tomorrow is the most dangerous word in your vocabulary because while it's a symbol for hope it can just as easily be the reason that your dreams remain little images in your head tomorrow diminishes the significance of the hair that you're breathing right now it tells you that someday you can begin your journey and that you can just wait and make yourself comfortable until then tomorrow masks itself is an escape for those held down by fear those resistant to change it encourages you to be content where you are staying that you have your whole life to
get where you want to be and for some tomorrow lasts forever it evolves into regret into a mobility into an excuse to never really do what you were meant to do tomorrow can be worse than failing because often it implies that there was never a beginning there was just a vision just an idea being put off for a better time that never came there will never be a moment in your life more precious than the one you're living in your heart beating in your chest the air in your lungs the blood in your veins they're
giving you an opportunity to make a change to become who you want to become to live to inspire to achieve because who really knows how many tomorrows you'll get in the last thing you want is to look back on your life thousands of days from now and wish you had the courage to do what you wanted to do to wish that you understood how fast tomorrow's come and go and that all you will ever have is the present moment every journey starts with a step that courageous act of moving forward not knowing what tomorrow will
bring only knowing that you'll be further along then than you are now that you'll be stronger wiser smarter because you didn't wait for tomorrow you didn't wait for anything and that is the difference between I am and I wish I was it is the difference between dreaming and truly living life gives us infinite options we have an unlimited number of opportunities to do anything we want anything only that's not always how we see it right people are very one-dimensional in terms of the lives they lead and that's a part of life I've always been very
intrigued by how we intentionally restrict and limit our reality why to cookie-cutter expectations of how things should be precedence why is that more important than a life of meaning to put that into context I'm talking about people who hate their jobs but rationalize by saying they're building a resume or people scared to move out of relationships they aren't happy with you know people I know right now in law school don't even want to be lawyers these folks are sleepwalking they have settled and my question is is maintaining individuality that's scary that you'd live every day
unfulfilled so that you can proudly proclaim that you fit into the bland average norms that you've decided are required of you look I completely understand the safety of pursuing a path that will socially validate your existence in the short term you jumped on the first train you saw it's the train everyone's jumping on you're comfortable with the destination right it just provides the illusion that you must be on the right track and it would be if it weren't for that burning question that always reveals itself in times of constraint and unhappiness what if what if
you did things differently so now you're on this train with everyone else all going somewhere you don't really want to go together bragging about it and maybe you just wonder right what would have happened if you waited what if you took another train what if you weren't so worried about fitting into these black and white expectations that you did what you wanted right seems ridiculous to do what you want and the truth is it takes balls it takes courage to let these trains go by one by one and wait for yours right believe that your
train is on its way there's no proof that it is there's no message everything's gonna work out there's no safety guaranteed that's why so many people jump on that first train write to me do Kerrville to be different to be great start by looking at people who have done great things they all have the same message believe in yourself trust your ability it's not hidden it's not a message it's hard to find you just have to want to find it my Steve Jobs talks about believing that the docs are going to connect in your future
driving towards something without proof Mohammad Ali says he never feared his opponents because he had faith in his ability over everyone else's Richard Branson says that fulfilling lives are only for those brave enough to find them there are messages are exactly the same trust your ability I don't think any of these guys would be caught dead on the first train look things generally work out if you have the mindset if you have the work ethic you're already ahead of 90% of the world bet on yourself if you follow the crowd you'll get lost in the
crowd just because validation isn't right in front of you it doesn't mean it isn't there doesn't mean it's not coming believe that know that it is be okay we're taking the last train home that is the train you want that is the experience worth waiting for so I dealt with something today that kind of knocked me off my feet a little bit one of those unfortunate things that pops up really sets you back especially when you're working and really driving towards something and obviously this isn't specific to me you know everyone has to deal with
things that they don't want to know one has smooth sailing all the time but I was sitting in my living room you know pissed off angry at the world thinking about all the ways that this unfortunate situation is going to be detrimental to what I'm trying to do you know really feeling defeated but the more I thought about it the more it became evident that I was wasting my time because realistically whatever happened it happened I can't change them but what I do have control over is the way I internalize the situation my perspective do
I want to see this circumstance is good or bad you know that old glass half-full half-empty concept so I began thinking about how I can take this unfortunate situation and rather than suffer because of it know how I can benefit from it make it an advantage when you really think about what a setback is it's kind of a unique thing because it's an opportunity to take a step backwards Andrea proach the challenge that you're facing but this time to come back better than before to show the universe why is going to take more than that
it's time to dig deeper now time to push yourself to the next level the world wants to keep throwing problems your way good you'll just keep finding ways to get better in life so many of us are lucky to have the freedom to pursue our passion you know and we do that tirelessly but a big part of that is the ability to be agile to adapt to find ways to win when you hit a roadblock a lot of the times that ends up being the difference maker one of the reasons I love doing this work
is because I talk to so many amazing people I hear so many great stories about these brave individuals battling illnesses tough times but still making a point to run to work out you know to excel in their daily lives at work with their family and again it just puts everything into perspective why shouldn't I be able to transform my situation which by the way pales in comparison to what some of these people are dealing with this is life you know here are your puzzle pieces that are assigned to you now figure it out nothing can't
be solved or made better so I hope anyone listening to this going through that rough stretch I hope you can take that step back and really re-examine what it is that's in front of you don't be torn down by it grow from it because when the dust settles you'll come out way stronger than you were before and I assure you that the dust will sell it always does fear is an integral part of life it's a natural reaction to be afraid of something that we believe to be dangerous in specific situations it keeps us from
harm right we don't put our hand near a flame for fear of being burned and that's a good thing that's its biological intent it's part of the reason our species was able to evolve and flourish but just as it helps us it can be our biggest obstacle it becomes easy to see everything is that flame that will burn our hand we fence ourselves in we create a comfort zone because a comfort zone is safe and because of this we miss out on some of life's greatest opportunities most things worth having live outside of our comfort
zone on the other side of fear everyone deals with being afraid if who we are the difference lies in how we handle it boating Peter McWilliams he says there are two types of people people who experience fear while trying to grow themselves and expand their comfort zone and people who feel fear just thinking about expanding their comfort zone never acting because they're scared of the unknown it's the exact same fear that is felt by both types of people those who act and those who hide the difference is that one grows and one doesn't one creates
a life of adventure of passion the other a life of regret it's funny because you start to hear these things so much that they come across as cliche right fear is the great barrier how many times have we heard that but when was the last time you woke up and did something about it meet an effort to do exactly what you're afraid of put yourself on the front line put yourself out there these are the experiences that shape our character will reprove to ourselves that hey maybe it's not so bad realistically the worst that could
happen is that you don't meet expectations is that you fall on your face in which case you pick up your pride you look yourself in the mirror and you get ready for round two because round two means you come back more prepared knowing what to expect that's why it's been said that even if you fall on your face at least you're moving forward eventually you'll adapt this new challenge will become part of you becomes okay it becomes comfortable and look just like that you've expanded your comfort zone now you can move on to the next
chapter so remember the people you admire the people who have done great things lit the path for us it's not that they weren't afraid it's that they use their fear as tool for growth not a crutch it's part of the reason we have such awe and fascination with the great minds of history imagine Neil Armstrong looking back one last time before stepping into the spacecraft that would take human beings to the moon for the first time Jackie Robinson suiting up for his first game with the Dodgers the American colonists signing the Declaration of Independence we
don't think about it often but just imagine if these people gave in to the fear they must have felt overcoming these obstacles what do we have how different would life be so my ask of you is that you find a way you find a way to get to the other side of fear because that's where dreams become reality it's where your world can change if you just allow it to so typical Tuesday morning I was up spending some time reading checking out some videos online and I came across one that really hit home for me
to the point where I wanted to make it the central theme for this week's video and basically it was a short monologue by Robin Sharma for those who don't know him he's a sharp guys got a lot of content on the internet and what he said specifically that caught my attention was that to have the results that only 5% get you need to have the guts to do what only 5% are willing to do and this really got the wheels turning in my head because there are only so many ways you can articulate personal courage
in only so many ways you can talk about being fearless but in my eyes this puts it in the perfect context because it shines a direct light on the fact that success and overcoming social fears are directly linked and I'm sure as you walk through this thought process the concept will resonate with you right 95% of people live for Friday immediate pleasures like TV fast food drinking you know these are things that are commonplace in society in the world we live in and I'm not you know standing here pointing a finger saying it's inappropriate you
know my message goes deeper than that what I'm saying is that if you want to be at the top and whatever it is that you do right or as Robin alluded to the 5% you have to sacrifice some of these pleasures that the greater population indulges in and this is where the guts comes in because anytime you deviate from a norm anytime you put yourself above a social standard people do not like it it becomes personal which results in criticism the cynical outlook for the haters as you know we commonly refer to it today and
that's not easy it's never easy walking one way when the larger group is walking another that's not rocket science but it's also why so few people can do it let's face it if you're going to do something of significance you need to expect negativity people trying to tear down what you're building up cause like it or not that's just how the world reacts and the way I see it is that you can handle it a few ways right you can live your life in a way that conforms you can shy away from that criticism or
just take it head-on you know learn to accept it thrive on it because you'll never be able to please everybody you know so why not have the courage to do what you believe it have the guts to be called abnormal take it as a compliment I've mentioned before that the way you perceive something makes or breaks you think about how powerful that statement is in this context you can look at the negativity the haters as the reason to change your approach throw the towel or you can see it as a sign of progress an anticipated
part of your journey you can use it as a building block or a stepping stone for further success those are two polar opposite outcomes by the way all derive from how you choose to internalize the world around you when you get through it all you'll be happy you hung in I can promise you that that you have the guts to look past the norms and your surroundings do you have the guts to be something different decisions decisions isn't that what it ultimately comes down to is that a dead end or a new beginning an obligation
or an opportunity because today can be whatever you want it to be whatever you decide it is and when you lay your head on the pillow at night that's what makes all the difference imagine for a second being on a beach dragging your foot and creating an indented pathway in the sand and when you finish taking a bucket of water and pouring it into that very same Channel you just sculpted the water is going to follow the path that you laid out it will flow within the confines of the channel that you just made and
the way I see it life is just like that water it flows within the boundaries placed before it and how you decide to see the world creates that channel that contains the water it's the driving force behind everything in your life guiding every single thing that comes through have you ever thought about how small the details are this way our perception of reality how different people interpret the exact same event in different ways why do some people rise when criticized and others crumble why does some see fear in hardship when others see opportunity why does
some aspire to build and others to tear down see everyone has the same clay people just decide to sculpt to mold it differently your external world is a reflection of the internal decisions you make decisions that dictate everything decisions that take what the world throws your way and transforms them according to your viewpoint life runs right through your moat every day that channel in the sand that you created that you direct you control how unfold because you decide how they will be handled in the harnessed you choose the map that will take you to your
final destination and so decide what you want and let it transform your perspective own it becoming accept nothing less envision a boat making its way through the water moving further and further from sight just a tiny object amidst an enormous ocean its journey comprised of endless possibilities unlimited potential its destination could be anywhere in the world in while observing this boat as it glides over the water nothing is more apparent than the freedom it contains the beauty and knowing that it can follow its soul into the sunset if it's so desires and as you look
on to this phenomenon you'll notice that it sheds no light on where the boat has been nor on what is products at this point you won't see the wrong turns taken the mistakes made nor the obstacles that were overcome to get here what you will see is a seemingly fresh start where every second of every minute is a new opportunity for the boat to go where it wants to go to be what it wants to be it's wake has no impact on its course beautiful things about being alive every single day provides a blank page
in your story for you to fill out as you see fit old habits friends mistakes expectations they exist in whatever capacity you allow them to but they are not you they are not indicative of your potential you were the captain of your ship set cell running around this morning trying to get a head start on some things sadly to stop and grab a quick coffee so I'm standing in line door opens two gentleman walking stand in line right behind me they start chatting back and forth and basically one of them starts talking about how he's
had a rough morning dealt with some unfortunate things and was basically capping today off as a bad day I which on the surface is pretty ordinary you know we all have rough days they're real and this happened to be one of them but it also happened that as he said this I was looking at the clock and it wasn't even 7:00 a.m. now I don't know this guy situation it's absolutely none of my business and I have no intention of delving into it but internalizing all this sort of got the gears turning in the back
of my head you know thinking about how much the day is left the Sun is still coming up as this conversations happening so I grabbed my coffee and I walked outside started to think about all the reasons that today is good which is sort of an awkward activity at first right it's not something we consistently walk around talking to ourselves about but as I gave it some thought I immediately saw the benefit today is good because for starters what I'm left with at the end of the day is directly correlated to the decisions that I
make throughout the day think about how powerful that is in itself right you know that feeling when you have a blank page to write or paint or there's a movie that you've been dying to see the opening credits first come out the first note is played at a concert I'm living that I am personified opportunity just walking down Beacon Street if I go left everything that happens will be because I went left think about the power that's contained in that I mean it opens the door for unlimited opportunities today is good because it's right now
I may have made some rough decisions last week last month last year but guess what they don't exist where I'm going in fact they don't exist at all maybe yesterday but not today right they've played their part they provided their wisdom now they can disappear today is good because statistically I shouldn't be here because so many people were robbed of today because I get the opportunity to see the Sun come up and because the time will come when that will no longer be the case today is good because I have friends and family to share
with this ridiculous ride chock full of ups and downs and all that stuff in between right I'm certainly not capable of sitting here and dissecting the meaning of life but I do know that whatever it happens to be it substantially better when shared when enjoyed and today that's what I'm going to do today is good I'd like to think there's a lot in store down the road you know some of it will push me forward some of it will cause me to stop make adjustments but I'll be damned if it will take the joy out
of my day not today I have something very different in store and I plan to see it through I have the ability the resources the determination I can't think of anything else I'd need so coffee in hand here I go when I was a little bit younger my grandfather would make a point to pull me aside every so often and say Eddie you are stronger than you think you are you know at the time it didn't really resonate right I kind of smiled act appreciative and moved on I bet then that thing called life habits
you know when you start to see the ups and downs you experience the hardships and no one's there to tell you how to act or how to handle it but your response is what makes all the difference and I look back now to that message and can't help but wonder if I'd be where I'm at today without it because it's not just a reminder it's not something that goes on a sticky note and hangs on a wall it's so much more it's the reason that I can nav it can change through loss the reason I
don't fear failure see nothing ever happened that I couldn't get through and you don't realize that unless you look back if you decide to rise to the occasion you will you're 100% capable of doing more than you ever imagined reality is a narrative and you are always stronger than you think you are life is not some puzzle to be solved it's never about hiding or worrying or eliminating all bad fortune it's about knowing that you can and will get through everything that nothing can push you down and keep you there maybe the worst is yet
to come maybe it's not but the best of you that is undiscovered and through the very hardship that you once feared you'll be able to paint a portrait of the new you brush stroke by brushstroke and see back then I didn't get that I didn't know that growing up meant enduring difficulty I didn't know what I was truly capable but years have passed and now I know that I am stronger than I and while life is not certain my confidence stands alone it's the reason that I run towards my dreams never away from them and
neither should you don't forget that because during even the worst of days the darkest of nights you are always stronger than you think you are there's the world you know and there's a world that you don't in the world you know lays out everything for you perfectly you know where you need to be what's expected of you how to think how to act the world you know tells you what's possible it tells you when you've done enough because of this world you can be sure that you'll get through the day but I'm not interested in
waking up every morning with the goal of just knowing that I'll get through the day victory lies outside of your daily routine it exists in the beliefs that aren't commonly held in actions that are rarely taken it lives in the world that you don't know in this world you don't know it requires risk it requires you to turn your back on the word normal and to move towards something new it means you burn your own trail rather than follow the footsteps of others and yes embarking in a journey like this it does create extra pressure
it does put weight on your shoulders but I can promise you this once you have made the trip you will see the best things that life has taught you'll push yourself to places you didn't know existed you'll step accomplish keep moving as far away from average as possible straight toward the top where you innovate you turn potential into excellence you translate emotion into art you'll exceed expectations again and again and again seek out what you don't know once you find the strength to stare the unknown in the face guess what it's not unknown anymore now
it's part of you the very part that's going to push you to the next up and the next and the next and the next and read life into you allow you to live to the fullest this is how you create excellence it's how you create a life worth living so forget the world you know it means nothing it's a mirage it's an illusion greatness awaits in the shadows where people are unwilling to go it lives in the world that you don't know
