Escape The Imaginary Cage

I can't write.

I can't code.

I can't wake up early.

I can't avoid junk food.

I will be honest with you, with every "I can't", I did nothing but create an excuse to remain in comfort. Victimization catches attention and intrigues people, so I could be considered "oh, poor Gabriel", he's so unlucky and tried to hard to change, but he simply cannot.

The result? I was left in my imaginary cage by both me and others. We, as humans, are not created to be prisoners, especially our own.

Why do you think 99% percent of people want to turn 65 to retire? Because their mentality was ingrained with the idea of earning 'freedom' only once retired.

You were born with freedom. The manipulative society is what happened in the meantime. Re-learn to be you.

But what happens until retirement?

Doing a job not meaningful to you. Complain about the company.

Hate traffic and corruption. Complain about the government.

Waiting for the once a year holiday. Complain about any unpleasant aspect, because you're used to that.

I think you see the point. This is not a life to live by any means, and since you're reading this, you, like I do, want to avoid this 'on my way to mental' attitude.

Let me picture a simple day for both of us, and tell me how it sounds:

• Wake up
• Create anything you want
• Do whatever you want
• Go to sleep

Sounds. Just. Amazing. And.. unachievable? I'm with you, and these were the hard drawers I had to solve to break my own cage.

+ Self-doubt whispers in your ear you're not good enough, not capable enough, creating invisible bars preventing to step out of your comfort zone and pursue your true potential.

+ Fear of failure is like a heavy chain that holds you back from taking risks and trying new things, keeping you stuck in a safe but unfulfilling routine, never daring to chase your dreams.

+ Negative self-talk represents criticism and self-judgement, tearing down your confidence and self-esteem.

+ Seeking approval from others can feel like you're on trial every day, keeping you from being true to yourself and living authentically.

+ Imposter syndrome is constantly fearing that you'll be exposed as not good enough, holding you from recognizing your achievements and feeling worthy of your success.

Watching others enjoying life through the imaginary cage hurts. Dare to step out of it.

Does it mean I completely escaped my cage and do whatever I want? No, I am on my way to accomplish that, but it's fair to say I do 9 things out of 10.

My trigger for that? If I say I'm scared of something, the next thing I do is making a plan towards it.

I wanna share some happy ending stories of breaking my cage. Fears had me frozen for years.

* I can't write

I have had the dream of writing and sharing my thoughts and learnings since 3 years ago. The fears of being criticized, laugh at and 'never done it' kept it far from projecting into reality.

But now, here I am, learning do it better and owning everything I can control.

* I can't stop overthinking

My mind was a complete mess which could stay focused no more than 10 seconds before wandering away. I wanted everything created or said by me to be perfect from the first shot - not possible.

Both sides of the coin have bad outcomes:

• Losing focus
• Waiting forever for the perfection

Diving into the buddhist teachings, I learned and practiced being present, accepting it and if I fall, I will return more prepared, but not give up.

* I cannot do business

The first thought of building and selling my own product came in 2020. Since then, I only wanted, prepred, learned, started a couple ideas but dropped early.

Basically, I did almost nothing since my brain was wired to the idea of "I can't", because I've never done that. Stupid.

There's a note at the end regarding this section.

Want some productive fun? Everything you tell yourself you cannot, just do it.

Alright, let’s see how to start escaping this imaginary cage.

First things first, acknowledge that the cage exists. Awareness is the key to change. Reflect on your thoughts and identify the limiting beliefs that hold you back.

"Awareness is the greatest agent for change." — Eckhart Tolle

The framework I created for me to break free from it:

• Transform Your Inner Dialogue - replace those harsh, critical thoughts with positive affirmations and encouragement.
• Face Fears - view it as a learning opportunity. Every mistake brings you one step closer to success.
• Seek Self-Validation - trust your judgement and value your opinions over others.
• Overcome Imposter Syndrome - remind yourself of your accomplishments and own your success. You've earned it.

Letter's quest

Since you're prepared to break free from your Imaginary Cage, let's picture your evasion:

You are put in a small cell. Everything is tight.

Now you are moved into a bigger one. Happiness aroused. But you'll get used to it.

Then you'll get into an even bigger cell. You explore it until you find its boundaries. You'll want an even bigger one.

Do you see where I'm going? Once you start to fade out the cage, you are going to explore and experience the infinite.

The Business Note

Today, it's a great pleasure for me to make my first introduction to my first product ever: Balance Battle.

What's that about? A gamified companion meant to help you break free from this cage by:

• Turning "have-to-do" into "fun-to-do"
• Offers a Safety-Zone for your critical moments of stress or temptation
• Participating in progress and consistency leaderboards with others
• Making you responsible to crush your goals daily

Learn more about it here.

Until the next letter, I wish you success in everything you're up to!