2 Simple Spiritual Steps To Unf*ck Your Life (not what you think)

TW: This newsletter contains themes of addiction. Read if you’re ready to evolve.

Welcome to the first edition of Kaizen’s Diary. A weekly newsletter exploring the worlds of spirituality, creativity and health.

My Promise: I solemnly swear that anytime you read this newsletter, you will leave here with a slightly different perspective on life.

Today, I want to share a personal tale—the story of how I’ve already made the first month of 2024, the best month of my life.

The Turning Point on New Year's Eve

Picture this: You’re in the throws of a rather intense LSD trip as the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve.

As you reflect on the past year, you have a life-altering realisation of the 1 thing that’s holding you back from achieving your wildest dreams.

“I have to give up my love affair with weed. Ouch.”

Little did I know that this experience would mark a turning point, propelling me into a timeline of abundance, clarity, purpose and evolution.

Unraveling My Relationship with Weed

Yes, my “New Year’s Resolution” for 2024 was to quit weed for at least 6 months of 2024. Why?

Let’s rewind a lil.

My relationship with weed began as a creative outlet and once served me greatly (I built my personal brand & all my businesses while high lol), but before I knew it, the habit gradually morphed into a cycle of addiction and running away from myself that I wasn’t consciously aware of.

I tried quitting numerous times, publicly announcing my intentions only to fall back into the same patterns. This constant struggle eroded my self-respect, leaving me stuck in a pit of victimhood.

It took a profound realisation: I didn't know how to live life as an adult without relying on weed as an emotional crutch.

The substance I thought was helping me escape my fears was, in fact, the cause of those fears.

It was time to break free and see what lay on the other side of my comfort zone.

Life Update: The Aftermath of Dec 31st

Since that pivotal decision on December 31st, my life has taken a beautifully unexpected turn:

1. Confronting Demons: I confronted and healed a significant childhood trauma that’s plagued me for years, opening more mental space to focus on what truly matters.

Since that fateful day, I’ve felt some of the most intense bliss states I never thought was possible. (We’ll go deeper into this on my podcast this Friday, tune in ;)

2. Deeper Self-Discovery: The weeks of boredom, sparked the curiosity to discover more about myself through personality tests. More impactful than you think.

3. A Creative Renaissance: Contrary to the popular lore that weed makes you more “creative”. I’ve made more progress on my book this month, than I did the entire of last year.

4. Clarity of Purpose: I found clarity and purpose that excessive planning while high never truly delivered. (Clarity & Purpose is more a state of mind, than a logical plan.

So, why am I telling you this? What does this mean for you?

Innerstanding & Reframing Addiction: A Universal Message

It's not just about weed; it's about understanding our dependencies.

Social media, nicotine, porn, alcohol—the world is hooked on dopamine highs. Your attention is the most valuable commodity in the world and the powers that be will stop at nothing to obtain it.

Reflect on your own vices; what are they truly doing for you?

BuT iT mAkEs Me MoRe CrEaTiVe…

Let's dive into a pivotal aspect of my journey—the book I've been working on and documenting my “progress” for nearly two years.

"Break the Matrix: A Guide to Freeing Your Mind and Finding Your True Self" began as a dream-inspired project. However, I made a critical rookie mistake early on: attaching my self-worth to its success.

Sobriety opened my eyes to the self-imposed limitations I faced.

On the upcoming podcast episode dropping on Friday, I shared more about the highs and lows of my creative process, emphasising the importance of creating for yourself, detached from external validation or fear of failure.

2 Steps to Overcoming Addiction: A Personal Guide

If you find yourself in the cycle of addiction, consider these 2 simple but profound steps:

1. Seek knowledge.

“There have been gazillions of people who have lived before all of us. There's no new problem you could have--with your parents, with school, with a bully or with a vice, that someone hasn't already had, conquered and written about in a book.” - Willard Smith

Books can offer invaluable insights into your struggles.

For those who find themselves in the same green-filled boat as I did - I recommend "The Easy Way To Quit Cannabis" by Allen Carr. This changed my relationship with weed.

There are many “easy way” books and it offers a different approach to overcoming addiction other than willpower. Think Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, but for your addiction.

In my personal experience, the more I read, the less I felt the perceived benefits of my vice.

I preferred listening to the audiobook version, while on my way to and from the gym.

Try Audible, it’s free for 30 days and you can use your first credit to download “easy way”.

However, it was the next step that put the nail in the coffin.

2. Gain a higher perspective: I explored psychedelics WITH intention, in a controlled environment, to understand your habits better.

To be clear, you can gain a permanent higher perspective with a consistent meditation practice. For me, psychedelics works as a catalyst and allows me to temporarily access a higher perspective on my life situation.

Again, I go deeper into how to safely use psychedelics for personal growth in the podcast coming out on Friday. Just subscribe so you don’t miss it haha.

Now this isn’t to say I’ll never smoke weed again; one of my goals this year is to go to Thailand and we most definitely getting lit over there

But life on the whole is meant to be felt detached from external activities and substances, you know that.

“The most that any external stimuli can do is make you aware that a certain expression of consciousness that lies within the clear-headed you anyway, like discovering a new colour for the first time.” - me

• You can feel the uninhibited compassion and unconditional love for life that MDMA makes you feel. Practice gratitude daily.

• You can feel the carefree confidence that alcohol makes you feel. Do intense exercise consistently.

• You can feel the expanded consciousness and enlightenment that LSD or shrooms make you feel. Stick to a 10-20 minute meditation.

It’s true what that quote by Voltaire says: “Man is free the moment he wishes to be.

A whole new life lies on the other side of a simple decision; it’s just a matter of when.

A Glimpse into 2024

As we step further into 2024, expect a profound shift in my content.

One of them is this newsletter! I’ve made a blog on beehiiv to backlog these articles. Expect pieces like these every week.

I realised my current purpose is to free creative minds from the shackles of the modern matrix, including my own.

From now, all my content will be geared towards sharing practical value in the realms of enhancing health, spirituality & creativity.

Stay tuned for a significant project supporting conscious creators, coming out very soon.

Also, I’ve been thinking and I’m considering changing the name of my podcast… if you want to help me decide, reply to this email with what you prefer, as the name of my podcast:

• Kaizen’s Diaries

or

• Break the Matrix podcast.

Deepest thanks for being part of this transformative journey with me.

As with everything I create, take what resonates, leave what doesn’t… But always embrace the duality of life. The ups AND downs.

Let's make 2024 a year of growth, creativity, and boundless possibilities for us all.

Infinite love and gratitude,

KAIZEN