Summary

The author describes a personal journey from feeling dead inside to finding passion and energy through writing, emphasizing the importance of pursuing activities that make one come alive.

Abstract

The article narrates the author's transformation from a state of emotional numbness and disconnection to a life filled with passion and purpose. Initially, the author felt disconnected from life, treating others as mere obstacles and struggling to find meaning in a routine that seemed like a death sentence. The turning point came with the realization that passion is not a complex, unattainable concept, but rather a source of energy that can be found by experimenting with different activities. The author discovered that writing was the key to unlocking this energy, providing a sense of fulfillment and helping to make sense of past experiences. The article encourages readers to identify what excites them, to prioritize activities that bring them alive, and to trade money for time spent on these passions, as this is where true productivity and happiness lie.

Opinions

The author believes that passion is a straightforward concept that has been overcomplicated by self-help culture.
They argue that society's traditional views on success and routine can lead to a feeling of lifelessness.
The author suggests that experimentation is crucial in discovering what truly excites and energizes an individual.
They assert that once a passion is found, it's essential to dedicate time to it, even if it means sacrificing other aspects of life, including income.
The author posits that the energy derived from engaging in one's passion can lead to increased productivity and well-being, more so than money or traditional forms of work.
They emphasize that the concept of passion as energy is a personal experience and may not be understood by others unless they have experienced it themselves.
The author encourages readers to prioritize activities that make them come alive, suggesting that this is the key to a fulfilling life.

The Moment You Finally Come Alive

The power of come-alive-time.

I felt dead inside for most of my life.

Imagine being numb and feeling nothing. That was me. A skinny kid, with dark skin around his eyes, and black Adams Family clothes. Goth music would be inspirational compared to who I was back then.

I’d walk around with a giant pushing down on my shoulders. I’d hope to feel something — anything. But nothing happened. I didn’t feel the faintest sense of empathy for anyone.

An old man on a tram one day was dying from a heart attack. I was so lifeless I tried to walk over the top of him because I was in a hurry. He was an inconvenient obstacle in my holy path.

Every person was a dead body to me. I was the real dead body.

I’d go to work early. In the morning, I’d take a lift up four floors in the offices next to mine to get changed. I used the mirror to put on my red power tie. One day the cleaner came into the bathroom and said “you can’t be in here.”

I told him to F off and found a new bathroom to play tie games. The tie felt like a noose around my neck. I wanted to escape but I didn’t know how. I tried entrepreneurship — that didn’t work. I tried office 9–5 life — that barely worked either. I barely worked. I was a non-functioning human requiring regular caffeination to stay alert.

I identified the problem: I wasn’t passionate about anything.

The issue with passion is it has been twisted into a dark self-help art that nobody can recognize. It’s described as some Yoda trait you cultivate by meditating in front of a cold shower.

Passion has become complicated. It’s really not.

“Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.”

Oprah said this. Bless her soul.

Ops was right. Finding what excites you makes you come alive. My challenge was nothing that excited me. What was missing? Experimentation.

I followed a routine that bored me to death — so I looked like death. There are things that will excite you but you won’t find out what they are until you try lots of things.

It’s not self-helpy advice. I know. But finding what excites you is worth the long journey of discovery. There is something in the world that excites you.

Here’s how you know you’ve found it:

Many hours pass without you feeling it.
It dominates your conversations.
You unconsciously prioritize it.
It’s your go-to topic when you’re nervous.
It’s what you say “what if?” to. You’re curious where it can take you.

Don’t think of passion in the traditional sense. Think of passion as energy. What activity boosts your energy levels? What activity brings out your energy? It’s a less cliche way to think of what makes you come alive.

Cliches often blind you from simple truths you can use to change your life.

“It is obvious that we can no more explain a passion to a person who has never experienced it than we can explain light to the blind.”

T. S. Eliot nailed it with this thought.

The moment I came alive was when I discovered writing could heal my mind. Writing was what was missing. I’d always been writing though. When I rediscovered writing it helped my childhood make sense.

I was looking to help people through creativity, not fame or influence. Fame led me to become a drunken DJ with no life. Helpfulness led me back to writing and the brilliance of sitting in a quiet room and getting thoughts onto a screen, uninterrupted.

I can’t explain to people what it’s like to write. As I’m writing these words I’m recovering from being in the hospital. I feel sick. I feel like I want to vomit. My arm hurts from the drip. My brain hurts from overdosing on caffeine. Despite all the physical pain, I’m able to write. It’s because writing is helping me get my energy back.

Even when something you love hurts to do it, your obsession for the activity and the energy it gives you helps you bounce back.

I can’t explain it to you unless writing makes you come alive. Otherwise, my experience of what makes me come alive won’t make any sense to you.

“If you feel like there’s something out there that you’re supposed to be doing, if you have a passion for it, then stop wishing and just do it.”

Wanda Skyes said this. She’s right.

Once you know what makes you come alive the trick is to do more of it. Not doing what makes you come alive only annoys you.

It takes discipline to do what makes you come alive. You have to be prepared to say no to all the bullshit that takes you away from work you get bliss from.

Lots of people want your time. But does their ask make you come alive? If not, schedule less dead time — and choose more alive time activities.

Writing is my alive time. I don’t want to do a podcast, mate. I want to write. I don’t want to appear on Youtube and take videos leaning against a Lambo. Lambo equals dead time to me.

Trade money for come-alive-time.

How do you get more come-alive-time? You trade money for it.

I shaved off 20% of my annual salary so I could work a 4-day workweek and use the extra day to write. I spent hours understanding the nuances of bitcoin so I could use it as an investment that would enable me to work less. I traded smashed avocado brunches on Saturday morning for more come-alive-time. I will happily give away money for more come-alive-time.

Money can’t buy happiness. It can buy you come-alive-time.

You know the silly thing? I make more money from my come-alive-time than any other form of work. That’s the power of come-alive-time.

Work that makes you feel dead isn’t profitable. Your mind needs to be stimulated by real work that makes you come alive.

When you’re alive from your creative work, you find another gear in your life. You suddenly have more energy than you had before. You stop wasting your time on bullshit. You stop talking to silly people in the comments section of a social media post, who think they can change the world with an opinion, rather than empathy.

What do you feel you should be doing? What gives you energy? These two questions lead you to the thing that will help you come alive. Everybody deserves to finally come alive — including you.

Don’t let cliches and self-help distract you.