At the time I was faced with this question, I would have argued that I was the only one or one of the very few in the world who could not readily answer a question that was not meant to test me intellectually or academically. It was a simple, straightforward question for crying out loud. What do you want? Alas, I did not have the answer, not then and not for a while thereafter. It took me some days of solitude with deep cogitations to finally articulate the answer to this question. My life was changed forever.
This is the book for you if, despite all you have achieved, your heart keeps tugging at you to be more, do more, and have more.
This book is an invitation to step up from where you are to where you want to be.
This book is for you if you’ve become caught up in mundane tasks instead of pursuing things that ignite your soul and help you live life optimally.
If you are utterly clueless about how to get from where you are now to where you want to be, this is the book for you.
If you feel like your life has been on pause and you are stuck, you are holding the right book in your hands.
Every page of this book was written to help you navigate your life on your terms; empower you to write your first or next narrative and make your dream life your real life.
What do you want? This is the question you must answer if you want to be free to be you. Not the you that anyone else wants you to be, but the you that you were created to be. The original. If left unanswered, it could rob you of the joy and fulfilment of living your life optimally.
Your creator is asking you what you want. All of creation is asking you the same. Your magnificent life is beckoning to you, but the truth is, you may never be handed that life. You have to take it if you want it.
Lay your cards on the table through and through; from the basic, no matter how seemingly insignificant, to the loftiest desires, no matter how far-reaching.
In this book, I share experiences and insights that will inspire you to get crystal clear on what you want. I share practices that will empower you to go for your preferred ideal with audacity and tenacity. There are questions at every milestone that will place a burden on you to think. If thinking is not one of your favourite things to do, rest assured that you will develop the skill by the time you are done reading this book. Moreover, you will find the answers that were always there, that you may already know, but paid no mind to.
INTRODUCTION
THE QUESTION THAT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE FOREVER
At the time I was faced with this question, I would have argued that I was the only one or one of the very few in the world who could not readily answer a question that was not meant to test me intellectually or academically. It was a simple, straightforward question for crying out loud. What do you want? Alas, I did not have the answer, not then and not for a while thereafter. It took me some days of solitude with deep cogitations to finally articulate the answer to this question. My life was changed forever.
What was more troubling for me, thereafter, than how challenging it was for me to answer the question was the discovery that many like me were also faced with the same challenge. They could not answer the question. Like me, they had never even given it a thought. I should have felt some relief to see that there were many in the same boat that I was in, at least to feel better. You know what they say, misery loves company. Knowing that others failed the exams too, or are overweight too, or are unhappy in their homes, or struggle to pay their bills, gives us solace and makes us feel better about ourselves and our situation. I did not feel better, I was concerned, and then I was deeply concerned. How is it that this vast range of people are just going about life, not sure of what they want? I am talking about individuals that command respect and admiration from a distance, “amazing superstars”, utterly clueless, and unconsciously going on to do the next thing that seemed like the expected thing to do. My concern grew to empathy because I knew too well what was going on with them.
I could empathise because until I was faced with the question and the “task” of answering it, I did virtually everything unconsciously. I carried on mindlessly from one thing to the other, ticking off the phases as I crossed them, fulfilling all righteousness as expected, not paying any real attention to my preferred ideal. Then, I was finally able to answer the question consciously; I became a new man. It was beyond an awakening; although it felt that way, it was more akin to being born again, as if my life had just begun. True to the feeling, my life just began on a level that far surpassed any experience I ever had before. My mind was renewed and my life transformed. I developed an elevated perception because I began to understand and appropriate the things that were merely mental assent prior. Knowledge is powerful, but understanding is transformational.
In my interactions, I could tell that very few have bothered to answer the question. It showed up in their talk and their walk and undoubtedly in their results, but what was more heart-wrenching was the calibre of people on the other side of the divide. I am talking about solid men and women who, as Bob Proctor aptly said, “have superior knowledge but inferior results”. Often sold in activities that gave a sense of importance, heaping qualifications, titles, accolades, presenting a finely curated facade, but struggling to pay the bills, stuck in toxic situations, second-guessing their abilities and worth, seeking validation from external sources…………….