First say to yourself …

Posted on 2026-04-152026-04-14 by wil becker

“First say to yourself what you would be, then do what you have to do.” Epictetus

Good morning everyone is Iron Wil and I’m back with this weeks quote. Which is “First say to yourself what you would be, then do what you have to do” Epictetus. And to me what this quote is saying is that first decide for yourself who and what you want to be … your personality, your character, um … your career. Those different factors that are gonna make up your life and then once you’ve made that decision of who and what you want to be … then go and do the work and it is work! It is work to create the person that you want to become.

You know it’s [been] said that when … um … Michelangelo was sculpting David, um … he said that all he did was chip away everything that wasn’t David, in that sculpture. And in a similar way, inside each of us is an amazing and beautiful individual. The question is do you want to create that person or do you just wanna … kind of follow along life and just kind of whatever happens. Um … and so we get the opportunity to choose who we want to become or allow life to choose who we become. The difference is your intent, my intent on who I want to change into … how I want to grow. Do I wanna become the best version of myself or do I wanna become a mediocre version of myself? What or Who do you wanna be?

One of my favorite Native American, legends or stories or things … is that you have two wolves inside of you, you have a good wolf and a bad wolf; or a light side and a dark side … and the question is asked of the young, which one will win? And the answer is … the one you feed. So if you’re willing to put good content, and if you’re willing to put in good information; if you’re willing to put in the work to become a better person …than that is who will win. That is who will come out of you is that better version of yourself, that better person excuse me that better person.

And honestly in my experience with people and with learning of myself I have found that doing that work does bring out a better person. A better version of yourself, not perfect, please remember not perfect. Um … but better and sometimes other people will see that version of you and sometimes because of when you connect or communicate or when you associate, they won’t always see that version of you. It just depends.

We should be willing to grow and change and pay the price if we want to have a better life.

And to be a better person. And one of the things that we need to give ourselves is grace for the mistakes we’re gonna make; and grace for the time or patience for the time it’s gonna take to grow and develop into that person. One of my favorite … um … I think it is a Chinese proverbs “The Journey of a 1000 miles begins with one step. And life is a journey … life is a journey and your destination, as Christian, is the next life. So, your graduation day will come at some point and you’ll be called home to meet your GOD. And what person, what version of yourself do you wanna be showing up there? what version?

So with that my friends, I hope that you like this video, if you do please share it. Go out and make a great day and make it a great week. Iron Wil out.

reading changes your brain and challenges your presumptions, pick up a book and install new software!

check out my recommended reading list at https://turningleafs.com/book-list/

You will never …

Posted on 2026-03-112026-03-11 by wil becker

”You will never rise above the image you have of yourself.” John Addison

Hello everyone. welcome back this weeks quote is “You’ll never rise above the image you have of yourself” John Addison. And I loved that this happens to follow last week’s quote by my friend Lundyn Conover, “Every next level of your life will demand a different you”. And so my question for you … is, what are you leveling up to be?

Who is that person in your envisioning in your future. When I was 16, 17 years old I thought I was gonna be a millionaire by the time I was 35. I was gonna have some money!! And then life happened, all sorts of things; and I lost that image of myself. I lost that belief that I could do that. And so it didn’t go the way I planned, it didn’t go the way I thought it was going to go; however, I’ve learned a ton of things and I have created a new vision for my future and what it’s gonna look like! And who I’m gonna be when that time comes!!

and so … Who are you going to be? Who are you going to become? What things are you gonna have in your life? And it could be material things … it could be friendships. It can be the kind of life that you strongly desire to have and you cast that vision and then you work towards it! You figure out the next thing you gotta do, and you work towards it. One of things I learn about Kobe Bryant after he passed, is that he would get to the office at like 5 o’clock in the morning, and he would envision his business growth he would envision his success and he created in his mind … this future for him and his family for his businesses.

So what are you going to? What are you going to make of your life? What is it that you want? What is that you desire to do, because you’ll never rise above that image of yourself. And if you are in a certain profession, I hope you don’t say that you’re “X” or “Y” or “Zebra” … I’m a father, I’m a husband. I’m a son, right. I’m also a man, but I am also … subtitles podcaster, coach, speaker, okay … writer, there’s these other things. My job is in logistics and asset management, but that’s my job.

What am I? First and foremost, I am centered in my life as a son of God, as a Christian and that’s … that’s the core of who I am. The husband, father, son of my parents, brother to my siblings; that’s all secondary to that identity as a son of God. And all the things I’ve done are just that … the things I’ve done. Their parts of the person I am creating to make my future reality; so that my friends. I hope you guys make it a great week and I hope you will drop a comment below for what you want to become. And two, if you get value from this video, please like a share it.

With that, iron wil out.

reading changes your brain and challenges your presumptions, pick up a book and install new software!

check out my recommended reading list at https://turningleafs.com/book-list/