How Losing My Studio Saved Me From Mediocrity 😅
Edition 19 — August 18th, 2024
Click here to read it on LinkedIn!How I got saved
This week marks 10 years since my world flipped. I lost my studio—the dream I thought was mine. It sent me spiraling into depression. For years, I couldn’t think, feel, or act. But in hindsight, it was the best thing that could’ve happened.
I was blind to the truth. I wasn’t chasing my dream; I was living someone else’s, following a script that led to mediocrity. I built another studio—successful, yes—but was it different? Did it make a real impact?
Why I'm hitting pause again
Have you ever asked yourself if you’re chasing your dream or someone else’s? Fast forward 10 years, and I’m still questioning if I’m living my true dream. I refuse to settle for mediocrity or just tick off society’s checklist.
It’s easy to stay busy, but being true to yourself is harder. Most people fall into mediocrity by settling for comfort rather than pursuing what’s meaningful.
As Brian Collins said, “The opposite of courage isn’t cowardice, it’s conformity.”
The system traps us into mediocrity
Most people are too damn busy to realise they’re living someone else’s life. Here's is why they fear to hitting pause:
How to start over today
Step 1: Take 5 minutes to question your path
At 46, I’m hitting pause, just as I did 10 years ago. Back then, the universe forced me to stop—it was brutal but necessary. Now, I’m choosing to pause, breathe, and reflect on my journey.
Ask yourself: Is this path truly yours? Are you chasing your own dream, or have you slipped into living someone else’s life? Conformity creeps in when you lose sight of your intentions.
Guiding Question: Is the path you’re on truly yours? Or is there something else that you'd rather do IF you'd start all over again?
Step 2: Take 5 minutes to define your core value
Next, get brutally honest about what’s working and what isn’t. What do you truly want? Be ready to let go of anything that doesn’t align with your true self, no matter how much you’ve invested in it.
Whether it’s a project, a job, or a relationship, everything’s on the table. Stripping away what isn’t really you reveals what truly is. Knowing your values brings clarity and helps break free from the conformity of living someone else’s dream.
Guiding Question: Define your core value and ask if your current life supporting what is important to you? (A core value could be 'family', 'adventure', or even 'money'. Be true to yourself. Pick only one core value!)
Step 3: Now, ask how you can restart with purpose
It might sound cheesy, but it feels right. Start with purpose—not just building for yourself, but creating something that contributes to others. Focus on crafting something meaningful that fulfills a greater purpose.
This step is about creating something that resonates and adds value beyond yourself. Aligning your dreams with a purpose that serves others leads to deeper fulfilment—the antidote to conformity.
Guiding Question: How can you align your core value with contributing to others or a bigger cause?
Finding peace in living true to yourself
The journey to finding yourself is messy and challenging, but it’s the only way to avoid mediocrity. Stop chasing society’s dreams and build something that’s authentically yours. You’re meant for something greater than conformity.
—Marko
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