He decided to shun what society expected of him

He chopped wood while his puppies yapped and played.

I was watching a video about a man who chose to give up his 9-5 and moved to the mountains to live alone with animals.

It soothed me.

Years ago, I would have had questions like:

‘Is he really happy?’

‘Doesn’t he get lonely?’

‘Won’t his mental health suffer without people?’

‘I’m not sure I could live like that all year round.’

Now, I am energised by such self-ownership.

I’m seeing many people shunning normal societal expectations to live alone.

Whether moving to the woods away from people is inherently good or bad, life choices that set us apart can often be tinged with shame.

It’s why so many have dreams but never entertain them.

Because dreams are often blocked by an invisible wall:

Our fear of what others might think.

We can’t stand to deal with that nagging feeling that there’s something wrong with us for doing things that go against the grain of what is considered ‘normal.’

So, we play it safe.

We conform and suffer lives of quiet desperation.

I used to think this way a lot.

I couldn’t live for myself because I was ashamed.

Over the years, I’ve learned to give far fewer f*cks.

I go on vacations alone. I have a job I still can’t explain to my parents. I plan to move to the woods and develop a farm within the next five years (with or without a dream wife).

What did I figure out that helped me worry less about what others would think?

Self-realisation.

I’m not talking about learning more about myself.

It’s about what I saw when I let go of the s#it that weakened me.

What s#it?

Beliefs I held about myself that were simply untrue.

Beliefs I picked up from family, friends, schools, society and self-judgment.

The more I detached from false beliefs, the less others bothered me.

The more psychological freedom I had.

I asked myself things like this:

‘Yo, Alex, what’s stopping me from feeling good about myself when I choose to be alone for a week?’

A dirty, old belief might rear its head here:

‘Well, being alone for too long is socially unacceptable.’

‘Oh, is that true?’

‘Well, I’m not sure.’

Ah, something’s shifting. The solidity of the old belief is crinkling.

I found evidence to support the truth of the opposing belief:

‘What if being alone for a week or more was actually a good thing?’

I found plenty of evidence to support it, like: ‘time to myself clears the mind and helps use my full creative capacity.’

When I find a belief that weighs me down and see the evidence that supports its opposite, the belief is instantly diminished.

It’s amazing how that works and how our confidence and behaviours are held prisoner by a handful of thoughts.

It just takes a bit of proactive questioning...

Something so few of us do.

And then they spend their entire lives serving others at the expense of their own joy.

If you’d like a more focused, guided course that helps you detach from all the beliefs that keep you stuck pleasing others, you might like:

‘Let Go of the S#it that Weakens You’ takes everything I learned about dropping bad beliefs to help me care less about what others think.

Without these persistent beliefs, I make decisions for me. I rarely second-guess myself. I am less anxious around people.

I’m noticeably bolder, and people respect my choices.

(It’s quite amazing)

I want the same for you.

The course guides you through 15 steps to help you develop a sense of peace in the face of potential judgement or criticism from others.

What do these concerns and anxieties cost you?

Buy the course here while the price is low.

Alex