Excuses or Possibility: The Rooms That Shape Your Life
Are You Surrounded by Excuses or Possibility?
We’ve all heard it:
You are the sum of the five people you spend most of your time with.
The tide rises all boats. It sounds like coach talk… until life proves it right.
That happened to me this Thanksgiving.
I walked into Training Mate — the only gym I’ve ever truly enjoyed — and said: “Hi, I’m Noel. Where do I start today?”
She checked the list. Then again.
No Noel. Oops… I managed to mess up the app once again.
Classic.
Then she said: “The class is sold out, but wait five minutes. Someone usually doesn’t show.”
Thanksgiving morning.
At 9am. SOLD OUT.
I warmed up in a borrowed station, hoping someone might skip class because of a pie hangover. But right at the five-minute mark — the only person who could’ve missed… showed up.
No excuses. Not a single one.
I’ve been coming to this gym for six months and loving it — even though I’m consistently the oldest person in the room by at least 15 years. For a long time, Sol invited me and I always said no. I was intimidated. Too much energy. Too much youth.
Now?
It doesn’t shrink me — it energizes me.
That’s when the real lesson landed: When you surround yourself with people who pursue their dreams and live with high standards, your life becomes vibrant, exhilarating, and full.
This year, I’ve seen it everywhere:
With my family — all pursuing their dreams and still showing up for dinner.
Inside The Edge Mastermind — where clarity is normal and excuses don’t survive.
With my team — who bring visions to life with devotion (and color palettes).
With every person I’ve shared a stage with — builders, not talkers.
My life didn’t shift because I tried harder. It shifted because I found better rooms.
So — who’s in your front row?
Are they honoring their potential?
Shaping their next chapter?
Acting on today instead of talking about someday?
Environment is energy.
Energy becomes destiny.
A gentle invitation
As we step into the final stretch of the year:
Choose rooms that stretch you.
Choose people who ignite you.
Choose places where excuses can’t breathe.
Because when you do, dreams stop feeling far away…
and start feeling possible.
And if you walk into a room that feels too big for you — maybe you just found the right one.
With gratitude — and a glute workout I still remember,
Noel
P.S. I ended up exercising in a corner — the only one without a station in the gym — borrowing weights and tools from my fellow classmates.
