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When was the last time you genuinely couldn’t wait for tomorrow?
For many veterans, leaders, parents, and high performers, there comes a point when life starts feeling more like routine than anticipation. The career changes. The kids grow up. The old mission ends. The days keep moving—but the question quietly becomes:
What am I actually looking forward to now?
In this episode of Your Thoughts, Your Reality, Michael Cole sits down with his friend Marcus Weiss—actor, director, producer, Joy Empowerment Coach, performer, and Dual Elite Certified Neuroencoding Specialist whose career has included Blue Man Group and Cirque du Soleil.
Marcus also shares a much more personal part of his story. Growing up in Switzerland on welfare and later experiencing depression in college, he found safety, expression, and eventually purpose through performance. Theater became what he describes as a kind of cocoon—a place where he could explore emotion, rewrite the script, connect with others, and rediscover what it felt like to be alive.
Together, Mike and Marcus explore Mission — The 2nd Silent War through a question that goes deeper than simply asking, “What should I do next?”
What makes you want to experience the next moment?
Marcus explains that looking forward to tomorrow is not necessarily determined by what is happening outside of us. The future is uncertain. What shapes our experience of it is often the meaning we attach to what we imagine is coming.
“I have to go to work tomorrow” and “I’m going to work tomorrow” describe the same event—but they can create completely different internal experiences.
Marcus introduces what he calls a “lily pad” between I have to and I get to. If gratitude or excitement feels too far away, you do not have to force yourself there. Start smaller. Remove the judgment. Acknowledge what you are doing. Then begin intentionally recognizing and celebrating the moments when you show up.
The goal is not fake positivity.
It is building the ability to create more moments of aliveness, gratitude, meaning, and anticipation—one small, consistent step at a time.
This conversation directly connects to several of The 10 Silent Wars:
- Mission — The 2nd Silent War: “What am I living for now?”
- Identity — The 1st Silent War: “Who am I beneath the roles and masks I’ve learned to wear?”
- Self-Worth — The 6th Silent War: “Can I recognize that I am worthy before I accomplish something for someone else?”
- Direction — The 8th Silent War: “What is pulling me toward tomorrow instead of keeping me anchored to yesterday?”
- Emotional Armor — The 7th Silent War: “What happens when I allow myself to be vulnerable and let people see who I really am?”
One of the most powerful parts of the conversation comes when Mike asks how veterans can accept that their next mission may be quieter and more personal than the mission they once knew.
Marcus compares it to putting a toe into still water.
The ripple may begin small, but it still travels.
A quieter mission is not necessarily a lesser mission.
And Marcus makes an important point: the mission has to begin with you. You cannot show up for the people around you if you never learn to show up for yourself.
He also challenges the idea that you need one massive life purpose before you can begin moving forward. Start with what already creates a spark. Notice a moment that feels good. Acknowledge that you helped create it. Celebrate it. Repeat it.
Over time, those small moments can help reveal something larger:
Your why.
Not something you are running away from—but something meaningful enough to pull you forward.
Because forward includes tomorrow.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Why having an okay life is different from having something you genuinely look forward to
- How the meaning you attach to tomorrow shapes how you experience it today
- Marcus’s “lily pad” between “I have to” and “I get to”
- Why forced positivity is not the answer
- How small, consistent actions help build emotional momentum
- Why acknowledging and celebrating progress matters
- How to recognize when something in your life feels out of alignment
- Why your next mission does not have to be loud or enormous to matter
- How self-worth and mission are connected
- Why finding something that pulls you forward can make tomorrow matter again
If something in this conversation made you stop, think, or feel something—don’t immediately move on.
Ask yourself:
What am I looking forward to?
And if you don’t have an answer yet, start smaller:
What is one thing I could put back into my life that makes me feel more alive?
Start by connecting with the Your Thoughts, Your Reality community and exploring more conversations around The 10 Silent Wars:
👉 https://yourthoughtsyourreality.com/
Watch the full conversations and subscribe to the Your Thoughts, Your Reality YouTube channel:
👉 https://www.youtube.com/@YourThoughtsYourReality
To connect with Marcus, search The Marcus Weiss Experience on Instagram, Marcus Weiss on LinkedIn, or Marcus Jacob Weiss on Facebook.
And when you’re ready to go deeper and create meaningful change in your mindset, identity, and direction:
👉 https://empowerperformancestrategies.com/
Because your thoughts shape your reality…
And sometimes finding your next mission begins with finding one reason you want tomorrow to come.
#Mission #TheSecondSilentWar #MarcusWeiss #Purpose #Joy #MilitaryTransition #Veterans #Direction #SelfWorth #PersonalGrowth #Neuroencoding #The10SilentWars #YourThoughtsYourReality
Explore more episodes, resources, and updates from Mike Cole at:
https://YourThoughtsYourReality.com
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