"Do not allow the circumstance to dictate your future; you are the creator of your future."

 

In this episode, I spoke with the incredible Deven Rodriguez. He is an inspiring life coach, army officer, author, and host of The One Life Podcast. He is so passionate about helping others understand more about themselves to progress and reach their goals in life. He will be sharing his inspiring life journey and the valuable life lessons he gathered from it. 

 

Let's dive right into this episode and learn more about perseverance, creating your future, and the law of attraction.

 

[00:01 – 04:00] Opening Segment

• I introduce our guest, Deven Rodriguez.
• I talk about how we met.
• Deven shares his background and childhood story.
• • He was born and raised in NYC.
  • Left by his biological father
• Deven shares about his stepfather, who later became his coach and mentor.

 

[04:01 – 15:27] Not Letting your Circumstances to Define your Results 

• Deven shares his experience when he moved to Broad Channel in New York.
• • He faced a relentless cycle of racism and bullying.
• Deven shares the lesson he got from his story.
• He learned that he had the ability to determine his future by himself.
• • Do not allow the circumstance to dictate your future; you are the creator of your future.
• He learned a little bit about perseverance by staying the course. 
• Deven shares his highschool experience.
• • Met a woman who funded him to go to a private school.
• Deven shares about the second pivotal moment in his life with his stepfather.
• • If anybody can reach their success, so do you.
• Go against your barrier, and get a breakthrough. 
• • Once you are willing to get out of your mental prison, you can do anything you want and create your desired future.
• Deven shares the story of his grandmother's death and the lesson he got from it.
• • Time is finite, but the legacy that you leave can be infinite and live on forever.
  • Turning your pain into empowerment 
• The way we attached to our past is how we define ourselves in the present.
• Deven shares the story of his college experience.
• • He shares his college achievements, although he fell off his freshman year and had to take 21 credit hours.
• Take the courage to step into the possibility instead of limiting yourself from creating what you desire.
• Deven shares how he got into the military.

 

[15:28 – 32:20] Owning Your Story

• Deven shares about  the three layers of his story
• Examine your own personal narratives to be a better person
• • The story about who you are
• The story that you are telling the outside world about who you are.
• • The hyperreal 
  • Examine what you are posting on your social media and notice how we describe ourselves 
• The story that we tell ourselves about who we are
• • The internal dialog that we have in our heads.
  • Who we think we are in the present state.
• The story that we want to tell ourselves about who we are
• • All the goals and desires that we have.
• Take each part of the story, and you'll come to a massive realization that most of the time, people are living in direct contradiction with all parts of their story.
• It's only one were able to use all three parts of the story synergistically that we can actually become the person that we want to become in the future.
• Deven talks about closing the gap between the stories.
• • When you try to reframe things, everything changes.
• Being flexible and open-minded enough to understand that you might be living your life inauthentically without you realize it.
• We have to go against the grain of how we're designed as human beings if we want to progress.
• Evaluating your own narratives
• • Be mentally flexible and open-minded.
  • Willing to accept feedback and be self-aware.

 

[32:21 – 38:22] Creating the Picture of Who We Want to Become

• Deven talks about how to create the picture of the person we want to be 
• Begin with the end in mind
• • Close your eyes and imagine that you have died
  • Reflect and think of how people would say about you, the legacy you left, etc.
• You will get clear on what is actually important.
• Only when you can align yourself with that long-term legacy vision that you can start to formulate the picture of the person you want to become.
• Deven shares his personal mission statement.
• • He talks about the importance of having a personal mission statement.
• Happiness is transient; it comes, and it goes, but fulfillment is something that never dies.

[38:23 – 50:15] The Law of Attraction

• We can only know what we want once we know who we want to become
• Picture in your mind what would happen when you achieve your goal
• •  Tap into the understanding of how that would make you feel.
  • Internalize the emotions and the impact so you can start acting as it is already happening
• You can't control everything that happens, but you can control your response to everything that happens around you.
• •  Your response will dictate your action, and your action will dictate your results.
• Every level that you're trying to progress up to requires a different you.
• Deven talks about the momentum aspect.
• Deven talks about Earl Nightingale.
• • Watch a video on youtube called the strangest secret for one week every day.
• Be in the constant pursuit of what you want.
• • When you go after what you want with intensity, things will come to you along the way when the time is right.

 

[50:16 – 56:20] Closing Segment

• Knowing what you know now, what is one piece of advice for starting?
• • Focus on the important things, always have principles, virtues, and values as your guidance.
  • Don't be occupied with the urgency of the day to the day list, but align yourself with what is important to you.
  • Start doing things that are important to you, and life will become better.
  • You will go through it or grow through it.
• Connect with Deven online. 
• • See the links below.

 

[56:21– 01:10:09]  Off The Clock and Review of the Week

• Today's topic will be a book titled Can't Hurt Me by David Goggins.
• • Throughout the audiobook, the narrator would interview David and discuss the chapter.
  • Audiobook mixed with the podcast.
  • David Goggins is a beast, and he reminds me of Deven.
  • This book is a great motivational book with a strong underline message that is so relatable.
• I thank Streamlined Podcasts, the team behind the scene that makes this podcast possible.
• • Handling all of the post-production for your podcasts
  • Allows me to stay focus on being creative and making the best content possible
  • Get 10% off for your first month on Streamlined Podcast with code: CNSLOAN
• QnA session:
• • Do you have a morning routine?
  • • .Yes, I wake up at 07:45, have the same tea every day, plan my day on my productivity planner, do journaling, take 5-10 minutes to stretch and deep breathing.
    • After I get ready, I look at the mirror and say my affirmations.
• Final words from me

 

Tweetable Quotes:

"Do not allow the circumstance to dictate your future; you are the creator of your future." – Deven Rodriguez.

"Only when you can align yourself with that long-term legacy vision that you can actually start to formulate the picture of the person that you want to become."– Deven Rodriguez.

"Start doing things that are important to you, and life will become better."- Deven Rodriguez.

 

Resources Mentioned:

• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
• Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
• Can't Hurt Me by David Goggins

 

You can connect with Deven on Instagram, and you can check out his podcast, The One Life Podcast.

 

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