Breaking Free from the Extraordinary Myth
Some of us think that we need to achieve something extraordinary in order to live the life of our dreams. We think that real success comes only from hard work or a massive breakthrough. But there is actually a better way. It is a slow path in which you can build a lifestyle that suits you. In order to live the aligned life, you need to have patience and be consistent, but you actually get to do the things that you always liked to do, so it does not drain you. You actually get energy from it.
Acting from Clarity, Not Fear
In order to have a lifestyle that is in alignment with yourself, you need to act out of clarity, not anxiety or fear. When you have clarity, you have a clear picture of what you want, like a roadmap. You can then slowly build towards the life that you desire. It can help to be honest with yourself, and write down what your dream day or week would look like. To write down the daily activities that you love, and then start doing them.
“Your time is limited, don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” – Steve Jobs
Following Your Inner Compass
You should not feel pressured or let yourself be forced into something. It takes courage, but the magic happens when you act out of your own intuition and desire. What you desire is probably not the fast paced overabundant lifestyle. It is something more slow paced and quiet. When it comes to living in alignment, we have to question when we actually add true value to other people’s lives. Many times this means inspiring someone or making someone feel something good, rather than launching a new product or service.
“The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are.” – Joseph Campbell
Shifting from Products to People
I think we are over the time that we put the highest value on products, services, promotions and brands, and that we need to shift the focus to the people. Because most people do not need that much stuff in order to life a good fulfilling life. What many forget is that everyone can live the life of their dreams, not just the happy few. We can achieve this if we help each other and cooperate, instead of competing against one another.
Breaking the Consumer Trap
The biggest barrier that is keeping people from living their dream life, is the imbalance between consuming and creating. Because of this imbalance, people are trapped in a job that they don’t like, and are overconsuming. Whereas they truly want to create, and live a simpler, more meaningful life. If you would describe what your dream life would look like, I bet you would not say that you would scroll on social media all day and watch television and Netflix. Yet this is what many people do these days, and it keeps them trapped, while others become way too rich.
“The things you own end up owning you.” – Chuck Palahniuk
Finding Entertainment in Simplicity
I’ve experienced this myself many times. When you feel bored, you grab your phone to look for something entertaining. But try to find entertainment in other things. Last week I was on a vacation holiday in the south of Spain. I barely looked on my phone for the entire week. Instead, we did fun stuff like snorkeling and kayaking, and I read a good book. It felt very refreshing. But it is certainly possible to experience this simplicity on a daily basis too. You have complete control over what your day looks like. You just need to step out of the fast paced hustle culture. When you spend more time reading, reflecting or meditating instead of watching television and scrolling on your phone, you will see significant change in other parts of your life as well.
Embracing the Journey of Continuous Refinement
You will certainly enter seasons of doubt, and you will have periods where you feel lost when you are trying to create an aligned lifestyle. But you learn the most during these moments. Remember that there is no end destination. It is a constant process of refinement and reinventing yourself. When you hit a roadblock while building something or working on a project, trust your intuition and creative imagination to overcome the obstacle. When you completely trust your intuition, it will automatically guide you towards the place that you want to be. It is such a powerful thing, it is like an internal compass, that will tell when something feels right or when something doesn’t.
Cultivating True Faith and Authentic Success
True faith isn’t blind optimism—it’s the quiet confidence that comes from pursuing what genuinely resonates with you. When you are aligned, belief becomes natural because you are not forcing yourself into someone else’s definition of success. When a path stops feeling right, that does not mean that you have failed, it means that you have gained wisdom. You have more experience and a better definition of what you want in life. The goal isn’t to achieve a specific outcome, but to stay true to who you’re becoming. See yourself as if you are sailing on a sea and constantly correcting your course. You are shaping your direction every time you take action or experiencing something.
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill
Creating Your Ideal Environment
One thing that can have a very powerful effect on your behavior and lifestyle is your environment. With this environment I mean your physical and digital environment. We have the most focus and creativity when we are not distracted by other things. So if you have a physical environment that is clean and organized, you actually get a boost in focus. And if you have a structured digital space where you can find any kind of information like your notes, book summaries or interesting articles fast, you are better able to create new things. Environment shaping is a crucial part of an aligned lifestyle, because it has a big impact on your behavior, development and wellbeing. Nobody really likes to be constantly distracted, so it makes sense to start creating your ideal environment.
Working from the Inside Out
Remember that simplicity is key. At the core, you do not need that much. Everything you need is already within you. In order to make a change or improve your life, start from the inside. Try to be more present and do some inner work. Focus on your breath, and when things get overwhelming, remember to take a step back. It is much more powerful to work from the inside out, then the other way around. External things will not make you more whole. You can have millions of dollars, a mansion and a sports car, and still not feel fulfilled. The better approach is to deepen your sense of self, and act out of your intuition. This way you can watch how life unfolds itself, and you have a better definition of what it means to be successful or happy.
“Everything you need is inside you—you just need to access it.” – Buddha
I hope you found this article useful. If you want to learn more about this topic, check out The No Noise Lifestyle, which dives deeper into this.
Also check out my youtube channel where I post weekly videos around these articles.
Have an inspiring day,
Mart Bergsma
