Your World Within Podcast by Eddie Pinero

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.  

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.