Feel like there should be more to life...?

Do you question if you're on the right path or if you're just wasting your time?

Do you secretly suppress your dreams out of fear of what other people will think?

If you answered yes, let me tell you why if you don't do something drastic about it now, you'll wake up in 10,15,20 years… wondering where your life went, and never getting to truly experience the beauty of life when you step into the unknown.

There's a famous saying (not sure exactly where it came from)… but it goes like this:

And let me tell you… you do not want to be in category #3.

These are the people who are stuck working at jobs they hate for 20 years. Who follow the path other people laid out before them. Who do NOT take control of their lives… and get to their 60s and 70s wondering where the hell their life went… searching for the freedom they were "promised" in exchange for the 40 years of their life... searching for the meaning they never seemed to find… and guess what?

It might actually be too late.

Of course, it's NEVER too late to make a change. But I'd rather start working on creating a life in alignment with who I am now instead of waiting – wouldn't you?

Here's the thing… the worst thing you can do is nothing at all. It's being in a position you don't want to be in but questioning every other alternative because you're scared of it being the "wrong path". The truth is, there is no such thing as the wrong path, but there is such thing as:

Degrees of Alignment

You've probably heard the feel-good saying:

There is no such thing as the wrong path because everything you've done has led you to where you are right now.

And yes, this is true…

Most of the time, going down wrong the path and experiencing what it feels like to be misaligned, lost, and confused is exactly what you need to know what it feels like to be aligned.

This is the process of Experiential Iterative Alignment.

If you go down enough "wrong" paths, eventually, you'll know all of the things you SHOULDN'T do, leading you exactly to where you were supposed to be all along…

But I want to be clear…

Just because there are no "wrong" paths…

Does not mean you shouldn't take control and potentially save years of your life being on a misaligned path for too long. Because in reality, the sooner you can start living closer to your true nature and living in alignment with what your heart wants… the easier and more fulfilling your life will be.

So, how do you know if your current current path is aligned?

Let's break this down a little more…

Right now, you might be in a position where you're so far out of alignment – working a job you didn't choose at all, striving for goals that aren't really yours, and completely suppressing your inner voice because that's what you think is normal. Again, this isn't "wrong"… you simply don't now any better. You've been following the path laid out by the people who came before you:

Go to school, get a degree, find a job, buy a house, build a family, work for 40 years, "retire", and then to finally be able to enjoy your time... (if everything goes as planned). The sad reality is, many people carry on this path for years. All the while suppressing the creative spark, aliveness, and zest for life that was once alive when they were kids. Ya know? When you had big dreams. Until eventually, the voice inside of you got so tired of screaming and never getting heard, it faded away into oblivion… covered with cope and oozing in complacency.

This is a sad reality.

This is when people get to the end of their life feeling like they never truly lived. This is when people die with regret… wondering what the hell just happened. They stayed on the unaligned path for too long, never getting to experience what it was like to live a life in full alignment with what their heart wanted… and experiencing the profound beauty of life when you live from this place –

When everything works out effortlessly.

When the world turns to meet you half way and places you in the reality you co-create with God.

When things shift so much faster than you would think is physically possible.

Now if you're reading this, it means there's a voice whispering inside of you… a deeper meaning for being. A calling. A yearning. An intuitive feeling that there must be more to life… and somehow, you're just not quite there. If that's you, congratulations. Truly. You're here, seeking, following your intuition and looking for the answers....

And those who seek will find, my friend.

Acknowledging you're not okay with living the reality the majority of people live in and that you crave more is the first step to creating the life you want... Once you see that you don't have to play by anyone else's rules and you open your eyes to the the mental imprisonment you've been living in, your life can and will instantly start to shift.

Rip the Bandaid

"Failure isn't fatal, but failure to change might be" - John Wooden

The first step to creating the life you want is to rip the psychological bandaid off. Yes, it sound be extreme, but extreme situations call for extreme measures. If nothing ever changes in your life, then nothing will ever truly change.

If you want to create a new life, you need to burn down your old life. Physically and metaphorically.

Let me tell you a story…

Just a little over two years ago, I was in this exact position. Working as an engineer during the day – making music at night. Knowing if just kept going with music, it would all work out eventually… The only issue was it couldn't come soon enough.

I was spending my waking life stuck in a prison. It might sound dramatic… but when you know you're meant for more and are constantly surrounded by people whose souls and quench for life have been sucked out of them – having accepted their doom as a mere cog in the machine… you feel your soul deteriorating.

Contrary to common belief, one of the most addicting and dangerous drugs is not heroin.

It's a salary. Complacency.

All of their lost hopes, dreams, and aspirations drain you. You hear it in their voice… "Must be nice", they say. "I used to want to do that too", "Ha trust me – I didn't think I'd be here for 20 years when I first started. But it'll do that to you…"

I still remember my boss's 25th anniversary party. I was 25 at the time…

Oh, HELL NO…

Get me the fuck out. Get me the fuck out. Get me the fuck out.

Sure, you get the best health benefits. Above average pay. Cafeteria with "comped" food. Gym, sauna, work social events, all of it…

Logically, you'd be foolish to ever leave that job. BUT THAT'S THE ISSUE. WE'RE NOT LOGICAL BEINGS. WE'RE EMOTIONAL. And when you're living a life that is so far out of alignment of your true essence, it is physically and emotionally devastating. It bleeds into every other aspect of your life. And worst of all, you are not in control. They tell you when you can or can't take a day off. When to eat. When you can work from home or come into the office. How much you make and what you can or can't do with your time. It is modern day slavery.

For some people, this consistent paycheck might be enough to justify giving up on their dreams…

But for people like us, it just doesn't cut it.

We cannot sacrifice our soul.

Carving your Own Path

Now, back to carving your own path…

Once you come to this realization that something drastic needs to change, you need to start moving. This is where there is no such thing as the WRONG path… because any direction you choose to go in is a conscious choice away from the life you know you don't want. It's from this moment that you start to cultivate a deeper relationship with your intuition. The intelligence inside of you that always knows what you need to do. If this sounds too intense, dial it back. At the basis of all this is:

Your curiosity.

What is calling you? What direction are you being pulled in? What are you seeing pop up in your life more and more?

When I was thinking about quitting my job and wanting to travel, I kept seeing Medellin, Colombia pop up for me in the most random places. I'd read about it in books, I'd see people on Twitter talking about moving there, and I'd get random emails from people I followed about it. Suddenly, I had this strong urge to move there and I couldn't even explain it besides – it just "felt" right. Does quitting your job and moving to South America sound drastic? My parents sure thought so… Especially after I had gone to college, got a "good" job, and was making decent money already…

Right around this time I was thinking of how I could make this work. And that's when I stumbled upon writing online. It simply made me curious… and I said screw it – I decided that's what I was going to and I just started figuring it out. Does that mean that that's what I'm going to do forever? That this was my purpose? Hell no. But it got me one step away from what I didn't want, and one step closer to what I did… being free to travel the world and create something out of nothing. Plus, I was curious about it learning how to write. And now, here I am writing about my experiences in ways I never thought possible...

Truth is, once you start to follow this voice… it doesn't matter if the thing you do ends up being the thing you do forever. Everything you lean into will start to build the foundation for everything you will continue to do. The important thing is that you chose this path. No one else told you to do it. No one else is making you. At the end of the day, this is when life becomes meaningful. This is when you start to find out who you are and what you're made of. This forces you to start taking full accountability for everything in your life. The good, the bad, the highs, the lows… You realize that the life you want is entirely in your hands. And this, my friends, is where true freedom lies… Because you are no longer dependent on anyone else to give you what you want. You know that any reality you want is in your reach, and it's only up to you to go get it. Life literally becomes a video game… and you're the main fucking character.

How cool is that?

Experiential Iterative Alignment

"Curiosity is innate, but smothered via socialization and distractions. Spend enough time alone and it will return." - Naval Ravikant

Experiential Iterative Alignment is the process of finding your path by going down so many "wrong" paths that you end up at on the one you were meant to be on all along. The truth is, we only know which path is correct one until we walk down enough wrong ones. This is OKAY. Because those "wrong" paths were showing you something. Not to mention, the lessons and skills you learn will continue to serve you and shape you into the person you will ultimately become.

Fair warning… this process is not for the faint of heart. Many times throughout this process you will feel lost. You will feel confused. Your faith will be tested. Your discipline, your accountability, your word… will be put to the test. But after a while, you simply just relax into it. You accept that you were not meant to be "normal". And that comes with not doing the things "normal" people do. You eventually learn to surrender, trust, and keep moving regardless. And when you start to see the magic that unfolds when you truly lean into this… your entire life changes. You suddenly realize the life you want is not ONLY in your hands. There are bigger forces at play that get you to where you want to go, and your only job is to put one foot in front of the other and slowly move in the direction of your dreams.

So, how do you actually start on this process?

Well, just like that quote says above… you need to bring back your innate sense of curiosity. You need to allow yourself to be bored. Allow yourself to be still. Allow yourself to sit in silence…

Today there are hundreds if not thousands of things fighting for your attention at any given moment. If you're not careful, you'll constantly be inundated with so many thoughts and ideas that aren't even your own… and you'll never have space to truly listen to what your body is trying to tell you. Honestly, think about it… when was the last time you truly sat in silence? Where you weren't scrolling on social media, watching TV, or listening to a podcast?

When you eat, do you throw on a YT video? Or do you just sit, eat, and be present with your food?

Meditation isn't just a practice… it's a way of being.

It's going on walks without your phone. It's getting yourself into flow state… wether that's running, working out, or playing a sport. All of these things get you out of your mind and into your body – into the present moment. And if you're not already doing this consistently on a daily basis, then this is the first thing you need to implement.

The next thing you need to do is get clear on what you DON'T want – or, your "anti-vision".

For example if you know you don't want to be working in an office in 5 years, fat, with no friends… Great. Now, ANYTHING you do that starts to move you in a direction away from this is the right path (even if that doesn't work out).

Maybe that means reading more books, picking up a new hobby that could turn into a side-hustle, buying an online course on something you're interested in, etc….

It doesn't matter what it is. It's the intention. It's why you're doing that thing. That is all that matters.

And lastly, you need to do something DRASTIC.

It doesn't have to be quit your job or move to a different country… but something HAS to change.

Maybe you throw away your TV or completely redecorate your space.

Maybe you start waking up at a different time or running every morning.

Maybe you stop drinking or going out on the weekends and spending your time differently.

These are choices.

And these are the choices that will eventually lead you to where you want to go....

Tim Ferris said something really cool in his book, Tribe of Mentors:

At the root of everything you do, it needs to be YOUR goal. If you're working on something because you think it will get you validation, recognition, or money… so that you can then feel happy and fulfilled, you got it backwards. You need to work on what makes you happy and fulfilled now… to start living the life you've always wanted to live… and just sit back to let reality catch up.

It's simple, really.

But it take guts, courage, and trust.

To Recap

If right now you're feeling like there must be more, then you need to be brutally honest and ask yourself:

Is the path i'm on my choice? Or someone else's?

Are you doing it for others? Do you even know why you're doing it? Did you never really consciously choose it? But just kinda followed the traditional path everyone else did? If so, this path will never lead you to true fulfillment.

And the only way you can truly find what it is YOU want is by sitting in silence. Space. Stillness.

As soon as you get an inkling of curiosity... start there.

This is only the beginning.

I believe in you,

mau

PS.

What do you think of this newsletter style? Do you like the more-fleshed out ideas? Or prefer off the cuff thoughts?

Curious what you think...

Also...

Some people have been asking me what I do. and truthfully, I put everything I know into the Freedom Blueprint I wrote last year. If you want to learn how to start making money and traveling, check it out here.