Episode 3: Bite, Or Stop Barking

Welcome. Our exploration is now in session. Before we take this journey together, we first need to prepare our bodies and minds for what's to come. Seek out an environment that's free of distraction and then find in a comfortable position to sit. Place your hands together or rest them gently on your knees. Close your eyes. Take a deep breath in through your nose and out through your mouth. Place all your attention on your breathing. Feel your lungs fill with the oxygen and then release that air back into the world again. Focus on the flow. Inhale. Exhale.

What lies at the end of every journey? The goal. The desire. The cheese. But there are many things that stand in our way before we reach that goal. A shrouded valley of doubt, procrastination, excuses. What do you need to build a bridge, cross the valley, and attain what you seek? But everything you need already exists in your own universe. You just have to activate it. Before you take a step, you need a plan of what needs to be built, and envision that plan. My plan was to bring the Wu-Tang Clan to the top. I told my brothers, "get on the bus. I'm taking us to be the number one hip hop group in the world." I gave them my word. And they took that leap of faith with me, because I had their trust. They understood I had a vision and look where it lead us.

So now I ask you, what do you seek? What does your success look like? Give your mind a clear set destination. Visualize it. Then say it aloud. Your verbal commitment is your plan. Your planning and your preparation are the groundwork, but to push across the bridge, you need support. A wise man surrounds himself with other wise men. And this is where you'll call upon those people. I know who mine are. Even you know who some of mines are. But who are your people? Who do you rely on? Who keeps you in check? Who sees your total strength and challenge you to grow? Who demands that you fulfill your potential? Identify those individuals. Three people. See their faces. Say their names out loud. Again. Each one is now your ally on this journey. When this exploration ends, I want you to tell those people your plan. What do you want to accomplish? Tell them in person, or by e-mail, or even with a text. But don't be flimsy about it. Do it. Give them your word and stand by it. Those people are your accountability. They're your outside pressure. They will produce that diamond in your life. They are the momentum to help you set your foot on the other side of the valley. Now say your goal to yourself one more time. And then, just after you say it, open your eyes. Spread that goal to your sidekicks and set forth on your path.