Will Ferrell was sitting in his trailer while filming the iconic movie “Elf” and he said something to the extent of “Where am I going to go from here after this thing flops” (paraphrasing a bit).
Even the people considered the “greats” don’t have it all figured out. They question their decisions. They have fear of how they are going to look to others. They have moments of weakness.
“Elf” didn’t flop, as we now know, but there was no way he could’ve known that then.
He had to put on his yellow tights one leg at a time, walk out of that trailer, and show up as the best performer he could be.
We don’t always know what will happen. That’s part of what makes it exciting.
When it does work out we have the opportunity to look back at all of those low points, the times we doubted ourselves, and realize that it was a part of the process.
It was a part of our growth.
It’s like standing on top of the mountain and seeing all of the hills and valleys we had to climb over to get here.
We gain confidence and conviction with each one.
We believe in ourselves.
The game is set up to separate the ones willing to go past the point of fear, uncertainty, and doubt and progress forward versus those who close up shop and quit at the first sign of adversity.
Showing up because we believe in what we are doing becomes a great tool to lean on during times when we think we aren’t good enough.
Even The Greats Are ScaredBrian Ondrako2023-08-03T18:43:17-04:00
Walls where we hope, by constructing them, we don’t get harmed by perceived threats.
For added measure, fear puts a roof overtop us to shelter from any potential future storm. There are no windows or doors. We fortified the fortress.
Better not even walk outside, there is some probability it’ll rain at some point.
Fear limits us. We are confined by these walls. We think they are keeping us safe but they are actually stifling our growth.
We need to spread our wings. We need to be free.
It doesn’t mean we have to sprint out of the house and frolic in unchartered land. It just means we need to inch ourselves forward, create an opening in the foundation, and peak out.
There are many ways to deal with fear. The first is to understand that it’s all made up in our own heads.
It’s a fictional story.
It’s an imaginary friend.
Try just one small thing today to lean into fear and then ask yourself “Did this really cause me any harm?”
The answer may surprise you.
It may give you the confidence to try it again tomorrow.
Who knows, you might be playing outside your comfort zone in no time at all.
Whether starting something brand new or beginning from the starting line again.
Starting is unknown. And that scares us.
We have to venture out into a wilderness not seen before, take big risks, and deal with the harsh emotions that come with it.
As much as it’s a daunting task, what should scare us more is the complacency that comes from sheltering in place, barricading the walls, and covering the windows.
With being okay with the status quo.
When we are afraid to start we have to imagine what the regret might feel like if we don’t.
That premonition might be all the nudge we need to kickstart us on our journey forward.
Brave The ElementsBrian Ondrako2022-12-13T21:19:38-04:00
Opportunities surface in strange ways and unexpected places. They can surprise us.
We are going along fine and then we are hit with a rush of emotion, excitement, and potential. We have a chance to act on it.
But sometimes we don’t. We must understand why?
Why would we pass it up? What harm could come out of pursuing it? Why do we feel we are not worthy enough to test this new endeavor?
Sometimes the questions are easier to ask than they are to answer. But the answers are in there if we are willing to sit with them.
We must be holding onto what makes us feel unworthy of the pursuit.
Dig for it.
Find it.
Let it surface.
Expose it for what it is and uncover the root cause of how it got there.
We may not resolve it right away but at least we can face it head-on. We create an open dialogue with ourselves.
We give ourselves the opportunity to grow.
We give ourselves a chance when the next moment arises.
Because it might turn out to be something that stops us in our tracks, makes us turn around, and head us in a new direction we never would’ve imagined.
We’ll always have fear if we don’t understand something.
If we are struggling with moving forward because of fear, curiosity might be the helper we need to call on.
Why is this fear present?
What past “information” has led us to this conclusion?
Could there be more information we haven’t considered?
Would we be willing to accept it if it is different from our current beliefs?
I remember when I used to be terrified of flying. From the night before the flight until we landed, I was a mess. Fearful with every bump. Gripping tightly. Counting every second until we landed safely.
Until I decided to overcome that fear.
To do that I gained knowledge. I asked questions like…
How do planes work?
How are pilots trained?
How safe are planes?
Why does the flight crew choose this as a career?
Once I became curious, it opened up my mind to learn. Once I learned, the fear subsided. Then, to fully overcome the fear I had to face my past beliefs head-on.
As I took my next few flights, every time there was a bump or rattle or weird noise, I would ask myself if this was a part of my past belief or a part of what I have newly learned. What seemed more logical?
In time, my fear went away.
There is no more anxiety before flights. I enjoy takeoffs now. Every once in a while a big “bump” in the sky will get my attention but I think it’s my past fears waving to me and letting me know they miss me. It is normally short-lived.
I overcame my fear of flying by being curious. That curiosity led me to knowledge that led me to a different belief.
I’m not saying it’ll be easy but if we want to give ourselves the opportunity to change then we might think about questioning our old beliefs.
They hold many unfounded “truths” that may be best to leave in the past.
Fear of AnythingBrian Ondrako2022-08-23T08:50:39-04:00
Failing takes up such a small finite space in time. It exists only to be a placeholder for the next achievement, one that wouldn’t have been possible had it not been for the failure that preceded it.
It begs to reason, then, that we should welcome failure with warmth and kindness.
“Playing it safe” actually becomes a fools’ errand. It makes us believe that we are working in our best interest to protect ourselves from harm. In reality, we are starving ourselves of exactly what we need to achieve greater happiness; facing failure head-on and coming out stronger.
Like a long-lost friend that showed up unexpectedly, we should welcome the failures with open arms.
The Long Lost FriendBrian Ondrako2022-03-18T17:32:52-04:00
Episode 210 features Lexi Godlewski, a former guest of the Podcast (ep.135), Marketing Strategist & Success Coach. We spend most of the interview talking about her recent decision to move from New York to Hawaii and all of the emotions and changes that came along with it. This is such a great conversation around recognizing your feelings, stepping outside your comfort zone, and taking calculated risks to help lead you down a path toward happiness.
Lexi Godlewski is a heart-centered Marketing Strategist and Success Coach who helps experts transform into Soultrepreneurs! She’s also the podcast host of “Building My Empire”, which documents her journey as she builds her business from the ground up and gives listeners the secrets to creating a profitable business while experiencing the richness of life.
Many times we struggle through life believing this is how it has to be.
It doesn’t.
No one says that what we are doing or how we are feeling has to stay this way. That is entirely up to us.
It’s not an overnight change and certainly not easy but we should be happy it is that way. We should be grateful that the hard work we put in and the endurance we’ve managed to muster up to get to a new place, a better place, don’t just evaporate overnight as well.
Those newfound habits have shaped us in a different way where we can leverage that momentum and progress on future endeavors.
We’ve got ourselves into the position we are in today. We’re at the Basecamp site. We see the mountain in front of us.
We have a choice.
Are we happy with where we are at today? If not, then we have the ability to climb to new heights to discover happiness. it won’t come without some pain and difficult moments ahead but when we decide to put our hands on that rock and start climbing we’ve already made a big change. We’ve committed to the change instead of just talking about it.
We’ve taken action.
We’ve transformed our mind, in an instant, from someone who sits and blames the world or gets up and does something about it.
We are on our way. We are ready to tackle a new phase of our life.
Today is day one.
Today Is Day OneBrian Ondrako2021-10-11T15:15:31-04:00
Episode 176 features Misty Tripoli, the founder of The World GROOVE, a movement that has inspired millions of people to dance their hearts out and reclaim their authenticity through physical movement and self-reflection.
Misty is the founder of The World GROOVE, a movement that has inspired millions of people to dance their hearts out and reclaim their authenticity through physical movement and self-reflection.
Background-wise, Misty was an Elite Instructor for Nike for over 5 years and worked with companies like Reebok, Skechers, and YogaWorks.
In addition to being the Creator of The Groove Method™ and Body Groove and Founder of The World Groove Movement, Misty is also a self-titled Truth Warrior.
She is best known for her ability to enlighten others with her keep-it-real, tell-it-like-it-is, no-holds-barred approach to life and of course her powerful gift of getting people to dance their hearts out and reclaim their authenticity through movement and self reflection.
Misty has been a movement and dance addict her whole life. In the early 2000’s, at the top of her game and under contract with NIKE as a Global Elite Athlete, Director of a top health club in California and in demand working with companies like Reebok, Sketchers, YogaWorks and Equinox she was also severely bulimic, overworked and exhausted. She cracked.
When the illusion came crashing down she woke up to something extremely powerful and liberating: the Groove Truths. From here she launched her global company The World Groove Movement and shares her story and passion for movement, inspiring millions to come together and get their Groove on! She continues to travel the world igniting communities and encouraging hearts to come together to be authentic, creative and have as much fun as humanly possible.
EPISODE 175: Author, Songwriter and Business Coach
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Episode 175 features Eliot Popkin, an award-winning singer-songwriter, a business and personal development coach, and the author of Circle: Letters to My Younger Self.
His new book Circle is available at www.thecircleletter.com and listeners of the Just Get Started Podcast can use promo code Circle20 for 20% off.
Eliot Popkin is an award-winning singer-songwriter, a business and personal development coach, and the author of Circle: Letters to My Younger Self. In addition to his own songs, he has written music for film, television, commercials, and other artists. However, despite this success, life hasn’t always been easy for Eliot. As a survivor of child abuse, he had to overcome a great deal and rediscover himself several times in order to become the man he is today.
Now, Eliot is channeling the wisdom he has gained into his memoir, Circle. Eliot takes readers on a journey from his boyhood as an abused, unhappy, frightened child to adulthood, where he learned to recognize, honor, and trust all the gifts life has bestowed on him. A beautiful memoir that inspires readers on their journey of self-discovery, growth, and forgiveness, Circle is for everyone who has a dream, anyone who ever felt too afraid to step out on faith and execute a passion in life, and anyone who was too reserved to share their gifts with the world.
Starting anything can be intense and overwhelming. We’ve been great at other things and are comfortable in those environments now. It’d make sense to keep doing those things.
It’s sort of weird being the novice and having no clue what most of anything means. But that’s where the growing happens!
In times like these, it often helps to pull from your past experiences and remember how you started before. To be great at anything there had to be moments when you weren’t.
When we learned to ride a bike, it was the act of getting the helmet on that was the first big feeling, not riding down a hill at top speed with no hands.
When we learned to swim, it was just getting into a new body of water that felt different, it wasn’t doing cannonballs off the deep-end diving board.
We psych ourselves out from starting because of the fear of the unknown but generally the unknowns we truly fear are way down the road. If we started small, incremental, and took baby steps we’d develop knowledge as we moved along and the fear would subside as we built confidence.
We shouldn’t try to bite off more than we can chew at the beginning. A little movement in the right direction can go a long way to finding something that challenges us, inspires us, and fills us with happiness. That’s the whole point of starting in the first place.
A Little Goes A Long WayBrian Ondrako2021-08-01T20:31:47-04:00
Today could be that day. Maybe it was yesterday or it could be tomorrow.
At some point, there is a beginning to something new.
A new relationship.
A new endeavor.
A new way of thinking.
We’ve been here before. It’s not new, just different.
So when fear creeps in to limit us from the potential of asking out that person, taking that trip, or starting on that novel we must remember that it’s not always the “fear of the unknown” that stops us but it’s forgetting that we’ve been here before even if it might have been a little while.
We all have been curious or interested or excited at various points in our life. Don’t let today’s decisions be crippling because we forgot how exhilarating it was to go down a new path.
Because we’ve experienced all of this before.
It’s just different now.
The Same But DifferentBrian Ondrako2021-05-09T18:49:27-04:00
It’s a new year, a new decade, and a clean slate to get it all right this year. “This is going to be my year”, It seems is the type of thing we say to ourselves each orbit around the sun. Why will this year be any different? What have you learned in the past 12 months that will make you believe you can change?
We all have aspirations at one time or another to break outside of our comfort zones and explore new ideas or endeavors. Then fear sets in and the excuses start to flow on why we “Can’t” do it. Just like a butterfly that landed on your shoulder, it’s there for a second before the idea fleets from your mind. All too often, that isn’t the last time we think about it. It continues to pop up at random with no regard for the timing of it all and the longer it goes without being acted upon the fear generally turns into regret. A disappointment of what could have been. Arguably, one of the worst individual feelings one could have.
I have a hunch that as you are reading this there is something festering inside that you want to accomplish but for whatever reason, you haven’t taken the leap of faith yet. Whether it is the smallest action or the biggest idea we all know that overcoming the fear of starting can be quite challenging. Let’s try to get started on it before the chance of regret from not trying can even weasel its way in.
I think I have the key that will unlock that door for you. It might be quite literally the simplest action you can do but could end up being the hardest. Because it involves self-observation and accountability for your actions.
Think of all of the reasons or excuses you can come up with as to why you can’t get started. You can write them down or just think of a couple in your head. They probably seem legitimate and you may even be able to convince yourself there is some truth to them.
Now I’d like you to try something.
Simply change the “can’t” in the sentence to “won’t” and see how that sounds.
Here is an example:
I can’t go to the gym because I don’t have time.
I won’t go to the gym because I don’t have time.
Which one stings a bit more and why?
“Won’t” does sound a whole heck of a lot worse because it’s a choice. Can’t is final. Can’t has some boundaries. Can’t is a line in the sand that we are not able to cross.
But won’t, that’s a different story. That’s personal. That’s a direct reflection on you as a person, what you prioritize, and how you want to live your life. You are making the conscious decision to not do whatever it is you want to do. You are standing in the way of it happening. You are your own worse accountability partner.
This simple exercise on reflection can fundamentally change your perspective on what you are trying to accomplish and get you in the right frame of mind to accomplish it. I’m not saying it’ll work out every time and you may find instances where you confirm that this isn’t the right path. It’s okay if that is the outcome. However, most of the time, it will allow you to take a deeper look in the mirror and help you gain perspective on why you are scared to do this in the first place and what you would really lose (if anything) from trying.
We all have fear and doubt. We all overcomplicate things. We all worry about stupid shit that is ridiculous and mostly meaningless.
It is the perspective shift that is needed in order to overcome these obstacles and start moving forward. Please keep it simple and believe that you can do it. Once you alter your perspective and start improving your mindset it can open up a lot of doors you never imagined possible.
Now get out there and crush 2020!
The Surprisingly Simple Way to Make Sure You Start In 2020Brian Ondrako2021-03-19T10:41:55-04:00
