get butterflies before going live on Instagram. We are not the same. Why? Well, I guess first and foremost, let's make sure we're asking the right questions. Who says you or I don't have the potential to be a Washington, an Adams, or a Jefferson? It's not productive to downplay our own battles, right? However small, after all, that's how empires are built, a stacking of small wins.
No one just arrives in a position of influence. And these folks surely had their own battles. That's all subjective anyway. But the comparison here is sacred to me because there is a common theme amongst all of them. And it's not hidden. You don't have to read between the lines to see it. It's self-belief, right?
All of these people were in an environment where change was warranted and all of them believed they themselves could be levers to help shift that status quo. It's like for no reason... The buck stopped with them. And you see that from childhood on.
It suggests that if you believe you can be great, and I do, and by the way, so should you, then understand that it's not possessing of courage that is the issue. The issue is that you're merely holding what amounts to a bucket of it. when the true depth of your courage reaches miles and miles down beneath the surface. There is so much more. So much that it's incomprehensible.
The problem, Eddie, is you can't hit targets you don't aim for. If you don't stretch, there will be no growth. If you aim for a moderately sized mountaintop, That's where you'll land. You'll get a view, sure, better than the ground you stand on now, but nowhere near the view available to you had you merely thought bigger. Thought of yourself as that lever that could implement change.
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Chapter 3: What is the significance of self-belief in achieving greatness?
If your giant victory is making a phone call you were dreading, well, then that's the type of courage that will define you. I think in a perfect world, these aren't destinations, they are pit stops. They are tolls that we must pay along the way. You're capable of way bigger. Life begins when you know that. And see, I don't associate this idea as coming from a place of lack.
I just think this game of life is beautiful because the journey is endless. This is a choose your own ending story. And sometimes what I need is to look around and realize I'm simply not thinking big enough. The great men and women of history that paved the way for us, they didn't stay connected to these micro problems. They moved beyond them on their way to more. They dealt with life and death.
They dealt with seemingly insurmountable odds simply in the name of their beliefs and ideals. Easy wasn't a choice, not for them. It's why their faces comprise the bookshelf behind me. Now, does everyone want or need that type of personal assent, growth in the face of adversity? That's for you to look in the mirror and decide.
But you're here, so I'm going to assume you do, and if you do, it's critical to know that, one, that type of result demands more of you, and two, you have more. Comparison isn't always about inadequacy. Sometimes it holds that mirror to your face. Sometimes it reminds you what mankind can produce with courage introduced into the formula.
You just need to be reminded that you're looking at the jar right now from inside the jar. Expand your thinking, see there's more, right? Roger Bannister, probably my favorite example, first one to break the four minute mile. Prior to that, it was not possible. Humans didn't do it, couldn't do it, wasn't reality. Everyone, quote unquote, knew that. Then Bannister does his thing, breaks it.
Suddenly, whoa, it's possible. Now it's real, it's tangible. Runners around the world adjusting their targets. They demand it of themselves. Rapid fire, globally, runner after runner starts breaking that mark. Why? Well, people didn't get more talented overnight. They always had it in them. They just finally allowed themselves to be as good as they were capable of being.
And that thing you're fighting, that you're dealing with, it's not nothing. In fact, the battle you're navigating is everything, and I commend you for pushing through it. But take this idea and let it be a part of the arsenal you own and possess as you navigate life's storms. The challenge of today is ultimately small compared to what the best of you is capable of overcoming.
What's now the ceiling will be the floor tomorrow. Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Hamilton, they were not gods. They were principled men driven by a purpose bigger than themselves. The scope of their belief in what's possible was monumental. And so to maintain proportionality, they too grew to be momentous, to fill the shoes of self-created expectation.
Sometimes the best thing you can remind yourself is how big the world is, how much you can shape and bend your reality, how powerful you are. You're not a quiet observer, but a builder of this world. Then risking execution makes more sense. Smiling at the prospect of death at sea becomes reasonable.
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Chapter 4: What lessons can we learn from overcoming challenges?
A malleable world and an opportunity to shape it. So here is to finding the courage to shape your life. Never to dismiss or belittle your own small wins, for all big things are comprised of only small things, but rather to remember where you are now is not the final destination. It's one step on your own personal staircase that ascends to the heavens. Where you stop is a decision entirely yours.
See, something beautiful happens when you set the standard so high that it hovers above the clouds. The obstacles along the way become far less intimidating, less significant. The story doesn't end down here, so there must be a way. And when we tell ourselves there must be a way, we simultaneously increase the odds of finding one. Right now is not the final boss, the coveted mountaintop.
Right now is a small win that will help shape you into your evolved self. Right now is a mere challenge, an obstacle, a slight inconvenience, a story to tell, a data point as you etch into the ether your reality. As you dream larger than life and grow into those shoes, you could have played small. But then you woke up.
You saw beyond the manufactured finish line that was turning molehills into mountains and realized if you want it, this world is yours. And I say, let it be so. Why sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast. That's a quote from the queen in Lewis Carroll's book, Through the Looking Glass.
I listened to that and I wonder, how is it, or how does it make you feel that the difference between possible and impossible is your willingness to step into chaos? Impossible is just a compounding of smaller possibles. Impossible is a refusal to say no.
Impossible is moving forward through those checkpoints in life where most people look around and simply say, I don't want to pay the metaphorical price. I don't want to give what's required here. I really enjoy history. Lately I've been revisiting a lot of various battles from recent all the way to way back.
From Alexander the Great's conquest of Tyre to George Washington and the American colonists against the British. Even the famous Battle of Thermopylae with the 300 Spartans that we all know about. You know, all of these have in their own unique way defied the odds. And what strikes me is, you know, if you look at any of these scenarios on paper, they all appear to be suicide missions. It's crazy.
You know, the 300 at Thermopylae obviously being close to that, and I'll touch on that in a second, but all very special in their own unique way. All took an apparent impossible task and did something pretty remarkable with it. See, when you immerse yourself into something, even something seemingly impossible, without the prospect of turning around in your head, there's a shift in your mind.
You know you have to find a way forward because forward is the only way, and so you do. You look at the landscape differently. You look at the resources accessible to you differently.
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Chapter 5: How does discomfort lead to personal evolution?
Sometimes buried underneath layers of trial and error, sometimes behind miles and miles of road. sometimes hidden in plain sight. And so we need to remember, impossible does not mean cannot be done. Impossible just asks, how long are you willing to look? How long are you willing to scratch, claw, and fight for that result you're looking for?
The pursuit does not end until you do, which not only completely debunks impossible, it shows you just how powerful you are. All things are possible if, if you are willing to bring them to life. When our backs are against the wall, we're forced to become more. When the clock is ticking, we are tasked with finding answers that hide among us.
It's in the darkness we find light and while lost we find ourselves. The paradox of life is that from our pain comes our purpose, our evolution, and our greatness. I love thinking back to about 2014, making my way around Boston, having just quit my job, essentially purposeless, clinging to a YouTube channel and a podcast idea that I would name Your World Within. And why? Why do I think back?
Why does this mean everything to me? Well, because at the time, I knew nothing. I understood nothing. Nothing about speaking or media, audio, video, nothing about running a business. But more importantly, I knew very little about life and what's truly required to progress in a world with infinite moving parts. I didn't know that my lack of understanding
is what made everything feel overwhelming and complex and that it was up to me to simplify. I didn't know the extent to which I'd have to befriend failure. And that was the most eye-opening realization. Because when you gravitate towards a risk-free existence and you box yourself in, as I had for so long, Of course, you don't get the upside, but you also don't fail as dramatically either.
Life was a simple game of cause and effect. Do work, get results, not much room for more than that. And so stepping outside that box in the way that I did changed some rules. I learned some things. First, you can spend time on something, you can exhaust energy on something, and get nothing in the short term for your efforts. And I mean nothing, unless you count getting your pride stomped on.
unless you count your friends disappearing when you need them most, unless you count self-doubt and a constant worry about not amounting to anything. I mean, these are very raw, very real human emotions. They tend to arise when we start something new, but in them is also the power. This is where the light bulb turns on and the path emerges.
It's where I learned that we only get what we want when we endure what we don't. And what a foreign concept when you think about it, right? It's like, Eddie, take this mic, go stand in front of this audience and pour your heart out. Your knees are shaking, chest is pounding, but dude, trust me, it'll be good for you. And funny enough, it was.
It was because the fear in my stomach became the indicator that something new, something exciting, something more was around the corner. Like Pavlov's dog hearing that bell. Anytime the fear kicked in, I could feel myself getting closer to something meaningful, to a higher version of myself. The pain is an invite. The sheer terror And let's face it, that's what it feels like sometimes.
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Chapter 6: What role does perseverance play in success?
You might feel lost or defeated, but it's not always about feeling good. Sometimes it's whether or not we can move forward when we don't. So step into that unknown, knowing sure you might not be at your best, but that lives are often defined during our imperfect moments. Don't waste energy on hope.
The future is a construct, an idea that you have no control over and that will make you its slave if you allow it to. See the value of right now. Right now you have the power to change, adapt, evolve, to make things happen. Right now is all you'll ever have to control. Build, tear down, retreat, advance, follow or lead. Everything is a choice.
Life provides the components to go up or down, left or right. It's a perpetual fork in the road. Endless opportunities. But you are the architect. You decide what they become. The difficulty we face in life is not personal. If you remember this, You disarm every adversary, obstacle, every complication you'll ever face. So quick story. Recently I was renewing a lease for my apartment.
Something that usually is pretty simple, right? Only this time things were not simple. Confusion, chaos, misunderstanding after misunderstanding.
i received emails and letters saying you know you need to provide these documents in order to renew you need to have xyz information submitted to his asap and i'm sitting here thinking guys you have all this info right i've lived here a year same guy let's put two and two together and after a while i started to get like truly annoyed eventually to the point of taking it personally so i stopped what i was doing
go down to the front office thinking I'm going to go scorched earth here. I really wanted to emphasize how absurd and ridiculous all this was. I opened the door. It just kind of stopped in my tracks. First thing I see is a crowded room filled with tenants asking for things, making requests, looking for info.
And the people that work there were so patient and kind, running around doing their absolute best to make everyone happy and get everything done. And almost immediately, I realized, Eddie, you made this about you. This is not in any way about you.
Basically, I created this fallacy that because things weren't working the way I wanted them to, then there must have been some universal resistance, right? There's an idea I heard a while back that very rarely steers me wrong. It's that two things can simultaneously be true at once. So in this case, Is there opportunity for these guys to tighten up a bit?
Bring more clarity to their operations and best practices? Yeah, certainly true. But on the other hand, was building this up as a them versus me match in my head dumb and counterproductive? Yes, also true. The world will always provide adversity, right? That's not news to anyone. It's just what the world does.
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Chapter 7: How can we redefine our relationship with failure?
Pieces to be taken out one by one so that you can construct the ideal. Life comes down to the advantages that exist all around us, the choices we make. to live freely with the wind at our backs or confined by the walls we build around ourselves. And sure, your current obstacles might be because of decisions you've made, maybe even decisions you wish you could take back.
But the current moment right now in this second is neutral. It does not hold a grudge or have an agenda. Now, right now is simply right now in the same way that two plus two is four. Four is not good or bad. It doesn't want you to win or lose. It's just four. Same goes for the crossroads before you. And that puts the onus entirely on you to decide what you will make it all mean.
Will you slow things down to find clarity? Will you open your eyes to see the value? Because look, there will always be a delta between reality and the stories we tell ourselves about reality. That's just how human beings work. It's how we've managed to survive for millennia. So understand that and gift yourself the narratives that bring you closer to the place you want to be.
The road before you will be challenging, not because its pushback is personal, but because amidst the resistance, you'll find the components you need to live your very best life. The thing about time is that it comes and goes. Tomorrow will make today a distant memory. And as quick as you were here, you'll be gone.
What's in front of you is an opportunity to make right now something you'll never forget. You have the ability to write history, to create a story that will live with you forever. Think back to all the days leading up to today. All the training, the hours of preparation, the pain you felt. They have brought you to this moment. They are the armor that you wear. Right now is about execution.
It's about taking all those hours and turning them into the best version of yourself. Today is about being better than you ever dreamed you could be. These are the moments you live for. gone are the insecurities, the doubt, the disbelief. This day is yours. Look your opponents in the eye. They cannot give what you can. You have built this opportunity piece by piece.
You have created an unstoppable force and it's finally time to reveal that to the world. Let people doubt you. They'll see with time. Let the obstacles stand. You will run right through them. Let everything in this universe tell you no. You have already told yourself yes. The hardest thing in this world to stop is someone who knows they've won before the game has started. This is your everything.
Embrace it. Make it so that you never forget today. You are the God of your world. And in your world, you write the script. There is no tired. You left that in the weight room years ago. There is no unsure. Pushing yourself to exhaustion every day took care of that. There is only when. When do you rise up? There comes a point when you've just given too much.
Your sacrifice is too great to accept anything but the very best. Everything else is noise. This is your day. It will not disappear with time. It will live on. You have earned today. Go make sure the world knows. Sometimes it's not about the odds. It's not about things being perfectly aligned for you. Sometimes it's about making something out of nothing. It's about simply finding a way.
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