Thanks.

Thanks for your openness and transparency. One of the first things you can do to start is to realize that you are not at all alone. There are literally millions of us who are in the exact same situation as you at this exact same moment, just with a different set of challenges. And if there is one thing I’ve seen from the thousands of people I’ve been in contact with it’s that “things are never as good as they sound or as bad as they seem.” While it’s never fun to feel like we’ve “lost” any part of our life, one semester is so small in the grand scheme of things and keeping that perspective gives you peace in times of failure.

It is important to know what your dreams are and to fall asleep at night picturing as vividly as possible what they will be like because that will help you overcome the “nearsightedness” of feeling trapped where you are. But it’s even more important to let go of comparing yourself to others. You already matter! You matter greatly. And you can have Faith that right now you are exactly where you are supposed to be going through exactly what you’re supposed to be going through because you do matter. You are important and valuable.

And let me speak candidly to you that as you are comparing yourself to others who seemingly “have it all together” I 100% guarantee that they are at least as self-conscious and underconfident in their moments of weakness as you. I know because I am. I know because I’ve personally felt the brokenness and partnered with many others through their own brokenness. All of us are comparing ourselves to eachother at the same time and it’s hilarious because we each think that other people know something that we don’t; and that they are on a direct path that we will never be. Wrong! All of us are equally broken, equally unsure of ourselves, and equally weak. And once you make that realization for yourself about everyone else you are then free of that disempowering misconception and it frees you up to do the only thing that will get you out of where you are right now…take action.

That said, don’t wait to you feel good to start taking action. Having a “purpose” or “feeling” good is a luxury; not a necessity of action. As daunting as it may seem, take an inventory of exactly where you are at and what you have to do. You will find that even the greatest of fears and stories are instantly minimized by clearly identifying exactly what the total damage is. Then just take the first step right in front of you. Try not to think about the entire road ahead. Only focus on the first step immediately in front of you. And then the next…and then the next. When you begin to lose hope don’t focus on the totality of everything in your inventory but rather recharge yourself by focusing on those dreams that you have that matter most. The beauty about your own dreams is that there is no one in your head to tell you it’s not possible. Let yourself wander and dream in color, 3d, and as vividly as possible. Then, know that everything you are going through is preparing you for the person that you need to become in order to accomplish those dreams. Let your dreams infiltrate your thoughts and your soul and then channel that energy to take the first and most immediate action step that’s right in front of you.

Visit here often and keep me posted on your progress. See you in the stairwell, Rory

I’m not surprised that you have been noticed by Dr. Oz. As dynamic and gifted as you are, and with the brilliance of your Take the Stairs campaign…you are swiftly moving in the direction of greatness

Please do notify me of this interview, I’d be thrilled to listen to it.

I travel often, and I see your concept played out constantly of how folks look for the most efficient and easiest solution. It makes me wonder about business as a whole…as things move faster and faster, is that really beneficial. Most business models are developed from the principle of producing. However, when folks are constantly being pushed to produce, how are they refilling themselves so they replenish?

You’d be well-suited for some corporate coaching

Thanks Rory!

Although the more important stairwell ultimately is the one that relates to spiritual devotion. I myself, took that intellectual journey about 3 years ago spending a substantial amount of time diving into apologetics and things of that nature. I think it is wise to make sure that our beliefs withstand intellectual scrutiny but knowing that the most important step is that of Faith. If you are on the journey then there is of course already a plan to prosper you and therefore somewhere inside of you is the conviction to believe and act upon things that are unseen. I look forward to taking the journey with you. See you in the stairwell, Rory

Great points. Please notify me when your Dr. Oz recording is available.

The Pain Paradox is something I have experienced several times over my life, including a stint on the credit card circuit which I have now mastered and some ups and downs regarding physical fitness. It has been a valuable teacher and its instruction has prevented numerous other pains.

The current “pain” stems from spiritual devotion. The ability to sacrifice personal time, putting oneself “out there”, and the emulation of your faith in daily life. I have devoted many years of study and feel like I have explored the intellectual side to its extent. The next steps seem obvious, but I feel it difficult to take them even though I know that it would lead to a future of contentment and happiness. Lend me your comment if you would.

See you at the top.