Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Hello and welcome to the Warrior Kings podcast. I'm your host, Michael Riggs, here to assist you on your journey to living a fully optimized, leveled up life as a man. So again, welcome. Welcome to the Warrior Kings podcast. If you're new here, my name is Michael Riggs. I'm a full time author, artist, and entrepreneur, husband and father of five, and I teach men all over the world how to level up every aspect of their life. So if that's something you're into, definitely subscribe to this podcast, subscribe to this channel, stick around. Tons of wisdom every week right here to help you level up your life as a man. And what are my credentials in doing such a thing? Well, I made all of the mistakes so that you don't have to. I turned my life around. I learned everything that I needed to learn to level up my life as a man, to be a good father, husband, leader, overall honorable man. And now I teach that to other men all over the world. When my life fell apart, I had two options. I could either rise to the occasion and level up my life, or I could self destruct and crumble like everyone expected me to. And I chose to level up my life. Last week, I forgot to mention that we reached the 50th episode. The last episode was the 50th episode of the Warrior Kingdom podcast. So we've come a long way. This thing has grown a lot. I see it grow every day. I look at those charts, those analytics, and every day those numbers go up. And I know that I'm reaching men all over the world with these messages to help them level up their lives. And it's just so awesome to have the opportunity to do that, to be the one doing that. It's kind of crazy. Like, wait, what? Thousands of guys all over the world are listening to me rant on. You know, it's kind of crazy, uh, but it's happening. And I'm super happy to be here. I'm super grateful and thankful for this opportunity to talk to you and teach you how to level up your life, how I leveled up my life. And again, thank you all for being here. I always say we're on this journey together. You know, I am that guy who's teaching, but I'm not claiming in any way that I have it all figured out. You know, I think that's what's cool about this, is that I still have a long way to go, but I'm imparting the wisdom that I have obtained over time, and I will keep doing that as I learn and grow and I hope that you guys share in that, in the comment sections and in the community and things like that. Give this wisdom to other guys, point them in the right direction, share your wisdom in the comments, encourage each other, all that kind of stuff. So, yes, we are all in this together. And today we're going to be talking about why you should embrace being misunderstood and why everybody thinking that you're a crazy weirdo might actually be a good thing. And we're going to get into discovering and accepting your true, authentic self in order to achieve all of the success that you want out of life. So let's dive right into it. One thing that holds people back from doing what they actually want to do more than anything else is the fear of what other people think. You might have an idea and have this strong drive to just put yourself out there, to step out and actually do that thing, but you think that everyone will think you're weird or cringy or they'll judge you in some sort of way. You might even be very talented in that thing. But you feel like if you were to step out and actually go for that thing, reveal it to the world, put yourself out there, that you would be judged or rejected in some sort of way. And overcoming that fear is a major, huge step towards success. And one ingredient of the secret sauce. Take any mega successful person that you can think of or name, and I guarantee you there are hundreds, if not thousands of people who didn't believe in them, including some of their own friends and family. Take any mega successful person that you know of and go to their comment section on their social media, and you will see that there are still people who don't believe in them, and they think they're strange and they hate on them for no apparent reason. You know, people say a lot of hateful stuff to these really successful people. You're gonna have haters. That's just how it is. It just comes with it. Success is unfortunately paired with haters. One of the biggest shockers of my life was when I published my first book. I expected friends and family to support me. I was like, of course I'm gonna sell a whole bunch of copies. Like, I have all these people backing me. They got my back, right? And when I launched the book, when it actually came out, it was cricket. And the content that I posted to promote the book on my social media pages wasn't liked by anyone that I actually knew. I kind of started to suspect that people were, like, mad at me for writing a book or something. And when I decided to quit my own job and pursue success and pursue my own path and really go for that author thing, because I was making enough money to do that, and I decided to work from home. I was criticized and judged like crazy. To this day, even though I work from home and I have multiple streams of income. And by the way, working from home isn't even an unusual thing anymore. I'm still talked to by the people I know and the people around me, like I'm some sort of just stay at home dad who doesn't work or do anything at all. I'm just the lazy guy. Meanwhile, I'm on my way up to levels that those people can't even imagine. And what is my point in telling you all this? One thing that you need to understand is that people aren't gonna get it. They aren't capable of getting it. And that's okay. They're in a box. And when you go outside of that box, that conventional checklist of life, it really freaks people out. They sort of glitch out a little bit. When some people ask me what I do, and I say, I'm a men's self improvement coach, author, and podcaster, I can literally see their circuitry, like, glitching out and sparking. They don't understand that it's too different. You understand what I'm saying? One of my elderly neighbors one day sparked up conversation with me, and he was going on about how expensive everything is these days. And I was relating to him. I'm like, yeah, it's crazy. Groceries are way too expensive. Gas is way too expensive. Rent is way too expensive. I don't know how people are living right now. Right? We're having this conversation, and he comes back with, yeah, it must be extra hard not working. Excuse me, good sir, but I have multiple businesses that I manage from home. I work at home. But, you see, he can't see that. That's so far outside of what is normal to him that he just imagines me just laying around on the couch all day long. He doesn't see that I get up at 04:00 a.m. and go to bed at 10:00 at night. And I'm working the entire time that I'm doing that. People aren't gonna get it if it's outside of the norm, if it's outside of convention. So when you have that fear of stepping outside of the norm and doing something different, especially when it's something you believe in, and you know that's gonna make you way more money than anybody who's inside that box? You're gonna be way better off than they ever will be. Know and know deeply that people are gonna think you're weird, bro. People are gonna think you're a little crazy. People are gonna judge you. But guess what, man? It doesn't matter. The more authentic you are in your life, the more confident you are in the thing. And the more you prove that thing's success, one, the more people will begin to get it, and two, the more it doesn't matter whether they get it or not. When people judge me or give backhanded remarks based on the sacrifices that I have made for my family's future, I just smile and nod because I know for a fact that in a few years time, I am going to be a multi, multimillionaire. Hold me to that. Come back and check. I'm declaring it right now. I am going to be a multimillionaire. I have laid a strong foundation for the kingdom that I am building. While to them, it was a dumb, silly thing that Michael was doing, just another thing Michael is trying to do in my eyes. And in reality, I was laying the foundation for my future success. And I believed in that no matter what. And I did that by one believing so much in the thing and to actually having the courage to step out and really go for these things. I decided to be my authentic self. I decided to be me unapologetically. I decided to be fearless. Some of you have heard the stuff that I say on this podcast to kick your ass into gear. Do I sound like the guy who gives a what people think about me? I've never talked about myself this much on this show ever. But I just want you to level with me here. I'm on my way up. Are you on your way up? Are you scared of what people will think? I heard this quote this morning. I was watching Myron golden, which is one of my favorite guys to watch. I don't have any connection to that guy at all, but I will tell you that I have received so much wisdom from him, it's crazy. He's one of the top guys that I watch the content that I consume. And he said, I'm gonna read it for you really quick, cuz I wrote it down. Be authentically and uniquely me and let it open the doors it opens and close the doors it closes, and then I'll only be in rooms I desire to be in, end quote. What? Think about that. Let's break it down. One. Decide to be authentically and uniquely me. Decide to be authentic. Unhindered by the thoughts and opinions and judgments of others. Two, let it open the doors it opens. Opportunity. Success. The opportunity to help others. The opportunity to live your dream life. Three, let it close the doors it closes. Don't like it? Bye. And four, then I'll only be in rooms I desire to be in. Wow. Let that sink in. Really take a minute to let that sink in. Back in the old days, let's say hundreds or even thousands of years ago, it was a really big deal. If you didn't fit in with the community, being an outcast in the village or the tribe meant death. People pleasing, bro, was probably on a whole other level back then. If you think you're a people pleasing now, bro, think about if getting along with everybody meant your survival. Everybody had different trades and talents and skills, and they all worked together to make life and survival happen. And if you pissed off the tribe, you might as well have gone and just died. And this feeling that we hold deep inside, that we have this desire to be accepted and liked by everyone, that's innate for just that reason. Because before these modern, comfortable times, getting along with everyone meant that you were going to be able to live and breathe the next day. It meant survival. And because this is an innate mechanism, it's automatic. But there is never been a time in history where it has been so easy to not give a shit what anybody thinks. Then right now, this very moment, if your friends from high school see you post a video on social media or see you promote your new business endeavor, and they judge you or hate on you, guess what? You're not gonna die. You'll be just fine. You know, a lot of people say people are not gonna believe in the thing, and they're not gonna get the thing until they see the success of the thing. When they see it pay off, then a kicker is, they won't even see the hard work that it took to get there, and they'll probably think it was easy. Either that, or they'll suddenly be your best friend after all the time not supporting you while you were on your way up. These are just hard facts, bro. I told people I published my first book, and they said, can't anybody do that? Now, a few months later, I tell them I'm selling hundreds and thousands of copies of my books, and they say, oh, my gosh, you're such a great writer. I loved your book. You're my favorite. And they can't see the countless hours of writing, editing, formatting, promoting, stressing. They still hold on to sort of that little bit of, uh. Can't anybody do that or you got lucky. That's a common one. I told people I started a podcast, and they scoffed and whispered in each other others ears and snickered. A few months later, I tell them that I have thousands of listeners and I'm actually getting paid for it now. Oh, wow, really? That's amazing. Your podcast is so good. You know, there are dumb bum people in this world that hide behind their phone and religiously dislike and hate on every video I make. Like right when it comes out, like it's their life's purpose. Guess what? I still show up for you here every week, don't I? I want you to get on that level. Go after your goals and dreams unhindered by the thoughts, opinions, and judgments of others. They do not matter, buddy. As the title of this podcast episode says, embrace being misunderstood. One of my favorite quotes is from David Goggins, and I don't follow him a lot personally. I just see clips of him and I know he says some really cool stuff. And I'm gonna read this to you. And I chopped a little bit out of it, but I didn't take anything away. The message is still here. So I'm gonna read this quote to you. It says, if you want to be great, if you want to be the baddest ever at what you do, you are going to be misunderstood by everybody. Say everybody. He goes on to say, if you go to that edge where people do not like you, don't understand, you, question everything you do, you've already arrived. That means that you are actually doing something. You know what haters is a sign of? It means that you're actually doing something. If you didn't have any haters, you're probably not doing anything extraordinary. Haters are a very good sign that you are on the right track. If you're gonna build a kingdom, if you're gonna build an empire, there are going to be people that misunderstand you. There's gonna be people that hate on you and judge you. It just comes with it. That's because the average person is weak and lazy. It's just a hard truth. Have you tried to get fit and healthy? And you go after that every day? Suddenly you're a freak. Oh, my God. How do you do that all day, every day? You're obsessed. You have a problem. How do you get up that early? How do you eat that stuff? You know what I mean? Leveling up your life is the most abnormal thing to the common everyday person. Like, they can't process it. They don't get it. You must be weird. There must be something wrong with you if you are going to level up your life and live better than everybody else. People think that me and my family are crazy for eating a natural, healthy diet. I. We get that all the time. Like, how do you eat that stuff? How do you not eat this? How do you not eat gluten? Like, I couldn't live if I didn't have gluten. Well, because me and my family decided that we wanted to have clarity of mind, clarity, clarity of purpose, clarity of everything, right? We want it to eat healthy. We want to put good stuff in our bodies so that we can live a fully optimized life. And by the way, all that stuff that looks weird to you is actually really super delicious. If you're scared to eat some vegetables, you're a f. Baby bro. I don't know what to tell you. Like, eating a natural diet is not strange. It's not weird. It's just not what you're used to. People don't get it, man. I'm telling you, if you look at any aspect of life, if you try to be better in it, people aren't going to get it. That's just how it is. And it's really sad, because once you get to this level and the next level and the next level, you just want to tell everybody, like, all you have to do to feel this good is do this, this, this, and that. And they're like, I don't want to hear it. They don't want to hear it. They're like, please just be quiet and let me keep eating my hot pockets and watching whatever. The new show is on Netflix. Door dash and fast food or whatever, they. They're not willing to receive it. And nobody is willing to receive it till they're willing to receive it, right? And maybe you made it this far in this podcast episode because you're now willing to level up your life and receive it. That means you're starting to get it. You're on the right track, and there is great freedom in living authentically, being your true, authentic, authentic self. Imagine how freeing that would be if you didn't give a crap what other people thought about you, the thoughts, opinions, and judgments of others, if it meant nothing to you. And you could just be you and be happy and be free in your life and do all the things that you want to do. And whoever says what, whatever, you know, it's extremely liberating. It's awesome. The benefits from living a fully authentic, fully optimized life are limitless. I've seen so much good in my life by just deciding to be me unapologetically. I don't even think I've scratched the surface of the benefits of that. You know, life just keeps getting, getting better and better, and it's super awesome. Viewing life through a different lens than everybody else isn't a bad thing. I mean, look at the state of the world. Look at people. Just go out into public and walk around for a little while and realize that everybody's an idiot. Like, being different from them isn't a bad thing. You know what else isn't a bad thing? Setting a good example for everybody else. Because if they see how well you're living, if they see how healthy you are, if they see you living your best, fully optimized life, that might inspire them, that might plant a seed that someday sprouts into this tree where they do the same thing, they're like, I remember that guy who was doing all of those things, and I get it now, and I'm ready to receive and I'm ready to level up my life. And I've seen it been done before because I saw him do it. There's nothing better that we could do than set an example for everyone else by living our fully optimized, super awesome lives. Be authentically, you, be misunderstood, be okay with that. You're gonna have haters if you go for anything, if you want success in anything, like I said before, you are going to have haters. And actually, that's a really good sign. It means that you're doing something. If the enemy wants to stop you in your tracks, if the enemy throws challenges at you to stop you from doing the thing that you're doing, that means that the enemy doesn't want you doing that thing. And that is a really good sign that you are on the right track, on the right path, and you might have even discovered your purpose. So that's what I got for you guys today. Thank you so much for being here. I hope that you got something out of this episode. I really do. I hope that this has inspired you to level up your life unhindered by the thoughts, opinions, and judgments of others. If this episode impacted you in any way, definitely let me know in the comments section. That's what helps me to keep doing this, hearing how I helped you guys. If you're interested in expanding further on my work, if you're interested in who I am, what I do, links down in the description of this podcast, episode or video that will point you in the right direction. Get out there and kill it. Crush your goals and your dreams. Stay on the right path. And I really, truly believe that there are great things in store for you. Man, you listening to this right now? There are great things in store for you. A future of abundance, a future of abundant blessings awaits you. All you have to do is continue to make the decision to level up your life and be better every single day. And I'll catch you guys on the next one. Thanks guys. Bye.
