Start Where You Are: The Truth About Not Feeling Ready

Arthur Ashe once said,
“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”
It’s a simple quote but it exposes one of the biggest lies we tell ourselves:
that we need to feel ready before we begin.

The truth? If you wait until you’re ready, you will wait forever. And someone hungrier, braver, or simply more willing to move while imperfect will take the opportunity you were too hesitant to step into.

I’m learning this in real time.

The Imposter Voice We All Face

Stepping into public speaking and motivational influence has pushed me into territory where I absolutely don’t feel comfortable. There are days I feel like an imposter — like I don’t have the polish, the presence, or the professional crew others have.

I don’t have unlimited time. I don’t have a studio. I don’t have a social media team or a massive budget.

What I do have is my story, my purpose, and a willingness to show up anyway.

The imposter voice still whispers:

• “Who do you think you are?”

• “You’re not experienced enough.”

• “You’re not ready.”

But I’ve learned something powerful:
Feeling like an imposter doesn’t mean you’re unqualified; it means you’re growing.

You’re stepping into a version of yourself you haven’t been before. That discomfort is proof that you’re expanding.

Perfection Isn’t the Goal — Movement Is

I’m choosing to move anyway. To post videos even when my delivery isn’t polished. To speak even when I feel like my message isn’t seen or heard. To share even when my story feels raw.

Because what resonates with people isn’t perfection… it’s authenticity.

Every time I show up imperfectly, someone reaches out and says:
“I needed that.”
“I feel that too.”
“You helped me today.”

I realized my rough edges don’t disqualify me; they make me relatable.
They remind people that they don’t need to be perfect to begin either.

Your story, shared imperfectly, can be someone else’s turning point.

Small Steps Build Bold Confidence

In my last blog, I talked about moving mountains one stone at a time; this journey is no different.

Each blog post, imperfect Reel, small moment of courage, each rep, each mile, each moment of choosing to show up… They all become small stones that build something powerful: MOMENTUM.

And momentum builds identity.

I’m not becoming a speaker because I’m fearless. I’m becoming a speaker because I’m willing to take one small step at a time. Even with fear in my pocket.

This is the heart of Maselli Mindset and The Overcomer’s Journey:
Real transformation is born out of consistent, imperfect action.

Your Opportunity Won’t Wait

Maybe you have a dream or goal and you’re waiting for the right moment.
The perfect time. More money. More confidence. More clarity.

But here’s the truth no one tells you:

Life won’t pause for your readiness.
Opportunities won’t wait.
Your future won’t form itself.

You must take the first step as you are scared, uncertain, unpolished, but willing.

Just like I’m doing… Just like every Overcomer must do.

Start Where You Are

Arthur Ashe’s words aren’t poetic filler. They’re a blueprint:

• Start where you are — even if it’s messy.

• Use what you have — even if it feels small.

• Do what you can — even if it doesn’t look impressive yet.

This is how you reclaim your fire.
This is how you build confidence.
This is how you create a life that reflects your potential, not your fears.

And if you feel like your spark went out, if you feel behind, if you feel like you missed your chance… You didn’t. Your moment is still waiting.

Your job is to take the first step.

Just start.

Small Steps, Big Mountains: How Tiny Wins Create Massive Transformation

There’s a proverb that says:
“The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.”

It’s poetic. But it’s also deeply practical: a mindset shift that has the power to transform your health, your goals, your relationships, your career, and your entire identity.

Most people don’t fail because they’re incapable.
They fail because the mountain in front of them feels too big.

The goal is overwhelming.
The task is intimidating.
The journey feels impossible.

So instead of starting, they freeze, procrastinate, or talk themselves out of the thing they were born to do.

But here’s the truth:

Mountains don’t move through force.
They move through consistency.
One small stone at a time.

The Problem Isn’t the Mountain — It’s the Way We Look at It

When you’re facing a massive goal like losing 50 pounds, writing a book, running a marathon, restoring your health, fixing your mindset, the brain reacts with fear before it reacts with logic.

It says:

• “This is too big.”

• “This will take forever.”

• “I don’t know where to start.”

• “Why even try if I might fail?”

It’s not that you can’t do it, it’s that the sheer size of the mountain blocks your ability to see the first step. Big goals feel heavy, but small steps feel doable.

And the moment you shift your focus from the mountain to the stone in front of you, everything changes.

My Mountain Started with One Step

When I received my kidney diagnosis, the road ahead of me felt like a mountain too big to even name. The idea of a marathon was nowhere in my vocabulary.

I wasn’t thinking about race medals or mile splits.
I was thinking about survival.
I was thinking about recovery.
I was thinking about making it through each day.

But after the transplant, when I set my sight on running a marathon something happened.
Not overnight. Not magically. But quietly — through small steps.

Walking became jogging.
Jogging became running.
Running became training.
Training became purpose.

There was never a single moment when I “moved the mountain.”
Instead, I carried away small stones every day in each workout, each run, and in each mile that I stacked.

Over time, the mountain got smaller — or maybe, I got stronger.

Small Steps Build Sustainable Habits

Here’s the secret most people overlook:

Small steps don’t just lead to progress, they build identity.

When you commit to micro-wins like 10 minutes of movement, a page written in your book, that healthy meal over junk, the mile run, or intentional choice, YOU:

Stack victories.
Build confidence.
Create momentum.

And when small actions are repeated enough, they become habits and habits become automatic.

The Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins With… Bold Belief

A quote I love and used it to start Chapter 1 of The Overcomer’s Journey is by Lao Tzu:
              “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

But that single step requires something many people forget: belief.

You must believe the mountain can move.
You must believe the journey is worth it.
You must believe you are capable (even when you don’t fully feel like it yet).

This is a core pillar in Maselli Mindset and in The Overcomer’s Journey.
Your comeback begins the moment you stop staring at the mountain and start picking up stones.

Mountains Move Slowly — Until They Don’t

One of the most encouraging parts of this process is that progress happens gradually… until it happens suddenly.

You don’t see the mountain moving day by day. But somewhere along the path:

• You realize you're stronger.

• You realize you're more disciplined.

• You realize you’re becoming who you always hoped you could be.

That “sudden moment” is the result of the countless small steps you took when no one was watching. No one sees the 450+ miles you run preparing for a marathon, they only see you with you medal and say that was sudden.

For you, that's the moment you look back and say: “I can't believe how far I've come.”

But you didn’t get here by accident. You got here with deliberate steps. Stones carried one at a time until they stacked so high they became a transformation.

Maselli Mindset: Move Your Mountain

Maselli Mindset exists for one reason:
to help people realize they are capable of more than they think.

Not by telling them to do the impossible all at once but by teaching them how to build momentum through small, powerful, consistent actions.

Your mountain may look different than mine. Your comeback may not involve a transplant or a marathon. But the principle is the same:

You don’t move mountains through speed.
You move them through discipline.

Small steps → small wins → sustainable habits → unstoppable momentum → mountain moved.

That’s the Overcomer Way.
That’s how transformation happens.
And that’s how you build a life you’re proud of.

So today, don’t worry about the mountain.

Just focus on the next stone.
Lift it.
Move it.
Repeat.

Your mountain will move because YOU will move it.

Fall Seven Times, Stand Up Eight: The Mindset That Rebuilt My Life

There’s an old Japanese proverb that says:
“Fall seven times, stand up eight.”
It sounds simple. Almost too simple.
But sometimes the simplest truths are the ones we fight the hardest to accept.

Most people hear that quote and picture grit, toughness, the unstoppable underdog who keeps getting back up. But I’ve learned firsthand that standing back up is not automatic.
It’s not instinct.
It’s not a reflex.
It’s a choice.

And for a long time, I didn’t understand that either.

When Life Knocks You Flat

When I first learned that my kidneys were failing, it felt like the ground vanished beneath me. One moment I was just Mark — a husband, a dad, a guy trying to get his life together. The next, I was a patient. A statistic. Another story in the transplant waiting list.

That wasn’t the first fall and it certainly wouldn’t be the last.

Fear knocked me down.
Uncertainty knocked me down.
The waiting and not knowing knocked me down… harder than anything else could.

And here’s the thing people don’t talk about enough:

When you're on the floor, it’s frighteningly easy to stay there.

Because when life beats you up, your mind starts whispering things like:

• “This is too much.”

• “You’re not strong enough.”

• “Why even try?”

• “People like you don’t come back from this.”

Those thoughts feel real. They feel heavy. They feel like truth.

But they’re not truth.
They’re the echo of a mindset that hasn’t yet learned its own power.

Standing Up Is a Choice — But Only If You Know You Have One

When people say “just get back up,” they forget one important piece:
Many people don’t realize they can.

They fall victim to circumstances because no one ever taught them that resilience is a muscle, not a personality trait. No one told them that falling isn’t failure. Staying down is.

Before my transplant, before I ever ran a marathon, before I wrote The Overcomer’s Journey, I had to confront this truth in a brutally honest way:

I was waiting for someone else to save me. Someone else to fix it. Someone else to change my story. But that’s not how life works.

When I finally understood that standing back up was my responsibility and my decision, everything shifted. Not instantly but powerfully.

The Comeback Is the Choice

My transplant was a miracle — one I’ll be forever grateful for.
But my comeback? My transformation? That wasn’t a miracle.

That was a decision.

A decision to stand up when it was easier to stay down.
A decision to train when my body felt fragile.
A decision to run a marathon when the world said, “slow down.”
A decision to rewrite the story that circumstance tried to hand me.

People say, “You defied the odds.”
But the truth is, I chose to stop letting the odds define me.

That’s what “stand up eight” really means. Not that you’re unbreakable… but that you’re unwilling to stay broken.

Most People Don’t Need Motivation — They Need Permission

And that’s why Maselli Mindset exists. Not to preach at you.
Not to tell you how to live your life.
But to remind you of something you may have forgotten:

You are stronger than you believe.
You are more capable than you’ve ever been told.
And the power to rise again and again already lives inside you.

Sometimes you just need someone to shine a light on it.

That’s why I wrote The Overcomer’s Journey.
Not as a book about my comeback, but as a blueprint for yours.

Because the truth is this:

We all fall.
We all break.
We all hit the floor at some point in our lives.

But your story is not written in the falling.
It’s written in the rising.

You Become Stronger Every Time You Stand

Every comeback builds muscle.
Every rise builds identity.
Every choice to stand up reinforces the truth:

You are becoming the strongest version of yourself not despite the falls, but because of them.

So, if you're in a season where you feel knocked down… If life has hit you harder than you expected… If you're staring at the ceiling wondering how you got here…

Remember the proverb:
Fall seven times, stand up eight.
And remember what it means:

You don’t need a perfect mindset.
You don’t need to feel ready.
You don’t need certainty.

You just need the courage to rise one more time.

That’s how Overcomers are made.
That’s how Maselli Mindset was born.
And that’s how your next chapter begins.

The Power of Going Silent

Sometimes silence isn’t quitting — it’s recalibration.

For the past few weeks, I’ve gone quiet on social media. No videos, no posts, no updates.
And if I’m being honest, part of that silence came from doubt.

When you pour your heart into something — a book, a mission, a message — and the traction doesn’t come as fast as you hoped, it’s easy to question if what you’re doing even matters.
I felt it. That quiet frustration that whispers, “Maybe it’s not working. Maybe people have moved on.”

But I’ve learned something from years of setbacks, recoveries, and “start again” moments: GROWTH OFTEN HAPPENS IN THE SILENCE.

When the noise fades, reflection begins.
When the spotlight dims, your focus sharpens.
And when you stop performing for everyone else, you can start preparing for what’s next.

These past few weeks weren’t a retreat — they were a reset.
A chance to evaluate where I’m going, realign with my purpose, and remind myself that this journey isn’t about viral moments — it’s about real transformation.

In The Overcomer’s Journey, I wrote about how failure and adversity forge our strength. Sometimes, that “failure” isn’t external, it’s internal. It’s the feeling of not being enough, of not progressing fast enough, of wondering if your story still matters.
But that doubt? It’s part of the process. It’s the resistance that builds resilience.

Even mindset coaches, authors, and speakers need to be reminded:

You don’t lose progress when you pause…  you sharpen it.

The regrouping phase is where the next version of you is forged; stronger, clearer, hungrier.
And as I come back into rhythm, I’m more certain than ever that this mission, helping people overcome, rise, and rewrite their story, matters more than any metric.

If you’ve been feeling stuck, stagnant, or unseen lately; don’t confuse silence with surrender.
You might just be in your regroup season.
Because sometimes, the quietest moments set up the loudest comebacks.

Stay tuned — the next chapter of this journey is just getting started.

Keep going, Overcomers.

Run Towards the Storm

Most people spend their lives running away from storms.
They see dark clouds forming, feel the wind shift, and immediately look for shelter.

But overcomers… We run toward them.

Not because we enjoy pain or chaos, but because we understand something simple and true: life will always throw obstacles in your path, and the only way through is forward.

That’s what the Spartan event taught me.

A Spartan race isn’t just about strength or endurance. It’s a living, breathing metaphor for life.

You start the day with a clear objective: the finish line. You think you know the plan; how you’ll pace yourself, what you’ll face, when to push. But then life (or in this case, the course) throws something unexpected at you: a wall you didn’t see coming, a rope you can’t quite climb, a sandbag that feels heavier than it should.

That’s life.

No one tells you where the obstacles will appear or how many there will be. They just appear, one after another, and you either find a way through, over, or around them.

And when you fail an obstacle? You don’t get to skip it. You pay the penalty: burpees, push-ups, more work.

But that’s the beauty of it. Because the penalty isn’t punishment. It’s preparation.

Every time you fail and keep going, you’re teaching yourself that effort is never wasted. The work you do in the penalty zone makes you stronger for the next obstacle waiting up ahead.

That’s how life works, too.

Signing up for a Spartan event is, in many ways, choosing to go into the storm.

You know it’s going to hurt. You know you’ll face moments where your body and mind both scream to stop. And yet you choose it anyway.

That’s what makes it powerful.

When you voluntarily step into discomfort, you take control of your growth. You’re no longer waiting for challenges to find you, you’re seeking them out on your terms.

That’s the essence of the Maselli Mindset.
Not waiting for the right time, the perfect weather, or the easy path but deliberately walking into difficulty to build the person capable of thriving on the other side.

Each obstacle in a Spartan event tests something different; grip strength, balance, endurance, coordination, patience.

Some you’ll master easily. Others will expose your weaknesses. And that’s the point. The obstacles aren’t there to stop you; they’re there to show you where to grow.

Every failure gives you data. Every penalty gives you progress.

The same is true in life. When something goes wrong, when you miss a goal, lose momentum, or fall short, that’s not a dead end. It’s feedback.

Failure is a mirror, not a verdict.

Running toward the storm doesn’t mean loving the struggle. It means understanding that struggle creates strength. Each obstacle you face, each moment you push when it would be easier to quit, builds a version of you that can handle more.

You don’t find confidence by winning easily.
You build it by surviving what was meant to break you.

That’s what The Overcomer’s Journey is really about: transforming pain into power, setback into strategy, and endurance into identity.

When you cross the finish line of a Spartan race, you realize something important:
It’s not about the medal. It’s about who you became mile by mile, obstacle by obstacle.

And life works the same way.

You don’t finish one storm and enter calm forever. You finish one, and a new one waits somewhere ahead. But each time, you’re better equipped, mentally tougher, emotionally steadier, physically stronger.

That’s the reward for running toward the storm: you stop fearing life’s unpredictability because you’ve already faced it head-on.

Life will always present new obstacles, unexpected challenges, heartbreaks, failures, and detours. You can’t control when they come, but you can control what you do next.

So, when the storm forms, don’t look for shelter.
Tighten your shoes.
Take a breath.
And run toward it.

Because every obstacle you overcome prepares you for the next one; in racing, in life, and in who you’re becoming.

“The goal isn’t to avoid the storm — it’s to become the kind of person who thrives in it.”

⚡ Run toward the storm. That’s where overcomers are made.

👉 Learn how to build unshakable resilience in The Overcomer’s Journey — available now at masellimindset.com