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Chapter 1: What excuses do we make to avoid taking the first step?
We tell ourselves the path is complicated because it excuses us from taking the first simple step. But let's dive in further. If things are complicated, then we don't have to jump yet. We don't have to feel exposed yet. We don't have to step into discomfort yet. Perfect. Our lizard brains love that
We can instead go on our comfy fact-finding mission, looking for answers that really can never be found, because what we're looking for only materializes in motion. It only shows up along the way. Sometimes I don't think it's conscious. Sometimes I'm convinced we have no idea we're doing it. Let me give you an example.
You know, on this podcast, this channel, I like to share about my friends a lot because I'm fortunate enough to learn a lot from the people around me. So I'm going to do it again here and talk about my buddy, Steven Selle. But first, a little context. So recently, I've had some writer's block, just kind of stuck. And believe me, I talk about it a lot. It's not that I'm always stuck.
But when I'm not, when I feel like I'm cruising through a particular chapter, I don't share as much because that's not really where I learn the most. Most value is in the overcoming. And so that's where I like to shine my spotlight. And so back to the example. Here I am, essentially trying to pivot on YouTube again. As we all know, this is an adapt or die platform.
And, you know, while my episodes and stories are popping off on Spotify and that's doing really well, that has not been the case on YouTube, right? At least not recently. And so what am I not going to do? I'm not going to blame the platform. Certainly not going to throw a fit. I have to adjust, right? I have to get better, period.
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Chapter 2: How does overthinking prevent us from moving forward?
I have to make sure I'm giving as much value to the audience as possible. That's it. That's the thing. That's the challenge. And so I'm thinking, all right, I finished a pretty powerful adventure a few weeks back with some friends. I documented it all. How about turning that into a masterpiece for YouTube, right?
And really excited about the challenge, a more advanced production, a pivot to that next level. And so I get all the video clips. I grab my mic. I have these ideas in my head. I have notes in my notebook. I sit in front of my computer. Day after day, I just freeze. It's bizarre, right? I start telling myself, well, maybe you need help. Eddie, why are you even editing, right?
Have your editors do this. These clips aren't good enough. You shot most of it on an iPhone, right? You didn't get drone shots. This is too much like what I usually do. Oh, now it's too far removed from what I usually do. Right, you get the idea. It's like, you know, this internal dialogue driving myself insane. And the video, still sitting there with zero progress. Okay, in comes Steve.
And Sir Steve has many talents, but one of them is being in front of the camera. The dude has courage. Period. Objectively. He'll try things. He'll take creative risks. And it's a numbers game, right? He'll tell you himself, sometimes he hits, sometimes he misses. Sometimes he really hits, sometimes he wildly misses. That's the life of brand building and content creation.
But the last year or so, he's gone all in on music. And I get a message from, sends me this music video where he's at the beach performing one of his songs, right? And he asked if I'd give feedback. I said, of course, happy to, right? And I watch it. And as I'm watching, I'm like, wow, the cinematography is beautiful. And the idea is simple, you know.
Simple but well done like a cinematic simple the kind that's hard to do Because when you're filming that type of thing you take one step too far and you kind of overdo it It's easy with that kind of thing to quote-unquote do too much right and so in my humble opinion the dude just nails it on this video and so we're talking and I'm like Hey, who did the video for you?
And he was me And I said and who else? He said, just me and a tripod. And I'm like, what?
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Chapter 3: What personal story illustrates the struggle with procrastination?
And I watched it again, and sure enough, yup, every shot is still, right? There's no movement, clearly set up on a tripod. But the setup and the placement of the subject and the changes of scenery and the color grading was all so good that I didn't even notice. He's just having fun in front of his camera. With, by the way, a lens and setup that cost one third of what mine does.
This is not about complexity. And that's kind of when I realized, like, I'm trying to complicate the simple. Trying to reverse engineer an outcome instead of just saying what I want to say. Instead of pressing play and letting it fly. I'm trying to find little pieces of perfection all around me when it's the imperfection that connects with people. It's the realness that matters.
You do it because your soul is pulling you in that direction. You're doing it because you love it. You're doing it because you have something to say. This isn't a paint by number. This isn't how do we get views. And deep down, I know that. I've always known that, but fear has a way of exposing you. It's subtle.
And I didn't even realize the reason I was dragging my feet is because somewhere deep down I was afraid. I was afraid that if this didn't work, I'd be back to square one. If this fell flat, I wouldn't have the answer that I was so sure I had. See, you don't win afraid. You can't win afraid. I don't need a Hollywood film crew or sound engineers or some secret formula.
I don't need to study 30 Mr. Beast videos or watch every ultramarathon documentary ever made. I need to trust myself and my abilities and what brought me here. What I need, like Steve, is to trust myself enough to turn the camera on and just go to relish the simplicity because simple means less friction. It means fewer obstacles between where you are and where you want to be.
And look, I've been doing what I love for over a decade. And still, these reminders change my life. Still, I get yanked under and need to be pulled up by those around me. Still, the basics become camouflaged behind things that don't matter at all. And I'm not ashamed of it. It's life. The difference is now I recognize it. I remember that being stuck is being afraid. They're not different.
And for every excuse we make to ourselves about not being ready, not being good enough, or having what we need, there's a Steven Selle on a beach, singing into a camera, set up on a tripod, with zero excuses. Sure, this is me sharing a personal epiphany. But it's also a call to arms. Because I don't know you. But I bet you have some version of this in your world.
I bet there's something you want to try or start. I know there's something that's been on your mind, perhaps tucked away, kept in the shadows until you promised yourself the time is right. It will never be right. You'll never have everything. And the people that live lives of freedom, the ones who change things, they go. They don't tell themselves they need Steven Spielberg.
They grab the tripod and they walk outside. And you, in your world, you have what you need. And when your brain whispers that you don't, know what that is. Fear attempting to take you down. And so here's to making sure that fear misses. Here's to doing what matters to you simply because it matters to you. The rest, not some of the rest or pieces of the rest, but all of the rest is noise.
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Chapter 4: How does fear of failure manifest in our decision-making?
What's up, guys? Eddie here. And before we jump into the next chapter, just a quick note. So as many of you know, every single video that I've ever put on this channel has been created with the intent of building momentum in your life. If you want something physical to anchor that momentum, we've created the brand AGNS, or Always Grateful, Never Satisfied, for that exact reason.
It's athletic apparel that embodies the very ideas and concepts I talk about every day. Because you're watching on YouTube or Spotify, we've created a code for this exclusive community, YWW20. You can use that on the website, agns.lifestyle. We're right under this video on YouTube. All this stuff is there in the shop. Again, code YWW20 gets you 20% off the entire store.
It's a great way to support the channel and also elevate your journey. Let it be a reminder to keep showing. Appreciate your time. Always grateful, never satisfied. On to the next. There's a notebook in the top drawer of a desk that hasn't been moved in years. Second drawer down, left side, under things that used to matter.
It's black leather, still stiff at the spine like it's never been asked to open all the way. If you did open it,
you'd find one sentence written slowly and carefully. Quote, this is where everything changes, end quote.
And then nothing, no second page or mistakes, no proof that anything ever followed, just the idea of a beginning. He remembers the night he bought it, sitting on the edge of his bed, turning it over in his hands like it meant something.
And for a moment it did.
So much promise. A symbol for everything that could be. There was a feeling, not loud or dramatic, just this quiet certainty that life could split. Right here. That fork in the road. There was a belief that if he started, really started, things would be different. He even turned to page two.
held the pen above it, let it hover long enough to almost become real. And then... Eh.
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Chapter 5: What role does mindset play in achieving goals?
That day that never came. The next morning, the sun came up. Didn't feel like a beginning. Felt like traffic. Felt like emails. Like small things stacking into a day that didn't really feel worthy of something big. This was the ordinary. Nothing to celebrate here. So we waited again. Not out of fear. This isn't a monster in the closet thing. It's just... Out of respect?
Maybe that's the best way to put it. I don't want to rush it. I want to do this justice. This is going to change everything. Let's give it the respect it deserves. And that's the part that hides. Because hesitation dressed up as intention can pass for discipline. So the drawer stayed closed. And the idea stayed perfect.
untouched unchallenged unreal in his mind it still glistened it was such a perfect day that day that never came years didn't pass all at once that's not how they slip by they elude us quietly in between routines that felt productive enough to avoid asking harder questions Every so often he would open that drawer. He'd look in there. Not to write. Just to check.
To remind himself that it was still there. That he hadn't given up. No, not him. He could start. But not yet. And that was enough. It was enough to keep the story alive without ever having to live it. Because as long as it stayed untouched, it stayed perfect. No bad chapters. No doubt. No proof or evidence that he wasn't who he imagined himself to be. Just potential.
Chapter 6: How can we recognize and overcome self-doubt?
Preserved. Just possibility in a glass casing. Waiting for a version of life that would finally feel worthy of it. Waiting for what he knew would be such a perfect day. That day that never came. Now, you've probably put this together. It's always easier to from the outside in, but he never did. He never realized that there is no day that arrives on a platter, clean, perfect,
No morning where you wake up fully aligned, fully ready, without resistance. There is only this. There is this unfinished moment. This imperfect opening. This version of you as you are. The same kind of moment he had that night with the pen hovering over page two. The same one most people step away from. Everyone has that drawer. Everyone has that notebook.
Just different targets, different goals, different dreams tucked away. Because starting, it does something dangerous. It makes it real. And once it's real, it can be wrong. Once it's real, it can be criticized. It can be messy. It can fail. But we forget once it's real, it can also become something. And that's the trade-off.
You either protect an idea of perfection, or you build something that can tangibly matter, change your life, affect the world around you. You don't get both. And one day that drawer becomes a memory. That notebook becomes something else entirely. Not a beginning, but a question. And you know the question. What if? And when you look back, you don't remember the days you waited.
You remember the weight of knowing you were close and didn't move. You remember the version of you who stood at the edge of a new life entirely, again and again. You remember how good that felt in the moment, closing your eyes and imagining what it could be. Waiting for life to feel just right. You could feel it move through you. It was such a perfect day.
That day that never came. If this were my last time picking up a pen,
Turning thoughts to words and words to sound waves. What would I want most to say? Man, what a question. Well, I suppose I'd start with that very notion. The last time. The idea that any point could be the last time. The last time you pick up your pen, call a loved one, go on a jog. Like, we just don't know.
And the word urgency probably isn't the right framing, but I would point to the magic in giving the present, the now, the respect that it deserves. Not treating each moment as though it's merely a bridge to the next moment. I'd emphasize the notion that every breath is the opportunity. I'd probably reference some of the things I've learned recently.
Not because of recency bias, but because of the fact that it took me so long to get it. That it took me decades to finally understand so many of them. For example, people. People is a big one. It's been a very big theme, right? Having the right people in your life fixes so many other problems. What do I do when respect isn't reciprocated? How do I handle constant misalignment in my life?
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Chapter 7: What are the consequences of waiting for the 'perfect' moment?
A desire to give others love that perhaps they didn't get somewhere along the way. Look, I'm not saying this to be a downer or to turn an objectively good thing into a sob story. I guess I'm just suggesting that you take care of the angels in your life. Sometimes their wings are the heaviest. I'd probably remind you of this. I'd remind you that you can go away for years
And when you came back, things would pick up right as they were. You'd see the messages weren't urgent. The emails didn't matter. The job was one of many. The clothing was stupid. The title didn't mean that much. And like, I get it. We have to play the game to some extent. You know, I certainly play it.
But it helps me to remember this stuff doesn't matter as much as we sometimes fall into the trap of thinking it does. Give me a bonfire, good people, and some reminiscing over a cold drink or two over all that stuff. That's one of the cool things about having moved so many times over the last decade.
I've realized that I'd rather be broke with people I love doing something that excites me in a small mountain town than rich and lonely in Miami. And I don't think I'm unique there. Am I saying stop climbing? No, absolutely not. Go, push boundaries, dive fully into life. See what this short time on our floating rock can become. Just don't let it consume you.
In other words, protect your North Star. What else? Well, I'd probably talk about the things I'm most proud of. And right on top of that list would be the messages over the years from people saying simply... Eddie, thanks. That connected. That meant a lot. Or you helped me look at this situation differently. I have momentum again. That's what it's all about.
And I'd ask you, what can you do that you love that leaves this place a little better than you found it? I'm not saying you need to cure cancer or invent a car that time travels, although that would be awesome. I'm saying, simply, there is a personal fulfillment that materializes when we seek to become a net positive in the world. Again, hear me, I'm not virtue signaling.
This is me shining a spotlight on something that is so easily overlooked. When you think about adding value, when you think about serving, just like I mentioned earlier, you solve so many problems at once. People want to be in your orbit. You make beautiful connections. You feel fulfilled and excited. Value very often translates to financial needs being met and often exceeded.
Just generally, you live a life of purpose. If you want to spend your life broken, financially struggling and alone, simply repeat the mantra, what's in it for me? I'd also think about the seasons of my life. I'd think about running around, partying in college, squeezing every drop out of Friday and Saturday night, saying, never again on Sunday.
Going to work Monday, then counting down the days until Friday. I'd think about the artist in me that pushed me down a road I couldn't have even imagined. I'd think about the times I got too conservative with my ambitions and forgot who I was. I'd think about the times I linked with the wrong people, the times I found myself lost, the times I was on top of the world. I'd see that it all mattered.
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Chapter 8: How can we shift our identity to push through challenges?
I'd say there's a version of you that can light this place up. I'd say there's a chapter ahead that will leave you breathless. There's a journey around the bend that can become a map for others. A door for the new possible. There's a wilderness in need of the courageous, those willing to point their compasses towards the horizon and explore.
If this were my last time picking up a pen, turning thoughts to words and words to sound waves, I'd tell you to lace up your shoes, open the door, and go.
I'm about a mile in. Everything feels good.
Almost too good. You know, and I've been here before. This is the lie. This is where you start thinking, oh, wow. You've got this, man. Today is your day. No demons here. But I know better. Because the run doesn't start when it feels good. It starts when it doesn't. Like that old Muhammad Ali adage, I don't count my sit-ups.
I only start counting when it starts hurting because they're the only ones that count. And so about three miles in, light bulb goes off. Ah, there it is. That shift, subtle at first, right? Breathing gets a little tighter, legs a little heavier, and a voice shows up. A familiar voice. Hey, ease up. Let your foot off the gas. It's not loud or dramatic. It never is. It's just suggestive.
Take a little off. You can still finish strong. You'll find some later. And that's how it happens. Not collapse. Never collapse. It's drift. And I feel it, right? That version of me, the one that negotiates, the one that says, maybe it's right. We don't need to push here. We can make it up later. And I've listened to him before. That's the dangerous part. He sounds like me.
But then another voice cuts in, quieter, sharper. Nah, Eddie, that's not who you are, right? And now it's not about the race anymore. It's about identity because nothing around me has changed. Same road, same body, same sky, same landscape. but I feel myself at that metaphorical fork, standing there. Do I fold or push? Five miles in, it gets loud. Everything in me is screaming now, right?
Slow down. Just survive this. Just get through. This is where most people think the battle is physical. It's not. It's permission, permission to back off, permission to break character, permission to become someone else just for a moment. And I've done that. I've stepped away from who I said I was just for a second. But you see, that's all it takes, a second.
Because you break once and it gets easier to break again and again and again. But today I catch it right as it starts. That thought, hey, you don't have it today. Ease up, chill out. And I stop it in its tracks. Not with motivation or hype, just a decision. No, that's not me. And then nothing changes, except everything.
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