The "I'm Ready Now!" Podcast
Ideas to help you when you're ready for change.
The "I'm Ready Now!" Podcast
EP 28: Embracing Change: From Complacency to Ambition, Unlocking Your True Potential
Feeling stuck in life's comfortable yet stagnant phases? Join me, Isaac Sanchez, as we explore the essential journey from complacency to personal growth and fulfillment. Inspired by personal experiences and the mantra that everything is "figureoutable," this episode unpacks the importance of recognizing the balance between "security" and freedom. We start by diving into a simple, yet compelling story by Dan Miller about an eagle and a chicken, setting the stage for a transformative reflection on choosing between complacency and ambition. Today, we navigate the path to overcoming frustrations and unlocking our true potential.
Get ready to be inspired by the resilience and success of icons like Colonel Sanders, J.K. Rowling, and Steve Buscemi, who turned rejection into triumph. These stories, combined with my personal journey as a musician, serve as powerful reminders of the passion and perseverance needed to pursue our dreams, no matter where we start.
Welcome to the I'm Ready Now podcast ideas to help you when you're ready for change. I'm your host, isaac Sanchez, here. I share my musings on whatever it is I am reading at the moment, as well as any other ideas that I believe will help you break free from a standstill in your thinking in order to get you dreaming again. Thank you for joining me today. Well, I'm ready now. How about you? Excellent, so let's get started. Welcome back everyone. I hope you're doing mighty fine today and enjoying the wonders of what you have around you. In prayers that my wife and I share together once in a while, I'll express gratitude in the way of saying that there are people who would do anything to have our life, our job, our place of living, the basic comforts we have in our home, the relationship that we have, and that helps straighten me out a bit. So, anyways, I hope that you take a moment to do the same. It's a good practice, at least for us it is. Let's get to the regular housekeeping mentions. My standard reminders I like to share right at the top. First, there are chapter markers on this podcast, so if you want to get straight to the content, hit those Also. Remember that in the descriptions of this episode, there is a link you can tap to text me and there you can leave your feedback on the topics we're addressing as well. You can always email me at IsaacSanchez, at Maccom. I look forward to hearing from you.
Speaker 1:Well, what's up in your world? Let's talk about life's plateaus. Well, don't admire those plateaus for long. They are beautiful and fascinating, but they don't go anywhere. Of course, I'm talking about life's plateaus. They're a fine place to find rest from climbing. You know you're not heading down either. You're just there, also a plateau. On a plateau, you can admire the work completed in order to get there, look down the cliff and see what you've accomplished. Be amazed at what you've done. That's important, but you need to get moving again. Plateaus in life are comfortable. As a matter of fact, when you find yourself reminiscing about feats of strength in your past, you're probably at a plateau. If you find yourself telling a story of current struggle to anyone that you're speaking to, you're probably frustrated because you're having to learn something in order to get unstuck. Well, that's good Not comfortable, but definitely good.
Speaker 1:I bring this up because I was on a walk the other day when my frustrations caught up to me about areas where I felt stuck in particular is the juggling of making traction on important goals I've set in the various areas of my life. Now, my wife and I just spoke of our goals in episodes 23 to 26. However, I've not done the important work in all of those cases of creating the plan to reach them. Now I've invested in Michael Hyatt's Full Focus Planner, yet I've not walked through his system in detail for the goals that really need this treatment, and the frustration is that I've not watched my time as closely, so I've not allocated the time, in other words, to learn the system in order to get the most out of my planner and these goals. They're important to me.
Speaker 1:Well, what I heard this week again, though, is that the fact that I'm frustrated with this means that I'm growing. I understand that I can lay down my sword and just say screw it, this is too much work, I'm done. Then go and waste time on nonsense, then go to bed, then wake up the next day and repeat the same E's. That's an option, but obviously I'd be giving up my life purpose, so then that's not an option. So what to do? I need to learn what I need to learn in order to beat my confusion and continue to climb. When I get stuck again, I remember that everything is figureoutable. Then do the work, just get on it and do it. So, if you find yourself in a similar spot, friend, start learning or doing the thing that will get you unstuck. It will be worth it. Just fight on. Let's move into our learning time together today.
Speaker 1:Last week, in order to set up this week's topic, I asked a foul question F-O-W-L Do you want to fly or flutter? Did I stutter? Pick carefully your side, because one will get you fried. Well, let's find out what that might mean in today's learning time, together with Dan Miller. Well, in today's topic and sharing Dan Miller, I'm going to read straight from the book, because he shares a story that's in the public domain or one that he notes that he's not ever been able to identify the author. I tried doing the same thing, and so even Dan has modified it over the years. So let me just read what he wrote, and my little quip there at the beginning to introduce this will make sense. All right, so here we go.
Speaker 1:Once upon a time in the long, long ago, the eagle and the chicken were very good friends. One day, while flying, the chicken said to the eagle let's drop down and get a bite to eat. My stomach is growling. Sounds like a good idea to me, replied the eagle. So the two birds glided down to earth, saw several animals eating and decided to join them. The cow was busy eating corn, but noticed that the eagle and the chicken were soon sitting on the ground next to her. Welcome, said the cow. Help yourselves to the corn.
Speaker 1:This took the two birds by surprise. They were not accustomed to having other animals share their food quite so readily. Why are you willing to share your corn with us, asked the eagle. Oh, we have plenty to eat here. Mr Farmer gives us all we want, replied the cow. With that invitation, the eagle and the chicken jumped in and ate their fill. When they finished, the chicken asked more about Mr Farmer. Well, said the cow, he grows all our food. We don't have to work for the food at all. You mean, said the chicken, that Mr Farmer simply gives you all you want to eat. That's right, said the cow. Not only that, but he gives us a place to live. The chicken and the eagle were shocked. They had always had to search for food and work for shelter.
Speaker 1:When it came time to leave, the chicken and the eagle began to discuss the situation. Maybe we should just stay here, said the chicken. We can have all the food we want without working, and that barn over there sure beats those nests we have been building. Besides, I'm getting tired of always having to work for a living. I don't know about all this, said the eagle. It sounds too good to be true. I find it hard to believe that one can get something for nothing. Besides, I kind of like flying high and free through the air and providing for food and shelter isn't so bad. In fact, I find it quite challenging. Fine for the chicken he ate all he wanted. He never worked. But then one day he heard the farmer say to his wife that the preacher was coming to visit the next day and they should have fried chicken for dinner. Hearing that, the chicken decided it was time to check out and rejoin his good friend Mr Eagle. But when he attempted to fly, he found that he had grown too fat and lazy. Instead of being able to fly, he could only flutter. So the next day the farmer's family and the preacher sat down to fry chicken.
Speaker 1:Now that very much sounds like Aesop's fable you might find. As a matter of fact, dan writes in his book the moral of this story when you give up the challenges of life in pursuit of quote security, end quote you may give up your freedom. Well, that's something that's very, very, very important for those of us that are trying our best to create opportunities for ourselves that help us move in directions where we're further in control of our lives and kind of control the levers as much as we're able to do, and so I thought I might share with you a few stories of some well-known people who made these types of jumps. It's easy to see their success now and call it inevitable, but that's not the case. You and I know that from our own life experiences where we've made certain decisions that could have gone either way, even if they were calculated risks. In this story, of course, that would have been the eagle making the decision to just continue and doing the hard work that he needed to do to get through life, and the chicken, of course, chose the ease. So here are a few well-known people who have made the jump from something stable I have that in quotes to their dream work. They've made that jump. I'll tell you a bit about them, then share a quote from them about the decisions they made, as well as their advice to you about making that big decision. I think you'll find this just as valuable as I have. All right, let's get into these.
Speaker 1:The first one is Vera Wang, and her path to becoming a world-renowned fashion designer was just not linear at all. So she grew up with a passion for figure skating. She competed in the US National Championships and you know, as we know, that business is tough. And after failing to make the Olympic team, she made this shift. She shifted her focus and Wayne worked at Vogue for 17 years, eventually becoming the fashion editor. Yet she felt this strong pull to create her own designs, and so, at the age of 40, she took that leap of faith and she left that secure position to launch her own bridal wear business. She said about that I was 40 years old, with no money and I was starting all over again. It was scary, but I knew I had to do it. She goes on to give advice to others who may be in the same situation and she says don't be afraid to take risks. If you have a dream, go for it. It might be scary, but it's worth it.
Speaker 1:The next one that I have here, let's see if you can figure this out. The last name might be familiar to you, but the first name may not. This person is Harlan Sanders. Harlan Sanders Anyone, anyone, anyone. There's my Ferris Bueller take. This is Colonel Sanders. So of course, colonel Sanders' story is a testament to the fact that it's never too late to pursue your passion. And of course he's from, in case that name even Colonel Sanders is new to you. This is from Kentucky Fried Chicken, the one who started that.
Speaker 1:He worked several jobs throughout his life. Fried chicken the one who started that. He worked several jobs throughout his life, including steamboat pilot, railroad fireman and farmer. It wasn't until he was in his 60s that he found his true calling cooking, and it was in that time that he perfected his fried chicken recipe and started selling it from his roadside motel. Despite facing numerous rejections Boy, have we heard that story before? When you know writers or whatnot? Despite facing numerous rejections when trying to franchise his recipe, he persevered, and today, kentucky Fried Chicken KFC now is a global fast food empire and if you've ever had the chicken, it's pretty dang amazing. On a bad day, if you go for the fried chicken. That's amazing. Otherwise they have other ways that they're prepared also. And so he said about that move there's quote there's no secret to success. It is a result of preparation, hard work and learning from failure. Again, that's Colonel Sanders. He too goes on to give advice. Give advice to others, saying never give up on your dreams, no matter how old you are, it's never too late to start something new. I, again, love that kind of encouragement, just because it's true, and so I love when folks share that with us as reminders.
Speaker 1:The next one is JK Rowling, and before she became the author of the beloved Harry Potter series, jk Rowling was a struggling single mother. She was an English teacher as well. She faced numerous rejections from publishers. So here there's that story again. But she never gave up on her dream of becoming a writer and she famously received 12 rejections before a publisher finally took a chance on her book. The rest, as they say, is history. Can you imagine that being the head of a publishing company that rejected her? Just history is amazing with stories like this. And so she too, in quoting her and talking about that jump, that leap that she made, she says it is impossible to live without failing at something unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all. That's an incredible, just a wonderful challenge of a quote she goes on to share with others. Don't let rejection discourage you. Keep writing, keep creating and keep believing in yourself. Boy, you can highlight those last four words Keep believing in yourself.
Speaker 1:And finally, steve Buscemi. If I'm saying that correctly, steve is a renowned actor known for his roles in films like Fargo and the Big Lebowski. However, before his acting career took off, he was a firefighter in New York City, and there he served with Engine Company 55 for four years, and while he loved his job, he always had a passion for acting, and so he eventually left the fire department to pursue his dream, taking on small roles and working his way up. He says about the shift I was a firefighter for four years and I loved it, but I always wanted to be an actor. And so what does he say to us about making that jump? If you have a passion, don't be afraid to pursue it, even if it means leaving a stable job. It might be the best decision you ever make. Again, I've heard that a lot, I think, on all of our different levels. A lot of us have little stories like that, if not the big jump we've made yet, but other ones where we realize in hindsight that that was the best thing that I ever did, that I ever said whatever. So these ideas are not so far-fetched. If you've not made the big jump, so I don't know about you. But these stories give me that excitement of the possibilities for myself, and I'll just share one small example in my life about that point. You know the point of seeing these people, other people make moves, that you just kind of stand back and kind of look and wonder I wonder if that could be me. I have a version of it for myself.
Speaker 1:As a musician and, you know, as a drummer, I've admired incredible drummers that I've wanted to emulate, and I found myself in the same room watching them, at times at a concert or a workshop. I remember this drummer, vinnie Caliuta. I had to have been within four feet of him in a small club in LA watching him. This guy is just unreal, but there I was. Watching him is just unreal, but there I was watching him. And so you know, it was that very thing of being in the same room as them and watching them right there. That that's what I needed for hope about being a better musician, so I needed to be in the same room with them. As long as I was just listening to them on recordings or seeing them on glossy magazine covers, they seemed so out of reach. However, when I saw them playing live, though, they were stunning in their craft even so, I looked in awe, yet with possibility, saying to myself in a variety of ways, like I can be better than I am, because these are just people, after all, people who show that if you work hard at your craft, you can always be better. And that was just all I needed sometimes. Now, any drummer who might be listening to this will say well, isaac, you know that Vinnie Caliuta is just in his own category. Yes, I agree, just using him as an example. And the lesson was that I could be better, not that I can be like Vinnie Caliuta, because no one can be All right. Well, let's move to apply our learning today, our reminder. So get your journal and writing device, digital or analog, and let's get our own possibilities recorded.
Speaker 1:Today's question by Dan Miller is one that may make you cringe, like it does for me, but that's okay. That means that we're not on a plateau, but instead are climbing right. We're trying to be better and so that little frustration sets in. We're, on purpose, putting ourselves in front of the mirror of life to see our reflection, with the high purpose of deciding what needs to change. Here's Dan Miller's application question for us today when in your life has the temptation of security, quotation marks around that led you to a potential trap?
Speaker 1:Now I'd encourage you to move this question around to a variety of areas of your life, as Dan suggests when he asks where in life? Right, that's how he starts that question. This could be your finances, your job or career relationships. I told you that this might make you cringe a bit. That's good. Just sit with that and reflect, not just on the answer you give yourself, but just as well, and maybe even more importantly, sit with how you might make a very brave shift towards freedom. Friends make that happen.
Speaker 1:Well, let's look at the next week. What does Dan Miller have for us? Well, how about this? Here's a job ad for you to consider. Men wanted for hazardous journey, low wages, long hours. Would you take that job? Well, 5,000 men did. Next week, dan Miller tells us why these men made that decision.
Speaker 1:Okay, let me send you away with a quote here it is Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. That comes to us from George Bernard Shaw. That's it. That's the quote. Think about it, act on it.
Speaker 1:Hey, thank you for your company today. It means so much to me that you'd be willing to listen to what has inspired me, see what I have learned, and that maybe you too have gotten something out of it for yourself. That would make me feel really, really good. All right, friends, until next time, be well. Thank you for listening. If you found this time together useful, please consider following this podcast and leaving an excellent rating. If you feel you can't do that yet, please reach out to me and let me know what I can do to get you to leave a top rating. If you are already excited about what you've heard, please consider sharing this podcast with a friend. I really would appreciate it. Also, I'd love your feedback, both on today's topic as well as what you'd like to hear me address in the future. I would really appreciate that input. Again, I'm your host, isaac Sanchez. I hope today's thought serves you the way it has served me Remember. Your next move is just one inside away. Have an amazing rest of your day. I'll see you next time.