How I hacked Buddhism to live with more impact and less ego

If you’re frustrated with life, my Buddha-guided ‘rags-to-riches’ story will inspire you.

Imagine a beautiful skyscraper.

Now imagine what it looked like when it was just a skeletal frame.

Quite a contrast, right?

Well that second image is probably where you’re at now.

Feeling hollow. Not fulfilling your potential. Not looking the way you want to look.

And for years I was stuck there too.

Let me explain…

Life, we have a problem

So things started off brightly enough for me (as likely was the case for you too).

I grew up in a supportive family.

Went to university (got a degree in psychology).

And my mind was optimistic and clear.

In fact a lot of times when I closed my eyes and thought about the future, I literally saw a sparkling golden path (or maybe I’d seen The Wizard of Oz too many times, but you get the point:)

So life was good.

Then I graduated…

Welcome to the real-world.

And it greeted me with the cold slap of the psych degree I’d spent years and A LOT of money to obtain, getting me nowhere job-wise.

Here I was…in debt, stuck with the realization my hard-earned degree wouldn’t even pay the bills, and no real satisfying relationships (outside my brothers) to speak of.

But I didn’t have the luxury of wallowing in self-pity, so I did the only thing I knew at the time to do…

…I took on a job for the sake of needing a job.

It was a warehouse job.

Loading boxes, unloading boxes, and being nagged by my chattering monkey mind which wouldn’t shut itself off.

And for the next 3 years my once golden future darkened into stress, confusion, and depression.

Now was my life really awful?

Externally, no.

In fact by a lot of standards, my life was fairly decent.

My co-workers were solid enough.

I was supporting myself (paycheck-to-paycheck).

And I had my awesome brothers.

But my mind was a mess.

Everyday I struggled to find the peace I so badly wanted.

You probably know what I’m talking about:

• Obsessing over finding happiness
• Wishing I could stop overthinking
• Day-dreaming of a life not overrun by anxiety
• Being physically fit

And during this time I never got close to achieving any of this.

However what I did experience was chronic anxiety, insomnia, and a devilish whirlwind of useless thinking which made my life feel like a million piece puzzle where absolutely nothing fit.

This is the self-imposed mental prison you live in when you don’t understand how your mind works.

How I found my way back to the light (and you can too)

Now if you’re still with me, it’s probably because my experiences resonate with you.

Because while the surface details of your personal story might differ from mine, the feelings you’re currently struggling with are likely near-identical.

And in my case – as with yours – there’s 1 simple reason I was feeling like this (it hit me one hot day while I was loading those boxes)…

…I was failing to accept things for how they were.

Yep, maybe it was my psych degree kicking in, but right then and there I knew this was the root of my suffering.

And it was this failure of acceptance which led to my more concrete problems:

– Living paycheck to paycheck

– No solid, healthy relationships with regards to friends or women

– Relentless anxiety and fatigue

Now this realization about not accepting was a big step for me – but the answers didn’t come all at once.

Wisdom usually doesn’t.

But at least I had my life preserver, something I could grab hold of and start swimming again.

My discovery of Buddhism

Don’t worry…

This isn’t about sitting on mountain tops, shaving your head, becoming a hardcore yogi or practicing a new religion.

Buddhism is primarily a philosophy. One which has been around for over 2,500 years and has transformed the lives of roughly 270 million people.

And when I discovered it 6 years ago as just a regular guy with no spiritual inclinations at all (I still don’t), I became fascinated by its ancient yet totally applicable to modern-day teachings.

What makes Buddhist philosophy so powerful?

Well, as I mentioned above, I’d stumbled onto the right path when I realized my problem was always fighting against the way things were (lack of acceptance).

In other words, I was failing to live in the present moment.

And here’s the trick to ‘being present’ which eludes so many…

…how do you find calm “in” the present moment when you don’t like the present moment?

This is where the “magic” of  Buddhism comes in. 

Now I won’t get into all the details of my path towards Buddhism right here, but for now, here’s what you need to know…

…at the core of Buddhist philosophy is the greatest truism regarding happiness (or unhappiness) you’ll ever hear…

The main source of suffering is one’s attachment to things.

Attachment to stress.

Attachment to sources of tension.

Attachment to unhappy relationships.

Attachment to difficult obligations.

Attachment to financial worries.

The list goes on and on…

So what’s your solution to the mental-prison of attachment?

Letting go.

Right, easier said than done.

Even more challenging is when you understand “letting go” is NOT about masking the attachment.

Taking a vacation. Alcohol. Netflix. Video games. Watching sports. Etc…

These things only provide a temporary escape.

They don’t relax you and they don’t make you happy – not in a sustainable way.

In fact relying on these things for a brief reprieve only makes things worse.

Yet it’s the ditch tens-of-millions worldwide dig themselves deeper into everyday.

Why Buddhism is a true solution.

Buddhism transforms your life permanently (or as permanent as things can be:).

And by learning the gentle yet life-changing art of letting go, you’ll discover the calming warmth of self-confidence…

…the productive clarity of a calm mind…

…and yes…

…by developing your internal strength, you’ll finally experience the joy of starting to obtain the external things in life you want.

Here’s what happened next for me…

In a nutshell, Buddhism broke my mental chains.

I freed myself of my attachment to my self-image, my images of others, and my expectations of life.

I stopped hand-wringing about my warehouse job and obsessing over my perceived lack of progress in life.

And for the first time in years, I felt the bliss of appreciation.

For my family. For my health. For the freedom I had to shape my future.

This led to where I am today.

Happy…

Living in the moment (while still focused on my goals)…

And the founder and developer of the Hack Spirit blog you’re reading now.

No, my life isn’t perfect, but it’s a wonderful 8 out of 10.

And here’s what really matters to you…

You can achieve this too.

Introducing my new book

Now, as I alluded to above, despite what you might have heard, Buddhism is NOT about passivity, removing yourself from society, or against owning nice things or personal ambition.

It’s simply a practical philosophy – one which involves adhering to a set of principles to transform your life.

And trust me, if I can use the teachings of Buddhism to brighten and empower my life, you can too.

In Hidden Secrets of Buddhism: How To Live With Maximum Impact and Minimum Ego, I take you on a journey from my days as a lost 20-something hefting TVs in Melbourne to embracing Buddhism and creating the life of my dreams in Vietnam with my lovely wife and a successful global business.

Just some of what you’ll discover includes:

☀️ Why the negativity and struggle (the “mud”) you currently feel is actually the foundation for unleashing your inner strength

☀️ The ‘harsh’ truth YOU MUST accept before you can find happiness

☀️ The REAL secret to Buddhism and how it melts away your fear and insecurity

☀️ How understanding the difference between acceptance and belief will put you on the self-empowering track to a purposeful life

☀️ Why Buddhism does not promise to make you permanently “happy”, but rather shows you how by following the simple and logical Eightfold Path, you can cease your unnecessary suffering and start living a confident, meaningful and effective life

☀️ Why escaping your emotional loops (getting out of your own head) is NOT solved by thinking (forget what popular culture might tell you about Buddhism…we’ll show you what Buddhism really is and how it frees you from your racing mind to give you wonderful mental clarity)

☀️ The 2 questions I ask myself every time I get confused (just by quietly answering these two gems, I stay calm and confident while continuing my forward progress).

☀️ The ‘win-win scenario’ and how it keeps you pro-active (Buddhism is NOT about remaining in a peaceful, blissed-out state, it’s about cutting through the noise and allowing you to take clear action when you decide to do so)

☀️ The near-magical power of “Right Thoughts” – a mindset where instead of trying to manufacture intentional thoughts, you’ll enter a flow-like state where you’ll gently choose which thoughts to pursue

☀️ The simple Zen quote I learned from one of the world’s great Zen masters which reveals the meaning of life (you just need to read it 1 time to feel relaxed and inspired)

☀️ The point where your life actually starts happening – you’ll learn exactly what I did to finally start feeling free and start attracting who & what I wanted (and nope, I’m not talking about “positive thinking” or The Law of Attraction:)

☀️ The immensely powerful but soothingly simple technique to immediately feel less anxious and/or guilty.

☀️ How Buddhism guides you to ‘fill your tank’ with the 4 amazing ingredients (Metta, Karuna, Mudita, and Upekkha) of a good life

☀️ How by simply using your heart, mind and own two hands, you’ll free yourself from your victim-mindset prison

☀️ PLUS…each chapter includes practical, hands-on exercises to help you take immediate action towards busting down your self-imposed prison of energy draining relationships, jobs and habits and begin your inspired, happy new life.

Now a word of warning…

This won’t always be comfortable.

Worthwhile ventures seldom are.

But it’s not an exaggeration to say taking responsibility for yourself today is the most empowering step you’ll ever take.

A step which leads you towards…

…enjoying life without unnecessary pain…

…being admired by the sort of people you’d like to be admired by…

…burning away your mental clutter and tapping into the amazing potential you’ve always had.

No, unlike the sky scraper, you’ll never be a finished product – none of us will be.

But when you gain access to – and consistently practice – the philosophies and teachings I present in Hidden Secrets of Buddhism That Turned My Life Around: How To Live With Maximum Impact and Minimum Ego, you’ll transform yourself from the rough framework you are today into something far more confident, attractive, and happy – living the life you know you were meant to live.

And I’ll be your guide through this.

So if you’re ready to finally escape the life-traps you’ve been stuck in and finally unlock the amazing potential within you, just click the button below to start your journey to a brighter, happier future TODAY!

Learn more about my new book.