Author: Joe Barnes

Date: Dec 1, 2014

Be the Baddest: Michael Jackson’s 3 Rules for Mega Success

“You can’t do your best when you’re doubting yourself. If you don’t believe in yourself, who will?”

-Michael Jackson

The media got Michael Jackson ALL wrong. They wanted you to believe he was a wacko, race changing child molester. They wanted you to forget his musical genius and instead, view him as a figure of ridicule.

The system always does this to people who don’t conform. It doesn’t know how to cope with those who won’t stay in their box. Even worse than that, it doesn’t know how to cope with the non-conformists who are mega successful.

In Michael Jackson’s case, the system discredited him by sensationalising his life and neglecting to take an objective view on his eccentricities. It was easier (and more importantly, sold more papers) to say that he wanted to be white rather than look into the REAL causes for the change in his skin colour. It was easier to say he was dangerous to children than look into the reasons why he associated so strongly with kids and take note of all the positive work he did to improve their lives.

But this piece isn’t a defence of Michael Jackson. Even the staunchest fan (which I am) would have to admit he was a complex and troubled man. So I want to focus on something that few people could deny – his musical brilliance.

While The System would have us believe this was due to innate talent, there are enough clues left in the wake of his story to suggest this was only partly the case. In revealing them now, my hope is that you will look beyond what is so often explained away as ‘genius’ and realise that these rules can be used in your life, no matter what your field.

Rule Number 1: Use the Power of your Mind

Michael Jackson was a huge Dreamer. Despite his phenomenal success, his dreams expanded even further than his achievements. Undaunted by the prospect of following up on Thriller, he dreamed of Bad being even bigger and selling 100 million copies (Thriller had only sold approximately 40 million at this point).

Evidence of this could be seen every time he checked into a hotel when he’d scrawl the figure 100,000,000 across his bathroom mirror. In fact, his life was littered with these subconscious prompts. In his autobiography, Moonwalk, he talks about his wish of creating the greatest selling album of all time and how he would repeat it every time before he jumped into his swimming pool and on every occasion he watched the sun set.

His reasoning?

He knew about the connection between the conscious and subconscious mind. He was aware that if he kept feeding his mind with the goals he cherished so dearly then the subconscious would provide the answers necessary (song and video ideas, connections in the music industry) to advance his cause. In his own words,

“I believe we are powerful but we don’t use our minds to full capacity. Your mind is powerful enough to help you attain whatever you want.”

When using this first rule to mega success, you’d do well to imitate some of the subconscious prompts Michael Jackson used. If you don’t already have a daily thought channelling routine then it’s time you got one.The method you take – whether its wishes, posting notes on your fridge door, prayers, meditation or affirmation – is not as important as the fact that you do it every single day.

So if your goal is to get 10,000 subscribers to your blog, make a five figure income each month or to connect with your future soul mate then begin focusing your mind on this aim. Keep it simple though. The subconscious doesn’t cope well with varied instructions. Just the number 10,000 will work or picturing yourself hand in hand with your ideal partner. Whatever you do, make it bright, bold and emotionally charged. Remember MJ, wishing on the fading sun – The more dramatic, the greater the effect.

Rule Number 2: Let the Genius In

Michael’s producer and musical mentor, Quincy Jones, was always telling him not to get in the way of the music. “Don’t write the song, let the song write itself,” became one of Michael’s favourite sayings.

The idea was that he should act as a conduit and allow the Universe to channel melodies, rhythms, beats and words through him. He wasn’t forcing anything. He wouldn’t sit down and think, ‘I’m going to write a hit today,’ or, ‘I need a song with a rock feel on this album, how should it go?’

Instead, he’d often wake in the night or be driving along in his car and start to hear the base or the rough outline of a song. Inspired, he’d quickly rush to a tape recorder and begin singing what he heard. With this outline, he could then begin to write lyrics and get his production team to build an arrangement for the song.

Whether you area of expertise is creative or not, you can learn a huge amount from this approach. The temptation is always to force out excellence. We are desperate to succeed so we exert as much will as possible. However, this is often counterproductive. We tie ourselves up in knots, often ignore a more inspiring solution because we’re so fixed on moving in a certain direction and over think a problem causing us to miss the easy answer.

So from today, learn to connect with your intuition. It will come to you in flashes, often accompanied by strong feelings of inspiration or excitement. Then, for goodness sake, get the idea written down. Whether it’s a pen and paper or your phone, make note of what your genius is telling you. Often this small framework can later be expanded into a brilliant book or blog post, an idea for a lesson you want to teach, a talk you want to give or a discovery for an invention you’re working on.

Be open to it though. You being passionate and already mentally engaged in the field you love will be enough to get your genius firing off. Just make sure you listen to it and not the naysayers who might get you doubting some of your best ideas.

Rule number 3: Drive yourself to Greatness

“Work like there’s no tomorrow. Train. Strive. Really train and cultivate your talent to the highest degree.” – Michael Jackson

Most people who are not fully acquainted with Michael Jackson’s story are surprised at how ball breakingly hard he worked (it flies in the face of the whole genius perception people have). He wanted to be number one. He wanted to be the biggest musical star on the planet and dominate the charts like no one had ever done before.

Quincy Jones recalls tales of them working on Thriller 5 days straight without sleep. Rod Temperton, song writer of Thriller and an assortment of other Jackson hits, remembers Michael staying up all night memorising the lines from the songs Temperton had written so that he could sing without prompts in the studio the next day. Relationships and friendships were sacrificed. His health suffered. However, this didn’t matter as much to him as becoming number 1.

Understandably, this is a price you might not want to pay, but it’s worth noting that MJ’s extreme success had a lot to do with his extreme drive. What separates a star like Michael Jackson, who can have decade after decade of phenomenal sales, from one who experiences a brief high with a breakout album but then fails to follow up with anything meaningful?

Top of the list of factors, is how bad they want it. There’s a great book, written by advertising mogul Paul Arden, whose title I now want you to burn into your subconscious mind,

IT’S NOT HOW GOOD YOU ARE, IT’S HOW GOOD YOU WANT TO BE

Despite winning countless awards, Michael Jackson never displayed them at this home. Instead, they went into storage as he was adamant about never dwelling on his success. Instead, he was always focused on the next big project and approached them all with the same hunger as if it was his first.

Remember this example the next time you get complacent or want to slouch in front of the TV or aimlessly browse the internet. Every second, minute and day of your life counts and a lot of success is about how far you are prepared to push yourself. Go beyond what your body and mind tell you is possible and you’ll discover one of the greatest secrets that all mega successes know – there are no limits!

OVER TO YOU

Know any Michael Jackson fans? If so, please email them a link this article so they can learn success tips straight from their favourite superstar.

And let me know in the comments section below which famous figures you’ve learned from.

(Image taken from Erin Williamson photostream flickr.com)

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Celebrity

Why I paid $100,000 to look like this!

Date: Oct 22, 2014

Why I paid $100,000 to look like this!

Why, you might ask, have I posted this ridiculous picture of myself on my supposedly serious blog?

Do I need some attention?

Have I decided to turn Screw the System into a health and fitness blog?

Have I lost my mind?

None of the above.

While I appreciate that there are thousands of guys on the internet with more photo worthy physiques, I wanted to let you know that I keep myself in shape. I play tennis twice a week for about 3 hours in total; I lift weights twice a week for about an hour and half and I also go on one 5 kilometre run.

I’m telling you this so you know that the intention behind the photo is less about showing off and more about making a point. My body is a symbol of defiance. I’m flexing my muscles at the system and telling it, ‘I won’t let you control my time or set my agenda.’

I do this at a price. Over the years, dedicating approximately 5 hours a week to athletic pursuits has damaged my potential earnings. I recently calculated that I would be $100,000 richer had I not exercised at all over the last 11 years and instead, used this time to see clients and build my business (apologies if you thought the $100,000 in the title referred to some newfound surgery or pill that transforms fat to muscle!).

Let’s put this into perspective, $100,000 is nothing to be sneezed at. It’s a deposit on a home (in some countries it is a home). It’s one of those flash cars we’re taught to value so highly. It’s money I could invest to make myself richer.

So, instead of ‘enriching’ my life in one of the above manners, why would I choose to spend time punishing my body through physical exercise?

BECAUSE I LOVE IT!!!!

Since I was a small child, there was little that gave me quite such a thrill as chasing after a ball or competing against other kids to see who was the stronger or more skilful. However, when I got to the age of around 21 or 22, I realised that all of this was supposed to stop. It was kids’ stuff. What was considered more responsible, the path to getting ahead and the generally accepted thing to do, was spending 50 plus hours a week building a career you weren’t passionate about – Free time either didn’t exist or was to be spent getting blindingly drunk in the correct, socially accepted way of having fun.

I’ve never been one for walking the system’s path though. Why should I give up something I love to conform to society’s notion of the correct allocation of time and a proper appreciation for material worth?

It’s a question I now throw at you!

What have you Given Up?

Some people might see the $100,000 figure and think I’ve made a crazy choice. To hear that I absolutely do, on occasions, refuse to take on extra paid work so that I can go and play tennis may be beyond comprehension to those of you more materially inclined. However, there is method to my madness. There are very good reasons why I consider my athletic pursuits well worth the $100,000 hit (and even more!). I will share them now.

Clearly, exceptional health is a great payoff of following an exercise regime. While some of my peers are starting to experience the onset of the ageing process, I don’t feel a day older than 18. Physically, there’s little I can’t do and I live each day with the energy and enthusiasm of someone wanting to change the world.

This is only a side benefit, though, compared to the main prize of enjoying my life NOW! The system influences us to work and work and work and then one day, probably when you’re too old to appreciate it, you can relax and have fun. Problem is, you’re so burnt out from living such a stressful life, and so dependent on an organisation for daily structure, that you don’t have the energy to enjoy your retirement, nor the wherewithal to know how to spend all this newfound time.

So why wait?

Retire now! Or at least retire from the excesses of the 9 to 5 culture we get shoved down our throats.

Don’t work a minute longer than your contracted hours.
Don’t take on extra clients or contracts that fail to inspire.
Only work 4 days a week if you can get away with it.

Sure, it’s more than likely that you’ll earn less money but you’ll have more time to actually live.

This is something I’ve learned to appreciate on a Monday morning – when most of London’s inhabitants are stuck in sweltering tube carriages or offices – while I’m out in the sunshine, in the middle of summer, thrashing tennis balls up and down a court engaged in an activity that I find utterly absorbing.

THE IMPORTANCE OF PLAY

Of course, you may hate tennis and abhor any kind of physical activity. However, I would be truly surprised if you had no unpaid interests that make you come alive.

Do you spend enough time doing them?

Are you sacrificing your enjoyment NOW for some crazy notion of reward at the end of your life?

If so, you could be making a big mistake. Research shows that engaging in playful activities can have all kinds of benefits for your brain – increased adaptability, antidote to depression and improved brain function (there’s a great TED Talk on the subject if you click here).

Whatever your passions and interests are, I’m hoping my little story has convinced you of their worth. The system wants to take everything from us and make us believe that life is one long list of obligations, duties and standards to which we should conform. However, making time for the pursuits that are important to you, even if there is no material value in doing so, reconnects you with who you truly are and brings back some of the joy into living. Who knows, spend enough time doing them and you may be able to turn it into a lucrative career . . .

OVER TO YOU. . .

Know a friend that spends way too long working and neglects the things they used to love doing? Email them a link to this article and help them reconnect with their sense of adventure.

And please, tell me about some of your acts of defiance in the comments section below. What activities do you refuse to give up despite societal pressure to be a serious, respectable citizen?

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Money

Why it’s Bad to be Good

Date: Sep 16, 2014

Why it’s Bad to be Good

Rebellion is taking a new form. The 60’s had the sexual revolution, recreational drug use and war protests, the 70s had punk rock and strikes and the 80s and 90s saw the growth of hip hop culture. But what have we got today?

For better or worse (I’m inclined to think the latter), capitalism and consumerism are now the dominant socio-economic forces in the world. Although begrudgingly accepted rather than loved, their legitimacy and authority remain unquestioned. Almost all countries are united in their blind pursuit of economic growth and this filters down into populations obsessed with gaining, and terrified of losing, money.

As a result of this material preoccupation; ethics, morals and conscience have been thrown out the window. Profit comes first. This is the system’s mantra and we see it reflected in our companies, governments and even health care.

This lack of scruples from our major institutions sets a precedent for us all to follow in our occupational and lifestyle choices. We won’t think twice about working for unethical companies, buying unethical products or casually exaggerating our own status and achievements to impress others.

We live in a world of bullshit. Everyone responds that they’re ‘fine’ or ‘great’ when greeted yet we know we’re not (suicide is the biggest killer of men between the ages of 18 and 34 in the UK), advertising tricks us into believing that big corporations genuinely care and our politicians are more concerned with how the next headline reads than doing what’s right.

In such a topsy turvey world, where it’s less a case of good vs bad but evil vs even more evil, who do we turn to when looking for those prepared to challenge the establishment?

Don’t make the mistake of thinking it’s the drug fuelled, tattoo covered rock or rap star. Their form of rebellion plays into the system’s hands, promoting a shallow hedonistic lifestyle that primes younger generations for a lifetime of material pursuit.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking it’s the armed revolutionary. Their form of rebellion is now lethal in a world where technology can destroy millions of people at the press of a button.

Instead, we need to think out of the box. We need to look in a place that has never before been associated with rebellion – the Good Guys (and girls).

Defiant Honesty

Before we go any further, there’s a something I have to make perfectly clear – when I say Good Guys, I don’t mean saps. Think William Wallace in Braveheart, think Rubin Carter in The Hurricane, think Erin Brockovich in . . . you get the picture. Basically, tough sons of bitches with an impeachable moral code standing up for what’s right.

Remember, the game is all twisted. You don’t rebel by challenging anymore, you rebel by being yourself. In a system where we’re encouraged to mute our opinions and keep our true feelings under wraps, this is the ultimate act of defiance.

Honesty, integrity and caring about other people – traits typically associated with goody goodies – are now badass because the system teaches us to always think of ourselves, manipulate people for our own advance and put considerations of finance above all else.

Defiant honesty stretches beyond how you treat others though. More than anything, it’s about being true to yourself. It’s about having the strength to admit you’re not satisfied spending 40 plus years of your life working 40 to 50 hours a week in a job that gives you nothing greater than financial reward. It’s about being bold enough to say that drinking yourself into oblivion at the weekend is not your idea of fun. It’s about being open enough to admit your flaws and weaknesses and resisting the urge to put on a front in an attempt to impress others. In short, defiant honesty is about rejecting societal norms if they don’t work for you.

This kind of honesty undermines the system. Without violence or struggle, we just turn our backs on that we don’t truly believe in. And the world would change.

Imagine what would happen if we only chose careers we were passionate about. Imagine who you would let into your life if you were honest about the way you feel and willing to be open about your uncertainties. Without seeking to be, these changes would be revolutionary.

Remember, the system is so corrupt that it can’t function when confronted with truth. It needs us to perpetuate and participate in its lie for it to have any legitimacy. Stop doing that, by being truthful to yourself, and its illusion of power over our lives will soon disappear.

How can Defiant Honesty work for YOU?

‘Nice theory’ I hear you saying, ‘but how does this work in ‘The Real World’?’

I can’t promise you that practising Defiant Honesty is going to be easy or that it’s going to make you rich. However, you will be noticed. In fact, you’ll stand out like a beacon of light in a world self-serving clones.

This has many advantages;

· A loyal client base that loves you for always putting service and their well-being above profits.

· The respect and trust of other people.

· A chance to be on the cutting edge of innovation as your refusal to conform grants you access to avenues other people just won’t explore.

And then there are the benefits to your soul;

· The peace of mind gained by living life with a clear conscience.

· The toughness forged from resisting the near insurmountable pull of peer group pressure.

· Being loved by others because you’re always there for them regardless of work commitments or financial issues.

I hope I’ve convinced you with this argument. You don’t need to swear, smoke or stick your middle finger up to be a rebel anymore. It’s something accessible to all of us who are brave enough to follow the values of honesty, integrity and caring about other people.

Over to You . . .

Do you know any rebels? Email them a link to this article and give them a heads-up on the new form of rebellion.

Do you practise Defiant Honesty? Tell us about your experiences in the comments section below.

(Image taken from Toban B. photostream flickr.com)

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Why Earning $1500 a week isn’t Enough

Date: Aug 10, 2014

Why Earning $1500 a week isn’t Enough

I’m gettin’ paid!!!

The sun is out, the kids are on their school holidays and my tennis camps are packed. I’m making money. Maybe not BIG money, but I’m clearing over $1500 a week.

Why am I telling you this?

Because I’m into the highest grossing period of my year, yet I couldn’t be further away from realising my dreams!!!

Sounds confusing? Let me explain my dilemma and in the process, shed some light on a problem anyone with ambitions of starting a new business, or quitting a conventional job in pursuit of a more adventurous life, must face.

The Gettin’ Paid Paradox

We all love getting paid.

Whether it’s the end of the month, or someone handing you the cash directly, there’s something special about seeing those digits, or paper, stack up. After all, the system bombards us with the message that receiving regular, and large, amounts of money is the path to happiness, security and a life devoid of problems. However, the problem is that our brains are hard wired to seek and repeat pleasurable experiences and this, combined with the system’s conditioning, influences us to place making money as one of, if not THE, most important driving force in our lives.

‘Not me,’ I hear you say. ‘I don’t care about being rich.’ Fair enough, but I bet you care about being poor. I bet you won’t sacrifice your job no matter how much you hate it or how little you’re paid. You see, as much as we’re taught to love the thought of being rich, we’re taught to fear a lack of money even more.

Which brings us back to my dilemma. This conditioning to always focus on the bottom line has created a bizarre paradox whereby I’m experiencing the most financially successful time of my year, yet the bigger picture is slipping further and further into the background.

Let me further explain.

I work 45 hours a week, every week, unless I’m taking a rare holiday or experience a rare illness. Of these 45 hours, I commit 25 to 30 hours on activities that create a direct income – tennis coaching and hypnotherapy – and 15 to 20 hours on activities that are building my dream to be a successful author and coach.

Most of the year I stick to this balance. Over the last 4 weeks I’ve failed miserably. During this period, the balance has been more like 40 hours on direct income and 5 hours on dream building. As a result, my output has dropped significantly. I update my social media only 3 days a week instead of 5, I’m only writing one blog post a month instead of 2 and I haven’t made any videos.

It’s not good enough. While my wallet swells, my dream fades.

You see as much as I believe that you can change your life through the power of faith, raising your energy and limitless thinking, I also know that there are a few practical steps to building a new business, or creating a life greater than the one you have today, that you just can’t avoid. One of them, and possibly the most important, is the amount of time you dedicate towards doing it.

The T.I.M.E Factor

A few months ago I wrote a post pontificating on the importance of T.I.M.E. You can read the full version here but the overall gist was that the Dreamer needs to be putting in the equivalent of 2 hours 45 minutes daily to ensure those dreams turn into a reality.

This may seem like a lot, but I’m not alone in my thinking. Influential blogger, Jon Morrow, wrote a brilliant post on how to get more traffic to your website where he draws the same conclusions. He claims that if you want to generate serious traffic then you’ll have to spend the next 4 to 6 years putting in 20 to 40 hours a week! (Read the full article here, it’s an eye-opener!)

Can you see where this is heading?

What’s the number one factor that prevents you from putting 20 to 40 hours a week into building your blog, developing a skill or starting your business?

THE NEED TO MAKE MONEY. Or to put it more accurately, the perceived need to make money. The system fills our heads with this false notion that we can do anything with money and nothing without it. As a result, we don’t spend non-directly rewarded time building our dream when we could be spending it clawing in the cash. We won’t make what we believe is a sacrifice.

Today, I want to convince you this isn’t a sacrifice. I want to explain why making $1500 a week (or any amount) sometimes just isn’t enough.

There’s something far greater at stake than financial return here. By not building your days around the 2 hours 45 minutes you need to be doing, you’re missing out on the chance to make a difference with your life, make a living doing something you love and ironically, the opportunity to get mega-rich and win your financial freedom (as opposed being ‘system rich’ yet still having to work a 9 to 5 for the rest of your life.)

I know how hard it can be to resist the impulse to do the work and tasks that appear to be urgent, but if you’re serious about realising your dream then you have to go through a radical adjustment in your way of thinking and the scheduling of your day.

In anticipation of that change I’m going to blitz you with some suggestions and insights that will help you remain focused on the bigger picture.

Plan your days and weeks around the 2 hours 45 minutes of daily dream building, NOT YOUR JOB.
Don’t work overtime! Leave the office when your contracted hours are over.
Forget promotion, look for a way out.
Work less hours, earn less money, have more free time.
Become self-employed, set your own agenda.
If you’re really brave, work part-time.
Remember, you can live off far less money than you think.
Finally, the money you earn for today is less important than the dream you build for tomorrow.

Final Analysis

Recently, I calculated that I could almost double my income if I gave up on Screw the System and transferred that time over to seeing tennis and hypnotherapy clients.

The thought that bugs me, though, is would I be richer?

What’s that extra money worth? A slightly better car, a slightly larger house? The chance to escape your life with a vacation twice a year instead of once?

In the final analysis, I had to ask myself this question – Are small luxuries really worth giving up the chance to be great?

Think about it the next time you find yourself knee deep in work that brings no passion into your life!

Over to You . . .

When was the last time you got sucked into the trap of making money and neglecting your dream and what did you do to get out of it? Let me know in comments section below.

Also, do you know anyone who talks about starting a new business yet is too wrapped up in their job to take the first steps? Email them a link to this post and give them the kick they need to start making some changes.

(Image taken from 410 K 2012‘s photostream flickr.com)

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Money

The 3 Steps to Becoming Great

Date: Jul 10, 2014

The 3 Steps to Becoming Great

Legend has it that Michelangelo could stare at a rough slab of rock and see a beautiful statue inside. His job, therefore, was one of freeing the beauty within rather than creating something anew. He would take his tools, chip away at all the imperfections and smooth the rough edges until a glorious statue stood for the world to behold.

People would marvel at his work and ask him how he was able to create something of such beauty. He would reply that he had created nothing; he’d simply released the greatness that already existed.

You see, you’ve always been perfect. You are that beautiful statue irrespective of whether you’re standing free or covered by four tonnes of rock. Inside you are all the skills, intelligence and capacity to learn necessary to live a happy, fulfilled and exciting life. Regardless of your present situation, your health, how many times you’ve failed in the past or how depressed you feel, that statue is alive inside you and it is your essence. It can’t be crushed, lost or taken from you. It will always be with you, whether you choose to let it show or not.

But what’s the rock?

This is where it gets interesting. Why do most people never live a life equal to their potential?

We all have this deeper knowing that we could be living a much greater life than the one we presently live, yet are frustrated in our efforts to attain it.

Why?

The answer is that there’s something blocking our greatness. Like the rock surrounding the statue, our greatness gets smothered by the system.

The system conceals our statue by;

Conditioning us to believe in a world of limitation where people don’t live extra-ordinary lives.
Influencing us to place a greater level of importance on society’s expectations than our own.
Tricking us into believing that the abnormal (working 50 – 60 hours a week, needing drugs to function, lying politicians, corrupt corporations) is normal and therefore accepting a f###ed up world.

All of this conditioning prevents us from realising that we, and our lives, could be GREAT.

Think about it, the focus of most people’s lives is not how to realise every ambition they’ve ever had and experience as much of life as possible; it’s simply to ‘get by’. We don’t set our sights higher because we don’t believe that lifelong happiness and fulfilment are possible. And we don’t believe they’re possible because the system has taught us that the world doesn’t work that way.

I’m pissed off about this situation. It’s why I started this website. Why can’t the world be a happy place, filled with inspired people enjoying their lives and using their gifts for the benefit of all?

I believe it can and in my small attempt to make this a reality, I want to use my expertise to help you discover your greatness.

So read on and discover the 3 secrets that will enable you to reveal your statue to the world.

STEP 1: Find your Passion

Your greatness needs an outlet to flourish. We haven’t come through thousands of years of evolution to be sitting in an office stressed, bored out of our brains and wondering about the purpose of our lives. Each and every one of us has something inspiring to contribute to the world, that once we find, will bring immense joy and meaning to our lives.

But how do we find it?

A recent study indicates that only 19% of employees in the US and Canada are satisfied with their jobs. It’s clear that the system’s model of studying hard at school and college, following our parents’ wishes, copying what our friends and peers are doing and listening to career’s advisors isn’t working.

We need a radical rethink on navigating our way through life and it starts with identifying our driving force. Let me explain.

When you follow the system’s model you are driven by two main forces; security and financial reward. Of course, other factors are important but the main focus is what’s going to bring you the greatest amount of money for the smallest risk (It’s why people following the system’s path don’t end up mega rich, only ‘system rich’, because they’re too afraid of the risks associated with starting their own business or becoming a master at a creative endeavour). Security is just as important as money when you live by the system’s rules and it tends to lead to a safe and comfortable life but at the cost of compromising your individuality, desires and freedom.

I’m challenging you to reject this model. To truly find your passion you have to make inspiration your driving force. You have to pursue what brings the greatest amount of joy and reward into your life irrespective of money.

Now I understand this might seem unrealistic advice given that we appear to live in a world dominated by the need to have money. However, it would be inaccurate to assume that living an inspiration driven life will lead to poverty. In fact, it’s making this switch that gives you the opportunity to make enough money to claim your financial freedom. Think about it, inspiration is the force that enables people to create the greatest inventions and products, give amazing performances and make profound discoveries. It’s what enables you to lift your head above the uninspired masses and perform to such a level that people will pay for your expertise.

With this in mind, you will need to tune into your feelings to find your passion. They will reveal the path, and every subsequent step along the journey, you need to take. Be true to them. Don’t let the system tell you that what you love isn’t cool or impossible to make a living out of. Blogging and YouTube channels didn’t exist over 10 years ago and now thousands of people are making money through them. Inspiration can always be monetized.

STEP 2: Gain Super-Hero Confidence

A decision to reject the system’s path and follow your passion is an empowering, yet at the same time scary, move. While most people follow a well-trodden path through life, you are forging your own. The one quality you’re going to need on this journey, above all else, is confidence. And not just any old form of confidence, it needs to be big balled super-hero confidence.

But how to develop it when we’re raised in a system which leads us to believe the individual is weak and powerless to affect change?

For most of us, confidence is something we have to build. From adolescence the system conditions us into conformity and the underlying message is that we’re not strong enough to stand alone. You have to reverse this conditioning. You have to have the confidence to walk into any situation and know that your voice will be heard, your idea recognised or your outcome achieved.

While the internet is awash with magic elixirs on how to build confidence, there is only one true method. You have to put yourself through the rigors of facing your fears. One by one, you must undertake the tasks that fill you with dread, approach the people you feel nervous to meet and embrace the opportunities that force you out of your comfort zone. This is the path to super-hero confidence. Through a process of exposing yourself to your fears and then proving to yourself that you can get through them, your confidence slowly grows as you become desensitsed to the challenge and discover your incredible ability to adapt to whatever situation you’re faced with.

So get excited the next time you feel that fear because it’s a golden opportunity. And remember, there’s no turning back. People become great because other people believe in them. There’s no way this can happen unless you believe in yourself.

STEP 3: LET GO

The final secret to discovering your greatness is developing the ability to let go. But what does this mean?

Letting go of our fears, doubts and questions?
Letting go of our need to control?
Letting go of our past failures?
Letting go of our guilt and anger?
Letting go of past relationships and moving on?

All of the above. You can’t be great with mental sewage floating around in your mind. The energy you live with is the most important thing in your life. In fact, it determines everything.

Some of sciences greatest minds (Einstein, Planck) have theorised that matter is not as real as the system would have us believe. Far from our reality being fixed, solid and largely unchangeable, it is shaped, and responds to, our energy. To quote Max Planck directly, ‘All matter originates and exists by virtue of a force . . . We must assume behind this force the existence of a conscious and intelligent mind. This mind is the matrix of all matter.’

Understanding this truth flips your world on its head. No longer are we the powerless victims of chance, stuck in a uncaring system, doomed to play out the role society has been preparing us for since birth. Instead, we are the creators and architects of our own reality. Through the energy we live with, the thoughts we entertain and the subsequent choices and actions we take, we play the lead role in determining the way the world responds to us.

This is why developing the ability to Let Go is so important to discovering your greatness. A clear mind, unfettered by fears, stresses and regrets, is free to manifest the future it desires.

Attaining this state takes practise. Reminding yourself to Let Go whenever you find your thoughts focusing on the latest argument you had with your boyfriend or girlfriend, your hang ups and insecurities or the trivialities of the day, is a true mental discipline.

Master it, and there is little you won’t be able to direct your mind towards achieving. Let your mind master you and you’ll find your attempts to realise your greatness forever frustrated by what seems like a power beyond your control.

(1st image taken from Stoic Meditation photostream flickr.com)

(2nd image taken from Symphony of Love photostream flickr.com)

(3rd image taken from Bohman photostrem flickr.com)

(4th image taken from Admitchell08 photostream flickr.com)

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Personal Development

Be Like Water: Bruce Lee’s 3 Quotes for living a Limitless Life

Date: Apr 23, 2014

Be Like Water: Bruce Lee’s 3 Quotes for living a Limitless Life

Bruce Lee personified all it means to Screw the System. Martial artist, movie star, teacher, visionary and self-made man, his was a truly extraordinary life. However, it’s not just his movies that he’s remembered for. He also gave the world some of the most insightful quotes about realising your dreams and potential.

If I had to sum up his life and philosophy in a single word, the one I’d choose is ‘limitless.’ He couldn’t be confined by any notion of what was or wasn’t possible. Whether it was what he could do with his body or the outrageous dreams he had for spreading his art form through movies, he never saw any limits.

This is a place every person reading this blog should aim to be. ‘Limitless Living’ is a motto for us all. However, getting there is not always easy. Presently, you may feel limited by the ‘necessity’ of earning money and the time this detracts from building your dream, a lack of contacts or experience, a health complaint that drains you of energy, personal hang ups, your age (believing you’re too young or too old to do something) or even just bad luck.

However, right now, it’s time to leave all that behind!

QUOTE 1: Don’t Limit Yourself

“If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them.”

Clearly, we had to start with this one. There are so many people talking about living a limitless life, yet so few who know what it really means.

Our limitations usually come from one of two sources. They’re either imposed on us by the system or created in our mind as a response to past failure or defeats.

The first – system limitations – are everywhere. Whether they come from the government, media, parents, friends, colleagues, bosses or religious figures, we hear and see them all the time.

‘Only the exceptionally talented or lucky get to live an exciting life.’

‘It’s not possible to be happy all the time.’

‘Don’t aim too high because you don’t want to get disappointed in the likely event that you’ll fail.’

Messages like these are rife in our society. And guess what? If you hear them enough, you may start to believe them.

Personal limitations are just as damaging as the ones created by the system. They seep into our subconscious from childhood and are usually based on erroneous assumptions from past experiences and failures about what we can and can’t do. For example, a harrowing school experience of speaking in front of the class may then develop into a limiting belief that the individual is hopeless at public speaking and presentations.

Most people have their share of limitations like these and they can be based around anything – an inability to sleep, the belief that they’ll always be overweight or the notion that they can do well but never excel.

Whatever form your personal and system based limitations take, YOU MUST NOT ACCEPT THEM. Nothing will do more to shrink the horizons of your life. Instead, use Bruce Lee as an example of what IS possible. He had every reason to believe in limits and was told on a daily basis that his dream for Hollywood success would never happen. His struggle to break into the film industry was legendary as he went from bit parts, to TV series, to travelling back to Hong Kong to make his name, to finally making it in Hollywood.

The problem was that he was a Chinese American wanting to make films about a fighting style that western audiences had never heard of. In short, the system said it wasn’t possible.

Did he listen though?

No, and herein lies the lesson.

Our limits aren’t real. They are simply a figment of our imagination. Humanity is ALWAYS evolving, getting faster, stronger, inventing new ways of making life easier and more enjoyable and finding ways to heal and regenerate our body. What was impossible yesterday, a child can do today.

It’s so important to remember this because if you accept limitations then you’re fighting against the flow of life.

So give yourself a chance and COMPLETELY IGNORE everything the system and your subconscious says you can’t do!

QUOTE 2: Repetition is the Key

“I fear not the man who has practised 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practised 1 kick 10,000 times.”

Success principles aren’t complicated. We just tend to get awed by the masters and think there must be some secret they know that nobody else is aware of. There isn’t though. In fact, it’s all a bit mundane.

Repetition, repetition, repetition is the key and once you’ve done it 10,000 times, you have to do it 10,000 more.

There is one caveat though. Make sure what you’re doing is efficient and effective. There’s no point in repeating a skill 10,000 times if you’re doing it incorrectly. Of course, efficiency and effectiveness grow the more you practise, but it’s worth consulting books, experts and on line sources to make sure you’re on the right track.

Bruce Lee epitomised the 10,000 kick rule. He was known for training 4 hours daily on top of a hectic filming, writing and instructing schedule. Arnold Schwarzenegger also talks about the importance of repetition in his book Total Recall, ‘Whether you’re doing a bicep curl in a chilly gym or talking to world leaders, there are no shortcuts – everything is reps, reps, reps.’

Could both of these greats be onto something? I certainly believe so. My work as a tennis coach has confirmed to me that it’s not the most talented kids, or the richest, or the ones with access to the best facilities that succeed. It’s the ones who are obsessed enough to put in those 10,000 hours.

You’ll need to remember this when training to become a champion in your field. The time it takes is huge. Get distracted, or focus too heavily on paying the bills, and your dream will remain forever out of reach.

Quote 3: Master your Mind

‘What you habitually think largely determines what you will ultimately become.’

Not many people know this, but Bruce Lee was a huge personal development fan. A particular favourite of his was Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich and he was absolutely convinced by the mind’s ability to make a dream come true.

So much so, that he followed Napoleon Hill’s instructions to the letter and wrote out and repeated daily his Definite Chief Aim (DCA). As taken from Bruce Thomas’s biography on Lee, Fighting Spirit, it went like this,

‘I, Bruce Lee, will be the first highest paid Oriental superstar in the United States. In return I will give the most exciting performances and render the best quality in the capacity of an actor. Starting 1970, I will achieve world fame and from then onwards till the end of 1980 I will have in my possession $10,000,000. I will live the way I please and achieve inner harmony and happiness.’

At the time of writing this, Lee was suffering from a crippling back injury, unable to train, struggling to make payments on his house and facing rejection after rejection for film ideas. However, Thomas’s book recalls that the definiteness of purpose this DCA created transfused Lee with an energy that literally got him up off the couch and into our cinema screens.

You’d do well to follow Lee’s example. It’s been repeated again and again, but a wavering mind will sabotage any attempts at success. Instead, you must take control of your thoughts and channel them in the direction you want to go. Even if you’re not as clear on your goals as Lee, a firm conviction that you WILL find a path is enough.

The problems begin when you start to go backwards and forwards on ideas and dreams, committing one minute and then retreating to the false security of your old life the next. This has to stop. Right now, make up your mind that you will live the greater life you crave and discipline your mind into accepting it as the truth.

Over to You . . .

Do you know anyone who puts limits on their life? Do them (and me) a favour by emailing them this post.

And finally, I want to hear from YOU. Leave a comment in the section below on your favourite Bruce Lee (or any other inspirational figure) quote and the impact it’s had on you.

(Image taken from Lexinatrix photostream flickr.com)

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Quotes

Celebrity

The ONLY 3 quotes you’ll EVER need to be Happy and Successful

Date: Apr 9, 2014

The ONLY 3 quotes you’ll EVER need to be Happy and Successful

Take a look at the picture to your left. While it might not be everybody’s idea of paradise, you could say it’s a visual representation of a destination most people would like to be.

House by the lake, warm climate, relaxed lifestyle and beautiful scenery. It’s funny how everything you dream of having can be captured in certain pictures.

So, just for a few moments, I want YOU to focus on your idea of paradise. I want you to close your eyes and imagine a life where you are completely happy and successful.

Done that?

Good.

Now let’s move on to how you can create it.

You see it’s my belief that 3 little quotes can lead you to this destination. That’s all it takes, 3 pieces of wisdom that if followed will create the perfect mind-set for happiness and success.

Want to find out what they are?

Before I reveal them, there are two things you need to know.

1. I chose these quotes because they had a shockingly profound impact on my life. These were big, Eureka moments baby. Upon reading them, the thunder roared, the lightening flashed and I was left feeling like there was nothing I couldn’t achieve. Because they had such a HUGE impact on me, I’m hoping they will also elevate your consciousness to a place where your dreams are possible.

2. They’re not exactly quotes. In fact, they’re more like short passages. Selected from 3 books that had the most influential impact on my life, I’ve felt compelled to include more than just one line. I will also explain the full implications of the passage and how you can use its lessons to bring about amazing changes to your life.

So without further ado, let’s begin with the first passage (each quote appears under the book it’s taken from).

1. The Tenth Insight – James Redfield

“Coming into spiritual awareness meant more than rituals and sacrifices and public prayer. It involved a repentance of a deeper kind; a repentance that was an inner psychological shift based on the suspension of the ego’s addictions, and a transcendent “letting go,” which would ensure the true fruits of the spiritual life.”

This lesson is about ‘letting go’.

At the time I read this passage, I was trying to control everything – my sleeping pattern to free myself from insomnia, a shoulder injury I was trying to force to heal, my ability to ‘perform’ sexually, my IBS that I was attempting to clear by forcing myself to go to the toilet when I didn’t need to go and a bizarre bloodshot eye that I would check in the mirror incessantly in the hope that it wasn’t there.

These are the ‘ego’s addictions’. The things we feel we have to consciously control in order to achieve the outcome we desire.

IT DOESN’T WORK!

Redfield made me aware of this by explaining that there’s a deeper wisdom beyond our own conscious control. He let me know that my job was to simply get out of the way of this wisdom and let IT guide me.

Life becomes so much easier and exciting when you embrace this lesson. You don’t have to worry. You don’t have to live in fear and you don’t have to force the outcome you desire. Just place all of your faith in the idea that this deeper wisdom is guiding you and an answer or path WILL be revealed.

2. The Power of Your Subconscious Mind – Joseph Murphy

“If thou canst believe; all things are possible to him that believeth”

Perhaps I should credit the bible with this quote. However, it was Joseph Murphy’s timeless classic where I first encountered these life changing words.

The simple promise they offer is revelatory. In a system where we’re always being told what can’t be done and that we just have to accept our lot in life, these words act as a gentle reminder that WE hold the key to our destinies.

Belief can be defined as the inner acceptance of a desire or outcome (e.g. I am a complete and happy person/I am healthy). However, this isn’t always easy. As simple as the quote may be, getting your head round the idea that you are rich, free, happy and healthy, and you spend your time doing the things you love, when daily circumstances scream the complete opposite at you, can be a tough ask. It requires a level of detachment from your environment and an ability to feel the reality of your desire even without its physical manifestation.

Do this, though, and the world is yours. The quote doesn’t say that you might enjoy a few temporary successes or that you can live comfortably for the rest of your days. No, it tells us that ALL things are possible. And when it states ALL, it means ALL – Time travel, a cure for all diseases, world peace, you living your life exactly as you choose and succeeding in the way that you desire. ALL of these outcomes are possible. You’ve just got to remember two things.

1. Always believe in yourself and your vision.

2. Don’t ever limit your thinking by accepting the dominant outlook of the day.

3. As a Man Thinketh – James Allen

“Men are anxious to improve their circumstances, but are unwilling to improve themselves; they therefore remain bound. The man who does not shrink from self-crucifixion can never fail to accomplish the task upon which his heart is set.”

This is the tough part. The sooner you realise that the path to happiness and success lies through pain, the quicker you will rise. Whether it’s the physical pain of your body coming off drugs, cigarettes or junk food, the mental pain of having to push yourself to create a masterpiece or the emotional pain of growing as a person, time and again you will be required to offer yourself up for self-crucifixion.

This term perfectly captures the essence of realising your dreams. You’ll tremble at times. You’ll want to turn back or give up. It’ll feel like you’re going through hell but you’ve got to keep reminding yourself that this pain is part of your growth. You’re shedding the old you with all its weaknesses and imperfections and what will emerge is a person strong enough to succeed at any task put before them.

Allen’s quote contains another gem that will aid you on your journey. The observation that men are anxious to improve their circumstances yet unwilling to improve themselves, highlights a critical error that virtually every person makes.

When stuck, and unable to reach the next level in their life, most people will ask the question, ‘What do I need to DO?’ Their focus is on their physical reality and changing some part of it in order to succeed. However, what they should be asking is, ‘What do I need to become or change?’ Here the spotlight is shone within and it’s through this introspection that a person can often identify a flaw in their level of belief, the energy they put into their life or courage in facing the challenges, that once rectified will enable them to continue their advance.

Over to You . . .

What’s your most powerful life changing passage or quote? Put your answer in the comments section below and let’s see if we can build a database of inspiring messages.

Also, do you know anyone who’s keen to live a happy and successful life? Email them a link to this post and help them on their journey.

(Image taken from Steven Martin photostream flickr.com)

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Quotes

Personal Development

Why you Must Challenge The System to Grow as a Person

Date: Mar 21, 2014

Why you Must Challenge The System to Grow as a Person

Do you feel lost sometimes?

Is there a lack of excitement in your life?

Are you fed up with spending 90% of your time doing the things you have to do and only 10% of your time doing the things you want to do?

If any of the above applies then I have the answer for you. However, it doesn’t involve travelling the world, retraining at university or quitting your job.

No, this solution is more dynamic, explosive and adventurous than all of the above. It gets right to the core of what prevents us from being who we want to be and living the lives we want to live.

For some, it may seem a little scary. It might even appear to carry with it the potential for disaster. However, hear me out because I’m going to explain why challenging the system is not only the path to a life of adventure, meaning and fulfilment, but also the route through which humanity evolves.

The Challenge

Before we start, it’s important to understand exactly what we mean by challenging the system. This isn’t about rebellion for rebellion’s sake. In fact, this challenge applies as much to the apparent conformist as it does the rebel. This is because, irrespective of our different dreams, the system will always act as a block between us and their realisation.

Therefore, it’s not a case of looking for something to challenge, but simply being true to your desires.

Let me explain.

The system is always trying to stuff us in boxes. For example, you’re from a middle class family with a good education, therefore you should have a respected professional occupation and become a lawyer, doctor or accountant. You’re a woman from a non-descript background so who are you to be setting your sights too high or daring to think you can compete with men for some of the top positions? Or perhaps you’re born into a ghetto or slum and are constantly being told that your only options are a life of crime or professional sport if you’re exceptionally lucky.

But what happens when we don’t want to play the role the system gives us?

I need to make this absolutely clear – there is absolutely no one on the planet who is defined by their so called nationality, race, religion, class, gender or sexuality. We are always so much more complex (and greater) than the labels the system gives us.

This means it’s impossible for us to live a happy and fulfilled life by conforming to the path presented to us by our parents, teachers, peers, religious institution, media and the government. Even if we do come from a so called ‘middle class’ family and do have a passion for law, they’ll be some part of it we want to change or leave our unique mark on. Perhaps we loathe the idea of defending people we know are guilty or want to take on more pro bono cases than our firm allows. Whatever the case, the narrow roles the system urges us to play only ever end up restricting both our freedom and talents. Therefore, to bridge the gap between a mediocre life and the one of your dreams, you have to challenge the system and break free from what it wants you to be.

What Does this Mean?

The implications of challenging the system are not what they seem. This isn’t necessarily about violence, confrontation and anarchy. In fact, at its core, challenging the system is much softer and inspired by love. As Che Guevara said, “At the risk of sounding ridiculous, let me say that the true revolutionary is guided by feelings of love.“

You’d do well to remember this quote because your entire life will play out as a battle between two competing forces. On the one side you’ll have your heart, conscience or inner voice. On the other, the system or what you feel you’re expected to do. The choice is really that simple. The difficulty lies in making the right and brave decision.

Too many people hide from this challenge out of fear. However, right now, I want you to approach this dilemma as if you don’t have a choice. Our feelings are there for a VERY important reason. To deny them brings all kind of disharmony, disease and pain into our lives.

So I want you to ask yourself who you REALLY want to be and what you REALLY want to do. And don’t limit yourself. If your heart throws out some answer like the President of your country or discovering the cure for cancer then so be it. The system is going to tell you it’s impossible. You know this already. However, the thing you absolutely MUST remember is that the system’s voice does NOT represent the truth. Countless individuals have challenged the system and overcome the apparently insurmountable odds.

You can be one of them.

Need further motivation?

Here are some final thoughts . . .

How Humanity Evolves

This is bigger than you! It isn’t just about you getting rich or being happy. There’s something much more important at stake. Ultimately, if people like YOU don’t challenge the system and start living out their truth then the human race will perish.

Sounds a little extreme?

Not so. You see the problem with the system is that it’s hell bent on maintaining the status quo. Unfortunately, this works against the laws of nature where you either evolve or die.

We can see this conflict play out with some of the outdated beliefs humanity still accepts to this day. The unquestioned assumptions that nation states should be pursuing economic growth above all else, and the necessity of maintaining mass armed forces, are both bringing us to the brink of disaster. We need inspired individuals to begin challenging these (and many more like them) status quo beliefs not just so that we can continue to evolve, but also to survive.

This is what Galileo did. This is what Martin Luther King did. This is what Steve Jobs did. You can join them as one of history’s greats but you need to start setting your sights higher than what the system tells you you can be.

Over to You . . .

How are you going to challenge the system? What’s your great idea or injustice that you want to see righted? Let us know in the comment section below.

Also, do you know anyone who’s struggling to find their way? Breathe some life back into them by sharing this post by email.

(Image taken from Poetgrafie’s photostream flickr.com)

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How to Fight Back When you get Screwed by the System

Date: Mar 6, 2014

How to Fight Back When you get Screwed by the System

Its gonna happen sooner or later. You can follow all the rules, keep your head down and work hard but you’re still going to get shafted. Whether it’s forced redundancy, a bank collapsing and wiping out your savings, somebody getting promoted above you because they’re better at playing ‘the game’, the decline of your vitality as you give endless hours to a job you hate or petty regulations stopping you living the way you want, the system will screw you at some point.

So what can you do?

Right now, it may feel like you’re in a position similar to Edward Norton’s character from Fight Club in the picture above. He presents us with the archetype of an individual disillusioned by the system yet unable to find a way out. Fortunately for him, he had Tyler Durden and his ingenious life philosophy to help.

While I can’t compete with the brilliance of Chuck Palahniuk’s creation, I have got answers.

So if you find yourself bored living a life primarily focused on the material, feel that there’s so much more you could be doing with your potential or fed up with having to compromise your ideas and desires then continue reading.

What I’m going to give you is an easy to follow 3 point plan for escaping all the bullshit, backstabbing and stress of the system’s world and a means to finding and creating a life where you determine the direction you’re going.

STEP 1: Question Every Assumption

We have to start here. If you want to live a life where you’re free to pursue your inspiration and express all of your talents and ideas then there is some conditioning that you must first overcome.

For the purpose of brevity, we’re going to focus on 2 key assumptions that the system influences us to believe in and why they must be challenged.

1. Money makes the world go round. It doesn’t seem to matter much when we’re kids. However, as we get older, it’s no exaggeration to say that the quest to make money becomes the most important focus of our lives.

This happens for two reasons. 1. We’re conditioned by advertising, peers and the media to think that greater wealth equates to a happier life. 2. We’re taught by parents, teachers and the media that a lack of money makes you a less valuable person.

Both of these assumptions are WRONG. In fact, statistics suggest that people in the highest wealth bracket are only 3% happier than average and that an income above $20,000 per capita yields a minimal increase in happiness. However, most people don’t realise this. Instead, they continue to get caught up in the hype and spend their lives ignoring their health and well-being in pursuit of greater pay days or avoiding taking any risks for fear of financial disaster.

You must not let this happen to you!

Inspiration not remuneration has to be your driving force. It’s only by following your heart that you’ll find your true place in life and feel a genuine sense of fulfilment with the success you accomplish.

2. Authority knows best. This is a big one. We spend far too much of our lives revering authority figures and believing that they actually know what they’re saying or doing.

I’m questioning everything and everyone here.

Governments and politicians who continue to make economic growth the main focus of their policies even in the face of impending worldwide environmental disaster.
Doctors and scientists paid by huge pharmaceutical companies to promote drugs which have little healing value, while at the same time, discrediting genuine alternative forms of treatment that might help.
The education system and teachers who are more concerned with league tables and figures than actually teaching anything that will develop an individual.

All of these authority figures MUST be questioned.

Why?

One of the worst mistakes you can make is to believe that you are inferior to anyone. To live a life where you determine the direction you’re going you HAVE to believe in your own judgement and instincts. Be easily swayed by others, believe that what you want is not possible because some authority figure tells you so or doubt yourself and ask the terrible question, ‘who am I to challenge anything‘, and the strength needed to stand alone will always elude you.

STEP 2: Get a Dream

Creating a dream for your life is the ultimate security against the whims of the system. While everyone else is subject to the ups and downs of the economy and the disposable nature of most jobs, you’ll have something that can never be shaken.

This dream must be fiercely authentic to have the power to protect you from the system. It’s about what YOU want to be and do with your life. Even if this sounds ridiculous to others, you must go with something that you feel connects with your purpose in being alive. And don’t judge your dream by the system’s standards of wealth and status. If spending all day every day creating oil paintings and selling your work to support yourself brings the greatest amount of joy into your life then go for it. You determine the value of your life.

Of course, other people may mock your dream and say it’s impossible but these naysayers are overlooking one hugely important fact. A dream creates meaning – a quality we crave above all else.

You see part of the reason modern western societies have such huge rates of depression and suicide is that the majority of us unconsciously feel we’re living meaningless lives. The system conditions us into making money our God but try as we might, we can never fill the hole in our soul through the accumulation of riches and consumer goods. We need something more and this can only be found through living a life that brings out the deeper emotions of love and joy and the knowledge you’re having a positive impact on the world around you.

STEP 3: Start Living It

I don’t need to say this, do I? You MUST MUST MUST start acting on this dream.

It’s hard, I know, but without taking the steps necessary to realise your dream you’ll be trapped in a horrible place. Fully aware and completely dissatisfied with what the system has to offer, yet for fear of failure, lack of belief that it’s possible or whatever other reason it might be, unable to pursue an alternative.

You don’t want to be here.

This may sound harsh, but its best you know this right now. You’re either in or your out when it comes to escaping the system and realising your dreams. You can’t cling onto the security and comfort of the system while wanting the adventure and joy of pursuing your own unique destiny. At some point you must make a choice.

In anticipation of you making this decision there’s one thing I want you to remember – there’s no such thing a guaranteed security. Both sticking with the system and pursuing your own destiny carry their pitfalls.

I ask you, then, to look at what you stand to gain and answer this question.

Can you really give up your one opportunity to make a genuine, positive difference to this world for the meagre promise of comfort and luxury?

Over to you . . .

Do you know anyone fed up with having to play the system’s game? Email this blog to them and point them in the right direction.

Also, let me know your own experiences in the comments section below. How has the system screwed you and what have you done to reclaim your life?

(Image taken from saganass photostream flickr.com)

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