Keys to Transform your Life | with Cody Rininger

Michael: What is up, Cody? Welcome to the show, my friend. How are you today?

Cody: I'm good, man. How are you doing?

Michael: Man, amazing. I'm super excited to connect with you again. When I think about the journey that some of us have in the path to figuring out who we are, so much of it is really what's in between our ears and the mindset that we bring into the journey is ultimately going to be the thing that differentiates success and failure in our life. And I know that so many of the struggles that we have really begin with us. Yeah. And so to lead off here, because I think it's important, tell for those who are listening today, tell them why you think it's important that they stay tuned and hear today's show and our conversation about ultimately becoming what you're capable of being.

Cody: I would answer that in a very basic way is if you don't accept and feel through those struggles, then you won't become what you can become meaning. Those things don't define you, but they will build you into something that you didn't think that you could become because you're overcoming some things that you never wanted in the first place. Everybody has things that they go through and when they go through those things, they don't have, they sometimes you have two different individuals. I feel that you have the one that wants to share everything with everyone all the time. And then you have those that. Keep that to themselves and they don't have anyone and for them to be able to accept what has been happening. That is the most difficult is that acceptance in over in order, sorry, to overcome that.

Michael: Acceptance is one of those words that I talk about all the time. Where I constantly think to myself that word in itself, when I applied meaning to it was the word that set me free in this journey. When I go look back at my life and man, honestly at 25, 26 years old, it was a complete disaster. And there's even been times in my thirties where I've paused and I'm like, man, life is not ideal right now. What do I need to do? It always began with acceptance. If I look at this, I go, I'm acknowledging, I'm looking at this what does acceptance mean? Like, how do you bring that into your life? How does someone apply this concept of acceptance to the world that they live in?

Cody: based on how I had to move forward with the word acceptance, it is, I would tell acceptance to fuck off. I don't want to accept. What's happening? I don't want to accept what this is. And you can use acceptance in anything. I don't accept that price. I don't accept that kind of service. They can, it can go in all different levels. But with me, it was, this is not going on. This cannot be happening. This is not how it's supposed to go or I don't accept that I'm being dictated and told on how this shit happened or when and when I don't get to see my kids or how much I have to sacrifice when it doesn't seem like anything else is. So my journey and I believe this probably rings true to a lot of people whether they want to admit that they're accepting things or not. I think that's the thing is that, my parents who I'm very close with would say that you have to accept certain things. I was like, shit, I don't need to do any of that because if I do, then I feel like this is just the way it's going to go. And that is my path and I get to determine my but I have learned to, as, as weird as this may sound build a relationship with acceptance and say, okay I need to accept these certain things of myself in order to grow and move forward. Now, there are things that I won't accept because. I do feel that I am strong enough to move forward. And I think of someone or something trying to hold me back from that. So there's a difference in my mind and my relationship with acceptance is a little bit in that way where I did need to learn to. And still doing it to this day this morning. Now, as I'm talking about it, ‘cause I don't talk about this, I don't talk about this with my family. I don't talk about this clearly with my clients, but trying to teach them and help them with their mindset on accepting things is hard when I can't even do it myself and I. Understand. And again, it just sounds different when it comes out of my mouth, having that relationship and accepting the things. That need to be accepted and knowing who I am as a person versus what those around me are trying to make me feel.

Michael: Yeah and I think that's this idea that we ultimately each control our destiny. Cause I look at acceptance from this capacity of sitting down, acknowledging and being like, this is the reality. Yeah. And I think I hear what you're saying here. I don't think acceptance is for, and I'll speak for myself. I don't look at acceptance as there is no other alternative. I just look at it as, this is what's happening in this moment. And in That's where I create and framework a game plan to create change. Like I'll give you a great example, and you'll understand this as a coach and someone who helps people really transform their bodies. I at 25 was 350 pounds. I had to accept that I was fucking fat, right? That was a real moment. Like I was like, Oh my God, dude, I'm eating fast food three times a day. Literally. I have high blood pressure at 25 years old. My sexual performance is almost non existent. I can't walk up a flight of stairs without getting winded. I've got to a size 47 pants and four XL shirt. And I, and in that moment, that, that level of acceptance for me in that space was simply going, dude, this is life for you. Unless you do something different. And I think what I hear you saying, and you correct me if I'm wrong, but it's not that you're accepting and not doing anything is that you're looking at reality and you're saying, okay how do I change this? Would that be a fair assumption of the way that you were phrasing that.

Cody: Yeah. Yes it is. And it is that's the battle that I'm having with acceptance. You put it in a very good way in a much shorter amount of time than I did, but like accepting that this is where I am now. I just I was so pissed. I am still at moments that I just refused to allow my head to, to move forward with. This is the reality of the situation. And I didn't for a very long time. And now that I'm able to at least accept that it's helped me deal with. Inner, demons and dark thoughts and to be able to move forward and to make those changes because, people come into your life that, that matter, and they're not the same as the people that you used to be with or around. And you hold onto those things. And it. Is not fair to those, these new people, I guess is what I'm trying to say. So that's where I have had to, and this is not, sitting in a room by yourself, literally like in your house alone, dark, and having to really mentally battle that and say, what? Am I doing now? If I were to go on the clear opposite direction, when I became a personal trainer and nutritionist and wanted to do the things that I'm doing now, I was laying in bed saying, is this really what my life is like? I'm sitting in a cubicle right now. I used to be a teacher. That's what I love doing. And then I wanted to advance. And now I'm here. I'm stuck. And I accepted that. And I did something about it. Now I'm sitting in a room where I'm laying in bed and I'm like, is this really what my life's like? And I get pissed. So I think there's a lot of different levels that you, me, your listeners have when it comes to what do I really want to accept? And when does it really need to change? Because if I may use you as an example, you said what? 325.

Michael: 350.

Cody: 350. Sorry. 350. But let's say when you were 325, you didn't have that thought because then you got to 350. So there's something that triggers you to make that relationship with acceptance at some point and congratulations because dude, I know that your viewers can't see it right now, but you look great, man. So, congratulations on that transformation. But, for me, when it came to that level of acceptance, I couldn't accept where I was career wise. And then when it comes to like personal life and what's going on with me emotionally, that you don't really share with the world, at least I'm not. It was like not. Something I wanted to accept this cannot be happening. This is not what it was supposed to be like, this is bullshit. This is not fair. And you can keep going on with that. Or then you finally, which I had to do, create that again, relationship and move forward or at least start trying, which is one of the, this is a very cool opportunity to be on the show and just talk about that, because it's not like I've been transformed. It's not that I'm perfect or better. I've gone through things. You've gone through things. We're going to go through things, as you said perfectly earlier. If life hits you, you don't know what's going to happen. And it does not care because it's

Michael: Yeah. I teach my clients this life is going to life. No matter what we do, the next thing is coming. And I often as difficult it is, and I'll give you a great example of this. When I'm starting this weight loss journey, almost 15 years ago. Now, the thing that I took into consideration was, all right, this is going to cost a lot. It's going to cost a lot of my time, my effort, my energy, my money. But I also thought to myself, what is this going to cost me if I don't do it? And I remember very vividly, Cody, I had this vision where I was like, looking at my future. Now I don't have children, but I was looking at my future and I was like, Oh, somebody else is going to walk my daughter down the aisle because I'm going to die when I'm 35 because I'm morbidly obese. And it was like, and then it was also looking at life and coming to the realization of this health journey isn't only about the physical health. There's the emotional aspect that the mental aspect of it in which you continue to grow. And I constantly pull myself back for a moment and I just try to evaluate and look at it and ask, like, why is this happening for me? And one of the things that's so powerful about that, which is what I'm always trying to teach people, is it gives you the ability to take control because life, dude, I think this is just true. Life sucks a lot, but also life is amazing a lot. And whichever direction we focus on that's going to be the reality of the outcome of the scenario, right? If I'm sitting here looking at my past, fuck, you're trapped there forever, right? And that's, this is the place where people get trapped from looking at my future, that's a direction moving forward. And, one of the things that. That I think is so fascinating. You're laying in bed, you're having these thoughts. People have these thoughts on a daily basis. Like I'm a teacher. I want to change my life. I want to, I don't want to be in a cubicle. I want to go and help people in this space. And what I find so interesting. Is people will take 10 years to make a decision that takes 10 seconds. And so I'm really curious, why did you decide, like with all the things in one's life, especially career, people get stuck, they get trapped, they continue to stay in that space. Why do the thing that you were thinking about? Why decide, okay, this is what I'm thinking about. This is what I'm going to do. I'm going to go for it. Why? Ultimately the question I'm asking for, why go for it? Why try to create the life that you want to have instead of just staying in a life that you hate?

Cody: I was very happy. It's a great question. Thank you for asking it. And I've never actually really talked about this out loud to anyone. But I needed to come in a very close friend, best friend person told me that I just needed to be me and be raw. So, I just needed to. Talk about it and say, I was extremely happy as an educator. I was, I feel I was very good at it. My students loved me. I did well within the district and I was then divorced and an opportunity came up to become a large position with a. Japanese company and I took it and that made me leave the classroom and I left the classroom and it was, things happen in your life and it gets you to where you are now. So I don't regret that because then I wouldn't have what I have now because it wouldn't force me. Like we fast forward. After five years of working this position, basically they dissolved the position in my territory. And I'd never been faced with that and grew up on a farm, always had a job. There was a teacher never got displaced, which I was very fortunate of. Became a math director. Then I move on to this position, worked there five years, life was good. I took that position, but I took that position. This is what I've never said. I took that position because not cause I want to leave the classroom, not because I want to leave education because I want it to look bigger. I wanted to, I don't know. I let's call it, let's call it what it is. I want to show off like that. This is my position now. Fuck you. This is what I've got and I loved it and I was good at it. And then, again life didn't like it. So I had no choice. I have a family, I have children. I had to get a. A job and I had to get a job in that forced me to be in a cubicle. I never one time ever in my entire life, I would watch movies and say, that is never going to be me. Like Space or something. Like I'm sitting there and I'm sitting there, man. I was miserable every day. I was, it wasn't as bad as crying on the way to work, but damn, it was close. And I'm sitting there and I'm like, I can't do this. So that, that, I don't know what night it was. It doesn't matter. Laid there and said, this is really what you've become. Like you are like seriously depressed with what you are so much more than this. It wasn't a bad company. It was a great company. It just wasn't me. And I was doing nothing outside of emailing and making phone calls. I wasn't traveling anymore. I wasn't making a difference in anybody's life. It felt like I was collecting a paycheck and that pissed me off. It's not what I'm supposed to do. Yes, we all want to get paid, but why are you doing it? What's behind it? Nothing was behind it. So I made the decision and it did not take 10 years. It did take about 10 seconds. Like you said, it was, I love teaching. I love helping people. I get a lot of questions about lifting and all of this. So I went back to school. I got my certifications. I did it. I think I, they gave me 12 to 14 months and I did it in three. It was like, this is I'm doing this. So I held out the job longer because I hadn't built a base. And then I finally left the job. I left my job, which was the scariest thing ever. And I became a head trainer and fast forward again. Then I left my gym to create my own business. And I did that because I knew that there was more to me and that I always taught my students that and one of the things that I always taught my students was because there was a fight at school one day between my two fifth grade boys and one was trying to hurt the other one with a homemade Pen shank. I don't know what you want to call it, but it happened and it just came out of my mouth that you need to he I dare you, Mr. R to do this as, or some shit. Like he said to me and I said, I dare you to be great. And then from there it just came, it just started. And my company is built around that. I was teaching to that, that my students were better than what they thought they could be. And then I hadn't done it myself, like that's not cool. So I decided, take my own advice. I'm doing all these things and, I had my twins and you want the best for your kids and you raise them to be everything that they can be. And I'm very involved with my kids life and, it just, it had to happen. And, when I talk about being pissed off and wanting to be something that I probably wasn't and leaving the teaching position, it was because I didn't get full time custody of my kids or not full time, I should say, I didn't get to see him a lot. I went from seeing him every morning and every night and raising them to probably four days a month. And that is for me as a father and everybody has different views of things. But for me as a father, I was unacceptable. There was no, that's where my relationship with acceptance piss off. I didn't need to accept anything. It wasn't going to happen. And my relationship, not only acceptance, but higher powers, family, people went totally rogue, dark, no good. You couldn't tell me anything. I was going to do this. I'll put on a smiley face for you at work, but that's about it. Knew that things had to change and I had to find a better avenue for myself. And the only thing that helped me through that time was the gym. Even though I wasn't doing jack shit in it, it was just there to keep me. And I wanted to have that for what I do now with my clients. Cause I, when I train for what they need and yeah, I understand you want to go to a Caribbean cruise or on, to Mexico or, I get that, the clients that I have now with my business. It goes much deeper than that. We're still going to hit those aesthetics and, the personal and the physical, but it really is about the mind and emotional. Cause if we have that in check, I'm learning, cause I'm going through the process too, and I tell them that I want to be vulnerable with my clients. Cause it's no good for me to lie to them and act like this has been a perfect life because it's definitely not.

Michael: Yeah. I'm curious. And I'm the same. My, my clients know when we are in our Monday sessions or one-on-one sessions or Thursday sessions or whatever day of the week it is I'm just learning like they are. I'm just on this path and I sure as hell, I'm not perfect, but man, I wrote this down because it's so true. I dare you to be great. What an amazing way to look at life because people are trapped in fear of mediocrity. They're trapped in this idea of who they're supposed to be. They, especially in America, which is the predominant listenership of this show, this idea that you have to be this certain way and live this certain life is why most people go to the grave with regret. They're so terrified. Somebody listening right now is I want to listen. I want to start a podcast. I've been thinking about it for five years. Somebody right now is I need to go and quit the job and open up the personal training business. Somebody right now is thinking, man, I need to do whatever that thing is that I need to do. It drives them. It's what they think about at night. It's what keeps them awake at night. I've been in that position myself, right? I've been an entrepreneur for 14 years. I know what it's like to be like, all right, we're going all in. What does it mean to dare to be great? Because I want to give people something that they can really seat in their brain today about what it means to be great. And if you can have that moment with a fifth grade little boy, who's, I'm sure his life changed because of that is we've got all these adults listening right now, many of whom are scared, many of whom are afraid of this idea of being who they are. Many of whom are like I'm not good enough. And one of the things that I love that you just said, which I resonate with so deeply. I'm figuring it out, too. You're figuring it out, even though we're figuring it out, doesn't mean we're stopping from chasing greatness. So what does it mean to dare to be great?

Cody: I'm going to answer that question. And the best way to start that out is six months ago. I'm working in the gym and this will age me somewhat, but that individual, one of those boys that we're fighting. Came up to me and hugged me and said, thank you, Mr. R and he walked away.

Michael: amazing, dude.

Cody: And like when you go from a 10 year old, 11 year old young man to a 21, 25 year old, I recognized him, but it stopped me dead in my tracks because you don't expect to just see that walking through the gym, like an old student. And didn't call me. Cody said, Mr. R hugged me. And so what does it mean? It means that kid wasn't given two shits of a chance. I will never forget that year because he it's the year of this all came. And he was on medication. There's nothing against school systems, nothing against education. Everybody's different. In my experience. It was a lot of, they need to be on this because they're not focused in class. I don't give a fuck. He needs to be who he is. And where the problem really lied was his mom knows complete difference in her kid. Now I have kids. And at that time I just had my own kids. So that completely changed my teaching style. And I'm like, I had to fight. I had to go to IEP meetings up the ass to make sure that this kid could get supported without being on medication. Yeah. Or that we were able to move forward with the mom's request. I didn't have a problem with it. I'm like, I don't understand. This is where that acceptance thing comes in where it's, there's differentiation. Like I don't accept. You get to tell me, I'm the teacher, and the mom, who's the one who's got to deal with it. There's two people in this young man's life that have to deal with him. All day long. 24 hours, your ass ain't doing it from your office. I'm dealing with it for 8 hours a day. Hell, I'm sometimes probably spending more time with him than his mom is, because she's a hard worker. And, which all the parents, that's just the way it is during the school year. And then he goes home, and he's like this zombie, why? So he can like, focus on a math problem for me? He's gonna have to deal with, I'm going to have to, I don't know what I had to do. And I remember that, having to fight so much, but, He had to take that on, and he, she had to dare, he had to dare. That happened that year. But then I started thinking to myself, like why accept what the situation is at the time? Why accept that I'm in a cubicle? Why accept that you're 350 pounds? Why accept that he has to be on Adderall? Why do you have to accept that? I don't know. There's a number of things people are asking right now, is they're listening to it in their truck car on the way to work, whatever. And wondering how, why are they having to accept this? You don't need to, you need to take charge of it. And sometimes that has gotten me in trouble because I like to be, so I can get overly aggressive about that because of things that have come up in my life is just I don't know why you don't think that you can do something about that. Why not ask this? I think you have to be a jerk about it. Just. So to dare to be great, my students were then taught you've, I'll use a small example. I've been told I've never been good at writing. Okay. You're in fifth grade or sixth grade. We could change that. Let's work on it. Never been told that I was good at volleyball. My daughter struggled I have two daughters, but one of them had really struggled with not being told by her parents, not by myself or her mom, but just, wasn't maybe the best case. Why should you accept that? I was told by my high school football coach, I would never move on. I played college football and I played for semi pro football team. So fuck you type situation. I think that's where you come in and I don't disrespect it to that.

Michael: I get it.

Cody: That's how it came across. But Hey man, like you, if you don't. If you don't dare in using this term, then you won't know it's, we've heard the saying, if you don't take the jump, you're never going to move from your spot. I don't know if that's exactly how it goes, but I think you get my meaning. It's so that's what I needed to teach my students. And what my students needed to know is to grow into what they could be as great individuals. I loved teaching. And I taught the curriculum, I wrote curriculum, and then I had to direct curriculum, so I respect that from the educational standpoint. But I did not become a teacher for that reason. I became a teacher because they needed to know that they were so much more than they thought they were.

Michael: I love that.

Cody: Yeah, they didn't have, it's just, it was, now I'm getting into the teaching thing so I'll drop it after this, but I would work with students in a much larger city than I grew up, about a hundred times larger than the town that I grew up in. And it's different dynamics, man, whole, very much different. And they not all of them had what I got to go home to. I had a mom and a dad that loved me, supported me, wanted to hear me. I had dinner. I caught students stealing other people's lunch because they weren't even given anything to eat during the day or that night, like it was totally different. So I had to change my way. Of handling things because that was new experience for me and I wasn't going to accept that for them Why should they accept that and they can be something and there are people out there that believe in them Now, the young man that I was speaking to, his mom was extremely supportive, very much cared about him, but you don't have that all the time. And that's just where the, like the groundwork laid in is you may not have that at home. My clients don't always have a great support system. They want to lose weight. And what's their family doing around them? Ordering Casey's pizza let's go eat some wings. Do you want another beer? And while they, I want them to live life and I want to teach them and have that healthy relationship with food at the same time is that they don't have a support system and I have other clients that have a great support system, help their spouses or significant others or family or whoever start working out with them or going with them on basis or not with me, it's a totally different dynamic. So point is never accept. This is why I have that relationship that we talked about at the beginning. You never accept. Because you can always change that. And if you don't take a chance, quote, dare to be great. If you don't take that chance, you'll never know.

Michael: Do you handle First, I love that, and I wrote this down that they need to know that they are more than what they think they are. Dude, that's that's so unbelievably powerful because I'm Cody. I'm that kid. I'm the kid who stole food to survive. Mom and dad, drug addicts, alcoholics came to school smelling like urine, wearing the same clothes three days in a row. I'm that kid. So I know what that is but there's something so interesting to me about this idea that if you are willing to be great to go for it, It doesn't matter what you come from. It doesn't matter what your background is like. It doesn't matter what the world expects of you, bro. I'm supposed to be dead or in jail. Half my family's in prison. My, my uncle, my cousin my niece, on, I never met my father. Half of his family's in prison. My three childhood best friends are dead. Like I know. That kid's journey. And so first off, I'm just giving you a beautiful bit of acknowledgement to have that moment with that kid coming up to you in the gym. That's because of the quality of the human being you are, which reiterates why I wanted to have you on the show. So first, that's beautiful. Secondly, man, fear traps people. I wrote this down. I wrote fear is why people don't move. How do you face this fear? Cause you know, facing the fear of being the teacher you want to be the man you want to be the coach you want to be the human you want to be to also help other people find that in themselves. What is your relationship with fear and what do you do about it when it comes up?

Cody: I will go with again. I know it sounds like I'm being this dead horse, but they, I won't accept things and I won't accept I think people, let me put it this way. Maybe this is a better way to put it. I think people want to conform and do what everything says. Around them and what society says around them. If you would have conformed, you and I would not be talking today. I feel based on what you just told me and what you told your listeners, that if you would have accepted what things were like around you and you would have done that and not changed or thought that this was just what life was supposed to be like, then that's what would be happening to you. I don't feel that they're, this is how I should train. Like I read this stuff all the time. I get questioned on it a lot. And I dabbed into it earlier and I said, the way I think has gotten me in trouble, definitely. When I say trouble, I just mean it's caused controversy, but like that because. I'm not scared because it doesn't fucking matter what I, what happened to me. It didn't matter what kind of person I tried changing myself into, what I tried doing for fighting for a marriage, what I tried doing to impress someone else. Or to change what someone else was saying about me. They're going to do whatever the hell they want to do. They're going to think whatever the hell they want to think. So I'm going to give them a show. I'm going to give them a show because this is the right thing. My, I, this is what my parents taught me. And I would love to just give it straight to my dad or straight to my mom, but it's to both of them. It is, if you know it's good and this is what you feel and this is what drives you, then it's good. Like you've got to believe that because the only thing you have is what is it for real? So your listeners right now that are like driving to their job or they're coming home from their job and they're like, this fucking sucks. No, yes, I have bad days at work too. There are days where I just not wanting to do that. And then I'm thinking if I don't, that person that needed me needs me. So if you're in that position and you need to do something else for yourself, then don't be scared to do it because why not? Like, why ask yourself that question? Why not do that? I don't understand why it matters. I guess so worked up when people want to think about what someone else will say my life. The last 12 years, right? The last 12 years and someone saying something else about me, I am judged immediately based on looks or if I'm deep in thought, like maybe I think during the time that I'm sitting in a chair in a meeting. It doesn't mean that I hate the world. It doesn't mean I'm an asshole. It just means I'm thinking. You don't know anything about me, so don't judge me. The point is that you're so concerned about what other people say that you're holding yourself back because you're trying to impress someone else? I don't, I never understood that concept and I don't want to conform to that, so I don't, I'm not scared of it anymore, which if I were to lighten this mood up just a little bit my kids very well know, and I'll be sitting there and we'll be having dinner or something happens and something doesn't go that is not an okay situation. And I'll just, I'll say with a smile on my face, my kids, that's. That's probably not how that should go. Maybe I should say something and my God no. Don't make a, don't make it a big deal. Cause they're my twins are 17, by the way. So of course everything is a big deal. So it just is my point that I'm trying to teach them that it shouldn't matter what the people around you are thinking. It's not like I'm going to stand up and start throwing plates and silverware and throwing chairs and yelling and swearing. It just is stand up for what you believe in. And that's what I teach them. Stand up to me. For what you believe in, but let's do things in a respectful manner. That's what I tell my kids. So I follow the same thing, but I will not sit there and accept or show my children that you should accept what is being told to you by your parents. A coach I won't do this. And their mom's, they don't do this either. I'm just saying don't accept what someone's telling you, your listeners, you, me, our family, friends, loved ones. We shouldn't accept that. And if you want something, you need to take it. I used to say, reach for it. Go for it. Like, why not just. Take it. Go take it. Like I said, it worked out because fear is, it can be a good thing because it keeps you on your toes. It keeps you like it pushes me like if I'm scared that something's going to happen financially. Obviously you want to push harder with your business. But fear in my life and fear not to take an opportunity and believe in myself, I will not do that because I will not have that. If I fail I won't because I don't accept that. But I don't want my kids to see that. And right now that's my job. My job is to make sure that my kids grow into strong, Individuals that are able to move forward and change other people's lives and however, in whatever direction they want to do that. But also my clients to come in, they're coming in and they need a hell of a lot more than just, wanting to look good on a beach. They come in now because they know to be in period, my company, myself, we are going to make sure that they are facing. At some point in their training, they're going to have to face what wasn't working, what they need to work on, or some very deep, dark background of theirs depends and not be scared to have some faith in themselves at some point that they're going to be able to do something that they've never been.

Michael: Yeah. And that's the place where people get trapped because they haven't done it before. They don't think they're worthy. They don't think they're capable. They don't think they're deserving. They think people will judge them. They think people are looking at them. They care so much about other people's opinions that they forever stay trapped. And it's that is the thing that leads to a life unlived. People carry, this is just real. I get messages all the time from people are like, who do you think you are to coach people and talk about trauma? Cause you didn't go to college. And I'm like, bro, I lived it. I lived it. And millions of people listen to this show every year. And it's who are, who am I not to? I flipped the script. How dare I not, right? It's funny. I posted this two years ago. It's been a while, but I think about it a lot because it's this interesting fuel. This person messaged me and they were like, how dare you talk about this? You're not a doctor. You didn't go to college. You're no position to have these conversations. And Cody, and I swear this is 100 percent true. I go, did Jesus go to college? And the thing about this journey is nobody's going to do it for you guys. Like you and I the amazing people have been on this show over the years, the amazing people I'm sure you're in connection with, we're not going to come knock on your door and beg you to change your life. It's just not going to happen. And the confidence that one needs to create. The life that they want to have. It literally is as cliche as it sounds. One step at a time, make the first decision. And 99 percent of the time, the first decision is the hardest decision. And that requires an identity shift that, that requires you deciding to be you. That decides you looking at life, sitting all of the chaos about who it is that you believe you are to the side and saying, I'm going to go for this. I'm going to stand up for what I believe in. I'm going to face this fear. I'm going to dare to be great. And man, I see that in you and your journey. And it's just been phenomenal to have you here today. Before I ask you my last question, please tell everybody where they can find you, work with you and learn more about what you do.

Cody: Yeah. Thank you. My website is 2bimperium.com. 2bimperium.com Facebook, same thing 2B Imperium and Instagram is @Rininger50. And lastly, email is Rininger@2bimperium.com. So everything is ‘dot com’. Everything's on the up and up. Everything's pretty easy.

Michael: Amazing. And of course guys go to think unbroken podcast. com. Look up Cody's episode for all of those links and more in the show notes. My last question for you, my friend, What does it mean to you to be unbroken?

Cody: I don't have the choice to be broken. I feel it a lot. When you come home to nothing, you feel like you have nothing. And that's not the case. And I go to my job every day that I love. With amazing individuals that have gone through a lot in their own way. Everybody has their own. And I just like when I was teaching, it was, I don't have a choice to be down. I don't have a choice to be sad. I don't have a choice to absorb this. And I really think when I look back at everything, that's why I struggle as much as I do, cause I've never been able to work on me. Cause I've been working on everybody else and that's a problem. I do admit that there's my acceptance speech for you. But but as a dad, there's I lost that right 17 years ago, man, when I had my twins and I have four children, beautiful children. And, but I don't, to be, to break is accepting that you have, to me, this is my opinion, to break is accepting that you have failed or someone else is going to beat you. I fucking swore that no one will do that no matter how, and they have tried my man, they, especially the last 18 months. It feels like everyone wants to have that happen and it just isn't going to, it's not going to, you can keep trying to be unbroken. That's why I told you in an email, like I, I've done podcasts, but this one was because of. Because of the people that you've had, the clientele that you've had and the name of your show, of course, it was that's, that was that fear thing coming back up and to be unbroken is to be able to look at yourself and say, I can do this and I have to, because there is no other choice and for those people listening. I don't know what you have to find because I'm telling you that there have been plenty of excuses that I've made in my head, and I hate excuses, but I've made plenty of them to go down the darkest paths that you can go down and not be around, and that would be breaking. So you have to find something that keeps you going. And it can be anything. I don't care what it is, but you're better than that. And you have a choice. And today may have been a shitty day. Tomorrow's the beginning of a new day. You can waste it or leave it and use it for good. Because. When tomorrow comes, what you have had is gone. So it's gone. Move forward. Got this. Don't break. You might be, you might feel broken. You have people like Michael out there that get all these people on his show and are able to help you. You have family, you have friends, you have a loved one out there. And I didn't think I had anybody, man. And then everything that I've gone through, everything that I've gone through has created probably the greatest thing that will ever happen to me outside of my kids. And if I want to have that, then I wouldn't be, I wouldn't have that. And if I were to break, I would lose that and I would not show my kids on how to move forward. So what does it mean to be unbroken? It means there's. You can't, I don't know how else to say it. Don't be unbroken, man.

Michael: Love it, man. Yeah.

Cody: Unbroken. Don't be broken. I apologize.

Michael: You're spot on. That is the way that I look at the world. And you have to, I interviewed Tom Bilyeu three years, three years ago? Tom's been my mentor for very long times, singularly one of the men in the world that has believed in me enough that I was like, I can do this because sometimes you need that. You need that other person to have your back. And one of the things that Tom talks about is having the arrogance of belief, which means that no matter what. No matter what you're in front of, no matter what the world throws at you, you believe that you can do it and that you can do it and that you have to do it. And that is how you create change. My friend, thank you so much for being here. Unbroken nation. Thank you guys so much for listening. Please go to think I'm broken podcast. com. Check out this episode, check out the show notes. You can learn more and connect with Cody, leave a review and share this with someone in your life, if you believe that it will help transform them.

And Until Next Time,

My Friends, Be Unbroken.

I'll See You.