There are two costs to every major life change—the slow bleed of staying or the immediate pain of leaving. Most people choose the first because it hurts less today, never calculating the astronomical price they pay over time. I learned this lesson the hard way when my family visited and I couldn't even enjoy my approved time off. In this raw, honest account, I reveal why the price of staying is a tax while the price of leaving is an investment, and how to know which pain to choose.

What if your biggest excuses aren't obstacles, but signposts pointing to your success? In Part 2 of The Inner Forge series, I reveal the Success Machine Principle: whatever you want more of is exactly what you must sacrifice first. This counterintuitive approach transformed me from a district manager with false stability to a thriving business owner with true freedom. Discover how to convert your "I don't have time" and "I can't afford it" excuses into your precise roadmap to success.