As a kid, our annual family vacation was to Disney.
And back then, we didn’t have flight money.
When a kid is over 2 years old,
you have to pay for a seat.
So my parents had to pay for 5 tickets.
Across an international border.
Which was A LOT.
So, we drove 25 hours.
And with all the planning,
with such a long journey,
with the park tickets,
the fun snacks,
I only remember ONE thing from those trips.
I have NO recollection of:
Mickey.
The food.
The castle.
The shows.
The fireworks
The ONLY thing I remember:
It’s a Small World.
Those little kids tracking you in the boat.
All from different corners of the world.
All somehow know the same language.
Singing that song that gets tattooed on your brain.
I had nightmares for MONTHS.
If you were to ask me when I was a kid:
"What did you like about Disney?"
I would have responded by saying:
“It’s a small world should be burned to the ground.”
Why?
Because I only remembered the bad.
And looking back,
It made me think:
How often do we do that with ourselves?
How often do we ONLY remember the bad?
We focus on the losses, rejections, failures that we’ve had in the past and blow right over all the wins, accolades and milestones.
It’s so easy to remember everything wrong with us,
and so easy to forget all the great stuff.
We have it so backward.
The reason why most don’t feel confident consistently is because their reference isn’t calibrated correctly.
They see themselves based on the negatives,
Instead of reaffirming their self-image with the positives.
So regardless the kind of start you’ve had to 2026,
I am here to remind you of a few simple things:
1. You are doing WAY BETTER than you give yourself credit for.
You don’t need to strive for perfect, you can strive for better. Let go of the L’s and keep on moving forward.
2. Outcomes DO NOT determine who you are.
Just because you failed, it doesn’t make you a failure. Detach who you are from the outcomes you’re given and tie your confidence to how you show up, not what happens after you do.
3. What’s WRONG is always there, so is what’s RIGHT.
Negativity will always be a choice. And TBH, it’s the easier option. We need to fight back and chose to give energy to the GOOD. Your mindset is in your control. Remember that.
4. Don’t IGNORE Gratitude.
Isn’t it so easy to ignore the blessings we have in our lives? The food we can eat, the planes we can travel on, the friends in our lives. Don’t take things for granted. If you do, you’ll consistently feel a whole lot worse.
As a final reminder:
Every day we wake up, we are given the opportunity of a lifetime.
To decide who we want to be in the world.
Don’t waste it.
Make the most of this moment.
So we can build a truly meaningful life.
For y’all reading this far: Love you guys ❤️ Thank you so much for supporting.
Your friend,
Juan Bendana
Keynote Speaker | Author of Confidence By Choice
0 comments