Your World Within Podcast by Eddie Pinero

In this episode, I discuss a quote from "Through the Looking Glass" by Lewis Carroll: “Well, in our country,” said Alice, still panting a little, “you’d generally get to somewhere else — if you run very fast for a long time, as we’ve been doing.” “A slow sort of country!” said the Queen. “Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!” What an amazing way of portraying one of life's most important questions: Are you growing, or maintaining? Working hard, or working smart? Existing, or thriving? Our basic tendency is to maintain. It is why we succumb to routine and lose sight of the ultimate prize: a life of purpose. Like the Red Queen in Carroll's quote, let's ask the tough questions and position ourselves to detach from the easy and the mundane. Today, let's take the first step into that great unknown.

As human beings, our world is guided by story.  We are the only creatures that use concepts like money, religion and culture to shape our lives and dictate our reality. A chimp, for example, could never see a 20 dollar bill as anything other than the paper in front of him.  Yet to us, that same little piece of paper is freedom, success, etc. These stories, being as prevalent as they are, often emerge without our awareness. They are ingrained in not only our actions, but our thoughts and decision making. They insert themselves at the forefront of every situation.  Brene Brown in her book, Dare to Lead, calls this the "Shitty First Draft." What she's alluding to is the idea that our first emotive, instinctual reaction is nothing more than a story in our head, based on past experiences and beliefs.  "Oh he doesn't like me." "She only cares about herself." "They want me to fail." These initial reactions are often void of reason and prevent us from getting to the heart of a situation and making progress. When we understand that stories make the world go round and people act based on their self-interested narratives, it helps us depersonalize situations and propels us to the endpoints and solutions we want and need.

"He who has a why to live can bear almost any how" - Nietzsche In this episode I dive into the idea that everything we see in life has two components: 1. It's physical characteristics 2. What it means to us Here's the interesting thing...we don't see things as they "are" or by their physical characteristics. We merely see the meaning that we place upon them. A car isn't a heap of metal and parts for example.  It is freedom, efficiency and even a status symbol. Using an example by Viktor Frankl of a patient who quit smoking by taping a picture of his daughter to his pack of cigarettes, I explain how success is often found when we find ways to inject our purpose and meaning into the triviality of the world around us.  

In this episode I delve into a question I received about creativity that took me down a metaphorical rabbit hole. "What is the best book to read for creativity?" Simple question, difficult answer. In today's world we have the luxury of access to unlimited information and resources.  Everything is a google search away. This is amazing because it equips us with the ability to learn and grow like no generation previously could. However, the downside is that we often become so process oriented and focused on "replicating success" that we forget what is arguably the most important aspect of life: Living authentically. The more I thought about it, the more I realized creativity can't be a process. I would go as far as to suggest the very idea of creativity is antithetical to other people's formula's and programs. Creativity is what you get when you reach into your giant well of life experience.  It is a journey...the culmination of each minute that manifests into who you are. Are there books on creativity?  There sure are.  Are some of them good?  Probably. But in my mind, the best advice I can give to a creator is to take the lid off.  Lose the expectations.  Dance in the unknown, and as Steve jobs said, "follow your intuition." That, to me, is the essence of creativity.  

"Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way." - Viktor Frankl In this episode, Eddie delves into one of the central themes in Viktor Frankl's "Man's Search For Meaning:" The idea that no matter how dyer or challenging your external situation becomes, your perspective will always remain your power. Sure life is unpredictable. It will present its peaks, valleys, ups and downs. But your hope, self belief and ability to find the positive (or light in darkness, as Viktor states) will supersede any situation, and leave you a different person coming out than you were when you went in.

"I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination" In this episode Eddie talks about the deceitfulness of perfection and its ability to hinder our progress. There is no perfect launchpad, just like there is no perfect path.  The differentiator in life, rather, is our ability to adapt to what life throws our way. Where we once hoped for a flawless pursuit, we should instead instill the self-belief to conquer and rise above a life that is unpredictable and often beyond our control.  That, at the end of the day, makes all the difference.

When you take your test, look up from the starting line or sit down for the interview, you have already either won or lost. Your assessment is not a role of the dice, but a product of every second that lead to the present moment. The work, the dedication and the mindset have become the foundation you now stand on. In fact, making the most of your opportunity is a transfer of thousands of hours behind closed doors for 30 seconds of applause...as  your victory in and of itself wasn't the accomplishment, but the recognition.  

In this episode I discuss the difference between "quitting" and simply recognizing that it is time to move on. While they appear to be similar concepts, the ability to differentiate between the two is essential. Quitting is reflective of one's impatience. It is folding in the face of discomfort and, along the way, failing to maintain self-belief. Moving on, or recognizing a sunk cost, on the other hand, is critical.  It is determining that your actions no longer support your goal, or in some cases, that your goal has shifted entirely. It is not quitting because of the discomfort, but stopping because the action no longer ties into who you are or where you're going. Just like the wake of the boat has no control over where it is headed next, yesterday's decisions do not dictate today's path. After listening to this episode, you will be better equipped to cut away what doesn't serve you and pursue that which means the most.    

In today's episode of Your World Within Daily I discuss the subjectivity of brilliance. Have you ever thought about Michael Phelps before he was given the medal? Or the world renowned baker before she got an endorsement from Opera? Or the grammy nominated singer before he got the opportunity that catapulted his career? These career altering experiences didn't make them great...the experiences simply brought awareness to their greatness. In fact, their excellence existed long before this recognition. And this is important to understand because the same applies to YOU. Remember that what you are building, creating or doing has value.  Believe that.  Trust it.  See it before anyone else does. And most importantly, don't wait for external validation to understand the significance of what you bring to the world. Brilliance isn't awarded.  It is made...day by day.    

There's a parable about an elephant in a circus, being held in place by a rope tied around its leg. A man walking by takes notice and begins to wonder how these enormous, powerful creatures are so easily constrained.  After all, couldn't they break free of the rope by simply pulling on it?  He asks an employee of the circus and is told that the elephants have been tied the very same way since they were babies. When they were young, they didn't have the strength to break free.  As they got older, they accepted this reality and never realized they had become strong enough to snap the rope and change their situation. This episode is about examining the metaphorical ropes in our lives and how to re-draw those lines in the sand.