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Ep. 0001 | The Lion & The Gazelle: What’s Making You Run?
43 Plays7 days ago
Every morning, the lion wakes up. Every morning, the gazelle wakes up. Both are running—but for different reasons. The real question is… what’s making YOU run? Survival? Growth? Fear? Purpose? Let’s talk about it.
Release Date: Thursday, February 13, 2025
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Visit LaidOffLemonade.com by 12/28 to secure your signed copy of my book.
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Transcript
Introduction to Strategic Movement
00:00:07
Speaker
This is the greatness router where we connect purpose to process one conversation at a time.
00:00:25
Speaker
Welcome to the first episode of The Greatness Router, where we don't just talk about greatness. We locate it, challenge it, and push it to go further. I'm your host, Zena C., and here's what you need to know. This isn't about motivation. Motivation fades.
00:00:50
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strategy Strategy lasts.
00:00:53
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If you've come here looking for instructions, you're in the wrong place. I don't dictate moves. I spark questions. I lay out options. I hold up a mirror so you can see yourself more clearly. So while you're here, expect to think differently, expect to feel challenged and If you're really ready for it, expect to move differently. Because your greatness, that's not up for debate. But your movement, that's your decision.
Lessons from the Lion and Gazelle
00:01:42
Speaker
And with that, this episode is dedicated to the lion and the gazelle. Let's get into it. Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up knowing that if it doesn't run faster than the fastest lion, it's done.
00:02:15
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And every morning a lion wakes up knowing that if it doesn't run faster than the slowest gazelle, it starves. Now, listen closely. It doesn't matter if you're the lion or the gazelle because when the sun comes up, you better
00:02:51
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be moving.
Survival vs. Growth Mindset
00:02:58
Speaker
So here's my question. What's making you run? Are you running towards something? Or just running because you're scared of what happens if you stop? See, I come from a long line of trailblazers, strategists, and game changers. And if there's one thing I know, the people who move with intention, the ones who who actually choose their pace, they're the ones who change everything.
00:03:44
Speaker
Let's break this down from three different angles. The first one. their survival mindset, the one that's running to avoid destruction. Some of us wake up just trying to outrun failure. I get it. We're not chasing a dream. We're chasing avoidance. When you're in survival mode, you don't get to choose the destination. You just move and hope you stay ahead. But
00:04:20
Speaker
If you're always reacting, when do you really start creating?
00:04:31
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Number two, the growth mindset. This is the one running for evolution. Now keep in mind, I'm giving you three different concepts, but there are several you can pull pull from this.
00:04:46
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but these are three that I wanted to give you to then not want to think about. Number two, some of us, we run to get better, to test our limits, to see just how far we can go. This is the mindset of masters, learners, the ones who ask, hmm,
00:05:17
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What else is possible? When you start to run for growth, you don't just outrun the threats. You outrun who you used to be.
Strategic Mindset and Reevaluating the Race
00:05:36
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And then let's talk about the third angle, the strategic mindset, the one that questions the game itself.
00:05:49
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So our third option, some of us don't run faster. We just stop. We look around and we ask, why am I even in this race?
00:06:09
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Some people redefine the game. They just choose a different field. They make new rules.
00:06:19
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Because maybe the win wasn't ever about speed. Maybe it was about direction.
00:06:33
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See, I've lived all three of these mindsets.
Recognizing Blind Spots in Life
00:06:38
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You know, the survival mindset, the growth mindset, the strategic mindset. I've i've lived all three.
00:06:49
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I've run out of fear. I've run to grow. And I've stopped to reevaluate the whole game. I just want to back up for a little bit. I've run out of fear. Like literally, I've run out of fear, but that's a whole other conversation for another day. let's keep but Let's keep going. Let's keep going. Let's keep going. So I'll ask you again, what is making you run?
00:07:18
Speaker
so I chose this story because it is near and dear and personal to me. When, when I was a kid, this parable or the story was printed on every wall of my room. We're talking North, South, East, West, every direction I turned, there it was.
00:07:48
Speaker
Back then, I just thought it was a poem, something cool, something catchy, but I know better now. It wasn't a poem. It was a blueprint, and it still is. Now, I just told you this story was a blueprint. It's a guide, it's a reference, but I'm gonna get personal for a minute, but let me let me take you back, back in time. Because for a long time, I didn't even realize I needed a blueprint, like at all.
00:08:31
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See, when I was a kid, let's say up until about five years old, I didn't know I had a vision problem. To me,
00:08:42
Speaker
the way I saw the world was just how the world looked. It wasn't blurry to me, it wasn't off to me, it just was.
00:08:56
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But then, school vision tests, as they as they test, did what I couldn't do for myself, I suppose, and they exposed the gap, a blind spot, if you will.
00:09:11
Speaker
I had no idea it existed. And before I knew it, I was sitting in a specialist's office getting fitted for an eye patch. Yes. You heard me right. Five years old wearing an eye patch. People thought I had like poked my eye out because I was in school one day and then the next day I came back and I had this big old band-aid looking thing on top of my eye. It was, it was a mess. ah But life, life. So let's keep going.
00:09:43
Speaker
Now, I wasn't in pain, everyone thought I was, but I wasn't in pain and I wasn't struggling, but suddenly I did have to train myself to see differently. And we're talking again, this is at five years old. I had to force my quote unquote weaker eye to start pulling its weight. I had to work at something I didn't even know was broken. Can you imagine how frustrating it is? Of course you can, because you're listening to the greatness router.
00:10:14
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I had to work at something I didn't even know was broken.
00:10:22
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And I think about it a lot now because so many people are running through life just like I was and just like like this story tells you. they They don't even realize they have a blind spot. They don't question how they're moving or why.
00:10:43
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They just assume this is how things are. Because, I mean, it's all they've ever known. It may be all you've ever known. But I ask you this, what happens when you stop and realize you've been seeing the world through a limited lens? What happens when you realize the way you've been running might not be the way you actually need to.
00:11:20
Speaker
So now I'll leave you with this, because I've thrown a lot at you today.
Intentional Movement and 'Laid Off Lemonade'
00:11:26
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What's making you run? Are you moving with intention? Or are you just moving because you're afraid to stop?
00:11:40
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If this episode stirred something in you, good. That's the point.
00:11:49
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But don't just sit with it. Think. Move. Adjust. Challenge yourself. And if you need a framework for turning setbacks into setups, I wrote a book about it. It's called Laid Off Lemonade.
00:12:11
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And trust me, it's more than just a book. It's a blueprint or a guide. You can find it on Amazon. Just search laid off lemonade. And if you're serious about flipping your losses into legacy, it's definitely worth the read.
00:12:35
Speaker
Today's episode was dedicated to the lion and the gazelle. I implore you to read it and reread it and really contemplate and think about how those words and how that story can broaden or shift your perspective.
00:12:56
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Until next time, keep moving, but make sure it's towards something that matters. Peace, love, light. It's me, Xena C, and I hope you have a beautiful, beautiful day.
00:13:15
Speaker
And that's a wrap on this episode of The Greatness Router. If you found some value in today's conversation, be sure to subscribe, rate, and definitely share. It helps more people connect to the journey of greatness. Until next time, keep moving with purpose.