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Jackie Marquez
We've been together for almost 10 years. We've gone through a lot. We're not married. We have a seven year old daughter.
Tony Robbins
He's in the tunnel. And when a man's in a tunnel it seems like nothing's ever going to work. It's the dark night of his soul.
Jackie Marquez
He doesn't feel like he can be successful in business and also be successful in a relationship.
Tony Robbins
He's having a hard time loving himself. You're the one bright spot in his life and then he feels like he's failing you too because he has all this stuff going on inside himself that he's not able to control or direct or shape.
Fabio
God gave me this person in my life and I'm just blind to the fact that I haven't given all of me to really embrace the love that he keeps putting in front of me time and time again.
Tony Robbins
It feels like it's forever and it's not. Because the other side of the tunnel is a king. Hello, what's your name? Where you from? What's your status?
Jackie Marquez
Jackie Marquez from Miami. I'm in a relationship and he just went to the bathroom.
Tony Robbins
That was a good timing on his part.
Jackie Marquez
Where do I start? Well, I felt relieved and vulnerable and willing to accept. But I felt that he was avoiding and blocked in some way.
Tony Robbins
Why would he avoid him? So here's the best part. If you can have a new why. That it's they don't love you is not the why. It's not you're not enough. That's not the why. It's that they got wired that way and I love them. So I'm going to help get through to that place. When you make it about you, you're stuck in the self. When you're stuck in the self, you're in the turmoil. You're only going to get when you get beyond you. Please continue. Thank you.
Jackie Marquez
What do I continue and what do you feel now? I don't know, It's just hard to tell because we've been together for almost 10 years. It'll be 10 years in February and we've gone through a lot in those ten years. We're not married. We have a seven year old daughter. When we got into the relationship, I had previous relationships with a lot of commitment, like engaged and all of that. So I entered the relationship with like no expectations. Let's just let it flow. I don't want to get married. And then things changed and. And what changed? Life. Well, when I got married I was pregnant and yeah, things didn't feel the same anymore. I mean, like that's what I wanted. When we first started dating, I was like, I don't want to get married. I want to have a child. And I want to know that I'm not wasting my time.
Tony Robbins
By the way, this gentleman has. How women look at this. Men don't understand this. Been together this many years and we haven't produced this result. I have wasted my time. And she will be angry at some level because there's a sense of loss. And the loss is. My ticker tape parade is moving.
Jackie Marquez
Exactly. So I was 34 at the time and I wanted to make sure that I wasn't. We women have a clock. 35 is until where eggs are supposed to be the most fertile or effective, whatever. So I had that. I wanted to make sure that I wasn't wasting my time. And he agreed. I'm like, I'm not looking for.
Tony Robbins
By the way, when you're talking about not wasting your time. Ladies, you got your hand on your hip like this. I'm just wondering is that head or heart? Which one? Quick. And where are you pointing, blame or own? We already know the problem.
Jackie Marquez
Fine, I'll take it out.
Tony Robbins
I'm not making you wrong. I hope you feel me. I'm not making you wrong. I just want you to see the truth. Because if you can see the truth, you can free yourself. It's not bad that you'd want any of those things. It's just that it's all about you. And when it's all about you, you're gonna be trapped in the first or second chapter. There is no way out except it not being about you. Which is hard for people to imagine. Cause they're still living in the scarcity and the fear. I've been through all these other things and it didn't turn out the way I want. I got a certain amount of timeline and this doesn't happen. And it's not my picture yet. My life is not my picture. There's no way on earth I would have pictured having a child at 61 years old after having three kids I adopted and one of my own. And now five kids and five grandkids, a 48 year old daughter and a two and a half year old daughter. There is no fucking way. Nor did I think there'd be two moms that I'd be living with and working on things. Like if you think gentlemen, you're dealing with masculine, feminine, hey, take my fucking job. I got two of them going on here simultaneously. And a kid and the dog. And they're all female, so don't give me your fucking shit, okay? So my point of the matter is it's none of it, but it's more beautiful than anything I could have designed. God designed this, the universe designed this. I'm on the journey. I'm willing to take the call. I'm willing to step into the unknown. I'm open to things that I wouldn't have been open to as a more immature man or boy, calling myself a man. And most men don't become a man until at least 40. And then they get to go through these stages. You're going to learn and. And have nothing to do with you, that you're making it all about you, which of course you would. You've done nothing wrong here. Of course you would. What else would you do? You have no other reference. But I'm trying to offer you a reference so you can see the road ahead, so you don't have to say the mistakes that most people make so you could choose anew. But right now you're hurt. And in that hurt state, you're blaming and you're in your head. No possibility of victory, but very quick victory could change with owning this is what I really want. I know it may not be the perfect example or time. This is what I really want. I'm owning that. But I also need to own what does my partner need? And how do we together get to a place where our needs are met? It's not a straight line. There's no straight lines in nature. Show me one. If there's a straight line in nature, somebody made wasn't made by God, not made by the universe. Everything winds up and down. If it keeps growing, it winds up and down. But like, almost like a stalk, and eventually keeps growing up. It isn't a straight line. No relationship's a straight line. Just this magical thinking bullshit we have in our head of what a relationship's supposed to be about is what makes people so crazy. That's why I want to ground you this week in the truth. The truth is it's an evolution of your soul and requires challenges that you go through. And that requires getting out of yourself and truly loving, like most of you do with your children, or as you put them first. But you don't do that in your intimate relationship. And that's why most of you have a better relationship with your kids than you do with your intimate. Because there is no rule where your child could, for most of you, do something where you wouldn't love them. You love them no matter what. But as long as you got conditions on your relationship, it's not unconditional. And it's hard for most people to think about that, except you did it with your kid, worked out pretty well till they're 16. So I hope you hear me. I'm not making you wrong. You have every right to feel everything you're feeling. It's just. It's a process of growth you're going through and you're not liking it. But the best study of life is how it is, not how you think it should be. You can say, I don't like gravity, but if you don't respect it, you're gonna crash and die. And there is a path for your evolution, and you're facing it right now, and you don't like it because it's not what you want it to be. It's not at the temple you want it to be. It's not the quality you want it to be. I can tell you almost nothing in my life has been, and I have a very blessed life. But it's fucking worth it when you get there, and it's worth it along the way as you begin to appreciate your own growth and coming closer together with another human. Sir, is this your wife standing in the back? Yeah. You might want to come join her again. I noticed you ran to the bathroom like any courageous man would. Right at that moment that you were sharing
Fabio
is the onion part.
Tony Robbins
Did you know she was standing up to share?
Fabio
Yeah, I did.
Tony Robbins
Yeah. Give him a hand for his honesty. I like that. That's good. That's good. So you suddenly had to pee. It's amazing, isn't it?
Fabio
I was just afraid of the onion part where you peel me or slice
Tony Robbins
me, and I'm not here to peel you or slice you, Fabio. You're here to do that for yourself. Because if I did it, it won't have any lasting impact, but when you do it, it will, because it'll become. You'll have done it because it was driven by your heart, not by your head. And, Fabio, tell me what your experience is. Did you hear what she shared? You were in the nurse room for part of it, I think. But what do you think she shared?
Fabio
The truth.
Tony Robbins
Pardon me?
Fabio
The truth?
Tony Robbins
Yes. I prefer the truth.
Fabio
No, you asked me what she shared. She shared the truth.
Tony Robbins
Oh, she shared the truth. Okay. And what's the truth and what she
Fabio
felt when we started our relationship.
Tony Robbins
And what did she feel?
Fabio
She felt that she had these goals, and when she asked me about those Goals. Hey, did you ever consider. Would you ever consider being married? Because I was married once and. Or having kids. I said, yeah, I would. Maybe not at the same timeline that she had it. And I've always taken relationships slow because I felt success was slower that way. Anytime I did anything fast, I would screw it up. And when I was married once, I was fueling planes, I was an aircraft refueler. And she really wanted to have a kid. And no offense, it was a different clock. I said, fuck that. I make nine bucks an hour. I'm not putting a kid on this planet. And she says, don't worry, it's going to bring us good luck. I'm not having a kid for good luck either. Because, you know, I saw what my dad did when he came here as an immigrant, and every time he had a kid, the more jobs he had, the less I saw my dad. I said, you know what? I'm designing my life my way. And, you know, got married, you know, for, you know, because I did love her. I just didn't want to be pressured in doing things as either a man or a woman would do to each other. And we divorced. We never had a kid. She was with someone else, did have a kid. That was the end of that.
Tony Robbins
Yes. Now, I want you to notice and I want you to know I appreciate what you've been through because I've had my own experiences, obviously. But, Fabio, everything you've told me has nothing to do with her. So all of your filtering with her is through your past, which almost everybody does. But it won't move the ball forward for you, regardless, because what's happening is you're trying to move into the future using a rear view mirror to guide yourself. And I think it's causing a crash because you can't see what's in front of you. Now, she's done the same thing, by the way. She just has different references. She's also been through pain and been through those elements, and she's doing the same thing. So both of you are trying to see each other looking at rear view mirrors, and it's like, here's two people that clearly love each other, or you wouldn't be here. And you're committed to each other, but it doesn't feel like it to each other at times, or it feels like it's not winnable at times because this is what's guiding you instead of a vision of where you want to take this. As long as there's no vision, it's really hard to manage this thing. Because it's just managing the day to day pain or pleasure on top of all the pressures you have in your business and your life. And if you have children and you have a child, all those additional pressures are there. Holy fuck. And I'm going to deal with this too. It's too much. Let me just handle what's in front of me. And then you get caught up in making a living instead of designing a life. You get into managing circumstances instead of being the creator of your life. And you're the kind of man that wants it on his own terms or you wouldn't be here. I just heard everything you told me. It's like he decided what he was not going to have happen in his life and what he was going to do differently than what he experienced for his father. I respect that. But then what happens is when you know more about what you don't want to do, it doesn't open you to what could be different that looks similar but is actually different. And then the generalizations, distortions and deletions become a wall. They keep us from what we want most in our lives. And after a while we just get used to the fucking wall. And it's like, shit, I just gotta push through this goddamn thing. And then that leaves you empty and exhausted and on a hamster wheel. The same shit. Very much like your father, just a different story.
Fabio
And then it got harder.
Tony Robbins
And then you got what?
Fabio
Then it got harder because then I did find a relationship that I thought I was going to spend my life with. Had a child, didn't get married in the process of selling my company. And I said, wow, this is not what I expected. You know, I thought I was going to get to that altar. Didn't happen. And then I had to go through a different change because I was dealing with selling part of my soul, which was my company at the time and through a mutual friend and kept a portion of it, worked for a private equity group for six years. And you know, from then on it was just relation to relationship and to God's amazing ways puts this beautiful women in my life.
Tony Robbins
And I'm like, well, she is women. She has many parts of herself. That's accurate. She isn't just woman. I can see that for sure.
Fabio
She's definitely more than that. She's so God puts her in my life and I'm still in this slow motion path because I've failed and been hurt. And I was like, I'm not rushing this. And I've had, you know, again, poor relationship with the Past and my friends dropping in front of me. Losing a brother through depression, the divorce, and just a bad story in a relationship that I haven't let go because of myself.
Tony Robbins
So he's in the tunnel. You'll learn more tomorrow. He's in the tunnel. And when a man's in a tunnel, it seems like nothing's ever going to work. It's the dark night of the soul. Everything I've done in my whole fucking life, it's still not there. He is not where he believes he should be. And for a man not in the hierarchy of where he thinks he should be, that's pretty much feels like death inside. And you're the one bright spot in his life. And then he feels like he's failing you too, because he has all this stuff going on inside himself that he's not able to control or direct or shape. And so then he beats himself up about that. And as he beats himself up, he has less energy and he's even less connected to you, which produces even more fear in you. And all you see is less commitment when what you really have as a man in the tunnel. But here's the good news about the tunnel, which we'll explain more tomorrow. But just plant a seed for all of you. If you're a woman and you have a man in the tunnel and you can love him through that, you will own him for the rest of your fucking universe. Life. My wife came to me shortly after I entered in a tunnel. And she loved me through the tunnel when I didn't even love myself. And that took me from loving her to unbelievably devoted. I will die for her. I will live for her. There is no one more important to me, period. No matter what she does or didn't do or she needed something or didn't want to be, I will always be there for her. There is zero question. It's not about what I get because she loved me when I didn't even love myself. He's having a hard time loving himself. You're the one light spot he has. He does not fight out of it right now. And it feels like it's forever. And it's not because the other side of the tunnel is a king. You don't become a fucking king by being crowned. You become a fucking king by going through absolute hell where nothing looks like it's gonna work. And as a result, that one day you stop beating yourself up for not being there. That's the first step. And you come up with a new vision again. And in spite of all the other visions not coming through, you find the courage to push through your fear of being disappointed again, hurt again, failure again. And you fucking find that part of yourself and you fucking rise up and it's slow and it's steady and you get out of that fucking tunnel and you grow like you've never grown before. And you have a different level because what makes you a king is not somebody crowned you or you're going around pointing that you're a fucking king or a queen. You've been through so much hell on earth, you don't want anyone else to go through it. And you want to serve everyone you can because you know what suffering feels like at the deepest level. And so it makes you care more than if you'd never suffered. It makes you feel more for others. It makes you a loving and wise king, not an ego fucking driven asshole who put themselves in a position. It puts you in a position of service. Because a king, or the word hero, comes from servo, which means servant. The true hero is the servant of society. You're willing to risk your life to serve your beloved, to serve your family, to serve your society. Hero is not accolades. Hero is going through the darkness that no one else will do because you don't want other people to have to go through it. And you learn and you find the way. You develop a pathway so you can help others get out of that tunnel, so you can help others avoid it if possible. And not everyone goes through the tunnel, ladies. By the way, if he's in the tunnel, he has the potential to be a king, because princes don't go through the tunnel. And neither do knights. Where bad boys or good boys, they come in and look like the hero. They like to fight the great adventure, but they always leave because it's about themselves. Nothing wrong with it. They're just immature. And then there's the stable boy who wants to be a knight. But Fabio, no man becomes a king unless at one stage he decided he would be one. And you decided that's why you're so disappointed. But it's not over. It feels like it's over. It's not over. I remember going through my divorce. I was turning 40 years old. I'd worked seven days a week, more hours than most humans will ever fucking dream of. I was the best in the world. And what I did, and I finally said, look, I love you, you're a great person. But we're so different. We have different values, different beliefs. Let's just be friends, let's Be partners. Significance was number one. So that took away significance. So she tried to destroy me. And she got a lawyer. And she got eight times multiple in a bunch of little businesses where I was working around the clock. It'd be like being a doctor. If you don't show up, there's nothing there. Had to give her all the revenue. Eight times the revenue. When I met her, she was broke, living in an apartment. I was living in the Del Mar castle. It was the most devastating experience. It was. Was the most painful thing. I'd been the greatest husband in the world, greatest father. Now she tried to destroy me. It was dark, night of the soul. It was tunnel time. And it lasted way longer than I ever wanted to. But in the midst of that, I found the love of my life. We grew together and we got outside of ourselves. I became more for her. The way, you know, you have the right relationship is you want to be more for that person than even for yourself, that it calls you to be more. And we both have that for each other.
Fabio
She's, you know, she's amazing, you know, And I'm not saying it because I've been with her for nine years. She's given me more than I've reciprocated. I've been that coward, I've been that asshole and also been here for convenience because we have a daughter. But there is God gave me this person in my life. And maybe I'm just blind to the fact that I haven't given all of me to really embrace the love that he keeps putting in front of me time and time again.
Tony Robbins
Why? There's only one reason why. Why?
Fabio
Being selfish.
Tony Robbins
Fear is selfishness, my friend. So you don't judge yourself. We're all selfish when we're fearful. So you don't need to judge yourself and say, I'm selfish. I'm being selfish because I'm fucking scared. And you're scared because you've had so many experiences that have been so painful. So is she. So now we have two people love each other that are scared. And through the fear, when people are in a fearful state, they do not communicate well. Remember, it's a cry for help versus a loving response. You're both crying for help. You need to give each other a loving response. And it doesn't have to be everything at once. It could just be beginning to lead some light into that tunnel. Because there's the light to your tunnel. It's right there. It's no question about it. Yeah. Did you see that smile on his face? Look Back into her eyes.
Fabio
I think quite a few people know in this room what she's like. She is a ball of love. She is that cosmic everything. And I just want to be that back. Otherwise I'll just feel guilty because I'm not great.
Tony Robbins
Well, then let's stop talking about the past and let's talk about right now. Because you can't do anything about the past. All our pain is in the past and in the future. There's no real pain in the present. In the present, but everything's painful. Change in a moment. If you find something you're scared of in the present and you just push through it, you'll always discover on the other side of that fear is some new strength, some new joy, some new insight, some new love. Always, only always. But if you don't push through it, the fear of the unknown is much greater than just going for it.
Fabio
So when you asked at the end to write down how you feel, I wrote after saying, I. I love you. I'm sorry. Forgive. Please forgive me. Thank you. I wrote, how do. You said, how do you feel? And I said, I feel like an honest path of love forward.
Tony Robbins
An honest path to love forward. Give him a hand for that. That's really beautiful. That's beautiful. Now, by the way, right at the moment he felt he did that, she got up to talk about what he didn't do because his balls were exposed and he'd done a really good job. So she needed to kick him really hard in that moment as a test to see, does he really love me? Will he still love me? What did you feel when you wrote this down or when you went through this process?
Jackie Marquez
It's funny he said that. And what I felt, as I said before, was, I guess, yeah, we've gone through a lot, and I just find
Tony Robbins
hard the next time you say, oh, we've been together a long time and it's really hard, you should fucking celebrate instead of fucking whining to yourself. It means you're on the fucking path, ladies and gentlemen. That's what it means. That's what it means. It's what it really means. I want you to leave here. If you leave with nothing else, not just the insights of these strategies and tools, I want you to understand that means you're on the path to the greatest thing in your life, that your soul is unfolding. And that if it's difficult, that's where the greatest growth is going to come from. And while you may not like it, in this moment, you will love the result. If you keep moving forward. That's the only thing you have to do. Keep moving forward. Less judgment, more love, less me. And what I'm not getting more. What can I do for you? That's the evolution of your soul. That's the only place you get out of scarcity, is when you stop thinking about yourself, when you truly love. What is love? You put something above yourself. You've done it with your children. Why not do it with the most beloved person in your life that those children only exist because of with you? This is beauty. This is God. This torture you're going through is God's way of you discovering all that you both are made to be. It is not a problem. It feels like a problem. The only problem people have is they think they're not supposed to have any. If you had no problems, you'd have no growth. Now you can do problems faster by being in a beautiful state, by putting each other first, by having courage and faith that even when it doesn't look like it, there's something in your soul that knows there's more. And I'm committed to it with you. And reassure each other. You both need to reassure each other.
Fabio
What?
Jackie Marquez
He was telling me that he. What do you say you felt when you were telling me this?
Tony Robbins
She remembers, by the way. She just wants him to say it again.
Fabio
What do you say you remember all the bad shit I do. And you don't remember this?
Tony Robbins
That's par for the course.
Jackie Marquez
I felt the total opposite. I felt you were disconnected. You were not being honest.
Tony Robbins
When?
Jackie Marquez
Right now. When we did the exercise.
Tony Robbins
Well, do you feel he's being honest right now, just out of curiosity?
Jackie Marquez
I'm sorry?
Tony Robbins
You heard me.
Jackie Marquez
If he's being honest now.
Tony Robbins
Yeah. So she did hear me notice. She just paused so she. So she could process it and take it in and think about her answer. I don't want you to think about your answer. I just want the fucking truth, which you already know.
Jackie Marquez
I. I do believe he's. He's being honest and sincere.
Sage Robbins
Yeah.
Tony Robbins
Heartfelt?
Jackie Marquez
Yeah.
Tony Robbins
Loving?
Jackie Marquez
Yes.
Tony Robbins
Real?
Jackie Marquez
Yes.
Tony Robbins
From his soul.
Jackie Marquez
When you said the previous exercise, what do you need to do? What stage are you in? I felt like I wasn't five.
Tony Robbins
Yes, that's absolutely true.
Jackie Marquez
And what do I need to taste? What do you need to do to get to the next level? I felt like it's just. Stop. Stop talking and blaming about the past. We've gone through a lot.
Tony Robbins
It's beautiful. Hey, can you hear me? Wherever you are, I'm praying to angels and wishing on stars that we'll find each other how far? You don't need to take the BL. Or make it through this distance Somehow, someday. Hey, can you hear me?
Sage Robbins
Oh,
Tony Robbins
yes.
Fabio
I know you thought I was.
Tony Robbins
I'm sorry, Fabio.
Fabio
I. I know you probably thought I was getting away when she. I didn't know she was going to speak. I just went to get water. I swear. I swear. I went to go get water. And then she spoke up. I said, oh, shit, stood back there. And I figured if I would have came up, I would have ruined the moment. Because even when I'm in front of her, I'm not really listening or seeing, because she reminds me all the time, the things she says. And I didn't listen.
Jackie Marquez
It's funny.
Fabio
So I figured if I'm back there, I'm going to really listen. So I figured she'd have her moment and put it all out there.
Tony Robbins
That's nice. But she really wants your presence.
Fabio
She does?
Jackie Marquez
Yeah.
Tony Robbins
And you can give it to her. You can give it to her even if you're in the tunnel. Because to be in the tunnel of love transforms the tunnel. So even though the other things aren't where you want them to be, this can be in an instant, just by you bringing presence. By the way, the more you bring presents to her, the more you'll find it in yourself, and the more you'll find your way out of the tunnel quicker. But meanwhile, even while you're in the tunnel, it can be a beautiful journey when you're together and the other side of the tunnel is the king you're looking for. But he's got to grow into it. See, every woman says she wants a king. She does not want a king. She wants what the king could give. She doesn't want the king. The king has responsibility. King isn't always her first. There's all kinds of things. You think you want the king. No. Most of you want maybe a prince. Then you get the prince and you think he's not enough. Most of you want what your father was. If he was a knight, you pursue knights. If he was a prince, if he was a king, that's a bitch. Because then you always compare every man you've ever met to your father. And you don't have a real view of your father because he never had sex with you. So you didn't have all those other rules, thank God. But you have a king in the making. But that means you got to go on the journey with him because that's what makes you a queen.
Jackie Marquez
And I'm sorry to interrupt, but you open our eyes. We were in the verge of splitting right before Date With Destiny last year and I walked into Date with Destiny just to find out if this was worth a shot, another shot, or just ending it. And we had a little breakthrough.
Tony Robbins
That they had a breakthrough, ladies and gentlemen.
Jackie Marquez
That night of the Hopononu. Yeah, that we went back to the hotel and we were vulnerable and we, we spoke about what we really felt and we did that exercise by ourselves. And that gave me hope. And you gave us hope, you and Sage. Because he always tells me he doesn't feel like he can be successful in business and also be successful in a relationship. So he's always had that mentality. I'm like, what are you talking about? This is the best example we can have, that we deserve to have both.
Tony Robbins
You both do deserve to have both. But when a man's in the tunnel, he feels like he's not enough for anything. I know that's hard to understand, but women have their own version of. It's not quite as extended. And it's just because women can change so fast. You can go from depressed to playful or excited. You can go from laughing to crying. Most men don't make those gear shifts as fast. So that's why it makes it like you don't understand. Why wouldn't a man just get out of the fucking tunnel? Because you don't understand a world of hierarchy. You've never had to do it, you never will. Thank God. Because most men live lives of quiet desperation. You've heard that term used. It's the fucking truth. Because women will actually talk to each other. Most men don't. Not about issues like this. This kind of conversation is not a conversation most men will ever have. That's why we need to have it tomorrow. So that every man here has a context for himself, so he doesn't judge himself inappropriately. And so that you, if you're a woman in this person's life or feminine force in this person's life, can understand there is a big victory on the other side of it. But it's probably going to take more and longer than you really want. But what it's going to make of you to become that unselfish, which means that unfearful, which means really just that, faith filled and courageous. When people say it sometimes they say, oh man, your wife is so lucky to have you. It's like you don't fucking have a clue. You couldn't handle a fucking day with me. I'm a crazy motherfucker. I'm constantly creating something new, more. I don't know how many people could survive, much less do that with me for 25 years. Only a woman with unbelievable courage and faith and love. Without courage and faith, she couldn't be here along with that love. So that's what will make of you if you go on this journey with him through this and you pursue it and know that even though it looks like it'll never happen, it will. And that you are playing the starring role in pulling his soul through it. If you realize who you are in his life and by being that starring role, you will have his devotion for a lifetime greater than you've ever felt before. But you got to get through the tunnel with him. Most women leave during the tunnel and most men die in the tunnel.
Sage Robbins
There's something extraordinary, ladies, about loving the unlovable, by the way. That goes both ways. But loving what maybe one hasn't completely Fabio accepted with inside yourself or feeling. Part of why he feels like he can't do both is because he feels like he'd fail you. He feels like he's failing you, honey. And so when a man is going through the tunnel and he's beating himself up, just kind to notice, kind to be a balm, kind to reflect and remind him how deeply you love him and that you stand with him. Not for him to be this perfect king or what we want that end goal. But you love him here, now, in this moment, so completely. It's obvious, actually, Jackie, it's so obvious how deeply you love this man and you as well her. And sometimes, you know, when we're going through challenging times, it's like to love the unlovable parts of ourselves and to have that reflected in the other. There's nothing more powerful. It's actually what creates those bonds that are unbreakable. Unbreakable. It's not the wee. You know, that's great, that's fun. But it's actually being loved when you feel that you're possibly not worthy. You can't do it. We'll ever freaking get through this. And you stand not even by with in support. Because that's what love does. That's what our heart does.
Fabio
So is it. Sorry, Sage.
Sage Robbins
No, please.
Fabio
So. When your daughter is there, our daughter, who's seven, keeps saying, when are you going to buy her a ring? When are you going to marry her? Says that over the last three years. And the pressure just keeps mounting. And all I want is an organic path, not a fast path, but I know that sounds funny being nine years deep.
Tony Robbins
It does.
Fabio
That's fine. That's fine. I. I never said I was the poster boy. So.
Sage Robbins
So be your daughter right now. I'll be you. What does your daughter say to you?
Fabio
Daddy.
Jackie Marquez
No, our daughter's name.
Sage Robbins
Oh, no, I mean, be. Be you. Be your daughter. I'll be you, Fabio. Because you're wondering, what do you say when your daughter comes to you and she's pressuring you?
Tony Robbins
So what's your daughter's name?
Fabio
Moe. Mo.
Tony Robbins
So that's who you're going to be now, Moya.
Fabio
So you want me to be Mo.
Sage Robbins
Hi, sweetheart. Hi, Moya.
Fabio
Hi, Angel.
Sage Robbins
I'm Dada.
Fabio
Oh,
Tony Robbins
wait a minute, Mo.
Sage Robbins
All right.
Fabio
Hi, Daddy.
Jackie Marquez
She does not call you angel. For sure.
Fabio
I call her Angel. I call her Angel.
Sage Robbins
Hi, Angel.
Fabio
Daddy, who. When are you going to marry Mom?
Sage Robbins
Well, sweetheart, you know, thank you for asking me. It's so beautiful to be able to clarify my heart with you. I love your mama so freaking much and I want to spend the rest of my life with her. And you know what? I don't know that exact date, but when I do, I'll let you know. But I can tell you one thing, that there's no other place that I'd rather be than with your mom and you and you.
Fabio
So what's taking you so long, dad?
Sage Robbins
Well, that's a great question. That's a great question. You know, sometimes you won't understand this, but sometimes we as human beings, you know, we just got to find our own timing, honey. And I know, I really hear that this is meaningful to you, and I know it's meaningful to your mom. And what I can promise you is that I'm not going anywhere. And I freaking love you and I love your mother. And you know, when I do decide beyond telling your mama, I'll come and share it with you first, because I look forward to that day. And in the meantime, thank you for being here with me right now and loving your dad just as he is.
Fabio
That's great, dad. But I feel a bozo alert here and she starts doing this. Bozo, it's taking you too long.
Sage Robbins
Oh, Bozo says to me, I hear that. I hear that. And you know, honey, all I know is I just need to be true to your mom and to the containership of our love. And you know what? I love your curiosity and I love that you want our love to be solidified. But let me tell you something, it is. I'm not going anywhere. I love you both. You know, do you see that? Honesty. Avoidance is what will cause her. The same with this couple here earlier, Melissa and Jason. It was the avoidance that causes Melissa possibly. I'm not saying this is fact, to ask more often or with more fervor. And so she'll keep coming at you because we're actually craving something authentic. And then what we do is we avoid or we suppress or we distract. And so she'll just freaking keep coming at you for something more real.
Jackie Marquez
By the way, it's not me telling her. He keeps saying, oh, did you tell her to tell me that? No, never.
Fabio
You didn't. I know you did.
Jackie Marquez
Of course not. But my mom got married at 68 two years ago. And for her that was like, how is that possible? My grandma got married. You guys are not married. In her head, that was like, ridiculous.
Sage Robbins
Yeah.
Jackie Marquez
So she kept at it like she's. She even. We were in Spain in the summer and she made a video of her dad proposed. How he was supposed to propose to me and she did the whole scene and she's. Send it to him. Send it to him. I was cracking up and I didn't want him to think that I'm telling him to do that, which I feel like he does think I'm not.
Tony Robbins
So he just told you he knows you didn't do that.
Jackie Marquez
Okay, good.
Sage Robbins
And do you know what my.
Tony Robbins
Did you hear him? Did you hear him?
Jackie Marquez
I did.
Tony Robbins
Did you believe him?
Jackie Marquez
Yeah.
Tony Robbins
Long pause. Feel him. Is it true?
Sage Robbins
It is. It is true.
Tony Robbins
Okay, then you can let go of that.
Fabio
Okay.
Tony Robbins
Because there's some things you're hanging on to that are making your journey more difficult. That if you actually just pause and breathe and feel him not in your fear place, but in your soulful place, you know the truth. You're not using your intuition because your fear is getting in the way. You're missing a little bit of your wisdom because your fear is getting in your way, just like it is for him. So you have two people who are crying for help when they really just love each other, and we're looking at artificial externals to try to confirm something. And for him, that would confirm, oh, my God, I didn't do it by choice. Somebody said, you know, are you wearing that black fucking shirt again? Yes. I wear it for the rest of my fucking life. Right. The masculine. You picked a masculine man. So he doesn't want to be in that place. And yet at the same time, given his room. And if he wasn't beating himself up in the tunnel, he'd be doing this heck of a lot faster. That's not that he shouldn't do this now or couldn't do this now. It's just you can begin to appreciate that it isn't what you think it is. It's not him not loving you and not being committed to you and Fabio.
Sage Robbins
It's an opportunity for you with your daughter to actually, she's your angel. You get to represent a moment, your heart. You get to offer more, more of you. That's what she's really wanting. You know, we think it's like this outcome over here. She just wants to know, hey, what's
Fabio
true for you and Sage? What I said earlier has nothing directly to you. I was just role playing. But I get the bozo alert a lot pointed at me. And you know, it's funny for being 7 years old, how a daughter can really undress us of our emotions and say, and I really did try to have a conversation of things that have happened in my past to teach her that I'm trying to move on from that relationship, from the past of the. My brother passing and him always feeling the rejection of his daughter and going through a divorce. And just. That's not a conversation you have with a 7 year old. I just wanted to tell her just a few bits and pieces, and she's like, dad, I don't want to hear it. And I just wanted that connection with her not to go that deep into how that. That pain, but just enough to where I can at least have that conversation and not blow me off or vice versa.
Sage Robbins
Wow.
Tony Robbins
Your brother was in this hand just as you were describing it. And all the pain that your brother had is in this hand. Can you feel it? Can you see it? Pain around the child, the pain around the relationship.
Fabio
I miss Fabian.
Tony Robbins
What's that?
Fabio
I miss my brother Fabian. He went through so much when I was going through and I was gaining what I thought was so much.
Tony Robbins
And then you have all your other pains of your own in there too. Pains of those past relationships, the pains of the disappointment, the pains of not being where you want to be, pains of working your ass off and not having the rewards other people have. Crush those fucking pieces.
Fabio
I got a bad finger there.
Sage Robbins
Oh, he's really crushed from basketball.
Tony Robbins
In case it wasn't painful enough, I thought I'd add two.
Fabio
This is pain is good.
Tony Robbins
Squeeze it in there. Tell me what color it is. All those experiences.
Fabio
Yellow, green, red.
Tony Robbins
Little what? Blue.
Fabio
Yellow, green, red, blue.
Tony Robbins
What's the primary color of all that pain? Red, Red. Squeeze again. Open up and tell me, what's the shape of all that pain?
Fabio
Sheep? I don't know.
Tony Robbins
All of it together makes a shape. What is it?
Fabio
A ball?
Tony Robbins
A bomb?
Fabio
A ball? A bong?
Tony Robbins
A bong or a ball?
Fabio
A ball of colors.
Tony Robbins
Oh, a ball. Yeah, they said a bong. I was like, wow, that's wild. Okay, squeeze it again. This red with all its colors. Ball, all the pain of it. And then open it up and tell me what's the texture of that experience, all that pain?
Fabio
The texture. Rough. Yes, very rough.
Tony Robbins
Squeeze it. You're in control of it now. It doesn't own you. Open it up. What sound does it make, this terrible experience?
Fabio
It's a peaceful noise to move forward.
Tony Robbins
Wow. Even in the pain, there's a call. Squeeze your hand. This negative experience says what to you? What does it say to you? All that pain. What does it say to you?
Fabio
That it's part of the path.
Tony Robbins
Squeeze it. You're really fucking up this demonstration because you're already integrating before I've done anything. Let me borrow this hand if I can. You mind holding that? And this hand? Forget about that hand for a second. This hand, I want you to put some of the most beautiful experiences of your life. Some of the experiences you cherish most in your life. Some of the victories, the love, the insights, the strengths that make you a unique fucking man. There you go. Squeeze all that goodness, all of that power, all of that joy, all of that love. Feel it all. And let it go through your whole body so it's not just in your fist. Now. Let it be like in every cell, every nerve in your body beating with a rhythm of this energy. An energy that's greater than anything could have ever happened to you. An energy that can guide you beyond any tunnel you may be in, in the moment. A bright fucking light that's greater than anything you've ever seen before. And it's inside you, just waiting for you to remember. It's still there. You got covered up. Tell me, what color is all that great emotion? What color is it? Color of love. Rainbow of color. Squeeze that hand and feel all those feelings. Now add to that feeling the feeling of unstoppability. Feeling like I will never fucking give up. The feeling that says, I will fight, find the way. I will fucking make the way. Because that's what I was made for. And anything else is temporary. No problem is permanent. Only my soul is permanent. That's you. That's me. That's it. Give it to him. That's me. That's it. You got It. That's you. That's it. That's it. That's it. That's it. That's you. Feel you. The. The real you. That's it. The real fucking you. And tell me, what shape are all those great unstoppable emotions in you? What shape are they? The shape of a heart. Give it for them. That's great. Squeeze it and feel it. Feel the rainbow of colors. Feel the energy. Feel the rhythm. Feel the strength. Feel the love. Feel the guidance. Feel the light. And tell me, what sound does this great feeling constantly bring to you? An amazing path of music to guide you. Perfect. Squeeze it and take it in. Feel it all. And then feel like it's an awakening. Like there's a rhythm happening inside you, like a rhythm in your heart. Stronger than anything you felt before. An awakening. That's what the. This is all bringing you to an awakening where you realize there is no fucking tunnel. I tear the fucking tunnel apart. Everything is temporary. My soul is permanent. This love is permanent. This strength is permanent. Feel it. What does it say to you if it said one phrase? This great feelings, this truth. What does it say to you? Say it again. Get out of the fucking tunnel. That's it. That's it. Feel it. Feel it. Feel it. Feel the strength of it all. That's it. Feel it all. Feel it all. Feel it all. That's it. That's it. That's it. There you go. There you go. There you go. There it is. Now it's going through your whole body, not just your hand. You can feel it in your hand as the trigger. But it's your whole body now. Remembering who you are. Remembering. Remembering what you were made for. Remembering what you were made for. My brother. Only always. Yes. Feel that. And then make the sound that this is inside you. Make the sound. This is in you. Make the sound. This is inside you. Make the sound, Fabio, of what it is inside you. Emit that sound out loud now. Make the sound of this inside you. That's it. That's it. That's it. Do it again. Do it again. Feel it right there. Feel it. That's it. Again. Give it to it. Again. Again. Out of the tunnel. Out of the tunnel. Out of the fucking tunnel. My true self. Feel it. And then put inside there that beautiful face, heart and soul that's with you. Put that in there. And feel nothing. No problem is more powerful than that. Feel God's blessing. That is your whole fucking life. Where even the problems and the pain, you can look back and see they were truly a blessing. Because they made you have to find a deeper and more powerful part of yourself. A part that can step through the fear. Doesn't mean you're not afraid, still scared. Please fucking do it anyway. It's called courage. You've used it your whole life. Out of the tunnel, you use it again. In fact, you don't even use it. It is you. As you. It is you. And then one more. That's your daughter's smiling face. Because our daughters decimate us, don't they? Yes. In such a beautiful way. They make us remember we're more than we thought we were. Because we do more for them than we would for ourselves. More for our beloved than we would for ourselves. That's God's grace. All of it is already there. There's nothing here that needed to be given to you. That just need to be real. Awakened. That's it. That's it. That's it. That's it. And feel all of that energy. All that power. All of it unleashed, unleashing all of it. Guided all of it. Make the sound of this again. Feel it in your heart and your soul. That's it. That's it. That's it. That's it. That's it. That's it. That's it. All of it. That's it. Feel it. Now, with all this power. This color, this shape, this voice. All of it in you as you now watch this. Open both your hands like this. I want you to take that red color. When I say now. I want you to take the rainbow, all the power in here. I want you to pour all of it in that hand. Until it turns into a rainbow. And as you do it, and make a bunch of noise playfully, like you're talking in Japanese and shit. That's it. Put it all in there til it's the same color. That's it. Till it's all that color. All that color. But all the fear is gone. Commitment is life. It's who I am. There's no fucking fear. When it's right, feel it. Tell me when they match. Okay, now watch this. Take that ball shape and when I say now, throw it in your right hand and crush it with all that it is. Ready? Drop that fucking ball in there and crush it. That's it. Let it just instantly vaporize. That's it. Stomp that little bitch into the ground. Perfect. Perfect. Perfect. Good job. Now take. Take these great sounds and put them in this hand. Until there is no sound but the truth. There you go. There you go. Feel it. That's it. And now do this. Do what I do. Do what I do. Zooey, Zua. Zooey has nothing to do with the process. But it looks good, doesn't it? Now, what color is here?
Fabio
I still haven't. I see.
Sage Robbins
Blue.
Fabio
My favorite color.
Tony Robbins
Yes. What color is here? Blue. What shape is here?
Fabio
The heart of blue.
Tony Robbins
What shape is here?
Fabio
The heart of blue.
Tony Robbins
What does this say to you?
Fabio
That I can.
Tony Robbins
Yes. And what does this say to you?
Fabio
What's taking you so long?
Tony Robbins
Now, I have a question for you. Look in this woman's eyes.
Fabio
Another question?
Tony Robbins
Yes, always another question. You know me. Just one more thing. What do you want her to know?
Fabio
That I want this honest path forward of love. And I want to be able to give you just as much as you give me. But you shower me, bless me. I don't know if it's God's gift to me that I keep pushing back instead of just embracing, and I think it's all of the above. But the reason you're still here is because you're still a blessing and you're still so much love. And I love you, Jackie.
In this highly emotional live intervention, Tony Robbins coaches a couple—Jackie and Fabio—through a decade of relationship struggles. With open-hearted honesty, Tony guides the pair to confront past wounds, break cycles of blame and fear, and move towards deeper presence and unconditional love. Sage Robbins assists, offering unique insight into vulnerability, masculine and feminine energies, and the power of loving "the unlovable." The episode features several powerful exercises, raw self-reflection, and actionable wisdom for anyone seeking to transform their relationships.
Tony explains the tunnel: Many men (and people generally) experience a period where nothing seems to work, described as "the dark night of the soul." It feels endless but leads to transformation if survived and supported with love.
Fabio's story: Their struggles stem in part from Fabio’s unresolved past pain—previous relationships, feeling stuck in business, and grief over his brother’s loss. He feels unable to succeed in both work and love.
Tony challenges the self-focused narrative: Both Jackie and Fabio have been viewing their relationship through the lens of their own loss/pain, leading to cycles of blame and withdrawal.
Solution—shift to unconditional love: Tony likens the love for a romantic partner to that of a child: to love without conditions or timelines produces true freedom and connection.
Fabio's fear and avoidance: He admits to retreating (even physically leaving the room) when uncomfortable emotions arise, which Tony frames as a defensive mechanism rather than genuine engagement.
Breakthrough via honesty and presence: Both acknowledge breakthroughs when they manage to communicate honestly, be present, and stay with discomfort—especially after a particularly vulnerable night ("that night of the Hopononu").
Tony identifies pattern: Both partners are "trying to see each other looking at rear view mirrors," resulting in repeated conflict.
Invitation to co-creating vision: Rather than reciting grievances, Tony urges them to state honestly what they want and envision the relationship they’d actually like to build together.
Cycle of fear is selfishness: Fear keeps both paralyzed and unable to give fully; naming and understanding this can break the loop.
Releasing pain and embracing power: Tony leads Fabio through a visualization, having him physically “crush” pain from the past and claim power, love, and courage in the present.
Daughter’s repeated question—marriage: Their seven-year-old daughter persistently asks, “When are you going to buy her a ring? When are you going to marry her?”
Jackie clarifies: The marriage pressure isn't from her but from their daughter and cultural/family models, which amplify Fabio’s stress. (39:08)
Tony’s central insight: If a woman (or any partner) loves someone through the "tunnel" of pain, she will have their wholehearted devotion. The “tunnel” is the crucible in which kings and queens are forged.
Sage’s reflection: True partnership is about loving the "unlovable"—in each other and in ourselves. This, she says, is what builds an unbreakable bond.
Tony Robbins (on self-focus and growth):
“The best study of life is how it is, not how you think it should be. ...If you had no problems, you'd have no growth.” (05:46)
Fabio (on insight and commitment):
“I love you, I'm sorry. Forgive. Please forgive me. Thank you. ...I feel like an honest path of love forward.” (22:08)
Tony Robbins (on persevering):
“If it's difficult, that's where the greatest growth is going to come from. ...Keep moving forward. Less judgment, more love, less me. ...That's the evolution of your soul.” (23:14)
Visualizations—Pain vs. Power:
Tony uses physical hand gestures, colors, and imagined textures to help Fabio distinguish between holding onto past trauma and embodying present love and confidence, culminating in:
“Get out of the fucking tunnel.” (55:24)
For Listeners:
Tony sums up:
"Commitment is life. It's who I am. There’s no fucking fear. ...No problem is permanent. Only my soul is permanent. That’s you. That’s me. That’s it.” (54:58)
This episode is a masterclass in relationship transformation, blending deep vulnerability, practical strategies, and Tony Robbins' trademark intensity and wisdom.