Wake Up Cloud » Personal Development

5 Secrets to a Problem-Free Life

Henri — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 10:49:31 +0000

I once saw a world full of problems.

It filled me with dread, and I wanted to escape.

Anything that could give me relief was good enough.

Since then, things have changed. I still have a life full of problems, but I no longer view them as such.

I don’t run away from problems. I accept them as a constant, like the air I breathe. At times it seems as if I’m living a problem-free life, because I’ve put on a new set of mental sunglasses.

It’s not about avoiding problems. That has never been the goal. It’s about learning to handle problems, obstacles, and challenges with ease.

Problems aren’t causing you trouble; you are using problems to cause yourself trouble.

A problem for you may not be a problem for your best friend. And a problem you had a year ago may not be a problem any longer, even if it is still present.

In 2004, I was 18. I was comfortable. I had money, but I didn’t have peace. Happiness was out of sight. I thought money would provide happiness, but it didn’t.

As time went on, I became frustrated with the endless search for happiness. People all around me were looking, but they weren’t happy.

I became frustrated, then impatient, and then curious. Why were some people happy, while others wallowed in their own misery?

Some were happy with little, while others were miserable with a lot. It tickled my brain, and I wanted to scratch that itch.

1. Perspective

One of the first “secrets” to a problem-free life is adopting a new perspective. Problems do not need to be eliminated from your life, only from your mind.

When I began letting go of problems, more problems took their place. It was as futile as trying to shoo the air out of a room.

So, I stopped resisting problems. I’m still human, so I do resist from time to time, and I suffer for it.

I view problems as signposts. They point to something to be learned.

I’m not talking about avoiding problems, I’m talking about accepting them, and dealing with them.

The focus is on eliminating the mental turmoil that most people experience when they have problems. They make them bigger than they seem.

Like Stephen Heller Ph.D says in his book, Monsters and Magical Sticks: There is No Such Thing As Hypnosis: “Fear is for getting confidence.”

Fear is merely a reminder to get confident in a specific area in your life.

2. Attitude

I knew about Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) when I was 18. I attended a 7-day NLP Practitioner Training when I was 20.

I had the tools for quick, dramatic change. I could eliminate problems, phobias, and fears, but I never used the tools I had.

I believed they didn’t work, so they didn’t.

I proved myself right, and allowed myself to be a victim of circumstance.

I suffered for it.

It took me a few years to reclaim responsibility. I knew I was at cause, but it wasn’t until recently that something clicked.

Earlier this year, three big “problems” occurred simultaneously. They caused me immense suffering. I spent several weeks lying in bed, trying to avoid it all, and mentally “figuring it out.”

I suffered for it.

Eventually I awoke to the fact that I knew how to be at peace.

I started using what I knew, and I started learning even more. I used NLP, EFT, Hypnotherapy, and meditation to my advantage.

The three problems went away almost as quickly as I took responsibility. These problems helped me move in the right direction.

I had been coasting in confusion up until that point.

3. Using Your Brain for a Change

In the book, Get the Life You Want, Richard Bandler, co-founder of NLP, talks about how our minds work and how you can make changes.

Your mind is like a highly sophisticated computer. You know how to be depressed, lonely, frustrated, happy, curious, and even inspired.

You’ve learned how to feel all of those different states, and each one of them requires a set of skills.

If someone is depressed, they are excellent at dismissing happy thoughts and focusing on the negative.

It’s a skill.

If you don’t sit in the driver’s seat of your life, someone else will do it for you, and you may not like where they take you.

With NLP, I learned how to change the patterns and programs inside of myself. I could take a painful memory, play it backwards, put in circus music, and change it.

It was like scratching a CD. Once it’s scratched, it just won’t run right again. I used to take my “problems” seriously, but now I know better.

4. Letting Go of the Old

Painful memories are a dime a dozen. Everyone has them.

Once I learned to use tools like EFT and NLP, I was able to release the emotional charge of my negative memories, and I even turn them into positive ones, if I so wished.

Our memories are plastic, which means that they are changing all the time. Memories aren’t rigid, inflexible things. They are constantly recreated. Each time you re-member something, you re-create it.

That is why as you learn and grow, some things stop bothering you. When you go back and re-member, it has changed, because you have changed.

Imagine how you would feel without all the baggage you’re carrying around from the past? All the hurts, abuses, traumas, and regrets just poof, gone.

It can be done.

Will it be easy? For some, not for others, but it’s all good.

It’s funny how we can get a 60-page instruction manual for a $19.95 watch, but no user’s manual for the brain.

5. Dealing With the New

I will always have problems.

But do they have to cause suffering? That is up to me.

I don’t have to lie awake at night worrying and turning in bed, unless I choose to do so. Sometimes it may seem like you have no choice, because your problems seem so big, but you always do.

And remember, the choice of not learning how to take control of your mind is still a choice. There is no way for you to blame someone else.

As you take more responsibility, you will start to get a taste of what I call “the problem-free life.”

It’s not a magical place. Nothing changes, except you.

People look for magic pills, quick fixes, and strange concoctions, but they do not exist, unless you create them.

The truth is so anti-climactic that no one tells you about it, because it cannot be sold in a bottle.

Living a problem-free life begins within you. There is nothing you need to do except make the decision.

The red pill, or the blue pill.

The choice is yours.

Image by Bryce

How I Found My Passion (And How You Can Find Yours)

Henri — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 11:38:53 +0000

There was a point in time where I didn’t know that I wanted to do what I do now.

I was playing poker and making money.

It was how I made my living, and I was happy doing that for a long time.

Until one day I felt like something was missing. It was a dull, empty feeling. There was no longer any satisfaction in what I did.

I was making money, but that was about it.

So in 2006, I began looking for other options. At the time I was into golf. I started playing when I was 9, and I was pretty good at it.

“Why not make a website about golf and make money that way,” I thought.

I paid someone to do keyword research for me, create my website, and get everything up and running.

What I didn’t realize was that I actually had to put in work to succeed. I never did that, and I let the website expire.

There was no fuel in my tank to keep going. I wanted the silver bullet, the quick fix, and I believed it could be found.

After that, I looked for opportunities around the web. I was trying to force success and passion. It didn’t come. I ended up spending thousands on get rich quick programs and other products that I thought would give me instant success.

I bought products ranging from blogging to financial instruments. I never used most of them, because I was looking for a quick fix.

I had forgotten why I was trying to succeed online.

I began my journey trying to find something to satisfy my soul, but instead fell into the trap of prioritizing money.

I thought that if I made enough money, I would be safe, and I could do what I wanted.

Oh, how wrong I was.

But the Story Gets Better …

I built my first website when I was 14. I started trying to make money online in 2006-2007. I’ve spent over $10,000 on coaching, courses, and every other product between heaven and earth.

As I failed over and over again, I eventually stumbled upon the blueprint for my online success.

I say stumbled, but what I really mean is that I kept going until I found what worked.

During this time, my passion was in the back of my mind. I believed it was a pipe dream, so I threw it aside, and kept going.

I have always been fascinated by the human mind and personal development. And I had thoughts about writing something on those topics … some day.

As I kept gaining momentum and becoming more successful, I kept pushing those dreams to the side.

I needed more money to do what I loved, or so I thought.

I had learned that money didn’t bring happiness while playing poker, but I had to learn that lesson a second time.

Deep down I wanted to focus on personal growth. I didn’t know exactly what topics I wanted to cover, but there was something there.

It resonated with me.

I kept telling myself that if I made enough money, I could follow my passion. After a while I got disgusted with my own excuses.

Enough was enough.

I was going to do what I loved, with or without fear.

I didn’t know at this point that fear was to be expected when you’re following your passion. All I knew was that I wanted this more than anything else.

I was determined, but I wasn’t out of the woods yet.

Progress, But Not Really

Deep down I knew what my passion was, but I tried to distract myself with what was “safe and secure.” I was too afraid to even look in the right direction.

It wasn’t until early 2009 that I started sketching what I might want to write about. I bumped into the blogging community, and it drew me in, like a pleasant version of quicksand.

I liked it. It felt right.

At first I was going to call my website, The Holistic Highway, and it was going to be about health, personal development, and online business.

Then I stopped.

I gave up.

I didn’t believe I could contribute anything. I mean, there were so many great bloggers, and writers out there that clearly were far better than me, so why bother?

Overwhelm and Confusion

At this point I went into a cloud of overwhelm and confusion. Once again, I distracted myself by working on other online projects.

I focused on making money, because it felt safe and it made sense. I was building websites around topics I enjoyed, so I was happy for a while. I was, at least, moving in the right direction.

Then at the end of 2009, I started feeling a nudge from deep inside. It was like an internal GPS coming online.

“Turn right now. Proceed forward. Read this book. Take this step,” it communicated.

I didn’t hear it guiding me. It was more of a feeling. Some things felt right, while others didn’t. Sometimes I did the wrong things, and sometimes I didn’t.

Thoughts and excuses came up, but I kept doing what felt right.

It was a puzzle to be solved. I did my best, and I moved forward.

I was overwhelmed and confused, because I didn’t know how, where, or when to start. But there was always that little voice inside of me that knew where to go.

Finally, I just went for it (again).

I had no idea if there was an audience out there waiting for me, but I wasn’t going to let my own fears stop me.

I was going to find out for myself. For so long, I had been looking for guarantees.

I quickly realized that there were none. I was my personal guarantee.

I was the key to my own success, not an outside force.

It wasn’t until I became truly determined, and was willing to take risks that I saw the truth.

As I look back, I do see a method to my madness. There is a strategy we can follow to build an advice-based business around our passions.

But I didn’t know that at the time, so I had to spend years stumbling in the dark.

Stepping Into the Clearing

I started Wake Up Cloud (this blog) in December ’09, and a new chapter in my life began.

I joined a training course on blogging, but I had no idea of what I was doing. Nonetheless, the road ahead of me was becoming clearer, and my internal GPS was becoming stronger.

All the mistakes I had made since 2006 started to turn into positive lessons. Everything I learned during those dark times was helping me succeed.

I wasn’t fearless. I wasn’t talented. I simply took one step at a time, and took action despite my fears.

After a few months, I created my first product, and I made my first thousand selling the knowledge I had accumulated.

To me, it’s not about making millions, because you will never feel like you have enough. If you can’t be happy with $30,000/year, you won’t be happy with $200,000/year.

It’s a mindset.

It’s all about doing what you love, and having enough money to live life to the fullest.

It’s about lifestyle.

If You Want to Succeed, Work Hard

It may not happen in a second. It may take years, just like it took me, but in the end it is worth it.

I am still confused from time to time, and that’s okay. I’m constantly learning to trust my internal GPS more.

Life flows more easily the more I trust it.

And it all started from a big pile of failures, or at least they seemed like failures at the time.

I always knew what my passion was, and you might, too. It was in front of me all this time, but I refused to see it, because I was looking for something else.

I had my blinders on, and I thought I knew what I wanted, but I was wrong.

I had my excuses along the way. I was afraid, confused, and overwhelmed. It stopped me for years, but I always kept coming back.

And that’s what matters.

If at first you don’t succeed, keep going, because the only way you can fail is by giving up.

Image by Ibrahim

7 Harsh Truths They Don’t Tell You About Personal Growth

Henri — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 14:28:48 +0000

“WHY?”

That was the question I asked myself one winter evening, while sitting on my bed with my head resting in my palms.

Personal development didn’t seem to be what people said it was. Where was the change? Where was the positivity?

All I saw was more of what I didn’t like.

My bookshelf was filled with books on spirituality, self-growth, productivity, and even out of body experiences, but none of them seemed to do any good, or did they?

You see, the counter-intuitive (and funny) thing about embarking on the path of personal growth is that it’s not going to be all cakes and cookies.

Some people give up when the going gets tough, but those that stick with it realize that it’s not about achieving the end result and becoming perfect—free from problems.

It’s about the journey of growth; of becoming more of who you already are.

That’s why in this article I’ll share some of the harsh truths about personal growth. Don’t worry, it’s not all bad, because it all leads to the right place.

1. Results

Many, or dare I say most, who get into personal development are in a hurry to get to a place where everything is perfect and problems do not exist.

And that’s a normal response to have, because they haven’t yet traveled the path far enough to realize that it’s not about getting rid of problems.

It’s about how you perceive “problems.”

We’re taught early in our life to value achievements. It’s all about doing stuff. And while there’s nothing wrong with that, it becomes a problem when all you focus on is the end result.

You’re never here, because you’re always thinking of where you want to be, and when you get there, you’ll be somewhere else again; dreaming about the next goal.

It’s a never-ending cycle, unless you stop and change it.

Now, when I first stumbled upon personal growth, I wanted results. I wanted them now and I was willing to work hard to get them.

It’s almost like a mirage in the desert. Personal development becomes for you exactly what you need at that particular moment.

It may be a positive experience, or it may be a negative one. As long as you keep going, you will grow, even if you believe you aren’t on the right path.

2. Suffering

The path most commonly traveled by people not on the path of personal growth is one of avoidance, comfort, and familiarity.

It makes sense, because when you first start observing yourself and thinking about how you can improve, it can be painful.

There’s so much stuff that needs to be cleared and it feels like it’ll never end, so why even try?

That’s an excellent question, and one that you alone will have to answer. Only you can find the inner drive to change and grow.

And it won’t happen until it happens.

You’ve probably tried to get friends and family members to read a book that had an impact on you, or attend a workshop with you, but it simply doesn’t work.

They are not where you are, and they don’t have the same experiences that you have.

You have to allow others to find their own path, and you have to allow yourself to travel your unique journey without comparing yourself to others, and thinking about how far you haven’t yet come.

There will be suffering, but the fact that you feel negative about something means that you are aware of it, and that you can change.

It’s not bad, it’s good.

It may not feel like it is, but once you get through the bumps on the road, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about, and you may even know already.

There are a lot of things you don’t know that you know.

3. Confusion

How comfortable are you with confusion?

Not all that comfortable, right?

The funny thing is that we try to spend most our life avoiding confusion and uncertainty.

However, if you think back to a moment where you had a breakthrough; where suddenly everything made sense, you may become aware of the fact that just before that breakthrough, there was confusion.

Whenever you’re learning something new, which you are doing almost all the time, you will be feeling slightly confused. You may even feel fear.

The confusion comes from the assimilation of new information. Your brain literally has to restructure, especially if you bump into a piece of information that’s “life-changing.”

So when, in the future, you’re feeling confused or uncertain, know that it is happening because you are growing and learning.

It’s just a sign that something new is going on. It might not be pleasant, but it is always leading you to higher understanding and clarity.

4. Fun

Personal growth is not all pain and suffering. There will be times when you are experiencing amazing breakthroughs.

After awhile you will begin to notice improvements in the most surprising areas of your life. It’s different for everyone, but still very fascinating.

You see, when you grow in one area of your life, it ripples outward. Every aspect of you affects every other aspect.

What you will also realize is that it’s not about changing your external circumstances as much as it is about who you are inside.

When you change your internal workings, the external naturally follows.

For example, when I started on this journey, I complained, agonized, and almost hated life in general, and my life wasn’t fun.

However, since I’ve worked on myself and let go of a lot of unhelpful beliefs, the external has begun to shift.

As you gain deeper insight, you will begin to realize that it’s all about following your heart, and going with the flow of life.

When you resist the flow, you feel bad, and life brings you down. It’s like trying to stand still in a powerful downward stream. It takes effort, and it isn’t fun when you start feeling your muscles wanting to give out.

5. Response-Ability

You alone are responsible for the results you get, and who you become. There is no one else that can make your decisions for you.

As I’ve started working with clients more and more, I’ve started noticing that there are some people that want life handed to them on a silver platter.

Then there are the go-getters who just need a nudge and off they go. Which of the two people are you?

What will your life look like if you keep this up for the next 5, 10, and 20 years?

If looking into the future feels good, then you’re on the right path. If not, then make the necessary changes.

When you are willing to take action, you will see the world open up before you. Uncertainty will become possibility, because you never know what will happen.

And even when you don’t know the answers, you have the power to move forward and see what happens. That is how you figure stuff out.

If you’ve been looking for the key that will make your life work, know that it doesn’t exist outside of you.

You are the key to your life. You are the missing ingredient, and you alone have the power within to create the life you desire, even if you don’t believe it yet.

6. Not Knowing

By now, you already know that confusion is an inherent part of self growth, and what usually happens when you’re feeling confused is that you’ll want to find something familiar.

You will look for certainty. You want answers from people. You will search for guarantees and anything else that will alleviate the confusion.

This includes addictive behaviors and negative states. Whatever is familiar and comfortable is what you will try and grab onto.

And that’s to be expected. But know this: the more you try to resist the confusion, the harder it becomes.

As you keep bumping into confusion and all the other friendly faces on your path, you will get to know them better.

You will know when they are about to pop up, and you will know what is coming next. You will become more comfortable with all of them.

The big lesson is that you don’t have to know it all. That has been a big one in my life, and while I know it, I still want to know it all, right now.

It comes and goes in cycles. Sometimes I’m okay with it, while other times I am not.

You don’t have to know it all to take action. And often when you start taking action, the pieces fall into place.

The best thing you can do when you feel confused is to breathe, accept where you are, and think about the next smallest step you can take toward what you want.

This can be anything, and may at times seem irrelevant. It might mean reading a book, attending a workshop, or just taking a walk.

You just never know what you will discover when you take that next step.

7. Not Getting

What you want now won’t always be what you will want in the future.

The best you can do is look to the future from where you are now, but when you start moving forward and experiencing life, things start to change and shift, and your heart will take you to places you never imagined wanting to go to.

When you set a goal and go after it without flexibility, you literally put blinders on yourself, and block yourself from seeing all the possibilities around you.

When you know where you want to go, you don’t need to know how to get there, although if you know the steps, that does help.

What I’m saying is that you don’t necessarily need a rigid set of steps to get anywhere, because you never know what path you will end up taking.

That is why I recommend you follow your passion, and follow your heart, because they will lead you to where you need to be.

It’s tough to let go, because it feels like you’re losing control, but you aren’t.

Allow both the positive and negative into your life. Sometimes it may seem that you’re not making progress, but you always are.

I’ve discovered that it is when I’m going through a thunderstorm of negativity that I grow the most.

It gives me the opportunity to let things go and allow whatever is happening to be okay.

Not easy, but easier than resisting.

Image by Stefan

The Ultimate Guide to Following Your Heart

Henri — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 09:13:35 +0000

Would you like to follow your heart, but your mind or something else is stopping you?

Does it feel uncomfortable, uncertain, and maybe even confusing to follow your heart?

What you are experiencing is very normal and very common when you are beginning to follow your heart.

It is just the sign that you are heading in the right direction, because your mind and body are making adjustments to a new way of being and living.

I’ve been bumping into this during coaching sessions with my clients over and over again. They want to follow their heart, but it’s hard and it doesn’t make “sense.”

Your mind wants proof that heart-centered living works. The only problem is that you won’t get proof until you start to follow your heart.

It will feel awkward and weird at first, like anything new, but once you see that your heart is leading you on exactly the path you need, your mind will automatically begin to trust.

The Battle Between Your Mind & Your Heart

When you’re a novice in heart-centered matters, it may feel safer to follow your mind. It just makes more sense logically, doesn’t it?

This sense of comfort is an illusion, because if you look at your past, you may begin to see that solely following your mind hasn’t helped you create the life you truly want.

This is what I discovered when I started on this path many years ago. I was miserable, pessimistic and always proud of my impeccable “logic.”

Your heart, however, is connected to something much bigger than you. You may call it spirit, the unconscious, god, higher-self, or the universe.

I don’t worry too much about what label to put on it. What I care about are the amazing results it produces in my life.

The Art of Not-Knowing

This is not to say that you have to kill your mind, because it definitely has its uses. What it does mean is that you should aim for a more balanced approach.

Let your heart and mind integrate and work as a team. When you follow your heart more, and your mind sees the results, it will naturally begin to happen.

However, you have to take that initial leap of faith to get the process going. We’ve been taught that we should know everything before we do anything.

And we spend our whole lives avoiding the unknown, but the truth of the matter is that you don’t have to know everything to know enough.

You only have to know your next step, and the next step can be given to you by listening to your heart.

It may come as a gentle nudge, a thought, a feeling, or even hearing a song on the radio.

How to Take Action and Acquire Proof

If you’ve been reading my articles for awhile, you already have some proof that heart-centered living works, and works really well.

You’ve probably seen others follow their hearts as well. It looks good, but you may doubt that you are able to do it.

You may even look at other people living their passion and think that you would never be able to do that. They must have some kind of magical ability, right?

They must be better than you to do that, but they aren’t. They have simply learned how to listen to their hearts and move forward.

They aren’t fearless. They simply take things one day at a time, one step at a time. They feel fear, overwhelm, and confusion, just like you.

The difference is that they have developed the trust in themselves, just like you are doing right now, to overcome fears and work with them.

The fact that you are feeling what you are feeling now is a sign that you are heading in the right direction, because “negative” feelings will always be there to greet you when you embark on a path worth traveling.

Always remember that.

How to Follow Your Heart

I can’t give you the exact steps for following your heart, because your signals will differ from mine, but what I can do is share what my experiences have been.

Most people overlook messages from their heart because they are looking in the wrong direction. If you focus on the grass on the ground, you will miss the birds flying above.

Keep your eyes open and your focus wide, because you never know where your heart will nudge you.

One of the main ways that I follow my heart is simply by getting feelings. To put this into concrete terms, someone may contact me about doing a business partnership.

What I’ll do is stay open and see how things feel. Most of the time it won’t feel right, or something will feel off, so I either say no, or decide to wait.

Sometimes I’ll feel uncertain. In that case, I may explore the opportunity a bit further and see how things go and how they feel.

Now, I’ll also use my mind to assess things, such as if I have time, if I want to do this, and so on. There’s never any rush to jump into an opportunity, even if it may seem like it.

There will always be enough opportunities. Saying no doesn’t mean missing out, because there will be another train coming along.

Being Right is Not the Goal

At least I’m not.

I do my best to trust my heart, but sometimes the feelings and nudges I get aren’t authentic.

By that I mean that I can misinterpret what they are all about. Sometimes the messages from my heart can be clouded by the emotions I feel inside.

And I’m okay with that. I know that I won’t get it right all the time, and this small amount of uncertainty adds a bit of spice to my life.

Sometimes it’s fun, and sometimes it isn’t. It’s all a part of the game we call life.

The more you follow your heart, the better you get at it. It’s like with anything else; it’s not about being perfect, it’s about learning and trusting the process.

That’s the way I see it.

You won’t always be right, but you will always be heading in the right direction, even when you feel like you’re not.

Your Life is Changing

The fact that you’re reading this means that something inside of you is looking for a change, or you may already be changing.

This happened to me in my late teens. I knew that I wasn’t heading in the right direction. Something had to change, and it did.

It didn’t happen overnight, but as I’ve kept putting one foot in front of the other, I saw phenomenal change taking place, and I discovered what passionate living is all about.

And while you may feel confused from time to time, know that it’s just a sign that you are growing and evolving in the best way for you.

There’s a reason why you’ve read this article. Something resonates with you, and you may not even know what it is, and that’s okay.

You see, change almost never happens consciously.

While we want to force things in a certain direction, change happens on the unconscious level, and often happens without you even noticing.

That’s why when you’re following your heart and going with the flow, life will begin to seem easier and more colorful.

Image by Brian

13 Incredibly Simple Ways to Overcome the Fear of Failure

Henri — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 10:43:20 +0000

Imagine if you could do anything in the world without feeling fear or any negative feelings whatsoever.

The fear of failure is instilled in us from early childhood because of overly protective parents. It’s not easy to hear the words “No!” over and over again.

After awhile you start getting cautious about what you do. You constantly look to an authority figure to see if it’s okay.

As we grow, this negative belief becomes unconscious. You don’t even know it’s there. You just live your life as best as you can.

Overcoming fear of failure is not easy by any means, but it can be done, especially if you are determined to take your personal growth to the next level.

There is no magic pill that will transform you into a fearless hero, only steps that will take you closer to freedom from the imaginary jail cell of your mind.

1. Identify the Root Cause

“Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald

Where does your fear of failure originate?

Sit down, take a few deep breaths, ask yourself when your fear of failure was formed, and observe what you see, feel, or hear.

When you see what caused your fear of failure, you’ll also see that your mind’s interpretation is far from accurate.

If your parents were overly protective, or if you had a particularly strict teacher, you’ll see that they did it because they want the best for you.

It’s easy to see how the you of the past interpreted events as he or she did. But if you look at the event as an outsider, you will see that it had nothing to do with you.

It’s crucial to examine all of your negative beliefs, because they have a big influence on how you live your life.

2. Simplify

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” — Leonardo da Vinci

Complexity is hard to visualize, and if you try, you will feel overwhelmed. Everything will feel hopeless and not worth doing, because you just don’t know how.

When I began my online journey, I was overwhelmed to say the least. I had no idea of where to go, what to do, or how to do it.

When I simplified the tasks that I needed to do, it all became much easier. I had no problem taking action because I had broken everything down into actionable pieces.

And if I didn’t know what to do, I’d ask someone, or join a training program.

I took the task of starting a website and broke it down to coming up with a domain name, buying hosting, getting a website up and running, and getting a simple design.

It also didn’t hurt that I was determined to make it work. If you don’t have that fire burning inside of you, you should think twice about moving forward.

Find your passion, and boldly go where you have never gone before.

3. Failure is Inevitable

“It is foolish to fear what you cannot avoid.” — Publius Syrus

Let’s face it, failure is inevitable if you want to live a remarkable life. I know you want to live a life full of passion, meaning, and purpose.

We all do.

But it’s not going to happen if you succumb to your fears and try to look for a more comfortable way out, because there is none.

Sooner or later you will have to overcome the fear of failure, and you will have to overcome many other fears during your lifetime.

Sometimes it’s overwhelming, frustrating, and exhausting. I know, I’ve been there, but the more you move through tough periods, the faster you’ll grow.

If you want the life of your dreams, make failure a part of your life.

Embrace it.

4. Fail More. Succeed More.

“There is no failure. Only feedback.” — Robert Allen

The more you fail, the more you succeed.

I was lucky to learn that lesson early in my life. When I became a professional poker player, I was 18, and I already knew that the more feedback I got, the faster I would learn.

I crave constructive criticism. It is a chance for me to improve what I’m doing.

I never assume that I know it all, nor do I assume that I am above failure. Even the most successful people fail every single day.

The difference between the successful and the not-yet-successful is the realization that failure is simply a stepping stone, not a permanent event.

5. Failure is Temporary

“Failure is an event, never a person.” — William D. Brown

Failure feels permanent, but it isn’t. You and I both know that, but we don’t act like it is so.

You may imagine yourself failing and the movie in your head stops there. If you let the movie play, you will realize that that failure may be exactly what you needed.

It may be the messenger of the lesson you needed to succeed down the road. Failure isn’t easy, but it is what will make you the person you want to become.

I’ve failed more times than I can count, yet I still fear failure. The difference now versus when I was in my late teens is that I know that the fear of failure is just a thought.

It conjures up feelings in my body that feel bad. It has no bearing in reality. It is often exaggerated and out of control.

Most people never stop to observe their thoughts. And they never stop to ponder that their thoughts could be wrong.

Why give your thoughts all that authority if they make you feel bad?

6. Free Your Mind

“The mind is everything. What you think you become.” — Buddha

See your thoughts for what they are … thoughts.

Thoughts can be eliminated, feelings can be alleviated, and fears can be overcome.

You can do this by taking massive action and facing your fears. You can also use methods such as The Work, EFT, and meditation.

I have personally been using EFT since I was 16. I have been meditating on and off for the same time. And I recently got acquainted with The Work.

I won’t delve into how you can use them in this article, because it would simply take up too much space, so I suggest you visit the websites of EFT and The Work, and read my article on how to meditate.

There’s more to life than being a slave to your mind, your programming, and the beliefs of society. You think what you become, so make sure you get it right on the inside before you blame the outside.

So many people try to get more money, better relationships, and seek happiness only to end up where they started.

They seek something outside of themselves, when everything they wanted was right in front of them.

7. Shift Your Perspective

“Failure teaches success.” — Japanese Saying

Who taught you that failure was a bad thing?

It feels bad, so it must be bad. Is that really true?

Every belief and thought that makes us feel bad needs to be examined. What good does a fear of failure do us?

It’s easier said than done to eliminate negative beliefs, but it all starts with being aware that a problem actually exists.

The last thing you want to do is get mad at yourself for not being perfect. We all have our unique fears and they are there for a reason.

Your fears will help you grow in the way you need to grow. You realize your negative beliefs when they need to be realized. There is no rush. This is not a competition. You’re doing perfectly.

Look at each failure as a blessing in disguise. It is not through success that we become wise, but through our failures.

I learned this lesson particularly well when I played poker for a living for half a decade. In poker, luck is a big factor, which means that you can play well, but still lose for weeks and months.

It can be extremely frustrating, but what it teaches you is discipline, and it teaches you to constantly improve your game.

It taught me one of the most valuable lessons of my life, which is to look at the negative periods as times of learning.

The same goes for life. Whenever you’re faced with something particularly difficult, learn from it and grow, because it will pass.

8. Self Growth

“Supposing you have tried and failed again and again. You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call “failure” is not the falling down, but the staying down.” — Mary Pickford

We all have the same basic fears. While same get through them easily, others get stuck. Use your fears as signposts that tell you where you have room to grow.

Fear of failure is something everyone faces at one point or another. This isn’t the end of the world, but the beginning of an amazing journey.

I know you may feel like being afraid of failure is horrible. That is because you imagine it to be so in your mind. Look at the pictures and thoughts that come up when you think about the fear of failure.

What do you see? Do you see yourself failing in front of a large group of people, which then proceed to laugh and point?

They are nothing but thoughts. You can get through them if you want to. You’ve already taken the first step by reading this article.

Even if you wanted to go back to your comfortable existence, it’s already too late, because the seed has been planted by you reading this article

9. Embrace Fear

“We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face… we must do that which we think we cannot.” — Eleanor Roosevelt

Everyone is afraid to one degree or another. No one is different. It’s ingrown into our biological mechanism.

The sooner you befriend your fear, the faster you can keep moving forward. It is not fear that stops you from going after your dreams, but what you decide to do because of those fears.

You can reprogram the way you react to your fears, thoughts, and worries. Whenever I am working on something that is important, such as doing what I love, and a fear pops up, I know I will get through it.

The alternative is giving up, which isn’t an option.

If you are determined to go after your passion, your fears will become insignificant in comparison.

10. Take Action

“I failed my way to success.” — Thomas Edison

We have more knowledge at our fingertips now than ever before in history. The internet gives you access to endless amounts of courses, guides, and training programs.

No matter what you want to do, you can learn. It’s fantastic. But it can also be paralyzing and a breeding ground for fear.

The what if thoughts enter your mind and you start worrying about this and that. No matter what, if you take action, you will eventually end up in the right place.

When you blend action with the guidance that comes from your heart, your progress will be fast, powerful, and fulfilling.

You see, while most people sit at the sidelines waiting for the perfect moment, you will be out there learning, doing, and growing.

That is what will get you to the life of your dreams.

11. Imagine Your Future

“What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?” — Vincent van Gogh

Sometimes negativity helps.

Imagine your future if you let every fear you had control your life.

What does it look like?

Where would you end up?

Do you think you would regret it when you’re at the end of your life?

Now imagine your life if you had overcome every fear on your path. You would be living the life of you always desired.

You would look back at your life without regrets. Sure, you may have done some foolish things, but they just added some spice to your life.

You can sit home and feel sorry for yourself all you want, but it isn’t going to make your life different. Only you have the power to change your life, so you might as well start now.

12. Stay in the Now

“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” – Buddha

Most of us live in either the past or in the future.

We regret what we’ve done (or not done), or we worry about what’s to come.

Using the past and present is fine when done with a purpose, like #11 up there, but letting your mind run amok will do you no good, as you probably already know.

There are no problems in the present. You are okay right now. You have a roof over your head, you have food in the fridge, and you feel fine.

You would be fine without a roof as well. What would make it not okay is your mind, and the stories it tells around your situation.

Accept the gift that is the present moment.

Breathe, smell, hear, and enjoy who you are, right now. You already have the key to your happiness.

13. Follow Your Passion

“No man is a failure who is enjoying life.” — William Feather

Last, but definitely not least is to follow your passion. We both knew this was coming .

If you decide to follow your passion, you will be much more likely to blast through your fears.

You know, like me, that doing anything other than going after your dreams is not an option. I might feel secure in a regular job, but I would never be happy or fulfilled.

Sometimes I feel like I am not living life, but life is living me. I go with my feelings and my heart. I do what excites me.

It’s an interesting way to live, and I invite you to try it.

Overcoming fear of failure is as hard as you make it. When you face your fears, you will realize that they are nowhere as bad as you thought they would be.

So what will it be?

Your fears, or the life of your dreams?

Image by Sean

Goal Setting 101: Why Your Goals Feel Unattainable (And What to Do About It)

Henri — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 10:33:55 +0000

How often have you set a goal, felt excited and ready to rock, only to discover a few weeks later that you feel worthless, miserable, and just want to lie on the couch, watch movies, and eat chocolate ice cream?

Probably more often than you’d like, right?

We all go through the same ups and downs. Freedom from this suffering comes through the realization of what it truly is.

And that is exactly what we will be covering in this article.

This isn’t your ordinary goal setting article. I will be looking at goal setting from a big picture view, and how you can listen to your inner compass to make progress that not only is fast, but feels right as well.

The Lies We Tell Ourselves

How we think about our goals very often has no bearing in reality. And the way you feel about your goals is no indication of how likely you are to reach them.

The reason you feel like your goals are unattainable is because you cannot imagine what the path will look like. You cannot see, or sense the steps you need to take to reach the finish line.

This is why taking one day at a time; one step at a time is powerful. When you’ve found your passion, and have started on your journey to a more fulfilling life, you will run into many obstacles, and you will be tested.

You will feel like giving up.

You will curse the gods for delivering all these impossible challenges to you.

But you will keep going, and you will overcome the challenges.

The Forgotten Key to Goal Setting

My way of goal setting is much more holistic than most. I frequently talk about this with my coaching clients.

The truth of the matter is that you do not have to know how things are going to unfold in order to get to where you want to be.

Now, this doesn’t mean that you do not break complex tasks down into smaller pieces. It means that you accept that where you think you will end up might not be anything like where you will really end up.

I struggled with this for many years. I tried forcing myself to go down the wrong path, because that’s what I thought I needed to do.

It wasn’t until I let go and started listening to my heart, intuition, gut, higher self, or whatever you wish to call it, that I started experiencing synchronicity and flow in my life.

You see, what we overlook is that the goals we set for ourselves might not even be what we truly desire. When you allow your goals to be flexible and life to guide you, well … your life becomes effortless.

This does not mean it will be free from suffering, challenges, or pain. It just means that you will be led to where you need to be, when you need to be there.

5 Heart-Centered Steps to Achieving Your Goals … And Much More

There’s a lot of information out there on how to set goals, how to plan for them, and how to push through obstacles.

Very few people focus on the big picture. Most go after goals they do not care about, and they end up quitting because it’s just too hard.

When you have enough internal drive, when there is no other option, you will get there despite all the challenges you run into. It’s almost as if something outside of you is pushing you on.

You feel like you’re on the right track, and you couldn’t give it up for anything in the world. Those are the kind of goals that are worth pursuing.

Instead of leaving you hanging, I’m going to share my personal goal setting process, which is very simple, and not something I even call goal setting.

It’s simply how I figure out where to go next …

1. Listen

Listen to your heart. What do you really want? And by really I mean really. I’m not talking about getting a nice car, a big house, or a bucket of shiny gold coins.

I’m talking about the stuff that fills your life with passion, purpose, and excitement.

Let’s take an example from my own life … When I became a professional poker player at the age of 18, I worshiped money. It was everything.

I wanted enough money to be safe, and to have freedom in the future. It took me five years to realize that hoarding money wasn’t making me any happier, and that the freedom I was looking for didn’t exist.

That was when I jumped into my true passion, which is what I am doing right here. I realized that I could get paid to do what I was interested in, and so can you.

Security exists only in our minds. You can amass a fortune, but that doesn’t mean that you are immune to the unpredictability of life.

Billionaires feel just as insecure as you and me. They imagine themselves pushing a shopping cart, being alone on the streets … homeless. Anyone can feel bad with that image in mind.

It’s not your money, job, or possessions that make you feel safe, it’s your mind.

2. Action

Once you have an idea of where your heart is pulling you, it’s time to take action. And it doesn’t matter if you’re confused, scared, or worried about the future.

You either go after the life you truly want, or you don’t.

You live, or you die.

My guidance comes directly from my heart. I often have no idea where to go, but by listening to my heart, and following my excitement, the path becomes clear, even if my mind isn’t.

Once you start trusting your heart, it will guide you to the information you need.

You may need to go through some tough times in order to accomplish your goals, but if you do, know that they happen for a reason.

All of the negativity in my life has turned into a valuable lesson as time has passed.

If you wait long enough, it’s impossible to know what is negative and what is positive. The positives turn into negatives, and the negatives into positives.

They dance, blend together, and form the adventure that we call life.

3. Notice

As you move along your path, notice where you are trying to force your way, and observe where resistance pops up.

This can be tough, because it’s hard to distinguish between fear and genuine resistance.

For example, when I did my first interview, I was scared, but I knew it was the right thing to do.

Your path won’t always be clear, and your heart won’t always be responsive. The reason is usually because you are drowning in your own feelings.

But that’s okay, too.

You experience what you need to experience.

4. Adjust

If you stay too rigid with your goals, you will run into resistance and excuses, and you will feel like you are running out of steam.

While ups and downs in motivation are to be expected, there comes a point where you run into a wall, which is when you have to be still and listen for the next message from your heart.

Adjustment has been my constant companion as I’ve been traveling down the path of making a living doing work I love.

It’s all too easy to get caught up in your mind, to start blaming, worrying, and scaring yourself from taking action.

5. Rinse and Repeat

Goal setting is fluid.

I like to stay organized. I like to break big goals into smaller, more bite-sized pieces, but I also like to stay aware of the big picture.

This is my process, not yours, but you may want to borrow parts for your own creation.

Whatever works for you is what you should do. There are no right and wrongs in goal setting, in life, or in business.

We need to start listening to ourselves. For far too long we’ve been slaves to the imaginary rules of others.

You are your own teacher.

We know what we want, but we are often too afraid to go after it.

The World is Waiting for You

This post grew from a small piece to something much more than I imagined. It came straight from my heart.

Goal setting is something I’m passionate about, because my take on it is radically different from most others out there.

That is not to say that my way is the best. There are different options available because different people resonate with different methods.

What I like now will change in the future. I accept that.

If your goals feel unattainable, use it as a reminder to go inside, and listen to what is going on.

We all have something deep down that we want to do, share, or be.

What’s your thing?

And why haven’t you started yet?

Image Credit

5 Surprisingly Simple Steps to Overcoming Social Anxiety

Henri — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 13:01:12 +0000

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from Esther van der Wal

I was in Santiago de Chile to interview students and experts for my master’s thesis, when my husband dropped the bomb: he wasn’t sure if he would still be happy with me in the long run.

I was 26 years old and heading straight towards becoming a divorced woman. On another continent, no less.

Needless to say, I was heartbroken.

On top of it all, I got robbed right before leaving Chile and lost pretty much every physical item of value: my apartment keys, cell phone, USB stick with personal documents on it – and my passport. Others had, effectively, succeeded in robbing my identity.

The interviews had lost all sense of priority, and when I traveled back to the Netherlands, our house no longer felt like a home.

After some lengthy and emotional discussions with my husband, we decided to go on a long break.

I instinctively knew there was only one place I wanted to spend that period.

So I bought an open-ended ticket to Chile.

When Social Anxiety Kicks In

When I got back to Santiago, I was an emotional train wreck. The feeling of loss was overwhelming. Most of the time I felt exhausted, empty, and cold.

Doing interviews on social and political participation didn’t go that well, either.

Going to Santiago’s major universities to talk to students became a nightmare.

Can you sense the irony?

It took me days to gather enough courage to leave the house and bring my questionnaire and old school tape recorder. Sometimes, I’d turn around and go back home when I was already halfway there.

I was no longer the spontaneous, smart and funny Dutch girl that my Chilean friends got to know before the break.

I had turned into a trembling, alienated social phobic who didn’t dare to walk up to anyone and ask them for five minutes of their time.

How Irrational Fears Can Hold You Down

I remember walking around on this beautiful campus, the sun shining on my bare white legs, watching small groups of students sit in the grass with a sandwich and a book. Some discussed social uprisings and gas prices, others studied for an exam or made out with their girlfriend.

All I felt was a deep, endlessly sad sense of not belonging.

On those days, I seriously wanted to run home, hide under the covers and not wake up until my fear had passed.

And I beat myself up over it: what could possibly be so hard about asking a fellow student a few general questions about politics and social participation?

But social anxiety, like any fear, isn’t rational. I sat down, put on my sunglasses to prevent anyone from accidentally looking me in the eye and cried in silence.

5 Clear Steps to Overcoming Social Anxiety

Recovery was a slow process. It took me several months to finish 18 interviews. On my best days, I managed to go out there and do two, ranging from five to twenty minutes.

With three steps forward and two steps back, I started seeing light at the end of the tunnel.

There are five steps that helped me overcome social anxiety. I’d love to share them with you.

1. Look After Yourself

When you’re alone and completely out of balance, the best place to start is base camp.

Get plenty of sleep at night. Get out of bed in the morning. Shower. Dress. Treat yourself to hearty, healthy food.

Maybe your mind isn’t working with you, but at least your body will remain healthy.

Try doing the things you used to enjoy, such as reading or taking a walk in the park. Going back to basics and doing normal things is tremendously important to keep you grounded.

2. Talk

Open up. Share your fears.

Now, this may seem very counter-intuitive when you’re in the middle of a choking sea of awfulness, but the only way out is to admit you’re terrified.

Try thinking of a friend or family member that you trust. Call them, go over to their place – do whatever is necessary to get to speak to them, and tell them exactly how you feel.

This is a difficult step to take, but once you try it, you’ll be surprised at how many people have experienced episodes like this.

If they care at all about you, they will listen and support you, even if they don’t completely understand your irrational fears.

3. Write

If talking about your social anxiety in person is still a bridge too far, start with writing about it (if you’re not much of a writer, substitute “writing” for “painting”, “singing” or any other activity that lets you express your feelings directly to another person).

Write about your fears on your blog, send an e-mail to a friend or family member or chat with them. Do a shout-out on Twitter. Speak from the heart and be as honest as you possibly can.

Many people will relate to your words. You will see you’re not alone, and that will give you strength.

4. Get Angry

The emotions that come with fear can vary by the hour.

One minute you might feel very sad, the next minute you may become frustrated with your fruitless efforts, time-wasting and seeing how everybody else seems to find life so easy.

Use those moments of deep frustration and anger to give yourself a good old kick in the butt. Let that inner voice roar!

It might just be the little push you need to act, and once that’s over, you’ll feel relieved. At least you’ll have done something useful that day.

5. Party!

Yep, you’re reading this correctly.

If the opportunity arises and a friend asks you over for a barbecue (Chileans do this all the time) or salsa dancing night, do it. Even though you feel like utter crap: do it anyway.

Trust the person who invites you and try to forget about the things that keep you awake at night.

A change of environment, being with other people, possibly even dancing or playing a game will do you good.

Every small step counts. Every smile you manage to get on your face is proof that you can do it.

Take the Long Way Home

To others, it might seem like a huge accomplishment: traveling to another continent, on your own, not knowing when you’ll return.

To me, it was a bare necessity.

I followed my instincts and I just knew going back to Chile was the only way. And I was right.

Over the course of the months, I slowly started feeling better about myself and my life. It wasn’t easy. But it was so worth it.

If you’re experiencing social anxiety like I was at the time, know that you’re not an idiot.

You are a very strong person for going through all these heavy emotions and you will succeed.

I promise you: in the end you will be able to live the life you want – without fear holding you back.

Esther van der Wal is a writer, editor and translator from the Netherlands. She is currently constructing ways to turn her heart’s desires into action. Follow her on Twitter to keep posted.

False Symbols of Success

Henri — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 12:47:13 +0000

Today I want to touch upon something I think is important, but all too easy to forget when you’re out to make money and cut those day-job shackles from your ankles.

I’m talking about the false symbols of success that so many worship.

The big houses, nice boats, fast cars, expensive watches, piles of money, and other goodies.

I’ve been lucky in my life, because I’ve experienced a lot of these “symbols”, which has helped me realize that they aren’t worth pursuing.

I used to think money was the be all and end all of happiness, but oh was I wrong.

You can spot false symbols of success quite easily. If you set a goal to make $100,000 a year, but only need $50,000, the goal might feel good while you’re working towards it, and even give you satisfaction when you reach it, but after a while, it just feels empty, without substance.

What matters in life are the connections we have, the value we give, and the experiences we have. Sounds cheesy, but that’s the conclusion I’ve reached, for now.

Now, I’m far from perfect in that I only go after “pure” goals, because I get sucked into greed over and over again, and sometimes that’s exactly the nudge I need to stay on track.

Fame

I like to say that I’ve never wanted fame, but I’d be lying, because deep down I know that I like recognition.

But I also know that getting Brad Pitt-like status where I can’t go outside without being recognized would be horrible.

A small dose of recognition is normal. We all want to be seen as contributors in our community or tribe, and that’s healthy.

What’s unhealthy is the constant struggle I see towards stardom. People sacrificing everything to become famous. It may just be what they need to experience right then and there, but it still kills me inside to see someone chasing something … unreal.

Success

Success means different things to different people, but what is success really? Is it accomplishing what you truly value?

Most likely not.

It’s usually accomplishing something that someone else values, which in this case is society, parents, friends, and so on. That’s why our parents want us to become lawyers, doctors, and bankers.

Well, to be honest, mine didn’t push me towards those, but there is always some bias to take the traditional path, which is go to school, get good grades, and buy stuff that is “important.”

Getting a great job leads to an avalanche of money, which means that you can buy a nice house, a fast car, and get security.

Instead of blindly accepting the symbols of success that someone else gives to us, I think it is far more important to sit down and determine for yourself what success means to you, and what it doesn’t.

Only when we think for ourselves can we become truly free. Earning money online is all well and good, but if you aren’t careful, it can become just another job, just another 9-to-5.

The cycle repeats itself, until something changes inside of you.

Money

I was lucky to have stumbled onto online poker when I was 18. It was one of my early wake up calls.

It got me thinking about what truly made me fulfilled. It led me to start meditating more, to start questioning what is going on, and to start taking responsibility for my own life.

I had all the money I needed, but I wasn’t any happier.

You can read all the books you want about happiness, but they don’t truly have an impact until you experience it for yourself.

I didn’t become enlightened through that first realization, but it helped me become aware of the fact that something wasn’t quite right.

I’ve always had an easy time falling into greed and doing things for money, but sooner or later I always snap out of it, because it doesn’t make me fulfilled.

I like making money, but I love making money when I’m helping someone or providing value just like I’m doing with this article.

What you put out, comes back to you.

Stuff

Then we have the little things, such as designer clothes, bags, shoes, new phones, gadgets, and all the rest of them.

Buying a Playstation console and playing now and then is cool, I even think it’s productive, because it’s fun to go 1-on-1 versus your friends playing FIFA or NHL, but it makes me bored after awhile, because I completely destroy everyone at those games .

I live next to an IKEA, which is the epitome of our consumer culture, and what amazes me time and time again is how frequently the parking lot is packed with people buying stuff they don’t need.

Buying more stuff serves as a distraction from looking inward and facing the emptiness that so many are experiencing today.

People aren’t fulfilled, a piece of them is missing, but things do not change until they reach a breaking point.

When the suffering becomes impossible to avoid and when there’s nothing left than to face it, then you either change or you break.

Wrapping Up

What I wanted to get across in this article is that it’s important that you remember what is truly important to you, even though you want to earn a living online.

I’m learning more and more about this myself, and it is a topic I’m hugely passionate about, because not only does it affect you and me individually, but it affects the whole planet and our future.

Does it make sense to keep consuming as we do today?

What will our future look like if we do not adapt?

I’m an optimist, so I believe that we will learn, but it will take time.

What do you think?

How to Be Free, Fulfilled and Live the Life of Your Dreams

Henri — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 11:20:53 +0000

Being free, fulfilled, and living the life you’ve always dreamed of living is fantastic, but how many are truly willing to take the steps to achieve it?

Are you?

Living a life full of passion takes a lot of work. I knew at the age of 16 that something was seriously wrong, and that I didn’t want to live the life that everyone else was living.

At that time, I started studying the stock market, which is where my independence really started. I bought dozens of books on the subject. I really wanted to learn, but it wasn’t until I started playing poker to try and fund my stock market adventure that I really started tasting success.

It is impossible to know what your path looks like. At 16, I thought I would be some kind of stock market mogul when I grew up. At 21, I thought I’d be playing poker for the rest of my life and buy a lot of real estate.

At 23, I discovered that something was missing, so I started writing, writing, and writing some more. Now, at 24, I feel like I will be helping people for the rest of my life, but I know that my plans will change, and that something unexpected will happen, so I’m more humble about the journey ahead.

Take this blog as an example: during the lifetime of the Wake Up Cloud, I’ve not only met awesome people, but I’ve learned a lot about myself. I’ve gone through rough times, and I’ve grown as a person.

I’ve constantly felt the pull of my mind in different directions. Sometimes I feel like writing about how to make money online, and sometimes I want to write about how to listen to your heart and live the life you want.

But in the end, all of these things are just pieces of the whole. Making money online isn’t just about making money. We need money to survive in today’s society. We may not need it in 50 years, but right now it’s a necessity.

Making a living online is my way of doing what I love while supporting myself, and sharing my message with you.

What Do You Really Want?

You and I both know that money is essential to freedom in the world we live in. This realization can be both good and bad, but for most people it’s a big mud trap that gets them all sticky and stuck.

If you make your priority to chase money, you will fall for a lot of money making scams, and completely useless get rich quick courses.

I went through the phase of wanting to have a blue BMW and sitting on a pearly white Caribbean beach working on my laptop. Luckily, I realized that this wasn’t what I really wanted.

When you figure out what you truly desire, you start to see what your purpose really is. Money can come in second or even third place, but you have to put your heart first, because if you don’t: who’s driving the car?

Do you want to write, make video, knit, create clothes, conjure up raw food recipes that people love, or help them live a minimalist life? It’s up to you.

You can look to others for advice, but in the end you will have to make your own choices.

Where will you start your journey?

How will you move forward?

It doesn’t have to be perfect, and it probably never will be, but in the end you will have to make a decision. What most people don’t realize is that not making a decision is still making a decision.

As I said above, I’ve gone through many stages of personal development. This is an evolving process, so take action, take names, and go kick some ass.

Listening to Your Heart

How do you know what you really want? You could consult with your mind, but I think you will get a better answer from that red, beating thing in the middle of your chest.

Your heart knows things you have no idea were even possible. It is your guide, and it will take you where you need to be, if you listen to it.

Before writing this post, I hadn’t felt like blogging for weeks, but when I let go of where I thought I should be with my blog and listened to my heart, this blog post started pouring out.

When you listen to your heart, don’t expect miracles, expect whispers and subtle hints.

It’s all too easy to look for others to guide you through life. I’ve been there and done that, and while it certainly is helpful if you’re completely new, at some point you have to take your heart into the equation and start following your purpose.

Listening is as simple as putting your attention in your heart. If you haven’t done thi, you may want to take a 15-20 minute time-out, close your eyes, and sit quietly feeling your heart.

Accept whatever comes up. You may feel a host of feelings that have been lingering in your body and heart. Acknowledge them, learn from them, and let them be.

The Art of Being You

You weren’t born so you could spend most of your life working a job you hate, sitting inside on those beautiful summer days day dreaming and hoping for a better life.

You were born to do what you love.

The word love has a strong meaning behind it, so let me clarify a bit: if you are going to make money doing something you love, it has to also be something that people want.

There are no crystal balls. No one can guarantee your success. Your journey probably won’t end up looking anything that you thought it would be.

The universe works in mysterious ways, never forget that

If you’re a blogger and you aren’t seeing results; it may mean that you’re doing something wrong, or it may mean that you aren’t really doing what you were born to do.

Life is a journey, and parts of that journey may mean going through nasty storms that throw up a heap of confusion, but that doesn’t mean you are the storm, and it definitely doesn’t mean that the storm won’t pass, even if it feels like that from time to time.

A common way of trying to get out of the storm is to start running in all directions instead of keeping a steady course. This may mean running west for 5 miles, and then running east for 10 miles. It leaves you where you started.

You will know when you are sharing your gift because not only does it feel extremely good, but people are telling you that it is transforming their life.

When I started this blog, I wasn’t getting any praise from people, but within a few months of writing and writing from the heart, I started getting the odd email here and there from people telling me that my writing had really inspired them.

This is what you want to be looking for. It may come in different forms, but the feeling is unmistakable.

Creating And Delivering Value

The best way to make a living while doing something you love is to create and deliver value. You see people talking about this all the time: create value, do what you love, and you will make money. I might even have said it myself in the past.

I still think it is true, but many people need further details, otherwise the whole message is misunderstood. You still have to use common sense and realize that you can end up broke while doing something you love.

This is something you will learn as you move forward. You may not be able to make a lot of money with a free blog that has a crappy ebook for sale even if you’re doing what you love. You have to learn how to market yourself, how to package things, and how to listen.

If you’ve read this far, this article is probably speaking straight to your heart, and you feel connected to what I’m saying. As you feel this feeling, think about why it happens. There are several factors that have to come together.

Sometimes one of those factors is just that I’m being open and authentic about my own journey, and sometimes it may be a factor that you cannot put your finger on.

Many people try to take simple statements such as “follow your passion and the money will come” and use them as rules. But the truth is that you have to stay open, flexible, and you have to adapt to what happens.

Creating Wealth

How much money do you really need to support your rent and food habit? It is often a lot less than you think. Kill your TV, get rid of your car, sell your crap, and get serious about what is really essential in your life.

Here’s a hint: it isn’t the stuff.

When you realize that you don’t need $5,000/month to survive, you realize that creating an online business that sustains you is a lot easier than you think.

I personally don’t have to worry about making huge piles of money because I live a very simple life. I’ve lived in Spain for 11 months and heading back to Scandinavia soon to see what happens.

Why am I going back? Because I want to, and it feels good.

The reason I love online income is because it is location independent. I can work from anywhere in the world, as long as I have an internet connection.

This is what I do and teach. I cannot be everything to everyone, and neither can you. I focus on the people that really want to change and create websites that give them freedom.

Most have probably stopped reading long ago, because long articles put off most people, but I’m not really trying to reach most people. I’m trying to reach you, because you’re serious about making stuff happen.

An Accurate View of Reality

If you want to be free, fulfilled, and do stuff you enjoy, you have to be realistic, and you have to have courage. You still have to learn how to create websites, how to write content, and how to make money online. This is why I sometimes write about these strategies and tactics.

They are the middlemen. They are what allow me to live the life that I live, and they are what will allow to live the life you want to live.

You have to have an accurate view of reality to make this work, and the way you reach a point where you start tasting success, tasting freedom, and being fulfilled is by learning from the people who have already done it, taking action and learning from your mistakes.

If you’re serious about taking control of your life, think about what you can do right now to get started.

What is your heart trying to tell you?

Image by Nicolas

The Simple Guide to Writing Web Content That Makes a Difference

Henri — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 12:04:57 +0000

When I began blogging, or writing online for that matter, I was scared of not doing it right. I was scared that my writing was going to scare people off.

I wanted to know the secret formula to writing web content that makes a difference.

It took me a while to realize that the important thing is having a voice, not writing perfectly or in any specific style.

I also realized that developing your writing style and voice takes time, which is why it’s crucial to get started and begin writing as soon as possible, even if you think you suck.

I personally write what I feel like I want to write. I have a lot of excuses and blocks I could succumb to, like anyone else, but this blog is about my journey and my experiences.

It doesn’t matter if someone else has already written about what I’m going to write, because my perspective will be different.

The same applies to you. You are unique, and you have your own experiences to share, so don’t worry about being perfect, worry about being yourself.

Writing As Expression

Who really defines what’s good and what is not?

The writing that speaks to me, may not speak to you. Writing for me, is an expression of who I am. It is a way for me to express what I’m experiencing and feeling.

When you’re writing online content, you don’t have to stick to any rules. There are writers all across the spectrum, and they’re all doing well.

If you plan to write a book, or anything more old-school, you will have to conform to the rules of that domain, but if you just want to get your message out there, there is nothing you have to worry about.

Evolution

When I started blogging, I wasn’t so sure of my writing, and even though I read the same things you are reading now, I still wanted to look at how successful bloggers wrote.

If I found someone who wrote articles that spoke to me, I asked myself what was really going on. Why was I so affected by what I was reading?

Was the content just so authentic? Was it beautifully written, or was it the experiences of the person behind the writing that really made the difference?

As I did this more and more, I realized that I didn’t really care about how people wrote, unless it was riddled with spelling errors or written in a way that I didn’t like. I only cared about the content.

When I kept blogging, I kept having these small a-ha moments, and I saw that the more I was myself in my writing, the better the feedback.

Being Yourself

The more I am able to be myself, the more I attract the right people to this blog.

I feel no rush to share everything on my blog all at once. I follow my feelings and share what I feel like sharing. If I don’t feel like sharing something, I don’t share it. I pick and choose what I want to share, and you can do the same.

There are no rules!

Just look at all the different bloggers out there. The only thing they have in common is that they’re doing their own thing.

I don’t feel any obligation to share anything private from my life, but at the same time, I don’t feel any objections to it. I think about the people I want to attract to this blog, and I realize that the more open I am, the more open people I attract.

The more I specify what matters to me, the more of those people I see reading this blog and contacting me.

In the end, the most important thing I can do is be myself, and have my own voice. I’m still not sure of it, but it has come a long way since I started this blog.

Writing, Writing, Writing

Since starting my online journey, I’ve written thousands of articles, mostly thanks to article marketing.

This has helped me fine tune my writing, and it has helped me convert my thoughts into text. The more I’ve written, the more confident I’ve become.

If I could go back and give myself advice when I was starting out, I would tell myself to not worry that much, take action and go with the flow. I would’ve probably not followed the advice of my future self, because we need to learn from our own experiences.

I always have a tendency to want to make everything perfect before I start, but it has never worked out that well. I’ve tried it for many, many years, and it only slows me down.

The sooner I start making mistakes, the faster I progress.

The 6 Steps to Writing Content That Makes a Difference

Life for me no longer is about perfection, even if I want it to be. Life for me is about experiences, learning opportunities and personal growth. Here are a few tips I’ve used or still use in writing the best content I am able to write.

1. Accept. I can always compare myself to the most successful bloggers and writers out there, but it really isn’t a good use of my time. Once I accept where I am, I have time to look back on how far I’ve come, and that allows me to express more of myself.

2. Write. The more I write, the better I become. You can’t write a home-run every time. Writing and blogging for me is more of a marathon than a sprint. I won’t always write great stuff, but I will always write, because I love to write.

3. Listen. I do my best to listen to my feelings, hunches and impulses. They sometimes lead to unexpected places, and give birth to incredible ideas. Sometimes I have to be a little bit illogical to come up with great stuff.

3. Read. I really enjoying sitting down with a good book. By reading, I show my brain how the language works and how good writers write. I’m showing examples of what great writing looks like, which then helps me write and express myself better.

4. Experiment. There’s nothing like going with a hunch and seeing where it takes me. Experimenting can be scary, but ultimately I’ve found it to be a great way to grow both personally and in my writing.

6. Write some more. In the end, all this comes down to is writing as much as I can. The more I write, the better I become, and the more ideas I have. I’m okay with not being the best writer in the world. I enjoy writing and that’s why I write.

It’s easy to get caught in trying to be someone else, or writing like someone else. In the end you have to write for yourself, because that’s what will make you happy.

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The 8 Core Excuses Standing Between You And Your Dreams

Henri — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 12:49:12 +0000

We all have our own excuses. They feel unique to each one of us, but in reality, we all deal with the same core excuses.

What I’ve seen over and over again is that excuses are merely imaginary walls standing between you and your dreams.

They can keep you from moving forward, but only if you let them. Those that are successful realize this and keep moving forward even when they feel like they can’t.

If making stuff happen was easy, everybody would be following their passion. You will bump into obstacles, and you will feel like you can’t do this or that, but you can.

Here are the seven core excuses:

1. I Don’t Have Time

We all have the same amount of time to work with. Some have jobs, some have families, while others seemingly have all the free time in the world.

But that doesn’t mean that you should let time stop you from doing what you want. So what if you only have 60 minutes per day to work on your passion?

If you don’t start now, when will you?

It’s quite common to believe that if you had more time, you’d make more things happen, but in reality, it doesn’t work quite like that, at least not from my experience.

You see, there’s something called Parkinson’s Law that states: Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.

What this basically means is that even if you have more time, you’ll tend to fill that time with the same amount of work.

I saw this happen in my own life when I started working online full-time. I had more time on my hands, but I didn’t work more.

If you have a job and a family, you will obviously have less time on your hands than a 20-something who hasn’t decided what to do with his life yet.

But this shouldn’t stop you from doing anything. You can always find time to do what you want. It all depends on how badly you want something.

2. What About My Family / Friends / Kids

When you embark on your path to greatness, there will always be people that will stand in opposition.

You are in effect, making them uncomfortable by stepping out of the confines of society, which in turn destroys some of their belief systems.

Sometimes you have to stand alone in what you do and what you believe in. At those times, it’s your duty to lead by example and show that this can be done.

You won’t always succeed, and the journey will not always be easy, but if you keep going and keep doing what you feel is right, you’ll get to where you need to be.

As you start moving towards your passion, some of your friends will naturally fall away. They just aren’t a good fit for you anymore, and that’s okay.

Even though I do not have a family (yet), I’m sure that most are reasonable and are more than willing to support what you’re doing. If not, you’ll just have to get creative .

3. I Don’t Know How

Since I make my living online, I talk about making a living online, so that’s what I’m going to focus on.

Making your passion a reality seems difficult, especially when you start bumping into all the technical obstacles for getting a website up, getting traffic, making money and so on.

The good news is that there are plenty of tutorials, guides and mentors out there that are more than happy to help you out with whatever problems you may have.

In the end, all excuses are just excuses. You can easily find the information you need. You may not know how to do everything right now, but you can learn.

I didn’t know how to make money online when I started in early 2009, but I am now making enough to live wherever I want and do whatever I want.

I learned how to get traffic, and I learned a few things about what makes a blog tick. I didn’t make everything perfect, but I did take action, and that helped me reach 1,012 subscribers in 101 days.

4. I Don’t Have Money

The good thing about working online is that the upfront costs are minimal. The only thing you may need to pay for is webhosting and a domain name.

In some cases, you may want to hire someone to help you with the technical stuff, and perhaps a simple design. If you’re feeling motivated, you may even want to join a course to slice a few months off your learning curve.

All in all, if you get everything, it’ll probably cost you under $500. But again, it’s not essential that you get a design or join a course.

The important part is getting started and making things happen, even if you have no idea what the heck you’re doing.

When I started this blog, I immediately joined Authority Blogger, because I already knew that the fastest way to building a successful blog was to follow in the footsteps of someone that was already doing what I wanted to be doing.

5. I Don’t Know People

I didn’t know anyone when I got started, but I’ve slowly gotten to know some really cool people.

The bottom line is that it doesn’t matter who you know. If you’re following your passion and making things happen, people will automatically be more willing to chat with you.

We’re all human beings, and we all crave authentic connections. Some successful people may be busy, but you don’t have to start with the A-listers.

Just start with the people you feel like you would want to talk to if you didn’t have a business to look after. Building relationships just because doesn’t really work out.

Be authentic and have fun. That’s how you would want people to approach you, right?

6. I’m Afraid

Being afraid is good. It means you’re heading in the right direction. Imagine your life without fear.

Boring, eh?

Okay, okay, so at first it seems awesome, but if you keep playing the movie in your head for awhile longer, it’s going to get boring!

I’m always afraid when I’m jumping into something new and unfamiliar. Throughout the years, I’ve learned to feel better about fear, but by no means have I become fearless.

I’ve learned to have a better reaction to it than I did 5 years ago.

It’s going to be there when you start out, and it’s going to be there when you’re successful. It’s a part of life, and the key to overcoming it is to accept it and keep moving on.

Easier said than done, I know

7. It Won’t Work

To be honest, it probably won’t, at first, but that’s why you’ll be persistent and patient, right?

When I started my journey, I failed horribly. I was telling people about a book I was writing and I was going to be a rockstar, but nothing happened.

I wasted $8,000 on coaching and even then I failed. Even with all these huge mistakes, I kept going, because I knew this was what I wanted to do.

As I said, it probably won’t work at first, but it might. If you fall off the horse, just get up again. It’s the only way, and it isn’t as painful as you think it is.

We have a tendency to worry a bit too much. I do it all the time, but if there’s something I’ve realized, it’s that the fear of fear is more horrifying than the actual fear.

8. I’m Not Good Enough

We all have limiting beliefs and sometimes our confidence just isn’t where we want it to be. The funny thing is that even when you’ve reached a certain amount of success, you will still be worrying about something.

We’ve been taught that success changes things, but no real change happens outside of you, it all happens inside.

So it doesn’t matter how successful you are. The proof can be seen in famous people all around the world. They have the fame, the money and the success, but most of them are still searching for happiness.

Here’s the gist of it though: you will feel like you’re not good enough, but you are good enough. As long as you can remember that, you’ll be just fine.

Keep rocking!

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Productivity Secrets: How to Get Stuff Done Without Killing Yourself

Henri — Mon, 24 May 2010 11:06:12 +0000

Have you been trying to push yourself to be more productive? Are you still not getting as much done as you’d like to? Are you still feeling semi-stressed out?

There are a lot of shoulds in our life when it comes to productivity. For example, I’ve always been an overachiever and somewhat of a work-a-holic.

Looking back at my life, I see that I often start out doing what I love, but I end up hating it, because I force myself to work more than I want to, and more than I need to.

There’s a divine flow to life. Going too fast is no better than going too slow. It has taken me a while to realize that it is okay to not get everything done at once.

It’s okay if you’re not where you want to be right now. At the same time comes the realization that the process and the journey is what life is all about.

And that is why I always recommend you follow your highest excitement from moment to moment. The milestones are cool, but enjoying the process is what makes a difference.

Elimination

When I was working on Passionate Living, I eliminated 95% of all other tasks.

I didn’t write as many blog posts. I spent less time on social media and I didn’t take on anything else that came my way.

You don’t have to do all the things you think you do. Often if you step back and take a look at your life, you will see that you can eliminate a large percent of stuff that doesn’t make a difference.

When you read and learn too much, you start believing that you have to follow other people’s paths when the only path you have to follow is your own.

Elimination means saying no to projects that do not resonate with you. Elimination means that you are okay with doing less, but getting more done.

This is counter-intuitive, because we equate productivity with constantly doing something, even if that something is checking e-mail every five minutes. But real productivity just means doing things that matter without killing yourself.

Focus

When you eliminate, you get focus. If I didn’t eliminate as much as possible when I was working on Passionate Living, I would not have got it done in 2 weeks.

Each day I woke up, I knew that the only thing I had to work on was my ebook. That gave me clarity and eliminated procrastination, because the task was so simple.

If I feel overwhelmed, I take out a pen and a piece of paper the night before I go to bed. I write down three tasks I am going to focus on the next day.

For example, I may write down three chapters I want finished. You have to listen to yourself and find your own rhythm. The most important part is how you feel.

Remember, even if you’re doing something you’re passionate about, if you’re working too hard, you’re stuck in another cage.

Being Okay With Less

I’ve always been very impatient. I can’t wait to get things done, but I’ve come to realize that there’s never an end.

When you finish one thing, there’s always something else.

I saw this clearly when I played poker. At first, I wanted a certain sum of money in my bank account. When I hit my goal, I wanted more, and more, and more.

The cycle never ends. It’s how our minds work. Remind yourself that it’s okay to have less, work less and relax more.

The Essential Ingredient

If you want to enjoy life and get stuff done, you have to rest. Action and rest are two sides of the same coin. One cannot exist without the other.

If you work hard for a long period of time, plan in some rest. Don’t jump into the next project right away.

I’ve done this the last few weeks. I’ve focused on improving my Spanish, practicing martial arts and hanging out with cool people.

Productivity doesn’t mean you have to work, work, work. It just means that you have to focus on that essential 20% that gives you 80% of the results.

Listen to your heart, breathe and relax.

Stay awesome!

P.S. I did an interview with Srini from BlogCastFM on how I gained 1,500 subscribers in a few months and launched a product. You also have a chance of winning a free copy of Passionate Living if you re-tweet the interview. Check it out now by clicking here.

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How to Make Your Fears Insignificant

Henri — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 10:58:17 +0000

If you want to get to where you want to be, you will have to learn how to overcome, eliminate and beat your fears. That is easier said than done, but the way I have done it is surprisingly simple.

It all started when I finished my last year in school. If I remember correctly, at that time I was already earning a healthy living by playing poker a few hours a day.

Everything went smoothly in the beginning and I was on top of the world. It wasn’t until a year or so later that I realized why they refer to poker as a hard way to make an easy living.

It’s tough, but when you learn to deal with the situation, you grow. The fear, worry, anxiety, frustration and anger that comes to the surface is surprising, but what it reveals about you as a person is amazing.

You and I, we will ultimately have completely different ways of overcoming and dealing with our fears. Keep that in mind when you read this article. This should merely serve as a stepping stone for you to discover what works for you.

By learning to make my fears insignificant, I’ve been able to make much faster progress than I could have done otherwise.

People often ask me how I am able to learn everything so fast, and I believe one of the reasons is because I am often able to work with my fears. I acknowledge them and keep moving forward.

How Your Mind Works

In order to overcome your fear and make it insignificant, you have to either make it smaller or make your dreams larger.

When I first started making a living on my own with poker, I had no idea what I was doing, and I was dealing with my own mind-ghosts for the first time.

It’s only in hindsight that I am able to see what got me through it all. Even though I didn’t know exactly what steps to take, it was my single-mindedness that kept me moving. I was surrounded by my own fear, but I knew what I wanted, so I kept going.

Remember, you are in charge of your brain and what goes on inside. Take a deep look at your thoughts and see how you’re looking at what you want and what you don’t want.

You may see them, hear them, or feel them, it doesn’t matter which. The important thing is that you learn to magnify what you want, and shrink what you don’t want.

I am not talking about ignoring the bad stuff in your brain, just making it insignificant for now, you can always reverse the process later if you wish

Whatever you feel can be changed. How you feel it can be changed. You are in complete control. The only problem is that most people aren’t willing to claim their power and take responsibility.

Acceptance

The first time I was asked to do an audio interview was on Blog Cast FM. I was nervous, but I knew that in order to reach my goal, it was inevitable. I had to do it sooner or later. Thinking like this calmed me and got me pumped about doing the interview.

I was thinking about what I wanted. It doesn’t matter if you’re thinking about making a living doing what you love or just wanting to have a popular blog, whatever makes you tick is good.

This is one of the main ways I overcome my own fears day in and day out. I accept that they are there. I look at where I want to go, and I move forward, without thinking much, because if I already know where I have to go, there’s no reason to second-guess, it will only delay me.

It works for me. No matter how afraid I am, if I am always honest with myself. I know where I want to go, and I know what I have to do to get there. Any fear is insignificant if it is holding me back. It’s a waste of time.

Everyone deals with fear, but the successful people take action and are willing to deal with failure and whatever bad things may happen.

The only downside with my process is that it doesn’t work on things I am not passionate about. For example, I’m just a tiny bit freaked out by insects, spiders and the like, but I have no motivation to get rid of that fear because it’s not relevant for me.

How to Make Your Fears Insignificant

By now, I’m sure you’re already familiar with how you can overcome your fears and make them insignificant, but there is still room to make it simpler.

Whenever a fear emerges, think about where you want to go and if you’re moving in the right direction. If you decide you’re moving in the right direction, acknowledge the fear and keep moving forward.

This process requires courage in the beginning, but once you’re comfortable with it, it becomes easier to trust that it works.

Why is it that when you walk down the street and bump into a sign that says “construction, please go away”, you immediately think about the best way to get around it and keep moving forward, but when you’re heading for a more fulfilling life and something comes in your way, you freeze?

It’s because of your conditioning, programming and the associations you have made in your life. Everything can be changed. Remember, you have the power to do whatever you want. There are no excuses.

Each time I face one of my fears, it shrinks and ultimately disappears. The hardest part is doing it the first few times. To summon the courage to get started, I look at the choice of succumbing to my fear and moving through it. Life almost always looks better when you face your fears.

If I give in to my fear, I’ll live a life of regret. If I face my fear, I’ll keep growing and moving towards a more fulfilling life. A rough example, but I think you can see how I frame things in my own mind.

You have to find a way to motivate yourself. It’s starts by taking action and learning how your mind works. It’s easy to believe that your mind, your thoughts and your feelings are in control, but if that’s true, why is it that you are able to observe your thoughts and feelings when you are completely present?

How can your thoughts be in control if there is an overseer watching them? They can’t. Breathe, relax and be in the now, and you become the observer.

Release the End Result

Henri — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 18:46:47 +0000

Life is filled with an endless amount of paradoxes. You have to set goals and plan, but getting too attached to your goals is counterproductive.

Your goals can motivate you, but if you focus too much on getting somewhere, you’ll end up frustrated and wondering why you aren’t already there.

Remember when you were a kid and you were going on a long trip with your parents, so you kept asking ‘are we there yet?’

The same mentality applied to life will make you miserable and frustrated. The constant need to get somewhere is an unhealthy habit that can be hard to shake off.

The solution is to change your perspective and approach. If you’re starting a business online or offline for the sake of making bank fast, chances are you’re not going to be happy because you’re going to be thinking about the end result, all the time.

Being able to release the end result requires you to be proactive. It requires you to be okay with nothing happening within the first few years.

On this blog, I can focus on helping, producing content and products that help people, but I’m not tied down by end results, such as getting to certain amount of traffic or making a certain amount of money.

I can enjoy the journey, because I have some income coming in that supports my rent and food habit. I still have a goal and a plan, but my attachment to results is reduced because of the lowered need to make something happen.

Being able to release the end result has made a big difference in my own level of happiness. Frustration and impatience knocks at my door constantly, but that’s okay. I realize that I am not perfect and that these things will happen.

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My 7 Proven Strategies for Improving Productivity and Achieving Success

Henri — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:54:01 +0000

You’re under attack. Information overload is imminent. What are you doing to solve it? Are you feeling overwhelmed, feeling down and about to give up?

When you’re feeling like you can take no more, that is the time when you should keep going, because that’s when most people give up.

Even though I have a growing blog, niche websites that make money and everything seems to be going well, my brain is still trying to distract me.

It wants me to go after that new course that just came out. They’re promising me thousands of dollars each month and my brain likes it

It wants everything insignificant. This is the time when I bring it back into reality.

I realize that I would have to work on this new course for at least a year before I would start making any significant money.

Am I prepared to put in that amount of work? Do I FEEL passionate about what they are doing? Do I need more money?

By asking these questions I can turn off the part of my brain that isn’t helping and bring awareness and consciousness back into my life.

I realize that everything is well. I am reminded by my purpose, my goals and my passion. I am heading in the right direction and feeling awesome.

The glimpses of uncertainty, frustration and greed will fade. The first time you become aware of them, they may be large, two-hour long HD movies, but as you learn how your brain works, they start to disappear more and more.

But what if you still feel overwhelmed? What if you don’t really know what to do? The best advice I can give you is to experiment. If that doesn’t suffice, here’s what I’ve learned throughout my short life:

1. Stop Searching for Perfection

It doesn’t matter if you’ve just started with this online stuff or if you’ve been reading about it for several years.

You do not have to know everything in order to start. You will never reach a point where you know the exact steps to take.

You will always be confused. You will always be afraid. This is true for everyone. No one is privileged. We’re all the same.

The thing that differentiates the successful from the unsuccessful is the ability to be okay with all of this.

Being okay with imperfection, fear and worry comes with time. The first time you face fear, it’ll be scary, but as you keep doing it over and over again, it becomes a habit, a powerful habit.

There is no perfect system out there that will make you money, get you subscribers or catapult you to success.

Think about the tools as glasses or cups. They all have the same general purpose: to hold liquid. The tools online are there to help you, but they aren’t the end goal.

There are millions of different ways of drinking water, tea or coffee. Do you really need cups? Could you create your own cup? What about modeling someone who already does it the way you want to?

2. Wield Your True Power

You are not the part of your mind constantly searching, yearning and desiring money, fame and stuff. The part of you that is you is the observer.

Have you ever thought about the fact that you can take a step back and observe your thoughts? Sure, your mind will bring in loops upon loops of thoughts to try and trick you, but ultimately you ARE the observer behind the thoughts.

One of the best analogies I’ve heard is this: When you’re watching a movie, you aren’t the movie, you are the person WATCHING the movie.

What does this have to do with improving productivity and achieving success online?

When you truly realize this, you also realize that your mind doesn’t wield the power you thought it did. You no longer have to listen to everything it has to say.

I have enough money, but my mind wants more. My websites are doing great, but I want more visitors, more success and more of everything.

This is my mind talking. By being aware of my mind, I give myself choices. I don’t have to listen to it. I can let my thoughts pass. If they do not pass, that is fine as well, because even your mind is part of you.

It only wants the best for you. It wants security. It wants to feel good and it wants to be loved. Realize that it isn’t out to hurt you, but to protect you.

Whenever I start getting distracted by a new promise, I realize what my mind is up to and I bring my thoughts back to the present moment.

I remind myself of what is important and assess my current situation. Even if you’re heading in the right direction, your mind will want to go on tangents and avoid the work, because it’s so much easier to dabble and play around.

The next time you hear that small voice in your head act out of fear, realize that it only wants the best for you. Be okay with it and bring your thoughts back to the present moment.

If you’re unsure of your passion, this voice will be stronger than ever, because you will be uncertain. In that case, use it as a reminder that you still need to get clear about what you truly want.

3. Focus

When you realize you’re in control of your thoughts, you can start eliminating what you don’t want and focus on what you do want.

Even as I am writing this article, my mind is constantly wanting to surf, indulge in social media, go get a glass of water, look out the window, think about what I’m going to eat and a hodgepodge of other unrelated things.

Writing, creating products, learning how to succeed online and in general staying focused is hard work. It feels bad, so most people don’t do it. They opt for something easy and settle for the 9-to-5.

I look at doing the important work as a sort of meditation. My mind will wander, but each time I bring it back and focus solely on one task, I feel stronger and feel more focused.

I fail a lot. I get distracted a lot. Sometimes I berate myself for not being perfect, but I remember: no one is perfect. The most successful people in the world deal with the same things as you and I.

Why is it that some people can do this, but not you? It isn’t because of talent. It isn’t because of magical abilities. So why is it?

In my own experience I’ve had a few a-ha moments where I’ve realized that even the most successful people are just humans. The difference is they know what’s important and they get it done.

A big excuse you might hear from yourself or from others is if you could just do this full-time you’d make it. But that’s a big lie, and you know it.

If you have 2 hours to get something done, you tend to be more focused and get it done faster. If you have 6 hours, you tend to coast and fill the whole 6 hours to get the same things done. It’s called Parkinson’s Law, which states: Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.

Determine the most important tasks for you to make progress and do them. Stay focused and get them done. Everything else is an excuse.

4. Find Your Passion

Your passion is what will keep you going when nothing seems to work.

When I run into obstacles with my blog and business, I overcome them because my purpose is more important than my fears.

I have no choice but to succeed. I could not live with myself if I stopped because of one petty fear that my mind threw at me.

My goal is to help others succeed online and break free from their self-imposed shackles. I do this through this blog right now, but I am completely open to the fact that the platform I use may change.

You never know that will happen. Everything is constantly changing, which is why you have to get comfortable being uncomfortable and use your passion and purpose to fuel you through the tough patches.

Let’s face it, you’ve probably procrastinated on a lot of things that could have brought you closer to your dream life. And so have I, I’m not going to lie to you about that.

I procrastinate all the time, but I always find a way to keep improving my productivity and get things done. If nothing else, I think about my purpose and remind myself that what I am doing is important.

Everything doesn’t have to be logical. My mind is often highly illogical, but we humans aren’t really logical beings. We are run by our emotions, so use them to your advantage.

Imagine you being the most important person on the planet. If you don’t keep on going, everything will go down the drain.

What if three years from now you did something that changed the world? What if it happened because of the failures and frustrations you’re going through now?

5. Find a Mentor

Finding someone who’s successfully doing what you want to do is one of the best ways to quiet your mind and give it some certainty.

I’ve used mentors ever since I made my first money online playing poker. As I started becoming successful, I paid someone $250/hour to critique my game and tell me what I was doing wrong.

From that point on, my whole approach to poker and life changed. I could never go on without a mentor. It’s simply too valuable to pass up on.

Having someone to guide you is priceless. When I started my first niche website, which was a failure, I didn’t have a coach. I somehow missed it and I didn’t follow the instructions, so I wasted two years of my time.

I almost gave up, because I thought that this whole internet thing was a scam. No one can make money doing this. That was my mind talking.

Those who think like this haven’t even tried. They haven’t put in the effort. They haven’t worked hard. I know, because I’ve been there. It’s easy to play the victim and feel sorry for yourself.

After two years I finally realized I wasn’t getting anywhere with my first website, which is when I got a mentor, got serious about following instructions and I worked hard.

The results? It worked. That website is still bringing in income every single month.

6. Redefine Failure

You will fail. You will run into obstacles and you will be frustrated. It’s a part of life. What determines your success is how you use them.

You could feel sorry for yourself and blame other people and things for causing this catastrophic scenario to happen to you.

OR . . .

You could look at what you could improve and take action to implement your newfound knowledge. Ask your mentor what you did wrong. Read, discuss and absorb, but remember to take action.

I owe a lot of my fast success to being okay with making mistakes and failing over and over again. I don’t remember when I embraced this, but I have a feeling it started right around the time I started making money playing poker.

When we’re in school, failing and making mistakes is frowned upon. Every spelling error is highlighted with a red marker, every paper graded.

This makes us afraid to try things and eliminates our childish sense of adventure. It is up to each and every one of us to regain it.

How?

By going out there, failing and seeing that it doesn’t kill you. When you redefine failure, you actually want people to criticize you and give you feedback, because the more constructive criticism you get, the faster you’ll improve.

7. Stop Re-Inventing the Wheel

Everyone is telling you to be remarkable and to stand out, but is that really practical when it comes to making your first $100 online or getting your fist 1,000 subscribers?

There’s no need to re-invent the wheel and try to figure everything out. This goes hand in hand with finding a mentor.

Sometimes you won’t have the money to spend $150-250 per hour on a mentor. What you can do instead is join a training course that resonates with you.

The more you emulate someone who is already successful, the faster you’ll be successful. It’s really that simple.

If you’re not succeeding, you’re doing something wrong, which is when you ask your mentor or the person in charge of the training for feedback.

Improving productivity, getting things done and succeeding online is first about following instructions, modeling someone successful and then experimenting with your own ideas.

It has worked over and over again for me and the people that I’ve taught (discounting the people that don’t take action), so why not for you?

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How to Get Inspired

Henri — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 19:16:33 +0000

You and I, we both have different times when we’re in the zone and feeling inspired.

I’m in the zone right after I wake up and have had some freshly-squeezed juice.

But what do you do when you’re feeling uninspired? It’s easy to want to force it just so you can show your mind that you’re the one in control.

From my personal experience I’ve discovered that taking the form of water and going with the flow is where the least resistance is found.

Learning how to get inspired is almost an art in and of itself, at least it has been for me.

It’s about getting to know yourself and how your body, mind and soul work.

Be Proactive

The best way to overcome feeling uninspired is to not write or produce anything at all, because it’ll usually not be anywhere near as good as it could be.

If you’re a writer, blogger or a content producer of any kind, you know that you can’t slack off when it comes to producing great content.

My personal strategy is to be proactive and take advantage of those times when I feel incredibly inspired, which usually means in the mornings.

I can easily write two or three posts each morning, but I like to keep it simple and write just one post daily. Sometimes I send these posts to other blogs and sometimes I save them as drafts on my blog for an inspiration recession.

5 Effective Tips on How to Get Inspired

Let’s be honest. There will come a time where you have to write something when you can’t seem to produce anything. In these instances, something special is required.

What personally gets me inspired and in the flow are the following five things:

1. Exercise. After some rigorous exercise my mind is always clear and calm. I’m feeling relaxed and after a shower all is well. I’ve noticed that my ideas seem to flow a lot better after exercise. I am almost able to recreate the amount of clarity I have in the morning. What kind of exercise am I talking about? Mainly something that gets your heart pumping, such as running, swimming or martial arts, but it can also be something like yoga, tai chi or anything along those lines. It all depends on who you are and how you’re wired.

2. Meditate. Meditation always works in getting me into the flow. I begin by focusing on my breath for 5-10 minutes. After that I start observing what it is that is blocking my inspiration from flowing freely. I usually find some fear that is causing the problem. I then observe the fear. I get curious and see where it takes me. When you allow the fear to be there, it usually fades away. At this point I go back into breathing until I feel clear, centered and calm. This helps lift my mood and bring back clarity.

3. EFT. I like to use Emotional Freedom Techniques in conjunction with meditation, because it enhances the effect it has. You can also use EFT alone and focus on the feeling of not feeling inspired and not being able to do what you want to do. As you keep working on the issue, you will notice other thoughts pop up. These may be fears, concerns, worries or anxieties. Work on them until you feel like you’re done.

4. Inspiration. The best source for inspiration is inspiration. Mindblowingly simple, isn’t it? What or who inspires you the most? Check out inspirational speeches, listen to inspirational music, watch an inspirational movie or do whatever uplifts you and gets you in the right mood.

5. Massage. Getting a light massage always makes me feel good, but if I go for an intense, full-body massage I come out too relaxed and want to take a nap, so there are lines you cannot cross if you want to be able to stay awake.

Most of my friends and family would probably say I’m impatient. Most of the time I benefit from it because I can channel my impatience into taking action, but where it hurts me is when I feel uninspired but want to force myself to produce something.

If you aren’t feeling inspired, the best thing you can do is take a step back and go do something else. Try the four tips above and I’ll guarantee that you’ll see a difference in how you feel.

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How to Make a Difference

Henri — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:58:57 +0000

We live in a time of change. You can feel it in the air. Some people are afraid, some are excited.

Some are losing their homes, some are making a fortune.

Where you are doesn’t matter, it’s where you’re going and what you’re doing that is important.

You’ve probably been thinking about starting a business or have already started. You might have a blog, website or an eBay store, all that doesn’t matter.

Those are merely tools and platforms that you transmit your energy and message through.

The important question to ask is “are you doing things that change people’s lives for the better?”

Now, this doesn’t have to be a big thing. If your passion is to make and sell jewelry you’re already improving people’s lives by doing what you love.

The mere act of you being happy and following your heart makes a difference.

We all have different things we like to do. The only problem is that most people are too afraid to be themselves and allow their gifts to shine.

We’re not all here to be the next Mother Theresa, Nelson Mandela or Martin Luther King. There are no rules that tell you what you can and cannot do.

It’s Not About the Platform

As my blog has grown, I’ve started getting e-mails from people asking me what platform they should use. Should you blog, start a website, do the eBay thing or start an offline business?

Those are all platforms. They are all great and they have different advantages and disadvantages. In the end, it is up to you to pick one that resonates and fits your personality.

For me, I’ve always liked doing stuff online. When I became serious about building an income through websites in the beginning of 2009, I was instantly drawn towards websites and blogs.

They are an effective way to get started without spending a lot of money. All that is required is a lot of hard work, patience and persistence. I’m at least decent at those, so that’s what I chose.

I recommend you learn from experience instead of reading too much. Less thinking, more doing.

It’s Not About Being Perfect

Passion, purpose, or whatever you want to call it, they are all interesting labels. They mean different things to different people.

What I’ve learned is that most people have many passions. No one has just one, and the thing that stops us is the fear of picking the wrong one.

I’m here to tell you that you can pick one, work on it and then work on another. Stop stressing over small stuff and get started.

Another one of my passions is natural health, and before I started the Wake Up Cloud, I was afraid that I was going to miss out if I just focused on one area, but I realized that I couldn’t dilute the blog with more topics, at least not in the beginning.

I now realize that there are other avenues that I can use as an outlet for my passion, such as guest posting, or just putting in tidbits here and there in my blog posts.

I can always start another blog later on, but the focus right now is to work on what I have in front of me. It’s all well and good to try stuff, but there comes a time when you have to focus and start taking action if you want to get anywhere.

It’s Not About You

The more I’ve started doing what I love and following my heart, the more inspired I feel and the more ideas I have to provide value and make a difference.

When you focus on what you can do for others, good things happen. Now, I’m not saying to give away everything you know.

It’s perfectly okay to produce products that help people and charge money for them. There’s nothing wrong with making money.

What I’m saying is that when your focus is on helping people and changing people’s lives, the results you have will be much greater than you could ever imagine.

The Wake Up Cloud has been growing faster than I ever thought possible. My goal from the beginning was to help and connect with people, and I think it’s one of the reasons why good stuff is happening.

I take my own experiences and do my best to translate them into valuable bits of information that others can use to improve their own lives.

Stop asking what you can get and start giving people stuff that makes a difference. We all have the potential. It’s scary, but now more than ever is the time to step up and do your part.

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How to Overcome the Fear of Writing

Henri — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:46:34 +0000

Do you want to be fearless with your writing? Do you want to be able to get into the flow and produce article after article?

Sometimes it feels like I’m allergic to writing. It seems like I’ll never fill that blank paper staring back at me with killer content.

But does your writing really have to be awesome all of the time? I’m beginning to think that maybe it doesn’t.

All this talk of being remarkable, standing out and making a difference can be extremely constipating, because you become so self-conscious of what you’re doing.

The simple act of being yourself and doing your best IS being remarkable. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.

It’s YOUR journey. You decide what you want to do. I’ve found myself looking at others many times, but I’ve found it counter-productive.

In the end, you have to find your own groove and do your own thing. There are people out there that want to consume what you feel inspired to write about.

When you look at other successful entrepreneurs, writers and creative men and women, you’ll often see that they’ve spent years working on what they love.

This doesn’t happen overnight, but the more you do the things you like doing, the closer you will get to your true voice and who you really are. That’s what matters.

Dealing with the Fear

Whatever is worth doing will stretch you out of your comfort zone, which is exactly why it’s crucial that you learn how to overcome your fears. The difference between the great and the merely good is that the great feel the fear, acknowledge it and keep moving forward.

This is something Seth Godin talks a lot about in his book Linchpin. If you haven’t read it yet, you probably should. I put off reading it for a long time, but I just bought it and it’s great.

When I started writing on the Wake Up Cloud, everything was easy. It was as if I was floating downstream. As my audience has grown, I’ve started to hit more bumps and twists. The ride is not all smooth anymore.

For me, one of the main reasons is fear. I have a larger audience, so I feel pressured to produce better and better content.

Accepting Imperfection

But I’ve realized that perfection isn’t necessary to write a good blog. Just look at other bloggers who’ve been around for a long time.

They have a lot of readers, and they are nowhere near perfect. The important key is to get your stuff out there. There’s no need to spend hours rewriting your article to make it perfect.

Because what is perfect? Perfect for you is merely in your head. You have no idea what someone else likes or dislikes.

What if you wrote an article that could change someone’s life, but then you rewrote it. Let yourself be imperfect, it’s easier and enjoyable.

Authenticity is Key

There’s something about a person that doesn’t get bogged down in the details. They know they didn’t write that sentence perfectly, but they also know that it is enough to get the point across.

I’ve always believed that the more you show people who you really are, the more you will attract the right people into your life.

If you try to be perfect, how can people relate to you? Perfection blocks creativity and spontaneity. Everyone talks about being authentic, of being an artist, but in order to be those things, we have to let go of the fear and the perfection that has been programmed into us.

Your readers won’t care if you’re perfect. In fact, if there’s anything I’ve learned it is that the more you are able to be who you truly are, the more you’ll draw the right people to you.

Now, we could argue that we’re all perfect in our imperfection, but that’s not my point here. I am not here for that. I am here to get a point across.

You are perfect as you are. I like you as imperfect. Just words. Be yourself, with quirks and all.

You Are Not Psychic

Let’s face it, most of us aren’t psychic. We can’t possibly know what our readers want. Sure, we can know some of it, but most of the time we’re just guessing.

I have felt horrible about many posts I have written, but after hitting publish, I’ve come to realize that what I think doesn’t really matter.

As long as I do my best and put my thoughts out there, it will take care of itself. You see, most of the time when I feel like my articles aren’t worth the virtual paper they were written on, my readers will still like it and I will even get e-mails from people thanking me.

Realizing that your writing doesn’t have to be magical to make a difference will take a huge weight off your shoulders.

Do your best and get your thoughts, experiences and gifts out to the world.

Image by Marco Murray

A Bizarre Meeting with a Messenger of God (With a Dash of Whiskey)

Henri — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:44:47 +0000

Since moving to Spain, strange things have started to happen.

It all started when Ingela and I were walking at the beach when we walked past a couple whose phone started ringing.

Normally this isn’t weird at all, but their ringtone was Sweet Child o’ Mine with Guns N’ Roses.

The exact same ringtone I have on my cellphone. Ingela and I looked at each other and started laughing.

These sort of coincidences are weird, confusing and fascinating at the same time.

Then one night when we were out taking an evening stroll with our dog, we walked past one of those open restaurants.

It’s very similar to a regular restaurant, but they also serve people on the street. Almost like a drive thru, but with more class.

As we walked past this restaurant a female customer walked up and the guy behind the counter yelled “HENRI!”

Now, I didn’t know any of the people that worked in this restaurant, nor the customers that were eating there. Again, Ingela and I looked at each other and laughed.

The Messenger

Today we decided to find a small park with a bench where we could sit and enjoy the sun. About 40 minutes passed until a guy came to us and said he was going to tell us something.

At first we thought he was going to ask for money, but then he asked if I believed in God. I could smell whiskey in his breath, so I thought going along with him was the wisest choice.

The most honest answer I could come up with while still going along with him was “maybe, it depends on your definition of God” at which point he started muttering and becoming irritated.

He started saying that he knew all about me. God was working through him as he was telling me to appreciate my girlfriend and not take her for granted.

At this point I was confused and somewhat annoyed. I am not a fan of being lectured, and I can’t say I like drunken people either. I noticed my irritation, and to my surprise he said “if you want to punch me in the face, go right ahead” which surprised me.

I told him I’m not in the punching people in the face business. At that moment I took a deep breath and relaxed. I reminded myself that there’s no reason to get upset, which made me a bit more playful.

The Death Threat

He told me to look after Ingela and marry her, that we were some day going to have children and have a nice house.

He then started talking about the fact that he could kill me right then and there to help me see that God exists. I didn’t get the feeling that he was going to hurt me, so I wasn’t alarmed, but it was somewhat uncomfortable.

At this point I started getting angry, so I took another deep breath. I realized that the best way to get rid of this guy was to play along and not encourage him, at least not too much .

I started wondering why exactly this was happening. I’m not a big believer in coincidences, so naturally I thought that there had to be a reason.

When I can’t find a reason to something, I leave it alone, because if there is something there that I should learn it usually comes to me sooner or later.

The Escape

After about 15 minutes he started wrapping up. He shook my hand and said “God loves you.”

He started walking away and that was that. Ingela and I looked at each other and laughed. As we started walking back to our apartment, I noticed a lingering irritation in my body.

I can’t stand feeling like crap, so I went into our bedroom and began meditating on what happened. The conclusion I reached was that my anger and irritation was caused by a lack of control of the situation.

I think this has to be very common in men. I felt the urge to be aggressive and take “control” over the situation, but I realized that was the wrong way to go about things.

Besides, I’m a pretty small guy, so my chances were probably not that great in a fight. On top of that, fighting is always a lose-lose proposition.

Instead of getting serious and angry, I was able to relax and look at it more playfully. I’ve noticed a theme since I moved to Spain and that theme is letting go of needing control over everything.

It started with not having control over the situation when we first arrived here and other small events keep emerging, but I feel more and more relaxed about everything.

I have the desire to resolve any issues that are going on in my own body, so I usually meditate and use EFT to clear up irritations, fears and other blocks.

Life can throw weird experiences at you, but I believe there’s always something you can learn from each and every one of them. In this instance I needed to let go of needing control.

Image by Trey Ratcliff

How to Overcome Arbitrary Rules (or How I Made My First Video and Survived)

Henri — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 15:50:54 +0000

We all have arbitrary rules that we impose on ourselves. Today I overcame one of them by shooting the video above and uploading it. The video is nowhere near perfect, but that’s okay. I’m okay with being a beginner.

I personally don’t like the video at all, but I’m throwing it out there anyway, if for no other reason, at least I am showing you that you don’t have to be afraid of being yourself.

When you start taking action and doing the things you’re afraid of, you’ll notice that you start moving towards your goals much faster.

For example, I learned a lot of things by shooting my first video. One of the main lessons learned was that I need to have a glass of water nearby if I intend to make a video longer than three minutes.

I also forgot to edit out the ending where I grab the camera and turn it off, but I figured that out once I had already edited the beginning and uploaded it to YouTube, which took forever. In the end it doesn’t matter what’s holding you back if you focus on what you want to accomplish.

When I got interviewed for Blog Cast FM, it was my first real audio interview. Sure, I was a bit worried about how I might sound and how everything would work out, but once we got going, my worries melted away.

You’re probably not going to sound like a pro right away. The sooner you realize that you have to deal with being uncomfortable and feeling fear, the faster you’ll move towards your goals. The only thing it takes is the willingness to move forward and take action.

See

Before you can overcome any self-imposed rules, you have to acknowledge that they are there in the first place. If you’re constantly making excuses and believing in them, you’re probably not going to make progress as fast as someone who is willing to face their fears head on.

I’m usually pretty good at knowing what’s going on inside my head, so when I first got contacted to do an audio interview, I instantly noticed my own fears and how they affected me.

But I also knew that if I didn’t do the audio interview, I would be severely limiting the spread of my message.

If my goal is to help and connect with people, then why would I let my petty fears get in the way? Once you get your audio or video out there, you’ll notice that it really isn’t as bad as you thought. I’m still alive and well, aren’t I?

Focus

Something that has helped me a lot in overcoming fear is having a goal and purpose. When I started the Wake Up Cloud, I was afraid and I’ve been afraid on and off ever since.

The reason fear keeps popping up is because I am trying to push my boundaries and grow. You can’t grow without entering unknown territory, and you can’t enter unknown territory without being at least a little bit afraid.

From the beginning my goal has been to help others, which means that in a sense, I am putting my readers concerns before my own.

This then translates to me not taking my fears so seriously, because if I want to be able to help you, I have to overcome my own fears first.

I know a lot of people are afraid of putting themselves out there, but it really isn’t that bad. You will only get better by practicing, and you have to start somewhere.

Take Action

Sometimes it pays off not to think so much. When I started shooting my video, I did maybe 3-4 re-takes because I wanted it to be perfect.

After a while I got sick of it and decided to just get it done. I didn’t care how I looked, I trusted the fact that if I am myself, things will fall into place.

I have no idea if I am being delusional or not, but what I do know is that my strategy helps me take action and move towards my goals. Everything doesn’t have to be logical or even make sense if it’s helping you change the world and do what matters.

We all have arbitrary rules in our lives. Overcoming them isn’t hard. Realize that you do not have to make excuses. Think about what scares you the most when it comes to reaching your goals, then do them.

The most successful people in the world are afraid too, the only difference is they get things done anyway. The feeling you get by staring fear straight in the face and walking right through it is amazing. You should try it.

Wake Up Cloud » Personal Development

5 Secrets to a Problem-Free Life

1. Perspective

2. Attitude

3. Using Your Brain for a Change

4. Letting Go of the Old

5. Dealing With the New

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3. Failure is Inevitable

4. Fail More. Succeed More.

5. Failure is Temporary

6. Free Your Mind

7. Shift Your Perspective

8. Self Growth

9. Embrace Fear

10. Take Action

11. Imagine Your Future

12. Stay in the Now

13. Follow Your Passion

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2. Action

3. Notice

4. Adjust

5. Rinse and Repeat

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3. Write

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5. Party!

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