“The difference between those who rise and those who stay stuck is not the absence of obstacles—but the speed at which they move from resistance to creation.” – Tony Robbins
One moment, you’re standing strong—confident, certain, unstoppable. The next, the ground gives way. The plan shatters. The path ahead disappears.
Life doesn’t ask permission to change.
It tilts, it twists, it throws you off course. And when it does, you have two choices: resist and stay stuck—or pivot and create something greater than you ever imagined.
Moments like these can feel like endings. A sudden loss, a dream deferred, a door slammed shut. But what if the ending is just the threshold of something greater?
I faced this reckoning in 2020. For over four decades, my mission had been forged in the fire of in-person events—stadiums pulsing with energy, thousands of people igniting their breakthroughs together.
But seemingly overnight, the doors closed. The pandemic hit. The world stood still. And for the first time in my career, I had to ask myself: What now?
What I didn’t know then was that I was moving through the six stages of transformation (also known as the six stages of grief)—an evolution we all must navigate when life hands us the unexpected. If you’ve ever felt stuck amid change, you may have found yourself navigating these stages too:
1️⃣ Shock & Denial – "This isn’t happening."
The first stage is disbelief. We grasp at what was, convinced that if we wait long enough, life will return to normal. But normal is an illusion—life is always in motion. At first, I refused to accept that our in-person events, one of which was just days away, were being canceled.
2️⃣ Anger – "This isn’t fair."
When reality sets in, frustration follows. We look for someone to blame—circumstances, leaders, the world itself. But anger left unchecked is a fire that consumes rather than creates. To move forward, it must be transmuted into action.
3️⃣ Bargaining – "Maybe if I just hold on a little longer..."
Here, we negotiate with the past. We tell ourselves if we just push through, we won’t have to change. But life doesn’t move backward. Growth demands we step into the unknown.
4️⃣ Depression – "What if this is the end?"
This is the darkest moment. The grief of letting go. The fear that the best is behind us. I won’t lie—there was a moment I wondered if the magic of my work would ever be the same. But depression is often a signal that we’re looking in the wrong direction—backward instead of forward. The way out is through a new vision.
5️⃣ Acceptance – "This is real. So what will I do with it?"
Here, the shift begins. Acceptance is not surrender—it is the recognition that while we cannot control what happens, we can always control what we do next. I stopped resisting and started asking: How can I serve in a new way?
6️⃣ Creation & Breakthrough – "This is not the end—it’s the beginning."
Some people stop at acceptance. But I believe there is a sixth and final step that is the most important. And this is where the alchemy happens. The place where loss transforms into possibility. Instead of trying to rebuild what was, I chose to create what had never been done before.
🔥 We launched the first-ever virtual Unleash the Power Within.
🔥 We reached over 30,000 households in a single weekend—more than I could ever fit in an arena.
🔥 We didn’t just return to the mission—we expanded it beyond anything I’d ever imagined.
What once seemed like an ending was a gateway to impact—at a scale I never thought possible.
So I ask you now: Where in your life are you holding on to what was, instead of stepping into what could be?
If you’re in the middle of a storm, know this: the breakdown always precedes the breakthrough.
It's not your fault if you get knocked to your knees, but it is your fault if you don't get off your knees and find a way to push through.
The difference between those who rise and those who stay stuck is not the absence of obstacles—but the speed at which they move from resistance to creation.
Whatever challenge you’re facing right now, ask yourself:
What if this isn’t happening TO me, but FOR me? What if this very moment is the key to unlocking the life I was meant to live? What can I create that never would have been possible before?
Your next level is waiting. But you must choose to step into it.
What’s one area of your life where you can turn crisis into your greatest breakthrough? Drop a comment and let me know.
To your breakthrough,
Tony Robbins
