December 17, 2025 • 31 mins
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Success is rarely lightning in a bottle; it’s the slow burn of reps, resilience, and choices that compound when no one is watching. We take Arnold Schwarzenegger’s six rules—trust yourself, break the rules, don’t be afraid to fail, ignore the naysayers, work your butt off, and give something back—and translate them into clear steps you can use today. Along the way, we share personal stories about starting a podcast in a second language, handling crowded platforms without losing your voice, and turning failure into the fastest teacher in the room.
We start with self-trust, the foundation that keeps you moving when doubt is loud and results are quiet. From there, we challenge inherited scripts about “safe” careers and fixed timelines, and show how to use your current stability to fund your learning zone. You’ll hear how to shorten recovery time after setbacks, transform criticism into context, and build a rhythm of work that nudges you into flow. This isn’t about hacks or magic; it’s about practical systems: consistent reps, focused energy, and honest reflection.
The final piece is contribution. Teaching while you learn clarifies your thinking, builds community, and amplifies your impact. When you share your process, you create a mirror that sharpens your skills and encourages others to start. Put the rules together and you get more than motivation—you get a roadmap for a resilient career, creative practice, or business: choose your path, protect your focus, iterate loudly, and lift others as you climb.
If this resonated, subscribe for future episodes, share it with someone who’s on the edge of starting, and tell us: which rule are you committing to this week? Your story might be the push someone else needs.
Warm regards,
Fabio Posca | Journey to Success
Join the Journey to Success Club Now!
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Collaboration: info@fabioposca.com
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Did you know that Arnold Schwarzenegger, guys,
always says that nobody isself-made.
And he reminds us that everysuccess story is built on help,
support, and of course, someonewho believed in you when you
(00:20):
didn't believe in yourself.
He says that success doesn'tcome from talent or luck, it
comes from reps, you know, fromshowing up even when it's
boring, from doing the work whenno one is watching, from
outworking the excuses, youknow.
A lot of people make so manyexcuses.
(00:42):
Excuses you you may end up everysingle day.
So Arnold always repeats thatdiscipline is the bridge between
your goals and your reality.
That vision means nothingwithout action.
That the world belongs to thepeople who refuse to quit.
He tells you guys to trust theprocess, to stay hungry, and
(01:08):
keep pushing forward even whenthe path feels heavy, you know?
Because at the end of the story,the only way to win is just to
keep going.
Hi guys, my name is Fabio fromJourney to Success and welcome.
Today we're going to talk aboutthe six rules of success shared
(01:28):
by Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Back in 2009, Arnold delivered apowerful opening speech at the
University of SouthernCalifornia.
And in that moment, he spreadout six principles that shaped
his entire journey.
From bodybuilding, you know, toHollywood and to becoming a
(01:49):
governor, of course.
And these rules were not justmotivational lines, they were
the foundation of his life.
And today we're going to breakthem down one by one, okay, and
explore how they can guide yourown path to success.
But before going forward, asalways, please subscribe.
(02:10):
Alright, so I know this is theright direction to lead you
guys, to drive you, to guide youtowards your journey to success.
And let's get started, alright?
As always.
So the six rules of success.
So what are the six rules fromArnold Schwarzenegger?
The six rules are trustyourself.
(02:33):
Number two, break the rules.
Number three, don't be afraid tofail.
Number four, ignore thenaysayers.
Number five, work your butt off.
And number six, give somethingback.
So let's break down these rulesone by one, alright?
(02:55):
Based on my experience andprobably the experience of
others, I guess.
We can discuss each one indetail.
Trust yourself.
Number one.
So, guys, when you embark on aproject or pursue an idea,
right?
It is essential to trust yourabilities.
(03:19):
So doubting yourself can preventyou from finding solutions to
the obstacles you may face.
Okay.
So avoid negative thoughts, forexample, such as it's not the
right time to do podcasting, orI miss the boat with YouTube,
there is too much competition onInstagram, and so on.
(03:41):
And especially, very, veryimportant, don't listen to those
who voice these doubts just tovalidate your fears, you know.
I remember a long time ago whena well-known YouTuber, whom I
trusted, I still trust though,but he said that there was too
much competition on YouTube andit was too late to start a
(04:04):
channel, or at least harder forbeginners, you know.
And at that moment I thought, ohmy god, he's right.
It is too late for me.
But that reaction of mine wasjust my mind seeking comfort by
reinforcing the doubt I hadalready planted there.
Okay.
So affirmations like that,affirmations like, you know, you
(04:28):
know, podcasting uh is not foryou because there is too much
competition, for example, maybring uh temporary calm to your
brain, but they do not satisfythe more profound desire in your
heart.
So trust yourself and uh pursuewhat you what you truly want,
(04:52):
guys.
I remember in my community onSoupstack, someone told me, It
is so beautiful that you startthis podcast, but there is so
much competition.
And she said to me, I want to dothe same, but I I cannot compete
with the big motivational hostswho are already out there.
(05:16):
So she was expressing doubts,guys.
She was expressing doubts aboutherself and in a way about me as
well, as if we couldn't reach acertain level of success.
So, first of all, I don't havethe luxury of not fully trusting
(05:37):
myself, otherwise, I wouldn'thave started podcasting English,
even though my mother tongue isItalian, you know.
And yes, yes, there is acompetition there, guys.
There is huge competcompetition.
It can feel challenging,alright.
But the real competition is notbetween us and others, it's
(06:00):
between our past self and ourcurrent self.
So my past self and my currentself.
So my focus is on ongoingself-improvement, alright.
While comparing ourselves toothers can be challenging, of
course, there is also plenty ofspace for each of us to grow.
(06:21):
So you don't need necessarily tofight your competitors.
Actually, you can learn fromwhat the big competitors are
doing to improve yourself.
And eventually, one day, theymight learn something valuable
from you, you know.
So you need to trust yourself,basically.
Trust yourself, trust yourselfto adopt this mindset when
(06:45):
starting a project.
So on a scale of 0 to 10, youmust trust 12.
But you might you might start totrust maybe around six or seven,
you know, it's it's perfectlynormal.
Uh yet it is essential toacknowledge that you need to put
in consistent effort, you know,to increase your self-trust.
(07:07):
So that's that's very important.
If you don't do that, you willnot achieve your success.
So to overcome your obstacles,guys, you need to trust yourself
more and more.
The bigger the obstacle, firstof all, the more self-trust you
need to overcome it.
All right, 100%.
So this was the first uh thefirst point.
(07:31):
Trust yourself.
Second point, break the rules.
I remember when my mother wishedthat I had a job in the council
because it is a safe position.
And uh she preferred that I workin an office as well, as it is
less physically demanding, orthat I had at least have a
(07:53):
permanent contract, contractbecause of the benefits it it
brings, you know, like theability to buy a house, for
example.
And I mean, there is nothingwrong with following a
conventional path, all right?
Society has taught us that bymaking certain choices, we can
uh secure a house one daybecause banks trust us if we had
(08:18):
uh if we have stable jobs orother benefits, you know, that
come with a regular career.
And I don't blame people who arecontent with this way of life.
Truly, I don't blame them.
I don't blame people who seeksimilar goals, especially for
meaningful reasons, you know,like wanting a family.
(08:38):
I will never be harsh towardsthem, of course.
However, I will be always strongabout those who have different
aspirations in life.
Always strong.
Always.
So for those of you listeningright now, there is nothing
wrong with what you're doing, ofcourse, unless you feel that
(09:02):
your true purpose in life issomething different.
And guys, honestly, I'm notsuggesting that you quit your
job today without a plan or aclear goal, alright?
Even if you know what you wantto do in life.
However, it's important to workon understanding what you truly
(09:24):
want to do in order to fulfillyour purpose.
Okay, I can't sustain myselfeither right now.
I'm working for someone else.
So, what I'm asking you toconsider is uh like I do
basically using your comfortzone at work to break free from
(09:47):
your uncertain zone related toyour purpose, you know.
In this way, you can uh enter alearning zone where you can
figure out how to achieve yourgoals.
Yes, it is not going to be easy,yes, you need to sacrifice a
lot, you need to sacrifice uhsome time, you know, to achieve
(10:12):
your learning zone out of yourjob, out of your comfort zone.
And you will need to break tonsof rules, tons of rules.
And it will take likely moretime than you think.
But I assure you it be it willbe worth it 100%.
(10:36):
So you need to challenge therules that life imposes on us,
or right, imposes on you.
While these rules are meant toguide us along certain paths,
they often lead to the sameoutcomes for everyone.
Okay, you have to remember that.
Remember that establishedsocietal rules provide the same
(10:58):
outcome for all the individuals.
So if you follow the same rulesas others, you will end up with
similar results.
Acknowledge this reality.
Okay.
Now, are you happy with yourcurrent choices?
Are you content with your 9 to 5office job?
You know, going home to watchNetflix, play video games, or
(11:20):
perhaps being a beautifulparent.
If you are happy where you are,satisfied with your progress and
grateful for your stable life,that's great.
It is great.
I'm happy for you.
Okay, I'm not ironic.
I'm so glad that followingsocietal rules is what you have
(11:43):
always wished, you know, for inyour life.
However, if you're feeling, youknow, frustrated or angry
because you desire somethingdifferent, you need to make a
change, of course.
Okay, stop blaming others andreinvent yourself.
That's what you have to do.
So break down the barrierscreated by the rules that life
(12:05):
suggests you follow and rememberthat you are never forced to
live by them.
Okay, so societal rules areguides that lead you to familiar
and similar outcomes as others.
So you may be content with that,but what if you're not?
(12:28):
Then of course you then you needto change something, all right?
By breaking rules over rules,okay?
Number three, don't be afraid tofail.
They taught us that failing isthe final answer to our
attempts, okay?
But it's not true, absolutelynot.
(12:50):
It's not true.
Failing is one of the mostimportant ways to learn, guys.
The more you fail, the more youlearn.
If you think about it, you learnquickly the moment you fail, all
right?
So basically, you need to failas many times as you can to
learn faster.
Once ago, I created thisgraphic.
(13:11):
I think I created this graphicabout a year ago, when I
realized that between eachfailure, there is a recovery
time, all right?
But I noticed that after eachrecovery, I was getting closer
to my goal for every anythingthat I was doing in my life.
So I thought to myself, okay,just a moment.
If I fail as many times asnecessary and recover as many
(13:34):
times as I need, faster andfaster, that means I will
logically reach my goal morequickly, alright?
So simple math.
And uh then everything clickedfor me, honestly.
For years I experienced manyfailures, guys, and my recovery
time was often long, like manyof you, you know.
(13:56):
But once I realized I realizedthat I couldn't avoid failure, I
began to see as an opportunityto learn faster, just by failing
more, basically.
And that's what I want you allto consider.
I'm not saying that failure isthe only way to achieve a goal,
of course.
But if you find that you are notnaturally talent or don't grasp
(14:19):
certain concepts easily orfaster in your journey, then
embracing failure can be truly akey strategy.
Trust me, guys, learning fromyour failures is an effective
way to master whatever you wantto do in your life.
Whatever you want to do.
Number four, ignore thenaysayers.
(14:43):
As we grow, we come to realizethat everyone has their own
opinions, you know?
But that doesn't mean thoseopinions must align with ours,
guys.
Each opinion is shaped byindividuals and life situations,
of course, actually byindividual experiences and life
situations.
I'm gonna make an example.
Just a couple of weeks ago, myfiancé and I were about to
(15:06):
discuss something importantregarding our future.
Not nothing, how can I saynothing uh uh hard to to deal,
but we we need we need to to totalk about something.
And at one point I said, listen,that's your opinion, mine is
different.
(15:27):
Because, guys, any opinionoriginates from our unique
experiences, all right?
So, naysayers or not, the coreis that everyone has their own
opinion based on theirexperience.
Okay, so let's start from thisconcept, first of all.
So, when you understand this, itbecomes easier to navigate
(15:48):
different aspects of your life,including interacting with
people who trust you, even whenthey have different opinions.
So it's up to you to be flexibleand decide whether to learn from
their viewpoints or not.
And especially, this isparticularly important when
dealing with those who doubtyou, people who judge you, the
(16:12):
well-known naysayers, you know,who consistently put you down.
So the core idea is thateveryone, including you and me,
makes assumptions or writeassumptions based on our
experiences.
The critical difference is thatyou have control over your
actions.
Okay?
(16:33):
Meaning no one has authorityover what you choose to do.
So it doesn't matter if we talkabout naysayers or not.
So whether someone believes inyou or not is irrelevant, you
know.
The truth is they cannot shapeyour actions based on their
expectations or experiences.
(16:57):
Listen, it is absolutelybeautiful to have someone
believe in you.
It can be a great source ofenergy to help you move forward
towards your goal, you know.
But at the same time, Iperfectly know it can be
frustrating and negative, ofcourse, when someone you care
about doesn't believe in you.
(17:19):
But at the end of the story, youare the one who makes decisions,
you know.
You are the one who has controlover your actions.
So ignore the naysayers.
Ignore them.
Consider this (17:34):
if someone who has dedicated their life to
building a career in an officeexpresses doubts about your
journey, you don't need toexpect their support, of course.
It's likely because they haveonce doubted themselves,
alright.
This is logical.
Maybe they do because theyprotect you, they want to
(17:57):
protect you, like your family,your parents, alright?
Or maybe because of the theenviness that is in this world,
it doesn't matter the reason, itdoesn't matter truly.
What matters is that they had adifferent journey from yours,
guys, adopting their ownpotential, okay.
When you approach thislogically, also you understand
(18:21):
the an important factor, thefact that you don't need to take
this personal, you know.
Alright, instead, feel genuinelygenuine uh sympathy.
Okay, thinking something like,I'm sorry, I'm sorry that your
experiences shaped yourperspective in this way.
(18:44):
I'm sorry for that.
But that doesn't mean yourviewpoint will influence my
mindset.
Remember, guys, their thoughtsare simply a reflection of their
own experiences, okay?
Number five.
Work your your butt off.
(19:04):
Work hard.
So you know you you you need towork hard if you want to achieve
your goals, all right?
The bigger the goal, the harderyou have to work.
There will be moments duringyour project when everything
falls into place, okay?
You will know what to do, youwill be familiar with the tools,
you will understand what tocommunicate and how to
(19:25):
communicate it, so everything isgonna be chiller.
You reach a point of balance,guys, balance and awareness
where everything feels moremanageable, especially if you're
truly passionate about what youare doing.
However, in the beginning, youneed to put in significant
effort.
(19:45):
Still, if you if you seek biggerachievements than you already
aimed for, you must work evenharder, you know.
So to give you a personalexample, in the beginning, it
took me two to three days oreven longer to work on one
(20:05):
episode.
And I wanted to improve butdidn't know how, so I relied on
ChatGPT for a while.
It helped me, but I couldn'thear my voice, it was everything
was so automatic, so I of courseI didn't like it, and I I
struggled to find my my voicewith uh uh you know with AI.
(20:26):
And now I do a lot of writingusing Grammarly, and I just ask
ChatGPT to help highlight keypoints at the end, you know,
something that I can also avoid,so I I wouldn't mind.
But that's it.
That's it, that's what I do.
I'm happy with this process, butit still took me days to
complete an episode, even if Ifinally knew how to do.
(20:50):
So then what happened?
Basically, just practice,practice by practice.
Today it takes me just one dayto to write my own script for an
episode, record, edit, andpublish it.
Alright, I've reached it, I'vereached a state of flow and
balance where I have uh plentyof time and freedom, and I'm
enjoying what I do.
(21:11):
And when I check for uh AI textand plagiarism on grammarly, I
love to see all around 2% orexternal resources and around
the 2% of external resources, uhexternal resources, sorry guys,
and around 8% of patterns thatcompare AI text, you know.
(21:31):
I'm very proud of it.
I'm very proud considering I'mI'm I'm a mother tongue Italian,
very proud.
But it took me some time and alot of hard work before to you
know to reach this point.
Plus, if I want to raise the barin the future, so now I'm kind
of in my comfort zone, right?
(21:52):
Finally, after years and years.
But if I want to raise the barin the future, right, maybe by
giving motivational speeches orstudying life coaching, I know
that I will have to work hardagain.
Okay.
It's an investment, let's say aninvestment cycle where you will
persist in improving yourself.
(22:13):
There will be both a relaxed andchallenging moment, but
especially at the beginning ofyour project, guys, or when you
open other projects that alignwith the primary one, like in my
case with Soupstack, you reallyneed to commit to hard work.
Okay, that's it.
There is not escape here.
Number six, give something back.
(22:35):
This is very beautiful.
Giving value is the mostimportant thing in this world.
You learn to give, you don'tlearn to keep everything a
secret or only share it with aselect group of people, okay?
What is a life that would betruly?
Also, the truth is that youthink you know enough, but you
(22:58):
often know much less than youthink.
This is also another lesson thatI learned during my years.
So the only way to truly learnis to share your knowledge with
others.
And in in this way, in one wayor another, you will learn from
them as well.
Another thing, not to beunderestimated, is that the
(23:19):
community is your mirror, right?
And through them, you willimprove your own understanding
as well.
I remember a few weeks ago I wasdoing uh a live stream and
encourage someone not to beafraid to do live streams like I
do, for example.
In my case, I often rely on ascript when podcasting, all
right?
Even now, guys, even you, evenif you cannot see.
(23:42):
However, when I do live streams,it can be a disaster.
I reveal my true self because ofmy grammatical mistakes.
And I inspire her.
I inspire her by saying, listen,if I can do that, why not you?
Alright.
So she took the courage and wentlive.
(24:02):
And during a stream, she thankedme for pushing her to take that
step.
She even described me as a verypositive person, which brought
me immense joy.
It was incredible.
It was incredible to realizethat had inspired another person
to make an important choice,guys.
(24:24):
I didn't know this power.
And this brought me someresponsibility as well, of
course.
So like I didn't even realizehow much other recognized this
positive side of me as well.
While the people around me knowme well for my positivity, it
was touching to see that mycommunity recognized this aspect
(24:46):
of my personality, you know?
And that I noticed that there isa significant reflection of
myself in my community.
And I realized that I'mresponsible for what I
communicate because I caninfluence your thoughts and
perspectives.
So just see, just giving to youhow much I understood and I
(25:12):
learned from towards myself.
The best way to learn is throughdiscussions, of course,
discussions that exploredifferent layers of awareness
and knowledge, okay?
Not influencing others.
I know that.
But I also realize that not manypeople engage in that way.
(25:36):
And uh this it shows me someresponsibility, of course, that
I have towards you guys.
Look how much you can understandby simply sharing your story,
your progress, and your success.
Look, it's amazing.
It's amazing how much you canlearn.
(25:58):
So, guys, these were the sixrules to achieve your success.
Before we wrap up today'sepisode, let's slow down a
little bit.
Let's slow down for a moment andreally highlight what we
explored.
These six rules are not justtheories, they are not
(26:19):
motivational posters, they'renot ideas meant to impress you
for a moment and then leave youmentally and then leave your
mentality, your mindset as itis.
They are principles that demandto be lived, alright.
And when Arnold shared them backin 2009, he wasn't trying to
send inspiration, not at all.
(26:39):
He was oh well, he has a goodego, maybe yes, a little bit,
but it was also showing us theexact mindset that took him from
a small Austrian village tobecoming the greatest
bodybuilder in the world toHollywood, to become uh you
know, president, to be to thegovernor's office, basically.
(27:04):
So again, first one, let's doone by one, all right, more in a
structured way.
First one, trust yourself.
This is where everything starts.
Alright, if you don't trust yourown voice, your own ideas, your
own potential, nothing elsemoves.
And I know, guys, this is noteasy.
(27:24):
We all doubt ourselvessometimes, but every time you
choose to listen to your heartinstead of your fear, you grow a
little stronger, you know.
Number two, break the rules.
And not in a rebellious teenagerway.
I mean, break the rules thatwere never meant for you.
(27:44):
You know, the rules societyhands you, the rules your family
expected, the rules your pastself accepted.
All right.
Sometimes breaking a rule meanschoosing the life you actually
want, guys.
Number three, don't be afraid tofail.
Honestly, this one becomeseasier when you realize failure
(28:05):
is not the end.
It is a tool, it is a teacher.
It is basically your personalGPS.
Say, okay, that route didn'twork, let's try another one.
You fail, you recover, youadjust, you move forward, all
right?
That's how we all grow.
Number four, ignore thenaysayers.
People will always talk.
(28:26):
Remember that, all right?
Always.
But their opinions come fromtheir experiences, not yours.
So if they doubt you, it'sbecause at some point they
doubted themselves.
So your job is not to convincethem, your job is just to keep
going.
Easy.
That's it.
Number five, work hard, guys.
(28:49):
There is not a magic shortcut,no hidden door, no secret hack.
It's reps, consistency, showingup even when it's boring or
uncomfortable.
Okay.
The beautiful part, the more youdo it, the easier it becomes.
You build your rhythm in thisway, okay?
You build your flow.
And finally, lastly, givesomething back, guys.
(29:13):
This one really bringseverything together, honestly.
Because as much as we want tosucceed in individually, right?
None of us gets there alone.
Helping others, sharing what youknow, inspiring someone, it
completes the circle, right?
It reminds you why your journeymatters.
(29:35):
So when we put all of thistogether, what do we really get
basically?
We get a roadmap, we we get amindset, a way to live.
These six rules are not aboutsomething motivational,
honestly.
They are about becoming the kindof person who keeps going, even
(29:57):
when it's heavy, even when it'sslow, even when When no one sees
the work you're doing, you know?
And honestly, that's wheresuccess is built, guys.
Now, I want to hear from you.
Which of these six rules do youfeel you need the most right
now?
Is it trusting yourself more,maybe?
(30:19):
Breaking a rule that no longerfits who you want to become?
Or maybe finally ignoring thenaysayers who, you know, have
been slowing you down.
Send me a message, share yourstory, or connect with me on
Soupstack.
I would love to know what partof this episode spoke to you the
most.
And if you enjoyed today'sepisode, guys, make sure to
(30:43):
subscribe so you never miss anupdate.
More importantly, share thisepisode with a friend who needs
encouragement.
Okay, someone who might be onthe edge of starting something
big, but keeps holding backbecause of fear, you know,
doubt, or other people'sopinion, unfortunately.
(31:05):
So yeah, share it with him orher.
Thank you so much for being hereon Journey to Success.
Remember, guys, we are buildingthis life together.
One mindset shift, one rule, onestep at a time.
I'll see you in the nextepisode.
Cheers.
Did you know that Arnold Schwarzenegger, guys,
always says that nobody isself-made.
And he reminds us that everysuccess story is built on help,
support, and of course, someonewho believed in you when you
(00:20):
didn't believe in yourself.
He says that success doesn'tcome from talent or luck, it
comes from reps, you know, fromshowing up even when it's
boring, from doing the work whenno one is watching, from
outworking the excuses, youknow.
A lot of people make so manyexcuses.
(00:42):
Excuses you you may end up everysingle day.
So Arnold always repeats thatdiscipline is the bridge between
your goals and your reality.
That vision means nothingwithout action.
That the world belongs to thepeople who refuse to quit.
He tells you guys to trust theprocess, to stay hungry, and
(01:08):
keep pushing forward even whenthe path feels heavy, you know?
Because at the end of the story,the only way to win is just to
keep going.
Hi guys, my name is Fabio fromJourney to Success and welcome.
Today we're going to talk aboutthe six rules of success shared
(01:28):
by Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Back in 2009, Arnold delivered apowerful opening speech at the
University of SouthernCalifornia.
And in that moment, he spreadout six principles that shaped
his entire journey.
From bodybuilding, you know, toHollywood and to becoming a
(01:49):
governor, of course.
And these rules were not justmotivational lines, they were
the foundation of his life.
And today we're going to breakthem down one by one, okay, and
explore how they can guide yourown path to success.
But before going forward, asalways, please subscribe.
(02:10):
Alright, so I know this is theright direction to lead you
guys, to drive you, to guide youtowards your journey to success.
And let's get started, alright?
As always.
So the six rules of success.
So what are the six rules fromArnold Schwarzenegger?
The six rules are trustyourself.
(02:33):
Number two, break the rules.
Number three, don't be afraid tofail.
Number four, ignore thenaysayers.
Number five, work your butt off.
And number six, give somethingback.
So let's break down these rulesone by one, alright?
(02:55):
Based on my experience andprobably the experience of
others, I guess.
We can discuss each one indetail.
Trust yourself.
Number one.
So, guys, when you embark on aproject or pursue an idea,
right?
It is essential to trust yourabilities.
(03:19):
So doubting yourself can preventyou from finding solutions to
the obstacles you may face.
Okay.
So avoid negative thoughts, forexample, such as it's not the
right time to do podcasting, orI miss the boat with YouTube,
there is too much competition onInstagram, and so on.
(03:41):
And especially, very, veryimportant, don't listen to those
who voice these doubts just tovalidate your fears, you know.
I remember a long time ago whena well-known YouTuber, whom I
trusted, I still trust though,but he said that there was too
much competition on YouTube andit was too late to start a
(04:04):
channel, or at least harder forbeginners, you know.
And at that moment I thought, ohmy god, he's right.
It is too late for me.
But that reaction of mine wasjust my mind seeking comfort by
reinforcing the doubt I hadalready planted there.
Okay.
So affirmations like that,affirmations like, you know, you
(04:28):
know, podcasting uh is not foryou because there is too much
competition, for example, maybring uh temporary calm to your
brain, but they do not satisfythe more profound desire in your
heart.
So trust yourself and uh pursuewhat you what you truly want,
(04:52):
guys.
I remember in my community onSoupstack, someone told me, It
is so beautiful that you startthis podcast, but there is so
much competition.
And she said to me, I want to dothe same, but I I cannot compete
with the big motivational hostswho are already out there.
(05:16):
So she was expressing doubts,guys.
She was expressing doubts aboutherself and in a way about me as
well, as if we couldn't reach acertain level of success.
So, first of all, I don't havethe luxury of not fully trusting
(05:37):
myself, otherwise, I wouldn'thave started podcasting English,
even though my mother tongue isItalian, you know.
And yes, yes, there is acompetition there, guys.
There is huge competcompetition.
It can feel challenging,alright.
But the real competition is notbetween us and others, it's
(06:00):
between our past self and ourcurrent self.
So my past self and my currentself.
So my focus is on ongoingself-improvement, alright.
While comparing ourselves toothers can be challenging, of
course, there is also plenty ofspace for each of us to grow.
(06:21):
So you don't need necessarily tofight your competitors.
Actually, you can learn fromwhat the big competitors are
doing to improve yourself.
And eventually, one day, theymight learn something valuable
from you, you know.
So you need to trust yourself,basically.
Trust yourself, trust yourselfto adopt this mindset when
(06:45):
starting a project.
So on a scale of 0 to 10, youmust trust 12.
But you might you might start totrust maybe around six or seven,
you know, it's it's perfectlynormal.
Uh yet it is essential toacknowledge that you need to put
in consistent effort, you know,to increase your self-trust.
(07:07):
So that's that's very important.
If you don't do that, you willnot achieve your success.
So to overcome your obstacles,guys, you need to trust yourself
more and more.
The bigger the obstacle, firstof all, the more self-trust you
need to overcome it.
All right, 100%.
So this was the first uh thefirst point.
(07:31):
Trust yourself.
Second point, break the rules.
I remember when my mother wishedthat I had a job in the council
because it is a safe position.
And uh she preferred that I workin an office as well, as it is
less physically demanding, orthat I had at least have a
(07:53):
permanent contract, contractbecause of the benefits it it
brings, you know, like theability to buy a house, for
example.
And I mean, there is nothingwrong with following a
conventional path, all right?
Society has taught us that bymaking certain choices, we can
uh secure a house one daybecause banks trust us if we had
(08:18):
uh if we have stable jobs orother benefits, you know, that
come with a regular career.
And I don't blame people who arecontent with this way of life.
Truly, I don't blame them.
I don't blame people who seeksimilar goals, especially for
meaningful reasons, you know,like wanting a family.
(08:38):
I will never be harsh towardsthem, of course.
However, I will be always strongabout those who have different
aspirations in life.
Always strong.
Always.
So for those of you listeningright now, there is nothing
wrong with what you're doing, ofcourse, unless you feel that
(09:02):
your true purpose in life issomething different.
And guys, honestly, I'm notsuggesting that you quit your
job today without a plan or aclear goal, alright?
Even if you know what you wantto do in life.
However, it's important to workon understanding what you truly
(09:24):
want to do in order to fulfillyour purpose.
Okay, I can't sustain myselfeither right now.
I'm working for someone else.
So, what I'm asking you toconsider is uh like I do
basically using your comfortzone at work to break free from
(09:47):
your uncertain zone related toyour purpose, you know.
In this way, you can uh enter alearning zone where you can
figure out how to achieve yourgoals.
Yes, it is not going to be easy,yes, you need to sacrifice a
lot, you need to sacrifice uhsome time, you know, to achieve
(10:12):
your learning zone out of yourjob, out of your comfort zone.
And you will need to break tonsof rules, tons of rules.
And it will take likely moretime than you think.
But I assure you it be it willbe worth it 100%.
(10:36):
So you need to challenge therules that life imposes on us,
or right, imposes on you.
While these rules are meant toguide us along certain paths,
they often lead to the sameoutcomes for everyone.
Okay, you have to remember that.
Remember that establishedsocietal rules provide the same
(10:58):
outcome for all the individuals.
So if you follow the same rulesas others, you will end up with
similar results.
Acknowledge this reality.
Okay.
Now, are you happy with yourcurrent choices?
Are you content with your 9 to 5office job?
You know, going home to watchNetflix, play video games, or
(11:20):
perhaps being a beautifulparent.
If you are happy where you are,satisfied with your progress and
grateful for your stable life,that's great.
It is great.
I'm happy for you.
Okay, I'm not ironic.
I'm so glad that followingsocietal rules is what you have
(11:43):
always wished, you know, for inyour life.
However, if you're feeling, youknow, frustrated or angry
because you desire somethingdifferent, you need to make a
change, of course.
Okay, stop blaming others andreinvent yourself.
That's what you have to do.
So break down the barrierscreated by the rules that life
(12:05):
suggests you follow and rememberthat you are never forced to
live by them.
Okay, so societal rules areguides that lead you to familiar
and similar outcomes as others.
So you may be content with that,but what if you're not?
(12:28):
Then of course you then you needto change something, all right?
By breaking rules over rules,okay?
Number three, don't be afraid tofail.
They taught us that failing isthe final answer to our
attempts, okay?
But it's not true, absolutelynot.
(12:50):
It's not true.
Failing is one of the mostimportant ways to learn, guys.
The more you fail, the more youlearn.
If you think about it, you learnquickly the moment you fail, all
right?
So basically, you need to failas many times as you can to
learn faster.
Once ago, I created thisgraphic.
(13:11):
I think I created this graphicabout a year ago, when I
realized that between eachfailure, there is a recovery
time, all right?
But I noticed that after eachrecovery, I was getting closer
to my goal for every anythingthat I was doing in my life.
So I thought to myself, okay,just a moment.
If I fail as many times asnecessary and recover as many
(13:34):
times as I need, faster andfaster, that means I will
logically reach my goal morequickly, alright?
So simple math.
And uh then everything clickedfor me, honestly.
For years I experienced manyfailures, guys, and my recovery
time was often long, like manyof you, you know.
(13:56):
But once I realized I realizedthat I couldn't avoid failure, I
began to see as an opportunityto learn faster, just by failing
more, basically.
And that's what I want you allto consider.
I'm not saying that failure isthe only way to achieve a goal,
of course.
But if you find that you are notnaturally talent or don't grasp
(14:19):
certain concepts easily orfaster in your journey, then
embracing failure can be truly akey strategy.
Trust me, guys, learning fromyour failures is an effective
way to master whatever you wantto do in your life.
Whatever you want to do.
Number four, ignore thenaysayers.
(14:43):
As we grow, we come to realizethat everyone has their own
opinions, you know?
But that doesn't mean thoseopinions must align with ours,
guys.
Each opinion is shaped byindividuals and life situations,
of course, actually byindividual experiences and life
situations.
I'm gonna make an example.
Just a couple of weeks ago, myfiancé and I were about to
(15:06):
discuss something importantregarding our future.
Not nothing, how can I saynothing uh uh hard to to deal,
but we we need we need to to totalk about something.
And at one point I said, listen,that's your opinion, mine is
different.
(15:27):
Because, guys, any opinionoriginates from our unique
experiences, all right?
So, naysayers or not, the coreis that everyone has their own
opinion based on theirexperience.
Okay, so let's start from thisconcept, first of all.
So, when you understand this, itbecomes easier to navigate
(15:48):
different aspects of your life,including interacting with
people who trust you, even whenthey have different opinions.
So it's up to you to be flexibleand decide whether to learn from
their viewpoints or not.
And especially, this isparticularly important when
dealing with those who doubtyou, people who judge you, the
(16:12):
well-known naysayers, you know,who consistently put you down.
So the core idea is thateveryone, including you and me,
makes assumptions or writeassumptions based on our
experiences.
The critical difference is thatyou have control over your
actions.
Okay?
(16:33):
Meaning no one has authorityover what you choose to do.
So it doesn't matter if we talkabout naysayers or not.
So whether someone believes inyou or not is irrelevant, you
know.
The truth is they cannot shapeyour actions based on their
expectations or experiences.
(16:57):
Listen, it is absolutelybeautiful to have someone
believe in you.
It can be a great source ofenergy to help you move forward
towards your goal, you know.
But at the same time, Iperfectly know it can be
frustrating and negative, ofcourse, when someone you care
about doesn't believe in you.
(17:19):
But at the end of the story, youare the one who makes decisions,
you know.
You are the one who has controlover your actions.
So ignore the naysayers.
Ignore them.
Consider this (17:34):
if someone who has dedicated their life to
building a career in an officeexpresses doubts about your
journey, you don't need toexpect their support, of course.
It's likely because they haveonce doubted themselves,
alright.
This is logical.
Maybe they do because theyprotect you, they want to
(17:57):
protect you, like your family,your parents, alright?
Or maybe because of the theenviness that is in this world,
it doesn't matter the reason, itdoesn't matter truly.
What matters is that they had adifferent journey from yours,
guys, adopting their ownpotential, okay.
When you approach thislogically, also you understand
(18:21):
the an important factor, thefact that you don't need to take
this personal, you know.
Alright, instead, feel genuinelygenuine uh sympathy.
Okay, thinking something like,I'm sorry, I'm sorry that your
experiences shaped yourperspective in this way.
(18:44):
I'm sorry for that.
But that doesn't mean yourviewpoint will influence my
mindset.
Remember, guys, their thoughtsare simply a reflection of their
own experiences, okay?
Number five.
Work your your butt off.
(19:04):
Work hard.
So you know you you you need towork hard if you want to achieve
your goals, all right?
The bigger the goal, the harderyou have to work.
There will be moments duringyour project when everything
falls into place, okay?
You will know what to do, youwill be familiar with the tools,
you will understand what tocommunicate and how to
(19:25):
communicate it, so everything isgonna be chiller.
You reach a point of balance,guys, balance and awareness
where everything feels moremanageable, especially if you're
truly passionate about what youare doing.
However, in the beginning, youneed to put in significant
effort.
(19:45):
Still, if you if you seek biggerachievements than you already
aimed for, you must work evenharder, you know.
So to give you a personalexample, in the beginning, it
took me two to three days oreven longer to work on one
(20:05):
episode.
And I wanted to improve butdidn't know how, so I relied on
ChatGPT for a while.
It helped me, but I couldn'thear my voice, it was everything
was so automatic, so I of courseI didn't like it, and I I
struggled to find my my voicewith uh uh you know with AI.
(20:26):
And now I do a lot of writingusing Grammarly, and I just ask
ChatGPT to help highlight keypoints at the end, you know,
something that I can also avoid,so I I wouldn't mind.
But that's it.
That's it, that's what I do.
I'm happy with this process, butit still took me days to
complete an episode, even if Ifinally knew how to do.
(20:50):
So then what happened?
Basically, just practice,practice by practice.
Today it takes me just one dayto to write my own script for an
episode, record, edit, andpublish it.
Alright, I've reached it, I'vereached a state of flow and
balance where I have uh plentyof time and freedom, and I'm
enjoying what I do.
(21:11):
And when I check for uh AI textand plagiarism on grammarly, I
love to see all around 2% orexternal resources and around
the 2% of external resources, uhexternal resources, sorry guys,
and around 8% of patterns thatcompare AI text, you know.
(21:31):
I'm very proud of it.
I'm very proud considering I'mI'm I'm a mother tongue Italian,
very proud.
But it took me some time and alot of hard work before to you
know to reach this point.
Plus, if I want to raise the barin the future, so now I'm kind
of in my comfort zone, right?
(21:52):
Finally, after years and years.
But if I want to raise the barin the future, right, maybe by
giving motivational speeches orstudying life coaching, I know
that I will have to work hardagain.
Okay.
It's an investment, let's say aninvestment cycle where you will
persist in improving yourself.
(22:13):
There will be both a relaxed andchallenging moment, but
especially at the beginning ofyour project, guys, or when you
open other projects that alignwith the primary one, like in my
case with Soupstack, you reallyneed to commit to hard work.
Okay, that's it.
There is not escape here.
Number six, give something back.
(22:35):
This is very beautiful.
Giving value is the mostimportant thing in this world.
You learn to give, you don'tlearn to keep everything a
secret or only share it with aselect group of people, okay?
What is a life that would betruly?
Also, the truth is that youthink you know enough, but you
(22:58):
often know much less than youthink.
This is also another lesson thatI learned during my years.
So the only way to truly learnis to share your knowledge with
others.
And in in this way, in one wayor another, you will learn from
them as well.
Another thing, not to beunderestimated, is that the
(23:19):
community is your mirror, right?
And through them, you willimprove your own understanding
as well.
I remember a few weeks ago I wasdoing uh a live stream and
encourage someone not to beafraid to do live streams like I
do, for example.
In my case, I often rely on ascript when podcasting, all
right?
Even now, guys, even you, evenif you cannot see.
(23:42):
However, when I do live streams,it can be a disaster.
I reveal my true self because ofmy grammatical mistakes.
And I inspire her.
I inspire her by saying, listen,if I can do that, why not you?
Alright.
So she took the courage and wentlive.
(24:02):
And during a stream, she thankedme for pushing her to take that
step.
She even described me as a verypositive person, which brought
me immense joy.
It was incredible.
It was incredible to realizethat had inspired another person
to make an important choice,guys.
(24:24):
I didn't know this power.
And this brought me someresponsibility as well, of
course.
So like I didn't even realizehow much other recognized this
positive side of me as well.
While the people around me knowme well for my positivity, it
was touching to see that mycommunity recognized this aspect
(24:46):
of my personality, you know?
And that I noticed that there isa significant reflection of
myself in my community.
And I realized that I'mresponsible for what I
communicate because I caninfluence your thoughts and
perspectives.
So just see, just giving to youhow much I understood and I
(25:12):
learned from towards myself.
The best way to learn is throughdiscussions, of course,
discussions that exploredifferent layers of awareness
and knowledge, okay?
Not influencing others.
I know that.
But I also realize that not manypeople engage in that way.
(25:36):
And uh this it shows me someresponsibility, of course, that
I have towards you guys.
Look how much you can understandby simply sharing your story,
your progress, and your success.
Look, it's amazing.
It's amazing how much you canlearn.
(25:58):
So, guys, these were the sixrules to achieve your success.
Before we wrap up today'sepisode, let's slow down a
little bit.
Let's slow down for a moment andreally highlight what we
explored.
These six rules are not justtheories, they are not
(26:19):
motivational posters, they'renot ideas meant to impress you
for a moment and then leave youmentally and then leave your
mentality, your mindset as itis.
They are principles that demandto be lived, alright.
And when Arnold shared them backin 2009, he wasn't trying to
send inspiration, not at all.
(26:39):
He was oh well, he has a goodego, maybe yes, a little bit,
but it was also showing us theexact mindset that took him from
a small Austrian village tobecoming the greatest
bodybuilder in the world toHollywood, to become uh you
know, president, to be to thegovernor's office, basically.
(27:04):
So again, first one, let's doone by one, all right, more in a
structured way.
First one, trust yourself.
This is where everything starts.
Alright, if you don't trust yourown voice, your own ideas, your
own potential, nothing elsemoves.
And I know, guys, this is noteasy.
(27:24):
We all doubt ourselvessometimes, but every time you
choose to listen to your heartinstead of your fear, you grow a
little stronger, you know.
Number two, break the rules.
And not in a rebellious teenagerway.
I mean, break the rules thatwere never meant for you.
(27:44):
You know, the rules societyhands you, the rules your family
expected, the rules your pastself accepted.
All right.
Sometimes breaking a rule meanschoosing the life you actually
want, guys.
Number three, don't be afraid tofail.
Honestly, this one becomeseasier when you realize failure
(28:05):
is not the end.
It is a tool, it is a teacher.
It is basically your personalGPS.
Say, okay, that route didn'twork, let's try another one.
You fail, you recover, youadjust, you move forward, all
right?
That's how we all grow.
Number four, ignore thenaysayers.
People will always talk.
(28:26):
Remember that, all right?
Always.
But their opinions come fromtheir experiences, not yours.
So if they doubt you, it'sbecause at some point they
doubted themselves.
So your job is not to convincethem, your job is just to keep
going.
Easy.
That's it.
Number five, work hard, guys.
(28:49):
There is not a magic shortcut,no hidden door, no secret hack.
It's reps, consistency, showingup even when it's boring or
uncomfortable.
Okay.
The beautiful part, the more youdo it, the easier it becomes.
You build your rhythm in thisway, okay?
You build your flow.
And finally, lastly, givesomething back, guys.
(29:13):
This one really bringseverything together, honestly.
Because as much as we want tosucceed in individually, right?
None of us gets there alone.
Helping others, sharing what youknow, inspiring someone, it
completes the circle, right?
It reminds you why your journeymatters.
(29:35):
So when we put all of thistogether, what do we really get
basically?
We get a roadmap, we we get amindset, a way to live.
These six rules are not aboutsomething motivational,
honestly.
They are about becoming the kindof person who keeps going, even
(29:57):
when it's heavy, even when it'sslow, even when When no one sees
the work you're doing, you know?
And honestly, that's wheresuccess is built, guys.
Now, I want to hear from you.
Which of these six rules do youfeel you need the most right
now?
Is it trusting yourself more,maybe?
(30:19):
Breaking a rule that no longerfits who you want to become?
Or maybe finally ignoring thenaysayers who, you know, have
been slowing you down.
Send me a message, share yourstory, or connect with me on
Soupstack.
I would love to know what partof this episode spoke to you the
most.
And if you enjoyed today'sepisode, guys, make sure to
(30:43):
subscribe so you never miss anupdate.
More importantly, share thisepisode with a friend who needs
encouragement.
Okay, someone who might be onthe edge of starting something
big, but keeps holding backbecause of fear, you know,
doubt, or other people'sopinion, unfortunately.
(31:05):
So yeah, share it with him orher.
Thank you so much for being hereon Journey to Success.
Remember, guys, we are buildingthis life together.
One mindset shift, one rule, onestep at a time.
I'll see you in the nextepisode.
Cheers.
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