Bigger Oceans, Bigger Waves

Opening

Life has a terrifying sense of irony.

On one hand, I suffered the ultimate sting of betrayal from the people I fed, paid, and considered family. On the other hand, here I am in a foreign land, surrounded by absolute strangers... and I have never felt so safe.

We are taught from childhood not to talk to strangers. Yet, when my world collapsed, it was the grace of strangers that helped me stand back up. They accepted me without knowing my past, without judging my scars, and without asking for a price tag.

Remember what I said about emptying your glass? I had to pour out the toxic residue of my past so I could allow new people to step into this new chapter. I came here to launch a massive vision—an innovation that will put us on the global map. But I cannot build a castle by myself. I had to start trading trust again.

A new cycle has begun. And naturally, the questions start…

Am I immune now? Do my past experiences give me some kind of superpower to detect betrayal from a distance? The honest answer is no. Wisdom does not give you immunity. As long as life continues, the potential for heartache continues with it.

But things are different now.

I am no longer racing against time; I am racing against myself. I came into this new world knowing that bigger oceans present bigger waves. The wisdom of my past doesn't stop the storms from coming—it just taught me how to sail through them. As long as I am standing on the truth of who I am, no number of waves can trample me.

To go further, I have to look the people standing next to me straight in the eye and say, "I entrust my life to you." Because people can break your heart... but people can also heal it. I choose to lean toward positivity. I choose to trust.

But as I embark on this next phase, I have had to…

The old Neil—the one who needed to be the ultimate savior for everyone, the one who tried to control the outcome of every human interaction—had to step aside. I had to accept my own limitations. I realized that my intention to build an empire of innovation must completely supersede my desire to enlarge my own ego.

You cannot build a castle that is entirely full of yourself.

This brings me to a completely new paradigm. Success is not amassing wealth.

Success is not sitting alone on top of a corporate ladder. True success only takes place when you transcend your own ego, work with the people around you, and beautifully orchestrate an outcome that is bigger than any single person. Success is co-owned.

I look around at what I am building now, and I have to…

Is this it? Am I finally successful? And the most terrifying question... Am I actually totally healed? We will answer that... tomorrow.