Eddie Pinero

Humans love and need progress.

Growth and expansion and exploration inject meaning into life.

They help us manufacture peak moments.

And it's taken me a long time to understand that distinction.

I want to be more, not because I'm inadequate in the present, but because against all odds I'm here and what a gift to be able to push that pedal to the floor.

To squeeze from life as much beauty as I possibly can.

The pressure doesn't say because without it you're less.

It says, oh, but what a ride awaits if you're willing to step up and seek it out.

I used to get so annoyed when I'd see stories or memes on social media that are anything along the lines of, you're special just the way you are.

It felt tacky.

It's lacking substance.

And sometimes, to be honest, it just felt like a lie.

But my thoughts on that have changed.

I don't think it's a lie.

It's just an extreme in one direction.

Just like never being good enough is an extreme in the other.

Look, you're not perfect just the way you are.

We're all flawed and we all have room for opportunity.

But you're also not void of value until you reach point X, Y, or Z. If we're going to grow, we need to understand why we're growing.

My favorite thing about this platform over the years has been trying to identify the obstacles in my life.