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2026 is closer than you think — and your future depends on the choices you make right now. In this inspiring motivational talk, Simon Sinek shares five life-changing principles that can completely transform your mindset, career, and relationships before the next year arrives.

If you’re tired of starting over or feeling stuck, this message will push you to take control of your life, build better habits, and create real success.

💡 Watch till 37:36 for all five powerful lessons that will prepare you to thrive in 2026 and beyond.
📈 Subscribe to Mindturning Momentum for daily motivation, mindset training, and life advice from Simon Sinek and the world’s top thinkers.

⏱ Timestamps:

00:00 – Introduction: Why You Must Act Before 2026
05:20 – Lesson 1: Focus on Growth, Not Comfort
10:45 – Lesson 2: Discipline Over Motivation
17:32 – Lesson 3: Build Meaningful Relationships
23:18 – Lesson 4: Take Responsibility for Everything
30:10 – Lesson 5: Develop a Long-Term Mindset
37:36 – Final Message: Make 2026 Your Breakthrough Year

⚠️ Disclaimer:
This video is created for educational and motivational purposes only. All video and audio clips belong to their respective owners. Mindturning Momentum uses content under Fair Use for commentary, learning, and inspiration.

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Transcript
00:00There are moments in life when we feel the world shifting beneath our feet, a quiet nudge,
00:05a subtle signal that something is changing, and if we don't adapt, we'll be left behind.
00:112026 isn't just another year on the calendar, it's a line in the sand,
00:16a milestone for those willing to rise, evolve, and redefine what's possible.
00:21What you do between now and then will either shape your future or leave you stuck in the past.
00:30Here are five things you must do before 2026, but before we begin, let's get something straight.
00:35These aren't to-do list items, they're transformations, and there's a six-point that ties it all together.
00:42Look around your life, not just at where you're going, but who's walking with you,
00:45because whether you realize it or not, your circle is either your anchor or your engine.
00:49They're either keeping you grounded in mediocrity or pushing you to rise into the version of yourself you haven't even met yet.
00:54And too often, we underestimate just how powerful their influence really is.
00:58Every word they say, every value they hold, every belief they reinforce, these things seep into your mind,
01:06and eventually they start to sound like your own voice.
01:09You don't need to be surrounded by a crowd to feel supported.
01:12You need the right voices in your corner.
01:14Voices that speak truth even when it's uncomfortable.
01:18Voices that won't let you settle for average.
01:20Think about the people you interact with most.
01:23Do they celebrate your growth, or do they only clap when you shrink to fit their comfort zone?
01:28Do they challenge your thinking, or do they echo your limitation?
01:32Because here's the raw truth.
01:34Comfort zones don't grow people.
01:36They keep them safe, small, and stuck.
01:41And sometimes, the people we love the most are the ones keeping us in that bubble.
01:45Out of love, out of fear, out of habit.
01:47But love without challenge isn't love that leads you forward.
01:51It's love that holds you back.
01:53There's a man I once met whose life took a complete 180,
01:56not because of a new job or a lucky break, but because of a decision.
02:00He told me he stopped drinking every weekend.
02:02That wasn't the transformative part.
02:04What changed his life was the group he left behind when he made that decision.
02:09He said, it wasn't the alcohol.
02:11It was who I stopped drinking with.
02:13That stuck with me, because sometimes the shift isn't about what you're doing,
02:18it's about who you're doing it with.
02:20The behavior may be the symptom, but the environment is the root.
02:23There's science behind this, too.
02:25Behavioral psychology tells us we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with.
02:29Their mindset becomes your mindset.
02:31Their habits shape yours.
02:32Their emotional patterns, their ambitions, their fears,
02:35you begin to mirror them without even realizing it.
02:38It's called emotional contagion.
02:40Just like laughter spreads, so does doubt, so does cynicism, so does apathy.
02:47If you surround yourself with people who always look for reasons something won't work,
02:52you'll start doing the same, not because you're weak, but because you're human.
02:58And humans adapt to survive, especially within groups.
03:03But what if we turn that around?
03:05What if you chose to surround yourself with people who stretch your thinking?
03:09People who speak about dreams, like their plans?
03:13People who aren't afraid to say you're playing small when they know you're capable of more?
03:18People who lead with integrity, who challenge your ego,
03:21who remind you that your excuses may feel valid, but they're still excuses?
03:25These aren't always the easiest people to be around, but they're the people who will change your life.
03:32It takes courage to audit your circle,
03:34because sometimes it means stepping away from relationships that have years of history but zero growth.
03:40It means walking away from people who were once safe but now stagnant.
03:44And it means opening yourself up to new relationships that might intimidate you
03:47because they operate at a higher standard, but growth is uncomfortable.
03:50And if everyone around you is comfortable with your comfort, that should concern you.
03:58The most dangerous thing isn't criticism.
04:00It's quiet agreement with your limitation.
04:04And yet we often hang on.
04:05We justify.
04:06We say, but they've been there for me.
04:07Sure.
04:08But being there for you doesn't mean they're good for you.
04:10Loyalty is beautiful, but only when it's mutual and when it fuels progress.
04:14Sometimes the most loving thing you can do for yourself and for them is to create space.
04:21Because staying in a circle that no longer aligns with your values, your goals, or your future isn't loyalty.
04:29It's self-sabotage dressed as sentimentality before 2026 arrives.
04:35Take the time to reflect on who's sitting at your table.
04:38Who has access to your energy?
04:41Who gets to speak into your life?
04:42Not everyone deserves a front row seat.
04:46Some people are better loved from a distance.
04:49Some conversations are better left unspoken.
04:51And some seasons are meant to end, not because you're heartless, but because you're growing.
04:57And growth often requires pruning.
05:00But when you're intentional about who surrounds you, everything changes.
05:03Your thinking sharpens.
05:05Your belief expands.
05:06Your actions align.
05:08Suddenly, you're no longer just surviving the day.
05:10You're designing it.
05:11You're no longer defaulting to what's easy.
05:13You're choosing what's necessary.
05:15And that's the shift that creates real momentum.
05:17Because transformation doesn't happen in isolation.
05:20It happens in alignment with people who reflect the future you want, not the past you're trying to outgrow.
05:27Find the ones who push you to rise.
05:30The ones who ask hard questions, not because they doubt you, but because they believe in your potential.
05:36The ones who are building something with their own lives and inspire you to do the same.
05:40The ones who celebrate your wins and call you out when you're coasting.
05:43Because your circle will either dilute your fire or fuel it.
05:48Choose the ones who fan the flames.
05:50I've seen lives change, not by a grand event, but by small shifts in alignment.
05:55A different mentor, a new friend, a bold conversation, a brave goodbye.
05:59Don't underestimate the power of choosing wisely because who you surround yourself with today determines who you become tomorrow.
06:06And if 2026 is going to be your breakthrough year, it starts now with the people you let walk beside you.
06:15Audit your circle.
06:17Not with judgment, but with clarity.
06:19Not with bitterness, but with purpose.
06:22Because your future is worth protecting.
06:25Your growth is worth prioritizing.
06:27And the person you're becoming, they need people who see it, believe it, and speak to it.
06:32Especially on the days when you forget it yourself.
06:35Surround yourself with those who remind you of your greatness.
06:39And then become that kind of person for someone else.
06:42Because rising together is the only way we truly rise at all.
06:45The world is moving faster than most of us ever imagined.
06:48It's not just evolving, it's transforming at a pace that leaves even the most adaptive minds scrambling to keep up.
06:56In the middle of this whirlwind, we face a choice.
07:00A defining one.
07:01We can fear the change, resist it, pretend it won't touch our lives.
07:05Or, we can rise to meet it by becoming more of what machines can never be.
07:11Human.
07:13Artificial intelligence.
07:14Automation.
07:15Machine learning.
07:17These aren't the enemies.
07:19They're simply mirrors.
07:20Reflecting back to us the parts of our work, our routines, and even our thinking that have become mechanical.
07:26They strip away what's replicable, what's predictable.
07:31And in doing so, they shine a spotlight on what remains.
07:34The deeply human.
07:36The emotional.
07:37The intuitive.
07:39The ethical.
07:40The creative.
07:40This isn't about learning how to out-code a machine.
07:45It's about learning how to become the kind of person who can never be replaced by one.
07:49The future doesn't belong to the most efficient.
07:52It belongs to the most empathetic, the most imaginative, the most resilient, the most human.
07:58That's why before 2026, each of us must make a commitment.
08:01Not just to learn something new, but to learn something timeless.
08:06Something that will matter even more tomorrow than it does today.
08:09Something machines will never be able to mimic.
08:12Skills like storytelling.
08:14Where you don't just share information, you connect hearts.
08:17Like empathy.
08:19Where you don't just hear someone's words, you feel their world.
08:22Like critical thinking.
08:23Where you don't just memorize facts, you question what's missing.
08:26And leadership, not the kind that shouts the loudest, but the kind that listens with humility
08:30and moves with purpose.
08:33Think of the last time you were truly moved.
08:35A moment when someone made you feel seen.
08:38When a story gave you goosebumps.
08:41When a conversation helped you shift your perspective.
08:43None of those moments were driven by data.
08:46They were driven by depth.
08:48Of emotion.
08:49Of connection.
08:50Of meaning.
08:51That's the skill set the future demands.
08:54And it can't be taught by code.
08:56It must be cultivated through intention.
08:59The World Economic Forum has projected that by 2027, nearly half of the skills we use in
09:04the workplace today will be obsolete.
09:0644% of them gone or transformed.
09:09And the scary part?
09:11Most people aren't preparing.
09:13They're waiting.
09:14Hoping things will slow down.
09:15They won't.
09:16And that's the point.
09:17The change isn't coming.
09:18It's already here.
09:19You walk into stores with self-checkout lanes and AI assistants.
09:22You read articles written by algorithms.
09:23You interact with customer service bots.
09:26If your value is rooted in repetition or routine, you're standing on thin ice.
09:29But if your value comes from insight, from care, from original thought, you're building
09:35a bridge to the future.
09:36Let me tell you a story.
09:37There was once a man who lost his job after 15 years of doing the same thing.
09:42He had perfected a set of skills that were now done better and faster by software.
09:47For months, he was angry.
09:48Bitter.
09:49He blamed the world.
09:50He blamed the system.
09:51And then one day, he sat down with his daughter.
09:54She was struggling in school, anxious about a presentation.
09:57He listened.
09:58Really listened.
09:59He helped her craft her story.
10:01He taught her how to speak.
10:02Not just to inform, but to inspire.
10:04When she delivered her presentation, her teacher pulled her aside and said, you changed the
10:08way I saw this topic.
10:10That man realized he had something inside him that couldn't be automated.
10:14Wisdom.
10:15Compassion.
10:16Teaching.
10:17And from that moment on, he stopped chasing jobs and started creating value.
10:21He became a coach, a speaker, a mentor.
10:24He didn't just adapt.
10:25He evolved.
10:26And that made all the difference.
10:27The most valuable skill you can learn now isn't how to compete with technology.
10:32It's how to complement it.
10:34To do what machines can't.
10:36Machines can process, but they can't feel.
10:38They can detect patterns, but they can't dream.
10:40They can solve equations, but they can't lead people through fear or inspire them into courage.
10:46So if you're wondering what to do next, don't just look for what's hot on the market.
10:51Look inward.
10:52Ask yourself, what part of me can never be replicated?
10:58Is it your ability to unite people?
11:00To calm chaos?
11:01To tell the kind of story that makes someone stop scrolling and start feeling?
11:07You are not a job description.
11:09You are not a task list.
11:10You are not a title.
11:11You are a human being with a mind that thinks, a heart that feels, and a spirit that adapts.
11:17Don't underestimate that.
11:18Don't abandon that in the pursuit of what seems marketable.
11:23Because while others may chase trends, you can build tools.
11:28While others may follow the wave, you can become the current.
11:32Master the skills that make you irreplaceable.
11:35Not just for the sake of your job, but for the sake of your legacy.
11:38Be the person who knows how to lead in uncertainty.
11:41Who speaks when others are silent.
11:43Who connects when others retreat.
11:44Because the future doesn't just need smart people, it needs wise ones.
11:49Brave ones.
11:51You have three years.
11:52Not to wait, not to watch, but to become.
11:56Make the commitment now.
11:58Not because you're afraid of being left behind, but because you're ready to move ahead on your terms,
12:02with your truth, armed with the skills that machines can never own.
12:06And that's the path forward.
12:08Not safety.
12:10Not certainty.
12:12But strength.
12:13The kind that no algorithm can replicate.
12:16The kind that comes from choosing growth before the world demands it of you.
12:21Clarity is power.
12:22Without it, we wander through life reacting instead of responding.
12:26Drifting instead of deciding.
12:28Compromising instead of committing.
12:29When we lack clarity, especially about what we stand for, we become vulnerable to everything.
12:34Every request, every opportunity, every demand on our time and energy pulls us in directions
12:38that may look promising, but leave nowhere meaningful.
12:42Before 2026, it's not just helpful, it's necessary to define your non-negotiables.
12:48These are not fancy words you jot down in a journal once and forget.
12:52Your non-negotiables are the immovable truths you live by.
12:55They are the lines you draw in the sand, not out of arrogance, but out of alignment.
13:03Because without lines, without standards, without unwavering values, the world will define
13:07them for you.
13:09And the world is noisy.
13:10It's persuasive.
13:12It sells shortcuts, justifications, and distractions disguised as opportunities.
13:18We admire people who stand for something.
13:20But often, we forget that standing for something means being willing to stand alone, at least
13:26for a while.
13:28I once met a woman who received a $200,000 zero cents promotion offer.
13:33That kind of offer changes lives.
13:35It pays off mortgages, opens doors, creates a sense of security.
13:39But she said no.
13:40Not because she wasn't qualified, not because she was afraid, but because the role demanded
13:4570-hour weeks, constant travel, and missing the very moments with her children she held
13:50sacred.
13:50She told me, I didn't have kids to watch someone else raise them.
13:53It wasn't a rejection of ambition.
13:55It was the fullest expression of it.
13:57She knew who she was.
13:59She knew what mattered more than money, more than prestige, more than a line on a resume.
14:04That wasn't weakness.
14:06That was strength.
14:06Every one of us has a price if we haven't defined our principles.
14:13We all say we value honesty, but will we speak up when the truth costs us approval?
14:18We say we value health, but do we prioritize sleep and nourishment when stress mounts?
14:25We say we value integrity, but do we still choose it when it's inconvenient, when no one's
14:29watching, when the stakes are high?
14:31Your non-negotiables don't make life easier.
14:34They make it meaningful.
14:35They challenge you to show up when quitting would be simpler.
14:39They anchor you when storms hit.
14:40And storms will hit.
14:41People will misunderstand your boundaries.
14:43Some will mock your convictions.
14:45Others will try to guilt you, manipulate you, push you to bend.
14:49But here's the secret.
14:50What they're really testing isn't your limits.
14:53It's your clarity.
14:54A leader once told me that every compromise he made in his early career was a trade for
14:59short-term applause at the cost of long-term peace.
15:02He said yes when he should have said no.
15:04He tolerated toxic environments because he feared being labeled difficult.
15:08He stayed silent when he knew he should have spoken up.
15:11And eventually, he found himself climbing a ladder he didn't want, arriving at a destination
15:17he never chose.
15:18He burned out.
15:20Not because he lacked drive, but because he lacked definition.
15:24He had never sat down and asked himself, what are the values I refuse to betray no matter
15:30what?
15:31When he finally did, he rebuilt his life and business around them.
15:36Smaller team, smaller office, fewer clients, but more impact, more freedom, more fulfillment
15:41because he wasn't trying to be everything to everyone anymore.
15:44He was trying to be himself.
15:46There's power in knowing what you'll walk away from, even when walking away costs you.
15:51Maybe it's a job that doesn't respect your time.
15:54Maybe it's a relationship that belittles your dreams.
15:56Maybe it's a lifestyle that looks successful, but feels suffocating.
16:00Whatever it is, clarity gives you the courage to say, this isn't for me.
16:05Not because I'm better, but because I'm clear.
16:09We often think resilience comes from pushing through everything, but sometimes resilience
16:13comes from walking away with your values intact.
16:17That's the kind of strength that doesn't shout, but leaves echoes.
16:21It's the kind that teaches your children what self-worth looks like.
16:24It's the kind that rewrites legacies, not with grand gestures, but with consistent integrity.
16:30If you're not clear on your non-negotiables, the world will hand you its agenda.
16:34It will celebrate hustle over health, popularity over purpose, productivity over presence.
16:41And one day you'll look up and wonder how you got so far from yourself.
16:45But if you pause now, if you take the time to define what truly matters, you begin to
16:50build a life where decisions feel aligned, not forced.
16:54Where opportunities aren't just accepted, but filtered.
16:57Where success isn't measured by what you gain, but by what you refuse to lose.
17:01Ask yourself the hard questions.
17:04What do I protect at all costs?
17:08What principles do I hold, even when holding them isolates me?
17:11What would I walk away from, even if it made others uncomfortable?
17:15These are not questions for the faint of heart.
17:17They are questions for the brave.
17:19For the ones who know that success without soul is hollow.
17:22That comfort without conviction is cheap.
17:25That ease is not the same as peace.
17:28There will be moments when you'll be tested.
17:30You'll be offered something that looks too good to pass up, but it comes at the price of
17:34your peace.
17:35You'll be tempted to justify, to bend just this once.
17:38To tell yourself you'll make it right later.
17:40And in those moments when you choose alignment over applause, principle over popularity, truth over convenience, you don't just change your own life.
18:02If you give others permission to do the same, you become the example someone else points to
18:09when they say, if they can live that boldly, maybe I can too.
18:12So before 2026 arrives, define what matters so clearly that nothing can distract you from it.
18:22Write it down, live it out, guard it fiercely, because when you know what you stand for, you'll never again fear what you might fall for.
18:30You'll move with purpose, you'll lead with integrity, you'll sleep with peace, and you'll look back not with regret, but with pride.
18:38Not for what you built, but for what you refused to trade to build it.
18:42We live in a culture that glorifies grind, hustle, and productivity at all costs.
18:47We wear exhaustion like a badge of honor and dismiss rest as weakness.
18:51But in chasing success, many of us forget that the foundation of everything we build, our ideas, relationships, and dreams, is our health.
18:59Without it, all the ambition in the world crumbles like sand underfoot.
19:03We push through fatigue with caffeine, silence stress with distractions, and medicate symptoms instead of addressing root causes.
19:10And yet, we're surprised when burnout arrives, when anxiety spikes, when disease creeps in silently.
19:18Here's the truth most of us don't want to admit.
19:21Your health is the most non-negotiable asset you'll ever own.
19:25And I'm not just talking about physical health, though that's critical.
19:28I'm talking about the total ecosystem of your well-being.
19:32Mental, emotional, physical, and even spiritual.
19:35This isn't about six-pack abs or posting smoothie bowls on Instagram.
19:40This is about showing up for life with clarity, strength, and intention.
19:44It's about having the energy to play with your kids, the patience to lead with empathy, the mental sharpness to innovate, and the emotional stability to navigate hard seasons without collapsing.
19:54Yet, we treat health reactively.
19:56We wait until something breaks before we pay attention.
19:59We wait for the diagnosis, the panic attack, the burnout, the divorce, the heart scare.
20:05And only then, once our world is shaken, do we ask, what happened?
20:09What happened is that we ignored the warning signs.
20:13We lived like our bodies were indestructible, like our minds were machines.
20:17We treated health like a background character in the story of our lives, not realizing it was the stage the whole story stands on.
20:23Think of the most pivotal moments in your life.
20:26The opportunities that asked for your full presence.
20:28The challenges that demanded your resilience.
20:30The people who needed your patience and empathy.
20:32Every one of those moments required something more than intelligence or ambition.
20:36They required you to feel good.
20:38They required strength, clarity, stamina, presence.
20:43And all of that comes from your health.
20:46The challenge is most people don't even realize how bad they feel until they start feeling better.
20:50They think foggy focus is normal.
20:52They assume their irritability is just part of aging.
20:55They believe exhaustion is simply the cost of doing great things.
20:59But what if we flipped that?
21:01What if we stopped waiting for a breakdown to finally choose vitality?
21:06So, before 2026 arrives, make a radical commitment to your health.
21:11Not a New Year's resolution.
21:12Not a 30-day cleanse.
21:14A relationship.
21:15Move your body daily.
21:17Not as punishment for what you ate, but as a celebration of what your body can do.
21:21Walk, stretch, lift, dance.
21:23Just move.
21:24You don't need a gym membership or fancy gear.
21:27You need to make movement as regular as brushing your teeth.
21:31Your body isn't a machine.
21:32It's a messenger.
21:33And movement is how you say thank you for carrying you through every chapter of your life.
21:37Eat foods that love you back.
21:40That's right.
21:40Not just the ones you love.
21:42There's a difference.
21:43You might love a sugar high, but your body crashes for hours after.
21:46You might crave processed snacks, but they steal your focus and mood.
21:50Choose foods that make you feel strong, light, and steady.
21:54Not bloated, drained, and dull.
21:55This isn't about dieting.
21:58It's about fueling your body for the life you want to live.
22:03Food is information.
22:03It tells your body how to function.
22:05Make sure the message is a good one.
22:07Sleep like it's sacred, because it is.
22:10It's where your brain files memories, where your body repairs cells, where your soul resets.
22:14Stop wearing late nights like a medal.
22:16Stop sacrificing sleep in the name of productivity.
22:19You're not gaining time.
22:21You're stealing clarity from tomorrow.
22:23Protect your sleep like you protect your dreams.
22:25Because without it, your dreams stay just that.
22:28Dreams.
22:30Get the blood work done.
22:31Stop guessing.
22:32Stop googling symptoms and hoping for the best.
22:34Get the data.
22:35Know your numbers.
22:36Know your risks.
22:37Knowledge is power.
22:38And it's a power most people don't use.
22:40Preventative health isn't sexy, but it saves lives.
22:43Early detection isn't just smart.
22:45It's responsible.
22:46You get annual reviews for your job, oil changes for your car, tune-ups for your tech.
22:51Why not for the only body you'll ever live in?
22:54Hmm.
22:56Hmm.
22:56And yes, go to therapy if you need to, which let's be honest, most of us do.
23:01Life is heavy.
23:01Grief, trauma, stress, insecurity.
23:04They don't just vanish.
23:05They root themselves in the corners of our minds and leak into our relationships, decisions, and self-worth.
23:10Therapy isn't weakness.
23:11It's wisdom.
23:12It's self-leadership.
23:13Just as you wouldn't ignore a broken bone, don't ignore a breaking heart or an overburdened mind.
23:19You don't need to be in crisis to get support.
23:21You just need to value yourself enough to heal, grow, and evolve.
23:24When you prioritize your health, everything else shifts.
23:28Confidence rises.
23:30Decisions sharpen.
23:32Creativity flourishes.
23:33You start waking up with energy instead of dragging yourself into the day.
23:38You begin to trust your body instead of fighting it.
23:40You stop reacting to life and start responding.
23:44Health isn't just about living longer.
23:46It's about living better.
23:49It's about being fully present for the moments that matter most.
23:52It's about creating a life that doesn't just look good, but feels good too.
23:57And here's what's most inspiring.
23:59Health is one of the few things we have real control over.
24:03In a world that feels chaotic and uncertain, where markets shift and headlines overwhelm, your health is yours.
24:08The choices you make every day to walk instead of scroll, to hydrate instead of hustle, to pause instead of panic, they add up.
24:17They form the compound interest of vitality.
24:22You may not see the payoff today, but your future self, they'll thank you.
24:28They'll look back and say that's when everything changed.
24:30Because the future doesn't belong to those who grind the hardest.
24:34It belongs to those who have the strength to show up for it.
24:37And showing up requires stamina.
24:40It requires resilience.
24:42It requires a foundation built not on burnout, but on balance.
24:47Not on sacrifice, but on sustainability.
24:50So as you look ahead at the career you want to build, the family you want to nurture, the dreams you want to chase, ask yourself, do I have the health to hold it all?
25:00And if not, what's one small choice I can make today to begin?
25:06Your future isn't waiting for perfection, it's waiting for intention.
25:09Make the choice, honor the vessel, protect the platform.
25:12Because your story deserves to be told in full color, not through the haze of fatigue, pain, or regret.
25:17Start now, get in ridiculously good health.
25:20Not because you have to, but because you can.
25:24Forgiveness is one of those words we like in theory, but struggle with in reality.
25:28We say we believe in it, we teach it to our children, we even pray for it.
25:31But when it comes time to actually do it, to extend it, to receive it, or to give it to ourselves,
25:36it becomes one of the hardest, most courageous acts we'll ever undertake.
25:41And yet, there is nothing more freeing, more transformative, more powerful than forgiveness.
25:48Unforgiveness is a prison, but not a typical one.
25:50It's a prison with no bars, no guards, and no locked door.
25:53It's a prison where you're holding the key the entire time, and still we sit in it, day after day.
26:00We carry anger like armor, thinking it protects us.
26:03We carry guilt like punishment, thinking it makes us righteous.
26:06We rehearse past wounds like they're part of our identity.
26:09But here's the truth.
26:11Your pain may explain you, but it doesn't define you.
26:13It may have shaped you, but it doesn't own you.
26:16And when we don't forgive, we give that pain more power than it ever deserved.
26:20Once sat with a man, highly intelligent, professionally successful, admired by his peers,
26:25yet something always seemed to weigh him down.
26:27For 14 years, he had carried guilt over a decision he made in his personal life,
26:32a choice he regretted, a moment that haunted him.
26:34And in all that time, he never said the words out loud,
26:38never looked at himself in the mirror and said, I forgive you.
26:42One day, he did.
26:44Not as part of some elaborate ritual, not in a therapy room,
26:48just a quiet conversation with himself, honest, raw, real.
26:53The next morning, he walked in like a new man.
26:56Not because his past changed, but because his relationship to it did.
27:00He was lighter, not just emotionally, but in how he carried himself,
27:03how he spoke, how he looked people in the eye.
27:06You could feel it.
27:07He wasn't dragging his story anymore.
27:09He was finally writing a new one.
27:11That's the power of forgiveness.
27:14And here's the part no one tells you.
27:15It's not about them.
27:18Forgiveness isn't about validating what happened.
27:20It's not about saying it was okay or that it didn't hurt or that you weren't wronged.
27:23It's about refusing to let that moment have the final say in your story.
27:28It's about reclaiming your power.
27:30You don't forgive because they earned it.
27:32You forgive because you're tired of holding on to something that's poisoning you.
27:37Imagine carrying a suitcase filled with rocks.
27:40And everywhere you go, you drag it behind you, into your relationships, into your work, into your future.
27:45You pretend it's not heavy, but your back hurts.
27:47You try to move forward, but your pace is slow.
27:49People ask why you look so tired, and eventually you get so used to it that you forget it's there.
27:54You just assume that's how life is supposed to feel.
27:57But it's not.
27:58Life isn't meant to be carried like a burden.
28:00You were built to run, to fly, to stretch, to grow.
28:04But you can't do that if your hands are full of old pain.
28:08Forgiveness is letting go of the rocks, one by one, not all at once, not perfectly, just honestly.
28:16One memory at a time, one name at a time, one wound at a time, until your hands are finally empty, and your arms are finally free.
28:26But let's not stop there, because some of the hardest forgiveness isn't for what they did.
28:31It's for what you did or didn't do.
28:34It's the shame we hide, the opportunities we missed, the version of ourselves we still judge.
28:42And this kind of forgiveness, the internal kind, is often the most transformative.
28:46Because when we forgive ourselves, we stop running from the mirror.
28:50We start showing up fully, authentically, unapologetically.
28:55We stop performing and start living.
28:58It's easy to think, I'll forgive once they apologize.
29:01Or I'll move on when the pain goes away.
29:03But healing isn't passive.
29:05You don't wait your way into freedom.
29:07You choose it.
29:08You create it.
29:08You fight for it.
29:10Forgiveness is the fight.
29:12It's not weakness.
29:13It's not passivity.
29:14It's the strongest thing you can do to say, I am done letting this define me.
29:19I am done reliving that scene.
29:20I am done carrying someone else's mistake on my shoulders.
29:25You may not get an apology.
29:27You may never get the closure you think you need.
29:29But what if you don't need it?
29:31What if closure isn't something you receive, it's something you create?
29:36What if peace isn't found in the past, it's made in the present?
29:40We often confuse forgiveness with forgetting.
29:42But they're not the same.
29:44Forgiving doesn't erase the lesson.
29:47It doesn't mean you invite the person back into your life.
29:49It just means you no longer give them power over your peace.
29:53You no longer let the moment be your identity.
29:56You acknowledge it.
29:57You learn from it.
29:58And you choose to move forward.
30:01Stronger.
30:02Not bitter.
30:03This is what we must do before 2026.
30:06Not because the calendar demands it.
30:09But because your future does.
30:10Because the life waiting for you on the other side of forgiveness is bigger, brighter, and more meaningful than you can imagine.
30:17But you can't reach it while standing in the past.
30:20You can't evolve if you're anchored to anger.
30:23You can't be fully present if part of your heart is still stuck in a moment you never let go of.
30:28And it's not just about healing you.
30:29It's about who you become when you do.
30:31The parent who finally loves without fear.
30:33The partner who listens without judgment.
30:35The leader who leads with empathy.
30:37The creator who creates with courage.
30:40That version of you is already inside.
30:42You just need to clear the debris so it can come through.
30:47The next level of your life doesn't start with more goals or more hustle.
30:52It starts with more healing.
30:53It begins where you decide to set the weight down.
30:56And that decision, as simple and profound as it is, changes everything.
31:02Forgive.
31:03Not because it erases the past.
31:05But because it unlocks the future.
31:08Not because they deserve it.
31:11But because you do.
31:13Because freedom is found not in holding on.
31:16But in letting go.
31:18That waiting for permission.
31:19That might just be the single most liberating sentence you ever internalize.
31:24And yet it's the one we struggle with the most.
31:27Because from the time we were children, we were taught to raise our hands, wait our turn, ask for approval.
31:32Somewhere along the way, we built a belief that big moves require big endorsements.
31:37That living out loud required validation.
31:40That stepping into our full potential needed some kind of cosmic green light.
31:46But life doesn't hand out whole passes for courage.
31:49It doesn't mail you an invitation to begin.
31:51And if you spend your whole life standing in line, waiting for someone to notice your potential, to wave you forward, to whisper, you're ready.
31:59You'll never take the first step.
32:02Because the truth is, no one can give you what you already possess.
32:08Before 2026 arrives, you must realize something essential.
32:11There is no committee meeting somewhere deciding your worth.
32:14No one is going to call you and say, today's the day you're finally allowed to be bold.
32:17You are the only one who can grant yourself the permission to start.
32:22Start messy, start scared, start small.
32:24But just start.
32:26I once met a man who spent 14 years dreaming of opening a bakery.
32:3114 years collecting recipes, drawing logos, imagining his store layout.
32:36But he was waiting for more savings, for better timing, for someone to say, go for it.
32:43He came to a realization one morning while scrolling through social media.
32:47Someone had opened a bakery down the street with the exact same name he once dreamed up.
32:52Different person.
32:53Same dream, same idea.
32:55But one of them acted and one didn't.
32:57Here's the hard truth.
32:59When you wait, someone else will act.
33:01When you hesitate, someone else will leap.
33:03The people who will thrive in 2026 aren't necessarily the most talented, the most connected, or the most prepared.
33:09They're the ones moving, the ones willing to build the bridge while walking on it.
33:16The ones who stopped rehearsing and started doing.
33:20We keep thinking clarity comes before courage.
33:23But it doesn't.
33:24Clarity comes from movement.
33:27You don't find your voice before you speak.
33:29You find it by speaking.
33:31You don't become a leader by reading leadership books.
33:33You become a leader the moment you make a choice to lead without a title.
33:37You don't write the perfect first chapter and then become a writer.
33:41You become a writer the moment you type the first word.
33:43The first step isn't supposed to be flawless.
33:45It's supposed to be taken.
33:47So what are you waiting for, really?
33:49Ask yourself.
33:49Are you waiting for a degree?
33:51For someone to notice your potential?
33:53For your family's approval?
33:54For a sign from the universe?
33:56What if the only sign you need is the ache in your soul that won't go away?
34:00The quiet voice that keeps whispering.
34:04There's more.
34:04That's not just a daydream.
34:07That's direction.
34:09I once spoke with a woman who told me she had wanted to go back to school for over a decade
34:13but kept saying, it's too late.
34:15She was 42.
34:16I asked her how old she'd be in four years if she didn't go.
34:1946, she said.
34:21Exactly, I replied.
34:22You'll be 46 either way.
34:24The only question is whether you'll be 46 with a degree or still wishing you'd started.
34:29She applied the next day.
34:31There is no such thing as the perfect moment.
34:33There is only now.
34:34The stars will never fully align.
34:36The fear will never fully disappear.
34:38The voice of doubt won't go away.
34:39It'll just grow quieter the more you prove it wrong.
34:43And make no mistake, taking action will feel terrifying.
34:46It will feel clumsy, lonely, chaotic.
34:48But it will also feel alive.
34:51There is no greater high than doing the thing you once believed was out of reach.
34:56Some of the most impactful movements in history weren't started by people who were ready.
35:01They were started by people who were tired of waiting, tired of waiting for society to evolve, tired of waiting for doors to open.
35:08So they kicked the door down.
35:10They didn't wait to be qualified.
35:11They became qualified by showing up again and again and again.
35:15Passion is loud.
35:17But conviction?
35:19Conviction walks into a room and doesn't ask for applause.
35:21It gets to work.
35:23Here's something powerful to remember.
35:24Here, nobody who's doing more than you will ever judge you for trying.
35:27The ones who mock, doubt, or criticize, they're still sitting on the sidelines waiting for their moment.
35:33Don't let their hesitation become your hesitation.
35:36Your life isn't meant to be a performance you perfect in private.
35:39It's meant to be a bold experiment in becoming.
35:42So run the test.
35:44Launch the project.
35:45Make the call.
35:47Move to the city.
35:48Say I love you.
35:50Say I'm sorry.
35:51Say yes.
35:51Say no.
35:52Whatever your next chapter demands, answer it.
35:56The people who are building their own constellations are doing so because they realize something simple.
36:01The stars don't need to be in the right place.
36:03They just need to be seen from the right perspective.
36:05When you move, the entire sky shifts.
36:10What once felt impossible becomes inevitable.
36:13What once felt distant becomes close.
36:15What once felt too hard becomes habit.
36:18You don't need more time, more money, or more approval.
36:20You need belief.
36:22Belief that what you've been carrying inside you is real.
36:25That your dreams aren't delusions.
36:28They're directions.
36:29That you weren't given this vision just to fantasize about it, but to realize it.
36:34You really have everything you need.
36:36You have today.
36:37You have this breath, this heartbeat, this fire in your chest that refuses to be extinguished.
36:42That's not random.
36:44That's purpose.
36:46Pounding on the walls of your comfort zone.
36:48Begging to be let out.
36:50Before 2026, decide that you are done waiting.
36:54Not because everything is perfect, but because you are done living in pause.
36:58There is no one coming to crown you ready.
37:00No spotlight about to turn on.
37:02No permission slip that makes this all less scary.
37:05There is only now.
37:07Now is the moment you stop waiting.
37:08Now is the moment you begin.
37:10So, let's review.
37:13Audit your circle.
37:15Learn an unautomatable skill.
37:17Define your non-negotiables.
37:20Prioritize your health.
37:22Provided and forgiven move forward.
37:23And stop waiting for permission.
37:25You don't get stronger by chance.
37:27You get stronger by choice.
37:292026 is coming.
37:31The question is, who will you be when it gets here?
37:33Let's find out.
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