The Warning Signs You're About to Break Through (Why It Gets Hard Right Before It Works)

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the warning signs you are about to break through and why it gets hard right before it works. Now, most people quit in the exact season They were supposed to win, not because they weren't capable, but because they misinterpreted. The signs. So what if I told you that the frustration, the pressure, the confusion isn't proof that it's not working. It's proof that something is about to shift. Now, I love the old cliche saying that in life you're either in three seasons, you're in either in a season where you're in a storm. Or you're coming out of a storm or you're getting ready to go into a storm. So this is for those of you who are getting ready to come out the storm. And I know I definitely have gone through many different storms throughout the course of my entrepreneurial journey, um, throughout the course of life in general. Um, you know, life is very cyclical in nature and you know, it's interesting. This past weekend I had shout out to New York City for, uh, a funeral, uh, for a family member who re recently passed away. And, you know, it was just a reminder. Sometimes funerals are a beautiful way of bringing family together, bringing, you know, just relatives and friends together and. Reminding you of the important things, right, reminding you that life is very short, life is very fragile, it's precious, and you, you, you shouldn't waste time just dwelling on things that you can't control. And you know, you never know when it's going to be your time. And the reason why I even bring that up is because. You know, in life, it, it's very cyclical in nature. You're gonna have your up seasons, you're gonna have your down seasons, but it's really more so about how you show up. 90% of life is how you respond to it, right? 10% is what actually happens to you. 90% is how you respond to what it is that happens to you. And, uh, there are just gonna be seasons in your life where it, it seems very chaotic, it seems like. You're losing control. It seems like nothing seems to be working. In fact, I've been talking a lot about this because, uh, many people in this season have been going through many challenges with so many changes in the world with people losing their jobs or maybe the economy is, is a little bit, uh, difficult on them right now. Maybe not a little bit, but a lot. Uh, you know, it, it may be very difficult, but understand that. With every setback, with every down season, with every winter season, there's always going to be a blessing that comes out of it. If you continue to persist and you do your best with just showing up every single day and really pushing through, I mean, think about it. You have survived every difficult season throughout the course of your life, right? Everything that you've ever gone through, you've gotten to the other side, and typically you end up a lot stronger, wiser, more resilient, more persistent, and that's the beautiful thing about very difficult seasons, is that it really draws out the very best of you. So. I'm gonna share with you guys a few life hacks and fun facts before we jump into the main topic for today. The very first life hack is track your resistance. And by the way, uh, we're a note taking community, so if you guys wanna get the most value out of today's session, definitely take notes. Um, I see we have people tuning in from all over the world. Appreciate you guys who, uh, comment and engage with the post and. The very first life hack. Track your resistance. When you feel like avoiding something, that's usually where the growth is. So the thing you're resisting the most is often the thing that will change your life. Think about that for a second. What exactly is it that you're dealing with that you have a lot of resistance in? So, I know when I, when I had got started in entrepreneurship, for example, many people and including myself, like I've had, I've had those seasons where I didn't feel like reaching out to the potential customer or to the potential business partner. And a lot of the times it's just. You have that fear of rejection, you have that fear that let's just say someone doesn't enroll into your program or sign up or, or buy a product or whatever it is, you fear that rejection, and that's where a lot of the resistance comes from. However, when you push through and get to the other side of resistance, the prize on the other side, that's really what it's all about. And you know, I can tell you time and time again. Just so many different times of my life where I just did not feel like doing the work. But then when you do it, you always feel amazing. It's like working out. You guys may have had many days where you just don't feel like working out. It's just, you know, not something that you care to do for the day, but you know that you're gonna feel good on the other side. So the prize is really the way that you feel. On the other side. It's the dignity, it's the pride, it's the self-respect that you have for yourself. That's where the prize lies. Sometimes we get so caught up in. Thinking about the pain that we forget about the, the pleasure on the other side of accomplishment. And I can tell you time and time again, like for me, I, I've learned throughout the course of my life that those little small wins throughout the day, it builds that momentum. Sometimes you don't feel like doing something or maybe you think yourself out of it. And really all that you need to do is just get yourself going, even if it's something small. So I always look for those small wins, uh, as soon as I start my day, whether. It could be a, a prayer meditation session. It could be stretching in the morning. It could be making my bed. It can be, uh, content creation for the day, whatever it is, or just even going for a walk. Find something small that you can do to build momentum to get your day started and focus on winning the morning because if you win the morning, you're more likely to win the day. So whatever your morning looks like, master your mornings and you'll find that. Your days just end up a lot better because usually in the mornings when you get your day kickstarted, that's when you have the most energy to, to really make things happen. Some people operate a little bit different. Maybe you're a night owl and, and you're most productive at night, but for a lot of people. Life starts to life throughout the day, and sometimes those important things you put on the back burner because you just have so much going on and you may have decision fatigue because you've been making decisions all day and your glucose levels are dropping, right. And you're. Tired, you're exhausted and the last thing that you want to do is think about more stuff. So that's why it is really good to master your mornings, win the morning. That way you are more likely to win the day. And even something as simple as making your bed, you guys hear me talk about it here in the Breakfast Club all the time, the power of making your bed. There's just something about going home after a long, difficult day. After the, the world has just been coming at you at all kinds of directions, and you go home and you have an organized, clean bed to go back to. There's just a, a sense of dignity, a sense of control that you feel like you have over your life. And um, one thing that I had learned over the years is that. Uh, perceived control leads to happiness. The more you feel like you have control over your life, the less anxiety you have, the less overwhelm you have. And sometimes it is simple just to get back to the basics. Get back to the simple things. Those little little wins make the biggest difference. Now. Life hack number two, shorten the feedback loop. Don't wait weeks, months, or even years to evaluate progress. Review your progress. Every single day. So progress feels invisible when you don't measure it. And this is so true. Sometimes we're a little bit hard on ourselves. We don't realize the progress that we make throughout the day because we're putting so much weight and attention on, uh, let's just say that one big thing that you wanted to accomplish that maybe you didn't get around to. Right, but you, you don't, you don't realize that there's so many other dimensions of your life that are working really well. We tend to put a magnifying glass on the things that aren't working in on in our lives. And what tends to happen is what you focus on expands what you focus on, the longest growth, the strongest in your life. So if you're focusing on everything that's not working for you, and it's bringing you feelings of guilt or shame, or resentment, or bitterness or frustration. Understand that you are constantly attracting your emotions. So the more you focus on things that are bringing you those negative emotions, the more you're going to experience those negative emotions. So if that makes sense, drop a one in the comments. I wanna make sure that's making sense for you guys. Right, you're attracting your emotions. Emotions are energy in motion. So if you're, for example, focusing on someone that's just constantly getting you frustrated, right? Think about it. You're naturally going to like live a more frustrating life that becomes your emotional home. Isn't that the case for your life? Think about the moments of your life. Or maybe you know, people who are Debbie Downers or Johnny Raincloud types of people, like they're always negative, right? The negative Nancys of the world and they're always negative and their life seems to always draw negativity to them. That's because they're constantly attracting their emotions. So when you're focusing on things that you're grateful for, when you're focusing on everything that is working in your life, you tend to attract more circumstances that bring you more of that emotion. And that's really the key. You have to take back control over your thoughts, um, right, your thoughts. What what tends to happen is the human brain. Is not designed for happiness. The, the human brain is designed for survival. So it's always looking for problems, for obstacles, for challenges, for the negative things that could possibly take you out. And it, it tends to magnify in your life. And you have to always come to the realization that fear, I, I love the acronym that fear isn't false expectations appearing real. 90% of the things that. You worry about don't even happen. So when you shift your focus to all the things that are going great in your life, when you focus on all the things that do bring you gratitude, you tend to live a more grateful life. You tend to be more appreciative and and grateful for your life in general. Okay, so that's a big, big part of it now, life number, life hack number three is lean into discomfort daily. Do one thing every day that stretches you mentally or emotionally. Growth isn't comfortable, but it is predictable. So every single day, think about something that you can possibly do today. Something that you can do that is a little bit uncomfortable, but you know that it's definitely going to take you in the direction that you wanna go. It's gonna be in alignment with what it is that you want to attract in your life. Okay? So, uh, always, always find things that are a little uncomfortable, but you still push through and you always feel amazing after doing something that you know is good for you, something that your future self will. Thank you for. Now, let's jump into some fun facts. Fun fact number one. I love the, the, the metaphor sometimes people, or the analogy of, of caterpillars and butterflies, we all know the cliche analogy that people talk about, the metamorphosis that happens when a caterpillar becomes a butterfly. However, before a caterpillar becomes a butterfly, it literally dissolves into a liquid like state. How many of you knew that part of it, right? Like a caterpillar literally becomes like liquid. And, uh, really the, the, the, the great, uh, analogy, uh, behind this, the moral of the story is transformation looks like the destruction first. So whatever transformation is happening in your life. It tends to get very chaotic. It tends to get very destructive before the transformation happens. It is a metamorphosis in a sense that you personally go through. So just like the Caterpillar dissolving, like breaking down officially blossoms into a butterfly, our lives tend to look like that as well when we're going through major transformation. So it is important to not. Losing control because there may be a germination happening next level. Fun fact. Number two, most businesses. Fail right before profitability. Not because they can't win, but because they run out of belief. Last week I spoke about the three foot, the three feet from Gold Story where the gold miner was literally three feet away from gold, but loss belief, and the person that he sold that mind to literally just dug a few feet and ended up striking gold. And the moral of that story is you have to continue to persist because your blessing may be right around the corner. But the thing about it is you can't focus on the obstacle putting all of your focus on the obstacle you need to put your focus on the prize because you tend to go in that direction. I love the NASCAR analogy where when NASCAR drivers are being trained. And when they're, when they ski out of control and they're going in the direction of a wall, they're trained to naturally look in the direction that they want to go. Because what they've discovered is the drivers who look in the direction they want to go are more likely to actually have that car go in that direction. But if you look at the wall. Then you're more likely to crash into the wall because that's what you're focusing on. So it gets, your focus becomes magnified. And it's the same when it comes to business. Sometimes we're focusing on possibly the business failing or, or bankruptcies or whatever the case may be, lawsuits, anything that you're going through. And we, we stop focusing on the, the, the prize. We stop focusing on. Well, the possibility of what can happen, what if I do get to the other side of this? How amazing would that be? And your brain naturally starts to look for solutions when it's focusing on that outcome, that desired outcome. So that's why it is really, really important to to play on the offense in a sense, instead of the defense, because the defense is just really trying to protect yourself. So it's, it's more so contracting as opposed to going out there and actively putting in the work necessary to participate in your own rescue. Now, fun fact number three, your brain is wired to interpret uncertainty as danger. Even when it's actually opportunity, that anxiety, you feel it might not be fear, it might be expansion. And this is the case for anyone going into the unknown. I work with clients all the time that they're, they're embarking on new careers, on new businesses, and you know, they're very uncertain and there tends to be that anxiety that comes about. And really it's because, again, the brain. Is designed to keep you alive. So it's looking for all, all the potential threats and all the dangers, and that's why you have that, that, that voice, that inner enemy. Sometimes, you know, I say it's not the enemy, it's the, it's the inner enemy. It's that voice that's telling you that this is dangerous. Don't do this, you're not enough, like, or it is just constantly talking to you. And that's why it is important to take back control over your thoughts, take back control over your self-talk the way you speak about yourself. And this is the importance of affirmations, because affirmations, you're intentional about that self-talk. You're speaking life into yourself, you're speaking life into your situation, and it's, it's so important like words. Words have power. Right. That's why they, they say there's life in po life and death in the tongue. You can speak life into your situation, but you could also self-sabotage your situation with negative self-talk, and if you're just operating by default. Again, the brain is always looking for what's wrong, what's not working, and that's why you'll naturally gravitate towards the negative. But when you're pursuing a dream, when you're pursuing something noble, if you're pursuing a path of greatness, it is going to require that, that that resistance. The obstacle is the way you're going to have to go through that resistance in order to get to the very top of where you're going because. The hard is what makes it an opportunity. The hard is what makes it a blessing. The hard is what makes you a hero. You have to go through the hard because if it weren't stretching you and growing you and pushing you, how worthy is that dream? How worthy is is that goal. So it's something that you have to embrace and just know that when it's the darkest. Life. Life is cyclical in nature. The very, the very way life works is that you're not going to stay there. This too shall pass. You'll get through, but you have to continue to push forward because a lot of people, what happens is they go into the valley and then they revert back. They go back to the land of the common man. They go back to their ordinary world. Life, life back to the status quo, where it's comfortable, where it's safe, where you are dwelling in the cesspool of mediocrity. People who are just very, very comfortable and are not pursuing their dreams. People who are gossiping about other people instead of talking about, you know, their, their vision, their dream, how they can make an impact in the world. Okay, so now let's jump into the meat and potatoes for today's Breakfast Club content. And the very first thing we're gonna cover is chaos before clarity. Chaos before clarity. Now, here's some of the key points. Life gets messy before it makes sense. Life gets messy before it makes sense. So if you're in a season where you're like, man, this se this is getting out of control. This is messy. Just know that there may be a breakthrough right around the corner. Okay? So embrace it. Another key point is old habits, relationships, and identities start falling apart. So the old version of you is, is literally like falling apart old relationships that no longer serve you. Just all kinds of stuff. Old habits that no longer serve you. All of this stuff starts to be falling apart. Another thing is you feel like you're losing control. Have any of you ever been in that situation where life's just so damn crazy like you, you feel like you're losing all control and it's, it's very scary navigating through that season, but typically that's another indicator that. Things are changing in your life. Okay, now here's a really great quote. Clarity isn't something you find. It's something you earn through chaos. So in the midst of the chaos is typically where you find clarity, where you find the things that no longer serve you. Sometimes you just grow out of things. Right. You're like, man, I, I can't believe I was even entertaining this person or entertaining those habits, entertaining that lifestyle or that environment. And sometimes you have to go through that chaos in order to come to the realization of that, and there's so, there becomes so much pain associated with engaging in that very activity that that pain is exactly what you needed to propel you to that change that you desire. Where you get to the point where this is enough, you get so disgusted at points with how you've been living that you get to the, the, the, the point in your life where you're like, never again. Never again will I ever lower my standards to that point. Never again will I ever live a life that is just full of so much pain and discomfort. Okay, now, um, in, in my personal life, you know, I can tell you, uh, when things got very chaotic, uh, it ended up being a blessing in disguise. Like I remember when I launched my company. Uh, dream Nation Media, and it was at a time where, um, I, I just needed change. I was doing the same thing for many, many years in terms of like the way that I was going about business. And I knew that the next level was calling. It was knocking on my door, like I. The, the Breakfast Club for example, it wasn't, uh, it wasn't an official podcast, right? Uh, we, we ended up creating the Journey podcast as an extension of a very difficult season, and it, it came to life, but it required things. To get very, very chaotic before the breakthrough happened. Even our creators conference happened, you know, in the midst of chaos. You know, my business partner and I just figuring things out and figuring out, you know, how, you know, we can get to the next level with so many different things, um, in our careers. And, um, it just ended up going in that direction. So again, when you're in that winter season, when you're in the valley. You embrace it and you, you look for the blessing. You look for the treasure in the trash. You look for the inspiring message and the mess that you're going through and when you, when you live in that way, right? It helps you take control over the way you look at your situation and, and that's what gives you the fuel to continue to press on now. Next. The next thing is, uh, emotional discomfort is a signal, not a stop sign. Okay? So emotional discomfort is a signal. My question to you is, are you in a season where you feel anxiety, you feel frustration, you feel doubt? And I, I know I've felt all of those things in many different seasons and still feel them from time to time. And here's the thing, if you feel anxiety. Typically it's a sign that you're stepping into the unknown. You may just be in a new business, new endeavor, new career. And really what's happening is you're operating in the unknown. So the brain is like that sympathetic nervous state where it's like fight, flight, or freeze. It's, it's kicking in because the brain, again, is designed to keep you alive. Or maybe you're feeling frustration. If you're feeling frustration, it may be a clear, a clear indication that you're stretching beyond your, your current capacity. Okay. I know that whenever I've, I've felt that that sense of frustration, it's just like, it's, it's a good thing in a sense because you realize what you don't want for your life. And, and typically that pain is what continues to push you because people will do far more to avoid pain than to gain pleasure. If the pleasure were enough, we'd all be rich, sexy, and famous. Let's be honest, most people, the the pleasure is not enough. Like people will say things like, I wanna be a millionaire. Well, if that was enough, you'd be doing everything in your power to become a millionaire. It's not enough. If you know that you're about to be evicted from your home or your home is about to get foreclosed on, that pain will push you to make things happen. But do not wait to get to a place where you're operating out of inspiration or operating out of desperation instead of inspiration. Inspiration is so much better. Another feeling is doubt, right? And usually when you have doubt, your old identity is fighting your new one. Your old identity is fighting your new one. When you have doubt and, and getting over your identity, your paradigm, like the way that you've been living is not, is not something that's like really, really easy or natural to do. Uh, when you're, when you're. Upgrading your identity. It's like there's an old version of yourself that's dying and a new version that's being born. And sometimes that makes people that you've been doing life with very uncomfortable. Sometimes it puts the mirror in front of people's faces, like, man, you know, my friend or my family member is leveling up. They're growing, they're getting to the next level, and here I am. And you know, it's, it's scary for even sometimes the people that you've been doing life with. Somebody has to be the one to basically, you know, help everyone raise their standards. Like the old cliche saying, a rising tide raises all ships. So it is, it is important that somebody in your circle is the one to say, you know what, this isn't the way. Like none of us are growing here. We're not stretching, we're not getting to the next level we've been living. It lives that we ultimately don't wanna live. And you, you'd be amazed at how many people you inspire after you. Okay, so here's a really great reframe. What if your emotions aren't warning you to stop, but preparing you to level up in your life? What, what if, if it's not like, oh, let me, you know, let me just play it safe. But it's more so preparing you to just level up expanding your emotional capacity. I always say that responsibility is right. Your ability to respond, right, your ability to respond to a crisis, to a setback, to a obstacle, and it's your capacity for responsibility. That ultimately leads to success. How much capacity for responsibility do you have? Like how, how well do you handle your emotions when things get tough? How well do you navigate through uncertainty? Can you be that leader that helps people when they're navigating through uncertainty? Okay. So it's a really, really great reframe when you understand that your emotions aren't necessarily warning you to stop, but preparing you to level up. Now, most people, uh, retreat when it gets uncomfortable, right? But high performers interpret discomfort as direction. This comfort is just a, a natural part of the journey. There's, there's no navigating or deviating out of this discomfort. Like when I think about. All the things in my life that that were just great accomplishments for me. Like going off to college, for example. No one in my family had done the college thing and I had to like prepare for college. I had to get all the paperwork and everything necessary, and it was just very uncomfortable. I had to pass certain exams or even playing sports, right? When I played sports, it wasn't comfortable going to practice every single day and. Playing in the mud and the rain and, and the snow and all of this stuff, very, very uncomfortable. Um, but the, the beautiful prize at the end was absolutely worth it. And the person you become is ultimately the greatest gift that you walk away with. Even in entrepreneurship, it was very, very uncomfortable reaching out to thousands of people about my business. Some of you guys watching right now have probably been messaged by me at some point in time, but I understood closed mouths don't get fed. You have to open your mouth, you have to go through the the discomfort, and I've come to the realization that I, I have to embrace the hard. Why do I have to embrace the hard? Because when you just embrace it and accept it as part of the journey, it's much easier to navigate through as opposed to trying to avoid it as something that you lean into. You have this deep knowing that the very obstacle is the way, and that's why you get paid the big bucks because you have to do what others won't, so you can have what others can't. That's, that's success in a nutshell, is doing what the majority are not willing to do. Observe the masses and do the opposite. That's what a great mentor once told me, you have to observe the masses and do the opposite because the, the masses are going to choose a life of comfort. It's not natural to just do things that are very uncomfortable in nature. Human beings, right? Again, when you're wired for survival, you're naturally going to be inclined to just take the easier path, to take the path of least resistance, but it's, it's counterintuitive in a sense, like when you want to become successful, you have to actually do the opposite. You have to go through the resistance. So embracing it and accepting it as, you know what, this is what makes this an opportunity. This is what's going to. Cultivate my character in, in the long run. Now, why does it get hard before it works? For those of you who are wondering, like, why can't it just be easy before it works? Or why does it have to get all crazy? Well, here we, here are a few reasons why. The first thing is you are close, so the stakes feel higher, so you're so, so close, and it's like you may feel like you have a lot to lose at this point. The stakes feel a lot higher. Like I remember when I had retired from my job, I was 24 years old and I was leaving a six figure career with benefits and a pension and all of that. And it was, when I tell you, you know, coming from where I came from growing up in the hood and uh, being the, the person in my family to go off and, and make this high six figure salary right out of college and then to. Get to that place. Work your whole life to get to that place, to then realize like, this is not what I want for my life, and have to actually let it go. I had so much certainty. So much security, but to get to a place where you just let that go for something more noble, something that was actually my dream, right? And the stakes did feel high because it's like, man, I'm letting go of the, the comfort of this really, really good job. I worked for one of the best companies in the world at the time, and, uh, they're still an amazing company. Um, but I was, I was willing to let that go. I finally got to that point, and the stakes felt really, really high. But when it was all said and done, that's what, that's what I, I needed to do. Think about how many people never take that leap of faith because of the security, because of the benefits and the pension and all that stuff that they're clinging to. I remember a mentor of mine once said that, a a, that, um, a paycheck is the drug they give you to forget your dreams. I would go as far to say as not only the paycheck, but the benefits, the pension, all of that stuff are the drugs they give you to forget your dreams. And it's not to say that jobs aren't a great thing. If you do what you do and you do what you you love to do, that's a blessing. I'm talking more so about the jobs that you absolutely despise that you don't wanna do, that you're wasting time, you're wasting precious years of your life. Doing something that you really don't wanna do. There's no meaning, there's no purpose, there's no fulfillment around it. Those are the jobs that I'm talking about. Okay? So usually when your breakthrough is coming up, the stakes are going to feel higher than ever. Another thing is you simply have outgrown your current identity, but haven't stabilized in the new one. That's really good. One thing that I, that I've changed in recent weeks actually, is this idea of doing very deep work. So this has been very, very helpful for me last week, for example. I literally, I locked myself in my man cave and I just shut down all distractions. I eliminate my social media. Um, I just focus on work that I have to do and focus on the dream. And, and I go into this space of very deep work. I'm talking anywhere from two to four hours on average of just intense focus, eliminating distraction. And one thing that I'm realizing is that, again. You know, when you've been operating in a, you know, with habits that aren't necessarily conducive anymore to that North Star, then you have to find this new way of living, this new identity in a sense. And, and this new identity for me is I an identity that. That values the mission. It puts the mission at the forefront. It prioritizes it, it treats it as sacred so, so sacred to the point where I'm giving it my undivided attention every single day for many hours of the day. So it's, it's the, the, the, the very daily method of operation that I operate now on is, is stabilizing itself. There's a transformation that's happening, and you have to embrace that, and that, that may look like for you. Maybe you get to a point where instead of hanging out with your friends every weekend, you, you limit yourself. Maybe it's once a month instead of once a week. Every weekend, now you're focusing on your business, you're focusing on something else, getting your money up, saving money, whatever it is, working on that content, working on that podcast, that book, and you have to, you have to have to have to absolutely spend time with your dream every single day. Visualize it. Have those affirmations, create those vision boards. Last week, my wife and I were working on our, our family vision board. We actually called it a bliss board because it's not just pictures of things that we wanna bring into fruition in our lives. It's also pictures that bring us joy, that bring us a sense of, of bliss, things that, that we're so grateful that we got to do in our lifetime. So it's, it's filled with. Pictures of travel or beautiful memories and things like that, combined with the very things that we visualize for our future. Okay? And these days with ai, it's pretty cool because you could actually create whatever picture that you want just by a simple prompt. Now, another, uh, another reason why it gets hard right before it works is because the results lag behind the effort. You have to be impatient with your activity, but patient with the result. The result is really up to God. There's so many different factors that are taking place in this germination process while the dreams are happening and all these things are, are working themselves out. You have no idea what's working out behind the scenes, so the results typically lag behind the effort. For those of you who have dreams, and maybe you have your dreams on a tight, tight line, uh, tight deadline, and you're like, okay, by 2026, I wanna accomplish. This financial goal or this weight loss goal, that's cool. But understand when it comes to the bigger dreams, like the really, really big ones, the ones that are those moonshots, it's typically gonna take a lot longer than you expect it to. You couldn't tell me my very first business. The very highest level in that business, in that, in that specific company was the level of international marketing director. It was the, the very highest, it was the 0.0, 1% of 1% that you could reach in, in that specific business model. And it's crazy because you couldn't tell me within the. First year that I would not have a com. Like I, I just had so much belief and so much conviction around getting to that level. And in order to get to that level, you have to become a certain person. You had to grow a sales team of thousands of people, right? And, and a customer base of thousands of people before you finally got to that point. And it was a six and a half year journey. Not a one year journey. It was a six and a half year journey, and if I knew that it was gonna be that long, I probably would not have signed up for it. But knowing what I know today and getting to the other side of it, it was absolutely worth it because it taught me the power of persistence. It taught me patience. It taught me discipline and faith and so many other things. So, um, just know that the results will ultimately lag behind the effort. There's a lot of things that are happening that are leading to that result that you're looking for. Now, understand that the closer you get, the more your mind tries to protect you from change. Your mind is naturally, like when I tell you, you have to be careful with your thoughts because they are not necessarily truth. Your thoughts. These thoughts that are coming in are just these whispers that are telling you like, don't go, don't go, and, and it doesn't necessarily make it right. These are not necessarily thoughts from God, right? This is your flesh trying to protect you, but the thoughts that the higher thoughts, right, that come from your soul are going to push you. To, to continue to push forward. And if you know in your heart of hearts that what you're doing is your dream and what you're called to do, it's going to be uncomfortable, but you're, you're constantly fighting the flesh in a sense, because the flesh is designed, again, it's wired for survival. It's really good at keeping us alive. The flesh is really, really good. Think about how many things can take us out every single day. But the, the, the, the, the flesh and life is designed to continue to preserve itself, right? So that's why it's, it's very difficult embarking on certain things because there's so much resistance you'll have to go through, and it is the inner enemy that you're fighting against now, the identity shift, here's the hidden layer. You're not just building results, you're becoming someone new. It's important to understand that part of the journey. You're not just doing something for the sake of doing it and getting results. You're, you're working towards becoming someone new, becoming the very best version of yourself. Why do we grow? We grow so that we have more to give. Now, your old identity is ultimately trying to keep you or pull you back. It's trying to keep you from pushing forward because your old identity, it's, it's the known, it's what's safe. Okay. And always remember that breakthrough requires letting go of who you were, letting go of who you were. It's not becoming someone that you're not. It's more about refining yourself and becoming the very best version of yourself. This is not to be fake and be inauthentic in a sense. It's, it's you becoming the very best version that you could possibly be. I remember when I first started changing the way that I spoke. I, I, I, I had a lot more of a, a Brook Brooklyn accent and just grew up speaking. Nothing wrong with that. I mean, Brooklyn accents are amazing accents. Um, but I also, I didn't speak as proper as I do today, and, um, I, I wanted to change that about the way that I spoke. I, I wanted to reach an audience of, of intellectuals, of scholars of, you know, people. Who, who did go through a, a formal education and resonate more with that language. Right. And, and I also liked the way that I, that I sounded more when, when I started to expand my vocabulary. Right. But it wasn't becoming someone I was not. Even some for some of my friends, um, in the beginning I'm sure it was very like, kind of weird, right? They're like, like, this isn't the Josh that we, we, you know, grew up with, or that we knew all these years. But then eventually they understood that my essence didn't change. It was just the way that I, I, I articulated myself that changed and. I mean, we, we, we've heard this, the, the, the, the research studies in the past. Um, you guys hear me talk about it all the time. That the, your, your vocabulary, the expansiveness of your vocabulary, the more expansive your vocabulary is, the further you go in life. There's a direct correlation with the quality of your life and. How expansive your vocabulary is. And I understood this many, many years ago. So in my mind I'm like, I wanna expand my vocabulary. And I started to listen to podcasts and audios and YouTube videos from, from intellectuals, people who, who did have an expanded vocabulary. And again, um, if that's the case for you, maybe, maybe you don't really care to be a communicator in, in your lifetime, but any role of leadership is gonna require. The, the, you having the ability to articulate yourself. So, um, it, it is helpful. It, it is super, super helpful to, to expand your vocabulary at some point in time. If you do aspire to be a leader now, understand that you're not stuck. You are simply in transition. That's really what's going on right now. So if you feel like you're stuck, if you feel like you're losing control. Like, take some time to just breathe, to pause, catch yourself, and just reevaluate the next step. Okay? Now here are some of the warning signs that you're about to break through. This is the heart of today's session. Number one, things feel harder than usual. Things feel harder than usual. I know that this, this definitely has been the case for me right before breakthroughs. Number two is you're questioning everything. Maybe you're wondering or doubting what it is that you are doing. You're questioning whether or not this is the right path for you, right? Because nothing seems to be working. Number three is you feel emotionally stretched. Maybe you're just going through every emotion imaginable and you're like, man, this is like, for me, it's, it's my faith being stretched more than ever before. That's when I, when I know that I'm at the brink of breaking through. The fourth is old habits don't feel right anymore. Sometimes when it comes to old habits, you just kind of lose the the appeal for them. Can anybody relate to that? Drop a one in the comments if you've ever like outgrown habits, simply because you're just like, this isn't for me anymore. Maybe it was the drinking, maybe it was the smoking, maybe it was, you know, and it could be so many different things, just the way that you've been living. It was like pleasurable in the past, but then you're like, eh. So it is not really my thing anymore. Like you kind of grow a distaste for it. Okay, number five is you're getting small signs of progress, but not the full result yet. You can see little glimpses of things coming together, and I know that this definitely has been the case for me. I'll see like progress. I'll see me doing, let's say, podcast interviews and, and really cool things, or making progress, like doing the creators conference or bringing in new business people in our community. Things expanding little glimpses of progress, but you're not quite there and that's why it's important to focus on the progress as opposed to. What's not working right? Put all of your focus on all of the things that are coming together. Okay? Number six is you feel like quitting more than ever. You feel like quitting more than ever. I know that this, you know, I never would've thought, I used to hear people say that they were discouraged and, and that was always so foreign to me, the idea of being discouraged in business. But it wasn't until I really started. Going through the valley and things weren't working out in my favor, and I started to experience discouragement for the very first time. And I wouldn't say that it was, it was this idea of quitting because I mean, I don't, I don't have that quit bone, right? Like some people have that. I just never, like me being an athlete my entire life, I never had that quit bone. So there was never the idea of quitting. However, sometimes you get to a point in your life where. You are not quitting, but you gotta, you gotta figure out how you're gonna pay them bills. You gotta figure out and, and pivot in a sense to figure out your situation. And that's, that's very different than just quitting altogether. Right. So, um, but I, I can understand why some people who genuinely get to a point where they feel like throwing in the towel because it's just so hard. Right. If that's you, I just wanna encourage you to just keep pushing forward. Now, if you're on a path that you're not necessarily doing something that's not in alignment, like that's a different ball game, if what you're doing is not in alignment, but if you know in your heart of hearts that you are doing what you believe you're called to do and you're passionate about it, you gotta hold on. You gotta hold the line and you have to continue to press forward because you may very well be three feet from gold. Now, all of these things. Whether things feel harder than usual, you're questioning everything you feel emotionally stretched. Old habits don't feel right anymore. You're getting small signs of progress, but not the full result yet, or you feel like quitting more than ever. These aren't signs of failing. These aren't signs that you are, you're, you're failing, right? Failing right now. What it is that you're doing, these are signs that you are close. This is typically what it looks like. If you study every great person in history, you'll find a common pattern across the board. They've all gone, gone through this, this, this journey, this hero's journey, this valley of all of these things that you will inevitably have to go through. Now, if you're getting value so far, drop a V in the comments for value. Wanna make sure that you guys are still with me? Awesome. Awesome. Good stuff. Now as we get ready to bring it in for a landing, here's what to do in this season. If you find yourself going through some of the things that we spoke about here today, uh, here's your plan. Number one, stay consistent. Don't disappear now, don't go hiding underneath your rock. All of a sudden, this is the time to stay consistent, continue to press forward. Number two is simplify your focus. Don't overwhelm yourself. Sometimes you're stressing yourself the hell out because you're focusing on 27 things. Just get locked in and focus on one simple thing. Ask yourself today, for example, what is your big three? What are the three main tasks that you absolutely have to accomplish today? And just focus on those three. I always share the saying from Warren Buffet that if you have more than three priorities, you have no priorities. What are, what are your top three priorities for the day? Number three is, control your environment, protect your mindset. This is a big one. This is probably one of the main things that I've been doing in, in this specific season, is really protecting my mindset. You, I, I love Jim Rohn saying that you have to stand like a little guard at the doorway of your mind, protecting it from the negativity of the world. Ships do not sink because of the water all around them ships sink because of the water that leaks into them. So you have to be very mindful of what, at what you allow to get into your mind because that is what will ultimately sink you and and that's the negative self-talk, that's the gossip, the complaining, all the things in the world that are trying to work themselves. In your mind, but when you, when you are there and you're intentional about your dreams, your focus, your, your mindset, your wellbeing, your self-care, all of these things are ultimately what's gonna keep you on track. Number four is remind yourself why you started in the first place. Why did you start that very dream? What would, why did you make a decision to embark on the very path that you embarked on? It is important to go back to that why, because that why is what ultimately will push you forward, and sometimes your why changes. Your why. May very well have been financial security at the very beginning. Maybe your why was you wanted greatness. It's interesting because when, when I first got started in entrepreneurship, my why was I, I, I just wanted greatness. I wanted to matter in the world. I wanted to feel a sense of significance. I wanted to feel like I was making a great contribution of people's lives and, and all of that stuff. But when I finally got to that point and I started doing podcasting, and I started to, to coach and consult many different people around the world, I, there was the why was no longer that because I already was adding the value. I was already making an impact. I already felt the significance. But then the why, sometimes it transitions into something as simple as financial security, and I wouldn't even say that. That's simple. That's a big deal. Sometimes when you're deprived of an important area of your life, that that becomes your why in that season. Maybe for you it's finding a significant other, and that's your why. You want, you want someone that you can spend the rest of your life with. Maybe your why is having children. Maybe your why in this season is getting to a place, like, for me now, it's, it's traveling with my kids. As my kids get older, I'm like, man, time is flying. Can any of y'all relate to that? Like, you, you have these kids and it just, the years go by so fast and it's almost like it, it creates a little anxiety. Like, I need to get on it. I need to make sure that I'm doing what I need to do so that I can create more experiences with my kids. I wanna create more memories with them. Right. So your why, again, it, it changes depending on the season, but you have to know what your why is for that season. My, my really good friend, uh, and business partner, Pamela, she, she always mentions that, and, you know, I, I say the why is an acronym for what hurts you, right? Because sometimes what hurts you, that pain is what propels you forward. But it could also be she says it's what has you, so what has your soul. What has your mind, what has your emotions in this season? That's what your why needs to be. Number four is, Remi, remind yourself why you started. Number five is keep showing up even. Without evidence. Keep showing up even without evidence. This is a big one because it's like the farmer of the bamboo tree. You guys heard me mention it last week. You go years and years with no evidence. Like, like the farmer can't dig up to see if those seeds are blo. Like he literally is going out on faith that things are going to work out. And then all of a sudden, after let's say five years, this bamboo tree shoots up dozens of feet over the course of just a few weeks, right? And it's the same with our lives. You have to continue showing up even when you don't see the evidence. This is the big takeaway. You don't need proof right now. You need persistence. Persistence is the name of the game. That's really what it takes. So as we close out right now, you might feel like things aren't working, but what if this is the moment everything is about to change? What if you knew in your heart of hearts that this is the moment things are really, are about to take off in a major way? Right? If, if you believe that that's the case for you in this season, drop a comment. If you believe that, that this is, this is the case for you, and I believe that that's the case for me because Lord knows life, been life and I've been having all kinds of just stuff happening in life. But you have to have some kind of hope. Hope is truly a weapon and a weapon that can, that can be used to help you navigate. Through all of these demons you gotta slay and all these dragons, you gotta slay on the journey, right? You, you can have that, that spiritual armor in a sense, when you have that faith to just be able to hold on that hope to continue to push forward. Right? And what if this is the moment everything is about to change. What if this pressure, this uncertainty, this discomfort is the exact process required to create the life you've been asking for? So don't quit here because the version of you that wins is built in moments like this. Ladies and gentlemen, breakfast is served. I hope that this was valuable for you. If this episode resonated with you, or you know somebody who can get value from it, or maybe they're just going through a very difficult time, tag them, share it. It definitely is greatly appreciated. And if you're in that season where things feel uncertain, just know that you're not alone. You might be a lot closer than you think. So take care. God bless, and I'll be seeing you all next week.