Don’t Let the World Shape You—A Blueprint for Reclaiming the True Self
A practical, philosophical guide to waking up from autopilot and building the person you were meant to be
We’re all born the exact same way.
A ball of pure awareness with not a care in the world.
Our bodies act as a container that holds all of our experiences and thoughts as one entity - the self.
In our infancy, we are unattached to the labels, judgements, motivations and expectations of the world. We are our true self.
Over time, that changes.
Love
Jobs
Fights
Friends
Breakups
Addictions
Random acts
Creative pursuits
The world begins to shape and mould us like a great river carved out over a thousand years of deluge and decay.
Until what’s left is us. The self to which we now identify.
It is at this point where the majority of us will sit back and buckle up. Life has presented a hell of a ride up until this point, so what is the point of interrupting it now?
Why mess with the status quo?
Most humans will take this pre-determined identity and run it into the ground—relinquishing all control.
I do have one alternative, however.
You see, that pure ball of awareness we came into the world as is still present, just not as visible. Buried under a mountain of failures, excuses, triumphs, victories, injuries, lost jobs, steak dinners, heartbreaks and NYE celebrations... but still there.
We just need to get back in touch with it.
Connection to the source.
I’m talking about taking back control. Grabbing the bull by the proverbial horns and deciding once again that you are not only the best matador to grace God’s green Earth, but also the bull itself.
You are all.
You have that power.
You always have.
At a certain point, we have to decide that we are done with life and the world around us doing the sculpting. We decide that we will not simply react to outside stimuli, but rather actively shape them in our own image.
The giant block of marble that we were born as has been carved into the self we are by almost everything but us.
Life’s a ride, and we’ve handed over the keys…
To our parents, friends, lovers, colleagues, commentators, heroes, and villains. They have all played a role in shaping who we are. But not anymore. Now it is our time to take the chisel and hammer and get to work.
It is time to begin sculpting your dream self.
But how?
3 simple (and not so simple) steps.
Step 1: Raising Awareness
We live in a time where a lack of awareness is standard, avoidance is tolerated, and attention spans are unrecognisable.
Unawareness has become pervasive.
The only way to figure out exactly where you’re at is to become more aware. Finding ways to trigger your awareness as frequently as possible, because in this state, we can be most objective.
Everyone has different methodologies for how to get there.
Here are a few I know of:
Yoga
Writing
Meditation
Breath work
Daily journalling
Reading spiritual materials
Walks in nature (without your phone)
The vehicle is not important; the experience is.
Pick something, anything, let go of distractions and raise your awareness long enough to allow the truth of things to reveal themself to you.
Step 2: Honest Assessment
Once the awareness is raised, you will see things clearly.
No longer are you bound to the whims of the rat race. No longer are you distracted by the glow of your phone light.
You can see where you are, where you’re short and where you’re going.
This is a blessing.
Don’t waste it.
Survey the landscape and come up with an assessment. Measure everything that can be measured. Does it stack up?
How are your finances?
Where are you living?
Who are you pretending to be?
Are you physically fit and ready for life?
Are you acting wholeheartedly?
Do you need to shed some baggage?
Some of the answers are going to hurt. Let them.
Remember, you’re doing this so that you can sculpt your life into its most ideal form. Not to continue nonchalantly accepting what had been handed to you.
Once you have honestly assessed every possible microcosm, it’s time for the final step.
Step 3: Massive Action
Awareness has been raised.
Assessment has been made.
Action is pending...
Now is the time to pull the trigger. Not fleetingly or half-heartedly.
No, now is the time to go ALL IN!
If you have raised your awareness to the point of seeing your underlying unhappiness, then not acting on this new information would mean one thing and one thing only... you’re ok with it.
If you’re ok with it, if you’re happy remaining asleep, then that is fine.
I wish you luck.
But if you’re not ok with it—then act!
MASSIVE ACTION IS NOW REQUIRED!
I understand that life circumstances and responsibilities can get in the way from time to time, but there is always something we can do.
Get obsessed. Don’t get motivated, get angry.
Get moving.
Your true self, your sculpted and ideal self, is waiting.
This can take many forms:
Committing to a boxing fight in order to get in shape
Quitting your job and moving back home to save up
Ending a relationship that is holding you back
Working overtime to get out of debt
Giving up past times to double down on your side hustle
Whatever the action is, wherever it takes place, just remember to do it wholeheartedly.
In the words of Dan Koe…
“Your future self doesn’t care whether you feel like doing it or not”
You have been unaware.
You have been sculpted by life into the self that you are.
But not anymore.
Raise your awareness, honestly assess where you are and then take massive, genuine and wholehearted action to build the self you were always meant to be.
Don’t let this world sculpt you. Become the sculptor.
As always, thank you for rocking with me. I’m grateful for your time and attention, and I hope I have brought some value to your day.
With gratitude,
SAV
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