Dan Adams '07

“Man often becomes what he believes himself to be. If I keep on saying to myself that I cannot do a certain thing, it is possible that I may end by really becoming incapable of doing it. On the contrary, if I shall have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it, even if I may not have it at the beginning.”

Mahatma Gandhi

Over the past few months, I have embraced a tremendous amount of change in my life as I have forced myself to confront fears and insecurities deep within that have prevented the ability to pursue my own dreams. Through this gradual process, I made the decision to resign from my corporate job, sold all of my belongings outside of basic needs, and eliminated all activities that do not directly align with my purpose. I have taken this huge leap of faith because I believe that through a vision and the willingness to confront all adversities along the way, that we all possess the ability to bring any dream to reality (to discover our own hero). If I preach this to you, I feel that I must embody it myself and I have chosen to lead from the front.

“Some people hear their own inner voices with great clearness and they live by what they hear. Such people become crazy, or they become legends.”

Purpose is a driving force in our lives and many of us decide to resist our calling due to a fear of failure which paralyzes our willingness to take that first step. What if we had NO FEAR to pursue our grandest dreams? Are you ready to start planning your escape to pursue the freedom and meaning you are seeking? Be Your Own Hero!

The Great Escape: 10 Tips To Empower Your Quest For Freedom

1. Discover Your Purpose Now (Stop Resisting)– I believe that every human being has a purpose deep within that is waiting to be discovered. This purpose evolves with time, however, it only reveals itself through confronting adversities and taking accountability for one’s life. Until you take the first step, your purpose will lie dormant, eating away at you until you learn to listen. There is a lot of truth in the saying, “In the time of our greatest tribulation presents an opportunity to witness our greatest strength.” This was true in my life and once I stopped resisting my own internal voice I began to connect the dots and see a bigger picture. I can tell you from my own experience that you begin to feel so alive that it is often difficult to decipher dreams from reality.

2. Technology= Freedom, Social Media= Opportunity– We live in an era of unlimited opportunity to become whoever we wish to be. By owning a Mac Book and an IPhone, you have the ability to bring any vision to reality with little or no capital. There has been no other time in human history that has presented as many opportunities as we have today to pursue what gives us life. Social Media allows you to contact anyone in the World, enabling your dreams to be as large as your imagination!

*With the purchase of a Mac Book, an individual has the ability to purchase a One to One Membership for $100. This year long program gives one unlimited IT Support, Continuing Education, a Portable Office (Personal Projects), and an opportunity to meet many other passionate individuals who are trying live their dreams. I think this has been the greatest investment I have made in my life and I strongly recommend it to all passionate young people.

3. Don’t let Society Dictate Your Life- If I told you that 95% of our society is sleep walking through life, would you still base all of your decisions on what others think? This is a huge stumbling block for many young people because they often let their parents, their friends, or the media dictate everything they do. Why do you listen to others? Do you not believe in yourself?

What do you truly love? What is your passion? Degrees don’t mean anything so don’t let the model for traditional education limit your pursuits. You can learn anything that you put your awareness on and by trusting yourself you can create anything that you wish. Don’t believe me? Try something today that you are passionate about that has been difficult for you in the past. Sit down and do not leave until you have conquered the limitation you have placed on yourself. Grasp the power of mindset!

4. If Your Working For Someone Else, Make Sure The Knowledge Obtained is Worth Your Time- You have a very short time on this Planet so it is important that you are pursuing what you are passionate about. If you decide to accept a job, there should be a specific purpose that the job will serve in achieving your highest vision. If you do not take control of your life, someone else will, limiting your opportunities and forcing you to be a cog in the wheel. We all possess leadership qualities and tremendous potential, take accountability for your work and ensure that you reach the right destination. You are the only one that can do it!

5. Eliminate Traditional Media From Your Life (TV, Newspapers, Magazines, etc)- Traditional media focuses on negativity, unconsciousness, and fear. Many people come home from their 9-5 jobs and flip on the television to ease the pain within. This limits their ability to confront their own divisions and they become unwilling to take full accountability for their lives. How can you confront your own limitations if you are always living in fear? Do you perceive the World based upon the perspective of your local News Station? Turn off the TV and start living your life rather than fantasizing about it or living it through someone else’s perspective…

6. Redefine Failure (There Is No Such Thing As Failure, Just Outcomes)– To experience any type of success in your life you must be willing to redefine failure. As your dreams grow larger so will the size of the obstacles along the way. Failure DOES NOT EXIST, there are only outcomes. Tweak your perception and you will tweak your outcome. If you live by this, no obstacle will stand in your way. Think to yourself, “My life seems very difficult right now which must mean that I am on the verge of something BIG!” IF YOU FEEL FEAR, YOU KNOW YOU ARE HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

“Every great work, every great accomplishment, has been brought into manifestation through holding to the vision, and often just before the big achievement, comes apparent failure and discouragement.”

7. Develop a “Just Do It” Mentality– There is no way to learn in this world other than through direct experience. By consciously believing in your abilities you will find that you can learn anything you put your awareness on. Develop a “Just Do It’ mentality in everything you pursue and you will be greatly rewarded. People that are constantly running their mouth about things usually fail to experience any type of success because they don’t comprehend their own power. If I can learn anything I put my awareness on, why do I feel that I have to run my mouth rather than listen? I am missing out on a great opportunities to learn!

8. Bring Awareness to Your Spending (Are you building your own prison?) Most young people have no idea what they are spending money on and it limits their ability to leave a job they are not passionate about. Are you living for the weekend? Escape the 9-5 mentality by becoming accountable for your finances. What do you love? Is your money (energy) going into the things that truly matter to you? If you do not recognize this early, you will build your own prison of debt that will just make it that much harder to leave a job you hate. Add additional mouths that you are responsible for and you can see why so many people live in fear and continue to sit at their cubicle every day.

Things to Think About In Corporate America: How much are you spending on health insurance? Consider raising the deductible if you are young and healthy to decrease unnecessary costs. How are you saving? Are you only investing in your 401k? Start to look into other investment options besides your 401k to ensure that you have the necessary reserve to leave your job if necessary. 401k’s are not the end all be all, they bank on the fact that you will be in a lower tax bracket upon retirement. Will that be true for you? I can’t say it will be for myself, so I have diverted money elsewhere. Manage all expenditures in Mint.com to bring a greater awareness to where your money is going! Think about EVERYTHING you are putting your money into. This is your FREEDOM!

9. Control the Internal, Dictate the External– Control your internal environment through meditation, exercise, yoga, and any activity that helps you release built up stress and you will find that you can bring any dream to reality. If you fail to do this, you will spin out of control during the pursuit and experience momentary setback that could have easily been avoided.

10. Stop Pursuing Illusions (What Brings You Joy?)- Stop playing roles based upon your own fear to discover who you truly are. You’re identity is not your job, the car you drive, the amount of money you have, or anything else outside of you. You can create all of these things if you wish so why do form an identity for yourself around things that do not have a fraction of the power that you possess? What brings you joy? Pursue it and enjoy the process of creating what you love.

Have helpful tips you wish to add to this list? Please feel free to leave comments below!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 6th, 2011 at 3:00 am and is filed under Leadership & Life Philosophy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.