Episode XVII: Lessons from 1/11

1/11.

Three ones in a single day is an annual occurrence.
Three ones on a Sunday is very rare.
Thank you for being present.

I appreciated your asks to state the self-limiting beliefs mentioned last week.
Today, I’ll present them as three truths that came from meditation.
You’ll benefit from this perspective.

The aligning truths today are:

1. Vision > circumstance.

2. Gratitude > entitlement.

3. Resilience > pity.
   

Let me break down each paradox.

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1. Vision > circumstance.
   
   VISION: commitment to what’s possible.
   CIRCUMSTANCE: conditions as they are.
   
   The paradox: if you choose to live your life only based on its’ current conditions, then you’ll resist seeing what’s possible; however, if you choose to live your life only by committing to what’s possible, then your circumstances will resist you.
   
   The limitation: underestimating what’s possible.
   The resolution: countering with conviction.
   
   Explanation: Fortunately, the self-limiting beliefs I held entering the year were NOT around business; instead, I held them around a sense of self. For those of you who don’t know, I prepped for a bodybuilding show in 2024 and stopped due to injury. In 2025, I did not believe it was possible to stay healthy and strive for wealth, so I maintained a mediocre (for my standards) physical state without personal satisfaction. Then, it hit me: I know what I want.
   
   My vision for health has always been maintaining strength and cardio while adding flexibility; however, since I didn’t think it was possible to make time for it, I abandoned it due to working constraints. Now, it’s obvious, even 11 days into the year; plan for success and success will come. There are times where work comes first (which is the nature of building a startup), but doing what’s required with conviction allows for your vision to supersede those circumstances.
   
   Recommendation: plan with conviction, attack with ferocity, and log your victories.
   
   

2. Resilience > pity.
   
   RESILIENCE: continuing after disruption.
   PITY: sympathy stalling actions.
   
   The Paradox: If you rely only on resilience, then your continually unresolved pain quietly becomes pity; however, if you give into pity, actions stop immediately.
   
   The limitation: unresolved pain.
   The resolution: active recovery.
   
   Explanation: Section 1 covers the approach before doing; Section 2 covers the doing. I held many limited self-beliefs about executing generally; however, in the nature of expressing my limitation, I’ve suppressed it into one word: suppression. Suppression manifests as pity because you can’t understand how to fix your behavior while executing unless you understand why you’re reacting to an action a certain way. As a startup founder, I’m required to do things that don’t scale; it’s the nature of building a company from scratch. I caught myself doing things without asking why I feel a certain way, had self-pity, and felt burnt out. It cost me hair, health, and happiness.
   
   Now, when I approach tasks, I hold no limiting beliefs about executing; however, in the nature of expressing my resolution, I’ve integrated it into one word: healing. Healing enables resilience because once you understand why you’re reacting to an action a certain way, you can understand how to fix your behavior while executing. As a startup founder, I enjoy doing required things that don’t scale; it’s the nurture behind building a company from scratch. I catch myself asking why I feel a certain way while making things happen, have pride, and now stay energized. It’s given me hair, health, and happiness.
   
   Recommendation: proceed perceptively, integrate actively, and continue intentionally.
   
   

3. Gratitude > entitlement.
   
   GRATITUDE: acknowledging what is.
   ENTITLEMENT: expectation without contribution.
   
   The Paradox: If you approach life only with gratitude, then you may accept what is without changing it; however, if you approach life with only entitlement, then you will resist responsibility and lose the leverage required to change it.
   
   The limitation: ego.
   The resolution: responsibility.
   
   Explanation: Section 1 was about your approach. Section 2 was about doing. Section 3 is about after doing. The biggest self-limiting belief I held around entitlement was after doing business-related activities. Entitlement didn’t make the work I’ve done harder; it made me resist owning the outcome. I used to ask why; now, I say thank you.
   
   Every business has a unique set of challenges. Identifying them is one thing; solving them is another. The truth about business is that the more problems you solve, the bigger the problems become. If one approaches problems with entitlement, then the problems don’t scale with you; instead, responsibility becomes fragmented, you learn less, and lose clarity. Answers become clear with volume and proof, but the process is gratifying before you receive them because solving problems blesses you with immense skill. Even if you don’t solve it, you learn from it; worst-case scenario, you’re an over-skilled person. Gratitude didn’t make my work easier; it made doing the work much easier to own.
   
   Recommendation: accept, own, and earn.
   —
   Thank you for reading; I’m grateful for your viewership.
   Please challenge my assumptions; I’m eager to learn.