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“We are told from childhood onward that everything we want to do is impossible. We grow up with this idea, and as the years accumulate, so too do the layers of prejudice, fear and guilt. There comes a time when our personal calling is so deeply buried in our soul as to be invisible. But it’s still there” 

-The Alchemist

My guess is that you’re one of two kinds of people:

  • #1 You’re a lost youth trying to figuring out your place in the world, what the hell to do with your life, and how you can just be happy and avoid all the meaningless stress and expectations.
  • #2 You’re someone already established in a life or career but feel like your life is pointless and that you’re only working because you should be.  You’re just spinning your wheels and existing.. not thriving or creating a life of excellence.

If You’re Young and Lost & Life Feels Pointless

Start Here:

#1 Get the Manifesto: Killing Your Old Life and Living the Dream. Chew on it. Sleep on it.

#2 Get Un-Lost:

#3 Determine What You Want From Life:

 #4 Learn to Be Bold (Be a Badass):

#5 Get Motivated

#6 Pick an Idea and Just Go with It: 

#7 Begin Living an Epic (–Badass / Conversation-Worthy Life)

If Life Just Feels Pointless Even Though You’re Comfortable And “Doing It all Right”

Start Here:

#1 Get the Manifesto: Killing Your Old Life and Living the Dream. Chew on it. Sleep on it.

#2 Realize the Futility of the Rat Race (And Learn How to Change it): 

#3 Figure Out What the Hell You Are Working Towards

#4 Grow the Stones to Make a Change – Learn to Be Bold:

#5 Learn to be More of a Failure Instead of a Worse-Than-Failure (Aka, stop thinking, and start):

#6 Know That Creating an Epic Life Is — Fucking Difficult — But Totally Worth it:

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.”

Helen Keller

    { 7 comments… read them below or add one }

    Patty August 11, 2012 at 1:16 pm

    Thank you for your blog. I truly appreciate every word I’ve read thus far…

    I’ve been trying to work at an article for work for 3 days now and I’m still stuck in a rut. Been angry at myself for not having accomplished much beyond paragraph one. Then I stumbled upon this blog through a friend.

    Like you said in your manifesto…”There are a couple reasons why you are here reading this right now.I firmly believe you have found this exactly at the right moment – because things happen at the strangest, most perfect times.”

    I think I realize now that its more than just a writing rut… its a life rut.

    I’m in a great company, with a great position doing PR, and a position with the possibility to create some positive impact in the world but… yah… “but”… and you probably more or less know what comes after that.

    I’ve read self improvement books before but your blog makes it more tangible, relate-able, and real. Not sure what happens now…baby steps..

    Continue being an inspiration to the other 20-somethings out there. I’m totally sharing your blog.

    Reply

    afheyne August 13, 2012 at 4:13 pm

    Thanks for stopping by Patty !

    Yeah I hear that, believe me you’re not the only one in a rut haha. Been there, done that. One of the things that I also understand is how you describe your job: on paper, it looks great.

    It’s like meeting your soul mate who (on paper) looks perfect. And then you meet him and realize you don’t feel anything for him. And then you have no idea where to go next. I mean, you just met your soul mate but it didn’t feel right? Things can look great until you try them.. at which point you may realize you don’t want them anymore.

    What are you working on these days? What do you want to change? You can also shoot me an email: Alexander / at / milkthepigeon.com

    Best,
    Alex

    Reply

    Ben January 1, 2013 at 3:34 pm

    Well I have a wife and kid, a house, a muscle car, I play in a rock band and I’m still not happy. I hate my job, always have. All want to do is sing and make music. I feel life is pointless unless there is some cosmic alignment that makes things happen for you (i.e GOD). Otherwise 99% of us are doomed to just live life get old and die I guess.

    In my 30s I still don’t know what to do. I partied in my 20s hard core and then I clean up went back to school and got an engineering degree. For those 5 years I put away my passion (my music) had a full time job, had a kid and took 3 engineering classes at night. I thought after I get that degree my life would be completely different. I neglected my wife and kids (studying) and now we are almost broken up because those initial seeds were sown in those days and she never forgave me.

    I graduated in 2007 and guess what… I couldn’t find a job! So even after getting an engineering degree (what I thought I wanted) 5 years later I’m back in the same job I did before my degree; that is, completely unrelated. I found out that I could not start over and do a career change and take that much of a pay cut. And I hated the corporate cut throat environment where people are back stabbing, ass kissing and politically correct.

    Now I’m just a machine who goes to work to support my family and bring in the money. I absolutely hate my job but I must keep it because it gives my family money and medical benefits. On Sunday’s I go to band practice and sing in a band that just seems to be working out. I dunno yet.

    I wish I could just walk away and meditate in a cave for the rest of my life. Seriously!!! As you get older it gets even worse. In my30s, I feel like my life is a series of mistakes, a push and pull in a random direction for some strange reason that God only knows.

    I think this site is great by the way and thanks for reading my rant.

    Reply

    Alexander Heyne January 1, 2013 at 5:57 pm

    Hey Ben –

    What’s holding you back from Changing jobs? And you say you feel that life is pointless unless there is some cosmic alignment that makes things happen for you… so why not find something to believe in? Whether that’s religion or some kind of mission or purpose in your life.

    Don’t worry about being in your 30′s and not having it figured out.. most people never figure it out. You just have to keep stepping up to the plate and swinging.

    What’s with your band? I know how hard the live off the band dream is, because I have close friends doing the same, but it sounds like lots of your unhappiness is coming from work. Good work that you enjoy can make all the difference, so I suggest taking a closer look at that, and making small moves every day towards getting closer to doing work you enjoy.

    You can always shoot me an email if you want to talk more about it and I can offer some more suggestions –

    Alex

    Reply

    Jessica June 11, 2013 at 11:59 am

    Hi Ben,

    I do agree it gets worse as you get older. I hit my 30′s recently and It’s not as magical as I thought it was going to be. Every year just reminds me that I’m not living. My 20′s were great! I had goals, dreams and I often looked into the future knowing (thinking) something was going to be waiting for me in my 30′s. A great family, lots of kids, or a great career full of traveling. This hope or dream kept me going, kept me happy. Well, I don’t have the huge family and I’m not traveling with a great career, but I have everyting else. I have a son, a career, a great place to live with friends and family, but something is missing. As I read these posts it reminds me of a scene in a movie I watched recently, “Jack Reacher.”

    If you haven’t seen it….. He is pretty much a loner in the movie and he explains his way of life to a die hard attorney. He asks her to look across the street at the building with people working in cubicles. He explains that those people aren’t happy, they are stuck in their life and that he chooses not to be. Besides all the fighting he does, this character also reminds me of Alex.

    Reply

    Ashley May 21, 2013 at 11:40 pm

    Great articles!!

    Reply

    Alexander Heyne May 22, 2013 at 11:20 am

    Thanks Ashley :)

    - Alex

    Reply

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