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On Monday, I'll be joining 4 "strangers" for my 1st ever retreat.

Back in March, I hired a life coach for myself.

At the time, I didn't think I needed one…

But, something inside of me pushed me towards this man.

Something inside me spoke for me.

"Yes. I'd love to join. Count me in."

I remember moments after hanging up...

"What have I done?" I thought.

• I can't afford this

• I don't "do" retreats

• I don't even know these people!

Yet, my mouth spoke for itself.

I had already committed...

Fast forward 2 months later, I now know I made the right choice.

One of the best decisions in my life thus far.

And I don't say that lightly.

The amount of value I've gotten so far from

• working with this coach

• e-meeting his other mentees

• consuming the resources he's provided

Has been IMMENSE.

Some of them are the best books I've ever read.

The best videos I've ever watched.

The best audios I've ever listened to.

And we haven't even gotten to the retreat yet!

Which is supposedly the most valuable resource of them all.

Therefore, as I was thinking what to write about today... I thought it was fitting to remind you how beyond important it is to INVEST IN YOURSELF.

This doesn't mean you, too, have to go on a retreat.

It could be of much "lower friction", such as treating yourself to a massage.

Or even just as simple as gifting yourself the time to go on a walk.

Whatever you choose, you can't deny the fact that we live in a time where we are constantly socialized.

Stimulated. Left & right.

We don't have time for ourselves.

Our constant quest for efficiency prevents us from slowing down.

From pausing.

Reflecting.

Little do we realize, that making time for ourselves is truly the only way that we can serve & be there for others to the best of our ability.

For most of the last 5 months, I was "working" for over 12h a day.

And yet, my business was going nowhere. I was not making a single cent.

But, things quickly changed when I started working 1/3 of the time I used to.

That's right... my business took off the minute I gifted myself more time.

The minute I sat at my desk for only 4h...

And instead, used the "freed-up time" to

• read

• go on walks

• spend time with my family

Giving myself "the gift of time" to experience the world around me without needing to be rushed constantly... has allowed me to finally start generating an income.

Better yet, it has allowed me to start serving people; making a real difference in their lives.

When there's enough self-belief & personal commitment, your life can drastically change in 4-6 months.

But for that to happen, my friends, investing in yourself is your first step.

Ask yourself what this means to you?

In your life.

In your own circumstances.

Do not think about me. Do not read this about me.

Read it about you.

Who would you need to BE to be the person who has time for themselves?

Who would you need to BE to be the person who can do the things they've always wanted to do but never "have time for"?

Answer those questions to yourself.

Write about them.

Then, become that person.

Show up like that in your daily life.

And watch how your entire being shifts.

I promise that if you do this with the intention of "seeing" where it takes you, without needing to know "how"... you will find yourself living a whole new life.

One that you were dreaming about just a few months ago.

Things can really change quickly when you have an internal personal commitment.

I invite you to explore yours.

Free Your Mind.

That's the name of the retreat I'll be at for 6 days.

I look forward to connecting in intimate ways with people I've never met before.

I look forward to learning more about myself & creating a space to be genuinely & unapologetically vulnerable.

I look forward to transforming & grounding myself.

My mind has taken control of me for too long now. I never knew (nor explored) how powerful it was at shaping & creating the world around me.

I've always wanted to please everybody. I've always wanted to be liked by everybody.

But, little did I know that pleasing everybody really meant pleasing no one.

Therefore, when asked by my coach — "What am I aiming to get out of this retreat?"

My mind immediately went to my people-pleasing tendencies. Learning to let go of them & focusing on pleasing myself first.

Because if we look back at the data over these past few weeks & months... it all points to the fact that the minute I focused & invested in myself was the moment my dream became a reality.

So why would I not continue doing the same?

I invite you to think of all the ways in which you can start investing in yourself today.

Gradually adding more and more ways with every passing day.

Remember the 1% rule.

Remember it's not all or nothing.

And remember that there's always one way (no matter how small) to "gift" yourself some "me time".

Giving to yourself is actually the most selfless act of all.

The best part is that you can start doing that right now.

In fact, you've already started if you're reading this.

Keep going.

Stay tuned over the next week for more emails & stories about the retreat.

(And for some pics of the Italian & French border, which is where we’ll be!)

You'll be accessing & gaining almost as much value as if you were there in person.

With that, thanks for reading!

Much love,

Julian

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