Your World Within Podcast by Eddie Pinero

In this episode I discuss a concept from Daniel Kahneman's book "thinking fast and slow," where he states that people are far more interested in protecting themselves from losses than they are in pursuing opportunity.   Without realizing it, we spend our entire lives in protection mode.  This manifests itself in the form of optimistic denial, as Tim Ferris puts it.  Since we are so concerned with preserving and maintaining the status quo we invent reasons to avoid the discomfort of change...we live to stay the same. But what if we didn't? What if we could teach ourselves to become aware of this phenomenon and cut through the excuses and procrastination we're so accustomed to?  In this episode, I dive into exactly that question.    

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication" In this episode, I make the argument that unwarranted detail and granularity are the greatest enemies to growth. We don't begin the journey because we don't have all the answers.  We don't begin the youtube channel because we don't have all the right equipment.  We stay in bad relationships because we can't fathom the logistics of what could come next. These are all examples of details becoming larger than the objective.  The truth is, is you want something, simplify and move toward that thing.  The detail will ultimately work itself out.  This process is all part of mastery. Details are accumulated and mastered over a lifetime, not before you take your first step.

How many best selling books were "almost" written?  How many award winning movies were "almost" made?  How many life changing relationships were "almost" started? We will never know.  But what we do know is that a single decision often separates our greatest accomplishments from their inverse: regret In this episode I discuss the power of being on the right side of "almost," looking back years from now and laughing with family and friends about how you almost didn't go, you almost gave up, or you almost walked away...but thankfully you continued forward, and life was never the same because of it.

"The only time you should ever look back is to see how far you've come." In this episode I discuss the value and necessity of looking back for the sake of acknowledging your progress and personal growth. We spend so much time focused on tomorrow that we forget to look back and appreciate what we've already overcome.  We forget to look at our hard work in totality.  We fail to see the courageous decisions that created our current reality. The road ahead will present its adversity.  But don't forget, you've overcome more than you give yourself credit for.  Your track record has proof of resilience.  Once you see that, you'll know you are well equipped for whatever may come next.  

In this episode I talk about a promise I made to myself 6 years ago, with my back against the wall, no money coming in and the future very much uncertain. It was a time that, contrary to what it seemed in the moment, would end up changing the trajectory of my life and the way I looked at the world.  Years later, with all that in the rear view, it seems apparent that both my personal and professional growth were not remarkable or spectacular, but rather, quite ordinary. My reality today is a consequence of one thing: putting all my chips on the table and promising not to stop. When times are most difficult and uncertain, we should remember that simple premise. The world does not require of you to have it all figured out or ask that a masterpiece be created overnight.  Sometimes success is simply hanging on when others would let go.  It's trusting yourself to see a finish line that others cannot.  

"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to pause and reflect." - Mark Twain If success is a product of seizing life's opportunity, that might prompt one to wonder:  Well, where exactly is this opportunity to be found? In today's episode I make the case that opportunity exists in life's fringes, outside the bell curve.  It is in the places most people won't go and the actions most people won't take.  For Kobe it was early morning practice while people slept in, that over time accumulated to become a lifetime of advantage.  For Buffett it's moving in when most people are running out.  You name an accomplished individual, and I'll point to their willingness to move away from the herd and seek out hidden opportunity.  There is a golden rule that states, if you want what the 5% have, you need to be willing to do what only the 5% are willing to do.  That starts with seeing "different"  not as an obstacle, but as the path.  

In this episode I discuss a commonly misunderstood truth about mastery: Mastery isn't achieved by setting one's target on perfection, it's achieved by allowing yourself to suck. Counterintuitive? You bet.  But the science has my back. Studies show that those who have both the courage and willingness to increase output knowing their product isn't perfect maintain a significant advantage.  Each rep allows a learning experience and, while sometimes not identifiable in the moment, ultimately propels the creator to a new level of excellence. Perfection is a crutch.  It inhibits the growth that execution encourages.  So, whatever your goal, start "shooting on net." There is no perfect shot...but the more you shoot, the better, more skilled you'll become...not to mention, the better the odds you'll have of putting points on the board.

In this episode I premier a brand new speech called Life in Color and talk about the prospect of clawing your way back from misfortune. Life can be tough.  It can challenge you, test you, and even lead you to question the road ahead. But there is a simple truth to life as well; it will always be what you make it. The greatest masterpieces known to man weren't made instantaneously.  They took time and consistency, an accumulation of little brush strokes that materialized and found meaning over time.  You don't need the answers, you simple need momentum, to step forward and paint the portrait of your life...one day at a time.      

What motivates you?  In the book Drive, by Daniel Pink, he mentions a new type of motivation, backed by ample scientific research, yet frequently overlooked on both the business and personal levels. It is our greatest source of opportunity and still, we unknowingly walk right by it. This new type of motivation is what he refers to as intrinsic motivation. It is action, not guided but external rewards, but driven by flow, curiosity and interest.  In other words, the activity is the reward. It's what pushed the Wright brothers to pursue flight, Edison to create the lightbulb and Picasso to share his gifts with the world; it was the journey, not the destination. In this episode, I take a look at how we might incorporate intrinsic motivation into our own lives in a world driven by externalities. The answer is an important one, as it just may be the gateway to extraordinary.  

In the face of adversity we are presented with two options: quit because of the situation, or win in spite of the situation. My coaches used to say that suffering for the sake of suffering has no value. Rather, it's what you do in such moments of suffering and how you handle yourself that matters.  When discomfort is at your doorstep, what do you make of the situation?   These decisions ultimately determine our fate. Life is not so different.  It is the culmination of little acts of courage, choosing to rise when times are tough and one's instinct is to fall back. When it's easiest to lay down and give up is when you most need to press on, to dig deep.  It's when you look in the mirror and decide who you truly are.