The Revolution Begins Now

There’s something almost magical about watching someone realise they’ve been living someone else’s life.

I’ve witnessed it countless times now—that moment when the veil lifts, when the filters become visible, when a person suddenly sees that what they thought was reality was actually just… a story. A very convincing story, but a story nonetheless.

It never fails to move me, this awakening. Because what follows isn’t just change—it’s remembering. Like watching someone come home to themselves after being lost for years.

The Core Truths work in ways that shouldn’t make sense, but somehow do. Take the first principle: our minds filter reality rather than reveal it directly. Such a simple statement. Yet when someone truly grasps this—not just intellectually, but in their bones—everything shifts.

I think of *Sarah, who sat in my office in Yarm describing her perfect life that felt more like a prison. Successful in an outward sense but feeling hollow inside. When she began to see how her definition of success she was striving for wasn’t even hers—how it had been inherited, absorbed, imposed—something remarkable happened.

The weight lifted.

Not all at once. Not dramatically. But like watching ice melt in spring, there was this gradual lightening. The harsh inner critic that had driven her for decades began to quiet. The constant anxiety about whether she was enough started to dissolve.

“I feel like I don’t have to carry this anymore,” she said as we finished a session, and I could see the pure wonder in her eyes. The relief of finally setting down a burden she didn’t even know she was carrying.

The Paradox of Control

Then there’s the beautiful paradox of what happens when people discover that control is an illusion, but agency is not. You’d think this would be terrifying—losing the illusion of control. Instead, it’s profoundly liberating.

I watch as the exhausting effort to manage every outcome, to force life into predetermined shapes, simply… stops. And in that stopping, something else emerges. A fluid responsiveness. 

A dance with uncertainty rather than resisting it.

A CEO who came to me burned out from trying to control every variable in his business, describes it like learning to let go and watch everything fall into place effortlessly.

There’s a grace that emerges when you stop trying to force life into your plans and start responding skillfully to what actually is. Decisions become clearer. Stress transforms from a constant companion into occasional weather that passes through.

The strangest part of this is things often work out better than they would have through force and control. As if the universe conspires to support those who learn to work with its rhythms rather than against them.

The Intimacy of Impermanence

But perhaps the most profound transformation I witness happens when people truly understand that change is fundamental to existence. This should be devastating news—everything changes, nothing lasts, all things pass. Instead, it becomes a source of unexpected freedom.

When you know that this difficult moment will pass, you stop clinging to it with such desperation. 

When you know that even your identity is fluid, changeable, you stop defending it so fiercely. When you recognize that loss is built into the fabric of life, you stop trying to make everything stay the same.

I’ve seen people become less afraid of career transitions because they now understand that change is not failure—it’s the natural order of things. I’ve watched relationships heal because people stop trying to freeze them in a particular place and just allow them to evolve.

There’s a tenderness that emerges from this understanding. A sweet poignancy to every moment because you know it won’t last forever. The sunset becomes more beautiful because it’s temporary. The conversation becomes more precious because it will end.

The Web of Connection

What moves me most is witnessing the moment when someone realizes they were never separate to begin with. We spend so much energy maintaining the illusion of isolation—building walls, competing, protecting our territory. But when you see through that filter, when you recognize the fundamental interconnectedness of all things…

The loneliness that success can bring—that hollow feeling of achievement without connection—begins to heal. People stop seeing others as competition and start recognizing them as fellow travelers. Collaboration becomes natural rather than strategic.

This shift from separation to connection transforms everything. Leadership becomes about serving rather than dominating. Success becomes about lifting others rather than climbing over them. Life becomes a collaborative art rather than a solo performance.

The Return of Meaning

There’s something almost mystical about what happens when people discover that consciousness and meaning are deeply intertwined. It’s as if they’ve been living in black and white and suddenly see color.

Work that once felt meaningless becomes infused with purpose—not because the tasks changed, but because the person doing them changed. They’re no longer performing someone else’s version of success; they’re expressing their authentic selves through their efforts.

I think of David,through the Core Truths work he didn’t change his job—he changed his relationship to his job. He began seeing how his role could serve something larger than his own advancement.

The meaning wasn’t imposed from outside or manufactured through mission statements. It emerged from within, sustainable because it was authentic. Energizing because it was aligned.

The Quiet Revolution

What amazes me is how quietly this transformation happens. There are no fireworks, no dramatic breakthroughs. Just a gradual shift in perception that changes everything.

People start asking different questions. Instead of “How can I win?” they ask “How can I serve?” Instead of “What do I lack?” they wonder “What’s already here?” Instead of “How can I control this?” they ask “How can I see another way?”

The filters don’t disappear—they become visible. And once you can see them, you can choose which ones serve you and which ones don’t. You can update your operating system rather than being trapped by outdated programming.

The Lightness of Being True

Perhaps what moves me most is witnessing the lightness that emerges when people align with their deepest truths. Success becomes less performative and more authentic. Less about proving and more about being. Less about having it all and more about feeling at home within yourself as you live it.

I watch people shed the weight of expectations that were never truly theirs. The exhausting effort to be someone else finally ends. And in that ending, a beginning—a return to who they were before the world told them who they should be.

“Is my success making me more myself?” This becomes the question that guides them. Not “Am I successful by society’s standards?” but “Am I becoming more authentic through my efforts?”

The answer to that question changes everything. Because when your success is making you more yourself, when your achievements are expressions of your authentic nature rather than desperate attempts to prove your worth—then you’ve found something rare and precious.

You’ve found your way home.

The Wonder of It All

Sometimes I sit in wonder at what the Core Truths reveal. Not because they’re complicated—they’re actually quite simple. But because they point to something so fundamental, so essential, that we often miss it entirely.

We are not broken and in need of fixing. We are not separate and in need of connection. We are not lacking and in need of more.

We are whole beings who have temporarily forgotten our wholeness. We are connected beings who have momentarily believed in our separation. We are complete beings who have been convinced we’re insufficient.

The Core Truths don’t give us anything new. They help us remember what we already are. They don’t add to us; they subtract the illusions that keep us from seeing clearly.

And in that seeing, in that remembering, everything changes.

The revolution is indeed starting. Not with noise and drama, but with the quiet recognition of what has always been true. The extraordinary lives we seek aren’t somewhere else, waiting to be achieved.

They’re here, waiting to be remembered.

The Core Truths System offers a pathway back to yourself—through individual mentorship, team transformation, and organizational development. Because the most profound changes often happen not through addition, but through recognition of what is true.

If We Cannot Listen to Ourselves, How Can We Listen to Others?

The foundation of authentic connection lies not in perfect communication techniques, but in the quiet courage to hear what’s true within us first.

There’s a moment that happens in every meaningful conversation—a pause where something real wants to emerge. But more often than not, we fill that space with noise. We rush to respond, to fix, to be right, to be heard. We mistake the volume of our voice for the depth of our listening.

What if the quality of how we listen to others is directly proportional to how willing we are to listen to ourselves?

The Filters We Don’t See

In the Core Truths System, we begin with a fundamental recognition: our minds filter reality rather than reveal it directly. We don’t experience the world as it is—we experience it through the lens of our beliefs, our history, our fears, and our unspoken needs.

When someone shares something vulnerable with us, we’re not just hearing their words. We’re filtering them through:

•Our own experiences of similar situations

•Our discomfort with certain emotions

•Our urge to fix or solve rather than simply witness

•Our judgments about what they “should” do

•Our own unprocessed feelings that get triggered

This isn’t wrong—it’s human. But when we’re unconscious of these filters, we can’t distinguish between what the other person is actually saying and what our internal world is adding to their story.

The Art of Internal Listening

Before we can hold space for another’s truth, we must first become intimately familiar with our own inner landscape. This means:

Recognizing your emotional weather. 

Are you carrying anxiety from earlier in the day? Frustration from an unresolved conflict? Joy that wants to be shared? 

When we acknowledge what’s alive in us, we can choose whether to let it drive the conversation or simply notice it as part of the background.

Catching your assumptions before they solidify. That moment when someone says something and you think you immediately understand what they mean? 

Pause there. 

What story are you telling yourself about their situation? What would it be like to get curious instead of certain?

Noticing your rescue impulses. 

The urge to jump in with advice, to make someone feel better, or to change the subject when things get uncomfortable—these often say more about our own discomfort than about what the other person actually needs.

The Paradox of Control

Here’s where the second Core Truth becomes essential: control is an illusion, but agency is not.

We cannot control what others share with us, how they feel, or what they choose to do with our support. But we do have agency over our own presence, our willingness to stay open when things get messy, and our commitment to listening without an agenda.

The most profound listening happens when we release the need to have the right response and instead trust that our authentic presence—our willingness to be with someone in their reality—is often the most healing gift we can offer.

Connection as Our True Nature

The fifth Core Truth reminds us that we are fundamentally relational beings. We don’t exist in isolation. Our wellbeing is intimately connected to the wellbeing of those around us. 

When we listen deeply—first to ourselves, then to others—we’re not just improving communication. 

We’re participating in the healing of our collective human experience.

Think about the last time someone truly listened to you. Not with an agenda, not while formulating their response, not trying to fix you. Just… listened. 

How did that feel in your body? 

What became possible in that space?

The Practice: Three Levels of Listening

Level 1: Listen to Your Body

Before engaging in any important conversation, take a moment to check in. What are you noticing in your chest, your shoulders, your stomach? Your body holds wisdom about what you need and what you’re bringing to the interaction.

Level 2: Listen to Your Story

What narrative are you telling yourself about this person or situation? What assumptions are you making? Can you hold these stories lightly, as possibilities rather than facts?

Level 3: Listen to What Wants to Emerge

Sometimes the most important thing isn’t what’s being said, but what’s trying to be born in the space between two people. What wants to be acknowledged? What truth is asking to be witnessed?

When Listening Becomes Revolutionary

In a world that profits from our disconnection, choosing to listen deeply—to ourselves and others—becomes a radical act. It’s a refusal to participate in the culture of quick fixes and surface solutions. It’s a commitment to the slower, more complex work of actually seeing each other.

When we can listen to our own hearts without judgment, we create space for others to do the same. When we can sit with our own discomfort, we can stay present for someone else’s pain. When we can acknowledge our own humanity—complete with contradictions and imperfections—we can extend that same grace to others.

The Invitation

So here’s the invitation: What if, before your next difficult conversation, you spent a few minutes listening to yourself first?

What are you hoping for? What are you afraid of? What do you need in order to stay open and present?

And then, when you’re with the other person, what if you listened not just to their words, but to what their heart is trying to tell you? What if you got curious about their inner world instead of certain about their intentions?

The quality of our relationships—and ultimately, the quality of our lives—depends not on our ability to have all the right answers, but on our willingness to listen to what’s real. First within ourselves, then within each other.

Because when we truly listen, we don’t just hear words. We witness souls. And in that witnessing, something sacred happens—we remember that we’re not alone in this beautiful, complicated experience of being human.

True success isn’t about having it all—it’s about feeling at home within yourself as you live it. 

And home always begins with the courage to listen.

The Core Truths System offers a transformational framework for those seeking a more truthful, soul-aligned way of living. If these ideas resonate with you, consider exploring how these principles might transform not just how you communicate, but how you show up in the world.

Remembering Changed Everything

Standing on that mountain top, feeling small against the vastness of nature, I finally understood what had been missing. 

For years, I had been living fragments of myself—pieces scattered across expectations, disappointments, and the exhausting effort of trying to be everything to everyone. That gentle breeze seemed to call back all the parts of me I had given away, burned out, or simply forgotten in the noise of a life that looked successful from the outside but felt hollow within.

This wasn’t a moment of discovery. It was a moment of deep remembrance.

The Successful Life That Wasn’t Mine

By every external measure, I had made it. Twenty-five years in health and wellness, a thriving practice, clients who achieved remarkable transformations, recognition in my field. I was the person others came to when they wanted to change their lives, yet I found myself quietly questioning whether I was living my own.

The wake-up call came through a crisis, but what remained afterwards was a creeping sense of disconnection. I was helping people transform their wellbeing while feeling increasingly unwell myself. 

I was guiding others toward authenticity while wearing masks I’d forgotten I’d put on. I was teaching people to trust their inner wisdom while doubting my own.

The irony wasn’t lost on me. Here I was, supposedly an expert in human transformation, feeling like I was living someone else’s version of a good life. I had internalized definitions of success that weren’t mine, adopted strategies that worked for others but drained me, and built a professional identity that felt more like a beautiful cage than a true expression of who I was.

The Path of Trying Almost Everything

Like many people in the wellness world, I became a seeker. I tried meditation retreats and mindfulness practices. I explored different therapeutic modalities and attended countless workshops. I read the books, followed the programs, implemented the systems. Each approach offered something valuable, and I genuinely helped many people using these tools.

But I kept finding myself back at the same crossroads. The external techniques would work for a while, but something deeper remained unaddressed. 

I could help people change their behaviors, improve their health, even shift their mindset, but the most profound transformations seemed to happen when something else was touched—something that had less to do with doing and more to do with being.

I began to notice patterns in my most successful client relationships. The breakthroughs didn’t come from the techniques I taught but from moments when people suddenly saw through their own stories, questioned their assumptions, or recognized patterns they’d been unconsciously living. 

These weren’t cognitive insights—they were deeper recognitions that seemed to arise from some wiser part of themselves.

I started paying attention to these moments, both in my work and in my own life. What was actually happening when real change occurred? What were the common elements beneath all the different methodologies and approaches?

The Remembering Begins

The first truth revealed itself through my own stubborn certainty. I was so sure I understood a situation with a difficult client—certain I knew what they needed, certain about what was causing their struggles, certain about the best approach. When nothing worked and the relationship deteriorated, I was forced to confront an uncomfortable possibility: maybe my perspective wasn’t the whole truth.

This led me down a rabbit hole of exploring how perception works, how our minds construct reality rather than simply reflecting it. I began to see how many conflicts—both personal and professional—arose not from actual differences but from people defending their partial perspectives as if they were complete truths.

The second truth emerged through my attempts to fix complex problems with simple solutions. A client’s chronic health issues weren’t just about diet or exercise—they were connected to work stress, family dynamics, past trauma, financial anxiety, and a dozen other factors interacting in ways that defied linear cause-and-effect thinking. I realized I’d been trying to solve multidimensional puzzles with one-dimensional tools.

The third truth became visceral when my own life was turned upside down by unexpected changes. My first instinct was to resist, to try to get things “back to normal.” But normal wasn’t coming back. The more I fought the changes, the more suffering I created. When I finally learned to work with impermanence rather than against it, everything shifted. Change became an ally rather than an enemy.

The fourth truth revealed itself through my growing dissatisfaction with surface-level success. I had achieved things that should have made me happy, yet happiness remained elusive. I began to understand that meaning wasn’t something I could accumulate from outside experiences—it emerged from conscious engagement with life itself, from the quality of presence I brought to each moment.

The fifth truth became clear through my growing awareness of interconnection. Every achievement, every insight, every moment of growth had happened within webs of relationship and support. The myth of the self-made individual dissolved as I recognized how fundamentally relational every aspect of existence really was.

But recognizing these truths intellectually was one thing. Integrating them into my life and work was another. There was a period when everything I thought I knew about myself and my work felt uncertain.

If my perspective wasn’t reliable, how could I trust my professional judgment? If simple solutions didn’t work, how could I help people who wanted quick fixes? If change was constant, how could I build a stable practice? If meaning couldn’t be manufactured, how could I help people find purpose? If everything was interconnected, how could I maintain healthy boundaries?

These questions led to what felt like professional and personal deconstruction. Old identities crumbled. Familiar approaches stopped working. Relationships shifted. I found myself in that uncomfortable space between who I had been and who I was becoming—a space I now recognize as sacred, though it felt terrifying at the time.

Slowly, something new began to emerge. Not a return to the old ways, but an integration that honored both the wisdom I’d gained and the truths I was remembering. I began to work with clients differently—not as an expert with answers, but as a guide helping them access their own deeper knowing.

The five truths weren’t separate concepts but interconnected aspects of a more mature way of engaging with reality. When I held all five simultaneously, something coherent emerged—a framework that could guide both personal transformation and organizational change, both individual healing and collective evolution.

I realized this wasn’t my system at all. These truths were ancient wisdom dressed in contemporary language, universal principles I had simply remembered through my own experience. My role wasn’t to invent something new but to translate something timeless into forms that could serve our current challenges.

The Core Truths System didn’t emerge from strategic planning or market research. It arose from necessity—my own need to find a way of living and working that felt authentic, sustainable, and genuinely helpful. Only after I began using this framework in my own life and with select clients did I realize its broader applications.

Now I see this work as less about teaching and more about remembering together. Every person I work with already has access to these truths—they’ve simply been covered over by conditioning, trauma, and the accumulated habits of living in a culture that often asks us to forget who we really are.

My job isn’t to give people something they don’t have. It’s to create conditions where they can remember what they’ve always known but perhaps lost touch with. It’s to offer frameworks that make ancient wisdom accessible in contemporary contexts.

Standing on the Mountain

That mountain experience wasn’t the beginning of my journey—it was a milestone marking my return home to myself. All those fragments I called back weren’t lost pieces but aspects of my wholeness that had been temporarily obscured.

The revolution I wrote about in my social media post isn’t external. It’s the quiet revolution of individuals remembering who they truly are and living from that place of authenticity. When enough people make this shift, it creates ripples that transform families, organizations, communities, and eventually culture itself.

The Core Truths System is my contribution to this quiet revolution. Not as the creator of something new, but as someone who remembered something eternal and found ways to share it that serve our collective awakening.

This is the work that chose me: helping others remember what they already know, supporting the journey home to themselves, and creating spaces where authenticity becomes not just possible but inevitable.

The revolution is indeed starting. And it begins with each of us calling back the fragments, claiming our wholeness, and living from the truth of who we really are.

Thank you for reading x

The Art of Sitting with Uncertainty: Finding Safety in the Unknown

There’s something deeply human about wanting to know what comes next. 

We plan our days, our careers, our futures—building elaborate structures of certainty to feel safe in an inherently unpredictable world. 

Yet life has a way of reminding us that the only constant is change itself, and the only certainty is uncertainty.

But what if uncertainty isn’t something to fear or fix? What if it’s actually a doorway to a more authentic, alive way of being?

The Weight of Not Knowing

Uncertainty can feel heavy. It shows up as the tightness in your chest when facing a major life decision, the restless nights when your career feels unclear, or the knot in your stomach when a relationship is shifting.

Our minds, brilliant at protecting us, interpret uncertainty as danger—a signal that we need to do something immediately to regain control.

This is perfectly natural. 

Throughout human history, uncertainty often meant genuine threat. 

But in our modern world, much of what we experience as uncertainty is actually the natural rhythm of life unfolding. 

The challenge is learning to distinguish between genuine threats that require action and the everyday uncertainty that simply asks us to stay present.

Why We Struggle with the Unknown

Our discomfort with uncertainty isn’t a personal failing—it’s wired into our biology. The human brain is essentially a prediction machine, constantly trying to anticipate what’s coming next to keep us safe. 

When we can’t predict, our nervous system can interpret this as a threat, flooding us with stress hormones and the urgent need to “figure it out.”

We’ve also inherited cultural messages that uncertainty equals failure. We’re taught to have five-year plans, to know our purpose, to be decisive. 

Social media amplifies this illusion, showing us highlight reels of people who seem to have it all figured out. But this apparent certainty is often just a carefully curated story, not reality.

The truth is, even the most successful and seemingly confident people are navigating uncertainty daily. The difference lies not in having more certainty, but in developing a healthier relationship with the unknown.

Reframing Uncertainty as Possibility

What if uncertainty isn’t the enemy of safety, but actually its companion? When we’re not locked into rigid expectations about how things “should” unfold, we become more adaptable, more creative, more alive to the possibilities that exist right now.

Uncertainty can be:

• Creative space where new possibilities emerge

• Freedom from the pressure to have everything figured out

• Presence that brings us back to this moment

• Growth that stretches us beyond our comfort zones

• Authenticity that allows us to show up as we truly are

Think about the most meaningful moments in your life. Chances are, many of them emerged from uncertainty—the job you didn’t plan for, the relationship that surprised you, the opportunity that appeared when you least expected it. Uncertainty isn’t the absence of something good; it’s often the fertile ground where the best things grow.

Finding Safety in the Present Moment

True safety doesn’t come from controlling the future—it comes from developing trust in your ability to respond to whatever arises. 

This is a profound shift from trying to predict and control to cultivating presence and resilience.

The present moment is the only place where you actually have any power. When you’re fully here, you can access your wisdom, your intuition, and your natural capacity to navigate whatever comes next. 

Uncertainty becomes less threatening when you remember that you don’t need to solve tomorrow’s problems today—you only need to be present for what’s here now.

Practical Tools for Embracing Uncertainty

1. Practice the Pause

When uncertainty triggers anxiety, resist the urge to immediately seek answers or make decisions. Instead, take three deep breaths and ask yourself: “What do I need right now to feel grounded?” Often, the answer isn’t information—it’s presence, rest, or connection.

2. Distinguish Between Problems and Mysteries

Problems have solutions; mysteries are meant to be lived. Career transitions, relationship dynamics, and personal growth often fall into the mystery category. Instead of trying to solve these mysteries, practice being curious about them.

3. Create Anchors of Stability

While you can’t control everything, you can create reliable touchstones in your daily life. This might be a morning routine, regular time in nature, or consistent connection with loved ones. These anchors provide stability while everything else shifts.

4. Practice “Not Knowing” Mind

Zen tradition speaks of “beginner’s mind”—approaching situations without preconceptions about how they should unfold. Practice phrases like “I don’t know yet, and that’s okay” or “I’m curious to see what emerges.” This reduces the pressure to have immediate answers.

5. Body-Based Grounding

Uncertainty often manifests physically before we’re consciously aware of it. Develop practices that help you return to your body: gentle movement, mindful breathing, or simply placing your hands on your heart and feeling your heartbeat. Your body knows how to be present—let it teach your mind.

6. Rewrite Your Uncertainty Story

Notice the stories you tell yourself about uncertainty. Instead of “I should know what to do,” try “I’m gathering information.” Instead of “I’m falling behind,” try “I’m taking the time I need.” Your internal narrative shapes your experience more than the external circumstances.

7. Seek Connection, Not Solutions

When uncertainty feels overwhelming, the antidote is often connection rather than answers. Share your experience with trusted friends or family. Sometimes we need to be reminded that uncertainty is a shared human experience, not a personal inadequacy.

8. Practice Small Acts of Trust

Build your tolerance for uncertainty by practicing with small things first. Take a different route home without checking the GPS. Try a new restaurant without reading reviews. These micro-practices build your confidence in navigating the unknown.

The Wisdom of Impermanence

At the heart of uncertainty lies a deeper truth: everything changes. This isn’t just a philosophical concept—it’s the fundamental nature of existence. Recognizing impermanence can be initially unsettling, but it’s also profoundly liberating.

If everything changes, then difficult periods are temporary. If everything changes, then you’re not stuck in your current circumstances forever. If everything changes, then there’s always potential for something new to emerge.

This doesn’t mean being passive or avoiding planning. It means holding your plans lightly, staying open to course corrections, and trusting that your capacity to adapt is greater than your ability to predict.

Uncertainty as a Teacher

Uncertainty has taught me that safety isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about developing unshakeable trust in my ability to find my way, one step at a time. It’s shown me that the most beautiful parts of life often emerge from the spaces I couldn’t have planned or predicted.

Every time I’ve tried to force certainty, I’ve created rigidity. Every time I’ve learned to work with uncertainty, I’ve discovered flow. This doesn’t mean I don’t still feel the discomfort when facing the unknown—but I’ve learned to interpret that feeling differently. Instead of a sign that something’s wrong, it’s often a sign that something new is trying to emerge.

A Gentle Invitation

If you’re in a period of uncertainty right now, please know that you’re not alone, and you’re not doing anything wrong. The discomfort you feel isn’t a sign that you need to figure everything out immediately—it’s a natural response to being human in an uncertain world.

You don’t need to have all the answers today. You don’t need to know exactly where you’re heading. You only need to trust that you have everything you need to take the next right step, and then the next one after that.

Uncertainty isn’t the enemy of a meaningful life—it’s often the doorway to one. When we stop trying to control every outcome and start trusting our ability to respond to whatever arises, we discover a kind of safety that no amount of planning could provide: the safety of knowing we can handle whatever life brings our way.

In the end, the art of sitting with uncertainty isn’t about becoming comfortable with not knowing—it’s about discovering that we’re stronger, more adaptable, and more resilient than we ever imagined.

And sometimes, that’s the most beautiful certainty of all.

The Quiet Revolutionary: Rick Rubin Embodying the Core Truths of Authentic Creation

There’s something almost mystical about watching Rick Rubin work. No flashy equipment, no aggressive direction—just a bearded man in simple clothes, sitting quietly while magic happens around him. 

When I think about the artists who shaped my youth—Johnny Cash’s haunting final recordings, the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ breakthrough sound, Beastie Boys’ genre-defying albums—there’s often one constant presence: Rick Rubin, the producer who doesn’t really produce in any traditional sense.

Instead, Rubin does something far more profound. He helps artists remember who they really are.

Stripping Away the Filters

“Our minds filter reality rather than reveal it directly.” This is the first of my Core Truths, and it’s exactly what Rubin has been teaching the music world for decades. He understands that by the time an artist reaches his studio, they’re often buried under layers of industry expectations, commercial pressures, and their own limiting beliefs about what their music “should” sound like.

Think about Johnny Cash at the end of his career—dismissed by country radio, considered past his prime. Rubin didn’t try to make Cash sound young or contemporary. Instead, he created space for the raw, weathered truth of Cash’s voice to emerge. Those American Recordings albums weren’t about adding production; they were about removing everything that wasn’t essential, everything that wasn’t Cash.

When the Red Hot Chili Peppers were struggling to capture their live energy in the studio, Rubin famously suggested they record in a mansion with no separation between instruments. He removed the filters of traditional studio expectations and let their natural interconnectedness flow.

Working With, Not Against

“Control is an illusion—but agency is not.” Rubin embodies this truth in every session. He doesn’t control the creative process; he creates conditions for authenticity to emerge. He’ll suggest an artist cover a song that seems completely wrong for them, not because he knows what will happen, but because he trusts the process of discovery.

His approach to the Beastie Boys was revolutionary precisely because he didn’t try to force them into existing hip-hop categories. He worked with their natural punk energy and irreverent spirit, helping create something entirely new by honoring what was already there.

The Power of Presence and Interconnection

“We are fundamentally relational beings.” Rubin’s genius isn’t technical—it’s relational. He understands that great art emerges from authentic connection, whether that’s between band members, between artist and audience, or between the creator and their deepest truth.

He famously creates environments where artists feel safe to be vulnerable, to try things that might fail, to access parts of themselves they’ve been hiding. His presence in the studio isn’t about imposing his vision; it’s about holding space for the artist’s vision to fully emerge.

Embracing Impermanence and Change

“Impermanence is fundamental to existence.” Throughout his career, Rubin has consistently helped artists navigate transitions—aging punk rockers finding new voices, country legends reclaiming relevance, metal bands exploring softer sides. He doesn’t cling to what made an artist successful before; he helps them discover what wants to emerge now.

Beyond Performance to Truth

“Consciousness and meaning are deeply intertwined.” This might be where Rubin’s approach most closely mirrors what I’ve discovered in my own work. He’s never been interested in creating hit records for their own sake. He’s interested in helping artists access and express something meaningful—their deeper truth, their authentic voice, their real message.

When I listen to those albums that formed the soundtrack of my youth, I hear something beyond entertainment. I hear human beings being deeply, courageously themselves. That’s the real revolution Rubin has been quietly leading—not a sonic revolution, but a revolution of authenticity.

The Quiet Path Forward

In a world that celebrates productivity, noise, and constant output, Rubin’s approach feels almost radical in its simplicity. He sits quietly. He listens deeply. He trusts the process. He believes in the artist’s inherent wisdom more than they often believe in it themselves.

This is what I’ve discovered in my own work with the Core Truths System—that the most profound transformations happen not when we add more strategies or push harder, but when we create space for what’s already true to emerge. 

When we stop trying to force ourselves into someone else’s idea of success and start listening to the wisdom that’s been there all along.

Rick Rubin understood this before many of us had words for it. He’s been quietly modeling a different way of creating, leading, and being—one that trusts the process, honors authenticity, and recognizes that the most powerful force in any creative endeavor isn’t control, but truth.

Perhaps that’s why his work has endured across decades and genres. In a business built on trends and manipulation, he’s remained committed to something deeper: helping people become more themselves.

And maybe that’s the real lesson here—whether we’re producing albums or living our lives, the question isn’t “How can I be more successful?” but rather “How can I be more myself?”

What resonates with you about this approach? I’d love to hear your thoughts on authenticity versus performance in your own work and life.

For more information on the Core Truths System email:

nicole@coretruthssystem.com

Why Traditional Success Feels Empty (And What to Do About It)

There’s a moment that arrives quietly for many of us—often in the middle of what should feel like triumph. You’ve achieved the goals you set, checked the boxes you thought mattered, and yet something feels profoundly missing.

If you’re reading this and nodding along, please know you’re not alone, and you’re not broken. What you’re experiencing is actually wisdom trying to emerge.

The Gentle Awakening

Perhaps it happened during a celebration for a promotion that felt flat, or while sitting in traffic on your way to a job that pays well but drains your soul. Maybe it was while scrolling through social media, realizing that even your “success story” posts felt hollow. That moment when you wondered: Is this it? Is this what I’ve been working toward?

The Inherited Blueprint

Perhaps it happened during a promotion celebration that felt flat, or while sitting in traffic on your way to a job that pays well but drains your soul. Maybe it was while scrolling through social about success from our families, our culture, our education, without ever pausing to ask if they actually fit who we are.

The first Core Truth that transforms everything is understanding that our minds filter reality rather than reveal it directly. This means our perception of what success should look like has been shaped by countless influences—many of which we never consciously chose.

Think about it with compassion for yourself: When you were young, what messages did you receive about what it meant to “make it” in life? Were you told that security meant a particular type of job? That worth was measured by salary or status? That happiness would naturally follow achievement?

These weren’t given to you with malicious intent. The people who shaped your early understanding of success were likely doing their best with their own inherited blueprints. But somewhere along the way, you may have lost touch with what actually lights you up, what feels meaningful to you, what makes you feel most alive.media, realizing that even your “success story” posts felt hollow. That moment when you wondered: Is this it? Is this what I’ve been working toward?

These moments aren’t failures—they’re invitations. They’re your authentic self gently tapping you on the shoulder, saying, “We need to talk.”

The Inherited Blueprint

Here’s something I’ve learned through years of working with extraordinary people who feel lost despite their achievements: Most of us are living by borrowed blueprints. We’ve inherited ideas.

The Performance Exhaustion

Traditional success often demands performance—not just in terms of productivity, but in terms of being the “successful person.” There’s pressure to look the part, to have the right answers, to maintain the image that everything is working perfectly.

This performance can be exhausting because it requires you to consistently show up as a version of yourself that may not feel entirely true. You might find yourself saying “I’m living the dream” when what you really mean is “I’m living someone’s dream, but I’m not sure it’s mine.”

If this resonates, please be gentle with yourself. There’s no shame in realizing that what you thought you wanted doesn’t feel the way you expected. This awareness isn’t a step backward—it’s a step toward something more authentic.

The Deeper Longing

What many people discover is that the emptiness isn’t about the achievements themselves—it’s about the disconnection from their deeper values and authentic desires. When success is built on external validation rather than internal alignment, it can feel like wearing beautiful clothes that don’t quite fit.

You might be incredibly good at what you do. You might have talents that others admire. But if your daily life doesn’t honor what matters most to you, if it doesn’t allow you to express your unique gifts in ways that feel meaningful, then even tremendous achievement can feel hollow.

This isn’t ungrateful or selfish—it’s human. We’re wired for meaning, connection, and authentic expression. When our version of success doesn’t include these elements, our souls let us know.

The Compassionate Revolution

Recognising that traditional success feels empty isn’t the end of the story—it’s the beginning of a more conscious chapter. This is where you get to become the author of your own definition of success, one that honors both your practical needs and your deeper longings.

This doesn’t mean you have to abandon everything you’ve built or make dramatic changes overnight. It means becoming curious about what success could look like if it were designed specifically for you.

Some gentle questions to consider:

• What activities make you lose track of time in the best way?

• When do you feel most like yourself?

• What problems do you naturally want to solve?

• What would you pursue if you trusted it would work out?

• How do you want to feel at the end of each day?

Success as Self-Honoring

True success—the kind that fills rather than depletes—tends to have certain qualities:

It aligns with your values. Your daily actions reflect what matters most to you, creating a sense of integrity and wholeness.

It allows for authentic expression. You get to use your natural gifts and talents in ways that feel meaningful and contribute to something larger than yourself.

It includes connection. 

As the Core Truths remind us, we are fundamentally relational beings. Sustainable success nurtures relationships and community rather than requiring you to sacrifice them.

It evolves with you. 

Rather than being a fixed destination, it’s a dynamic process that can grow and change as you do.

It feels generative. Instead of depleting your energy, it tends to create more energy, enthusiasm, and possibility.

The Path Forward

If you’re feeling the emptiness of traditional success, please know that this feeling is not a dead end—it’s a doorway. It’s your wisdom letting you know that you’re ready for something more aligned, more authentic, more truly yours.

The journey toward authentic success often begins with small experiments. What would it look like to make one decision this week based on what genuinely excites you rather than what you think you should do? How might you incorporate more of what energizes you into your current situation?

Sometimes the path forward isn’t about changing everything at once, but about gradually aligning your choices with your deeper truth. It’s about remembering that success without authenticity is just an elaborate form of self-abandonment—and you deserve better.

A Gentle Reminder

Your feelings of emptiness aren’t evidence that you’re ungrateful or confused—they’re evidence that you’re ready for something more aligned with who you truly are. The fact that traditional success doesn’t satisfy you isn’t a problem to be solved; it’s wisdom to be honored.

You have permission to want something different. You have permission to define success in your own terms. You have permission to create a life that feels as good from the inside as it might look from the outside.

The world needs what you have to offer when you’re operating from your authentic center, not when you’re performing a version of success that doesn’t truly fit. Your real success story is waiting to be written—and only you can write it.

Starting Where You Are

The beautiful thing about authentic success is that it doesn’t require you to have all the answers right now. It simply asks you to begin with honesty: What feels true for you? What wants to emerge? What would you create if you trusted yourself completely?

These questions don’t need immediate answers. They need space to breathe, time to unfold, and the kind of gentle curiosity that allows new possibilities to surface.

Your path to meaningful success begins exactly where you are, with exactly what you know right now. And that’s more than enough to start.

If you’re ready to explore what authentic success looks like for you, know that you don’t have to figure it out alone. Sometimes we need support, frameworks, and community to remember who we really are and what we’re truly capable of creating.

Join us.

The 5 Core Truths That Will Transform Your Reality

Why everything you think you know about success, happiness, and life itself might be keeping you trapped—and how five simple truths can set you free.

You wake up each morning with a nagging sense that something is missing. 

From the outside, your life looks enviable—perhaps you’ve achieved career success, financial stability, or recognition in your field. Yet beneath the surface, there’s a persistent whisper: Is this it? Is this really what I worked so hard for?

If this resonates, you’re not alone. In my 25 years working with musicians, elite athletes, business owners, and high net worth individuals, I’ve discovered something profound: the most successful people are often the most lost.

They climbed the ladder only to discover it was leaning against the wrong wall. 

They’ve played the game perfectly according to rules they never chose. 

They’ve achieved everything they thought they wanted, only to feel empty inside.

But here’s what I’ve learned: this isn’t a personal failing. It’s a human condition rooted in five fundamental misunderstandings about the nature of reality itself.

The Prison of Inherited Reality

Most of us are living in a kind of psychological prison, and we don’t even know it. 

We inherited our view of the world—our beliefs about success, relationships, happiness, and what constitutes a good life—from our families, cultures, schools, and societies. 

We never questioned whether these beliefs were true, helpful, or even ours to begin with.

We’ve been handed a map of reality that was drawn by others, based on their experiences, limitations, and fears. And we’ve been trying to navigate our unique life using someone else’s directions.

This is why traditional self-improvement often fails. It’s like rearranging furniture in a house with a fundamentally flawed foundation. You can optimize your habits, set better goals, and think more positively, but if your underlying understanding of reality is distorted, you’ll keep hitting the same walls.

The Core Truths System isn’t about adding more strategies to your toolkit. It’s about examining the very lens through which you see the world—and discovering that most of what you’ve been taught simply isn’t true.

Truth #1: Our Minds Filter Reality Rather Than Reveal It

The Illusion: You see the world as it really is.

The Reality: Your mind is constantly filtering, editing, and constructing the reality you experience.

Every moment, your brain processes millions of bits of sensory information, but you’re only consciously aware of a tiny fraction. Your mind selects what to pay attention to based on your beliefs, past experiences, current emotional state, and unconscious biases.

This means that two people can experience the exact same event and have completely different realities. It’s not that one is right and the other is wrong—they’re both experiencing filtered versions of what happened.

Why This Changes Everything: Once you understand that your perception is constructed rather than factual, you realize that many of your problems aren’t “out there” in the world—they’re in the filters you’re using to interpret the world.

That difficult colleague might not be “impossible to work with”—you might be filtering their behavior through past experiences of feeling criticized. That business opportunity might not be “too risky”—you might be filtering it through inherited beliefs about money and security.

When you recognize your filters, you can begin to question them. You can ask: “What if this situation isn’t what I think it is? What might I be missing? How else could I interpret this?”

This single shift—from believing your perceptions to questioning them—is the beginning of true freedom.

Truth #2: Complex Systems Defy Simple Causality

The Illusion: If X happens, Y will result. Life follows predictable cause-and-effect patterns.

The Reality: Most meaningful aspects of life exist within complex systems where multiple factors interact in unpredictable ways.

We love simple explanations. “Work hard and you’ll be successful.” “Be kind and people will like you.” “Follow your passion and you’ll be happy.” These linear thinking patterns feel comfortable and controllable.

But life is not linear. It’s systemic, interconnected, and emergent. Your career trajectory isn’t just about your effort—it’s influenced by timing, relationships, economic conditions, technological changes, and countless other variables. Your relationships aren’t just about your communication skills—they’re shaped by attachment styles, family dynamics, cultural backgrounds, and mutual growth patterns.

Why This Changes Everything: When you embrace complexity thinking, you stop trying to control outcomes and start working skillfully with systems. You become more adaptable, resilient, and strategic.

Instead of asking “How can I make this happen?” you ask “How can I create conditions where good things are more likely to emerge?” Instead of blaming yourself when things don’t go according to plan, you recognize that you’re part of larger systems that you can influence but never fully control.

This truth dissolves the toxic perfectionism that plagues so many high achievers. It’s not that you’re not trying hard enough or not smart enough—it’s that you’re operating within complex systems that don’t follow simple rules.

Truth #3: Impermanence Is Fundamental to Existence

The Illusion: If you can just achieve stability, security, and control, you’ll be safe and happy.

The Reality: Everything is constantly changing, and resistance to this truth creates most of our suffering.

We spend enormous energy trying to make permanent things that are inherently temporary. We cling to job titles, relationship dynamics, physical abilities, and even our own identities as if they were fixed entities.

But your body is different than it was seven years ago—literally every cell has been replaced. Your thoughts and beliefs have evolved. Your relationships have shifted. Your role in the world has changed. You are not the same person you were last year, last month, or even yesterday.

Why This Changes Everything: When you truly accept impermanence, two profound shifts occur:

First, you stop clinging so tightly to things that are meant to change. The promotion you didn’t get, the relationship that ended, the plan that fell through—these become natural transitions rather than personal failures.

Second, you begin to appreciate what’s here now. Knowing that this moment, this conversation, this phase of life is temporary makes it precious rather than anxiety-provoking.

Many of my clients initially resist this truth because they think it means nothing matters. The opposite is true. When you accept impermanence, everything matters more—because you’re no longer taking it for granted.

This truth is particularly transformative for perfectionist high-achievers who exhaust themselves trying to control outcomes. When you understand that change is the only constant, you can work with life’s natural rhythms instead of against them.

Truth #4: Consciousness and Meaning Are Deeply Intertwined

The Illusion: Meaning comes from external achievements, recognition, or acquisition.

The Reality: Meaning emerges from the quality of consciousness you bring to your experience.

Most people chase meaning in the wrong places. They think the next promotion, relationship, or achievement will finally make their life feel significant. But external circumstances, no matter how impressive, can’t create lasting meaning—they can only provide temporary satisfaction.

Meaning isn’t something you find “out there”—it’s something you create through the consciousness you bring to whatever you’re doing. A conversation with a stranger can be more meaningful than a prestigious award if you’re fully present for it. Washing dishes can be more fulfilling than closing a million-dollar deal if you bring awareness and intention to the task.

Why This Changes Everything: When you understand that consciousness creates meaning, you stop postponing fulfillment until external conditions are perfect. You realize that meaningful work isn’t about finding the perfect job—it’s about bringing your full attention and care to whatever work you’re doing.

This doesn’t mean external circumstances don’t matter. They do. But they matter as expressions of your consciousness, not as sources of it. When you align your external choices with your internal awareness, both your inner experience and outer results transform.

This truth liberates you from the exhausting search for the “perfect life” and empowers you to create meaning wherever you are, with whatever you have, right now.

Truth #5: We Are Fundamentally Relational Beings

The Illusion: Success is an individual achievement. Strong people don’t need others.

The Reality: Your sense of self, your capacity for growth, and your deepest fulfillment all emerge through relationships.

Our culture glorifies individual achievement and self-reliance. We celebrate the lone entrepreneur, the self-made success story, the person who “pulled themselves up by their bootstraps.” This narrative is not only incomplete—it’s harmful.

You didn’t develop language in isolation. You didn’t learn to think without teachers. You didn’t build your worldview without cultural influences. Even your most private thoughts are shaped by conversations you’ve had, books you’ve read, and relationships you’ve experienced.More importantly, your capacity for joy, love, creativity, and meaning all require connection. You are not a separate self trying to relate to other separate selves—you are a relational being whose very identity emerges through interaction.

Why This Changes Everything: When you recognize your fundamental interdependence, several shifts occur:

You stop trying to figure everything out alone and begin leveraging the wisdom available through connections. You realize that vulnerability isn’t weakness—it’s the foundation of authentic connection. You understand that supporting others’ success doesn’t diminish your own—it enhances it.

This truth is particularly powerful for leaders and entrepreneurs who often feel isolated by their responsibilities. When you embrace your relational nature, leadership becomes about collective intelligence rather than individual heroics.

The Ripple Effect: How These Truths Transform Everything

Here’s what makes these truths so powerful: they’re interconnected. As you integrate one, the others become clearer. As you embrace them all, they create a fundamental shift in how you experience reality.

You stop fighting battles that can’t be won. You stop chasing goals that can’t fulfill you. You stop trying to control things that are inherently uncontrollable. Instead, you begin working with the grain of reality rather than against it.

Your relationships deepen because you’re no longer trying to manage others’ perceptions of you. Your work becomes more effective because you’re addressing root causes rather than symptoms. Your stress decreases because you’re no longer carrying the impossible burden of controlling life’s outcomes.

Most importantly, you begin living from your authentic self rather than from inherited expectations. You make choices based on what’s true for you rather than what you think you “should” want.

Why This Work Is Absolutely Non-Negotiable

You might be thinking: “This sounds interesting, but I don’t have time for philosophical exploration. I have real problems to solve.”

But here’s the truth: these aren’t philosophical abstractions. They’re practical foundations that determine the effectiveness of everything else you do.

If you’re making decisions through distorted filters, your choices will be misaligned. If you’re applying linear thinking to complex situations, your strategies will fail. If you’re resisting change, you’ll exhaust yourself fighting reality. If you’re seeking meaning in the wrong places, you’ll never find satisfaction. If you’re trying to succeed in isolation, you’ll limit your potential.

Every stress you experience, every relationship conflict you navigate, every career decision you make is influenced by your understanding of these five truths. You can spend years optimizing tactics and strategies, but if your fundamental worldview is flawed, you’ll keep hitting the same limitations.

This work isn’t separate from your practical concerns—it’s the foundation that makes everything else possible.

The Choice That Changes Everything

You stand at a crossroads. You can continue living by inherited beliefs, hoping that the next achievement or acquisition will finally bring the fulfillment you seek. Or you can begin the deeper work of examining and transforming your fundamental understanding of reality.

This isn’t about adding another self-improvement program to your list. It’s about questioning the very foundations upon which you’ve built your life. It’s about having the courage to discover who you are beneath all the layers of conditioning and expectation.

The Five Core Truths aren’t just concepts to understand intellectually—they’re lived realities to embody experientially. They’re invitations to step out of the small, inherited version of yourself and into the vast, authentic being you actually are.

Your life is waiting for you to remember what you’ve always known but perhaps forgot along the way: you are not broken and in need of fixing. You are not behind and in need of catching up. You are a conscious being temporarily caught in unconscious patterns, and awakening is always possible.

The question isn’t whether you’re ready for this truth. The question is whether you’re ready to stop postponing the life you came here to live.

Are you ready to see through the illusions and remember who you really are?

If this resonates with you, if you sense there’s something truer calling from within, then this work is for you. The Core Truths System isn’t just personal development—it’s a return to your essential self. And everything changes when you remember who you really are.

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