Embrace the Path Less Traveled: The Power of Taking Action
A lot of what I have been sharing about the path less traveled is based on ideas and concepts. These ideas and concepts are extremely important because, in order to make positive changes in our lives, we need to engage in new ways of thinking. We need to open new internal dialogues that allow us to explore fresh perspectives. We need to become more aware; we need to wake up first.
I am striving to share the right ideas, concepts, and philosophies that can help us recognize and dismantle the beliefs that limit us, keeping us from living up to our full human potential. This process is crucial, but we must be careful not to get stuck in the intellect. The intellect is only a gateway to real change—it is not the change itself. Developing new mental frameworks related to your well-being does not mean achieving well-being. Understanding the path less traveled does not mean you are walking on it. To truly crystallize and make changes real, we need to take action—massive action. Action is the language of our physical reality. Real change begins to manifest in your life once you start closing the gap between what you know is right and what you actually do.
We often look for people to guide us, help us find the way, and assist us in making tough decisions. But in reality, we intuitively know what the right actions are. The reason we constantly seek assistance from others is that there is a part inside of us that does not want to take action, so it unconsciously looks for ways to avoid acting. I can see very clearly how this was present in my own life. Looking for saviors, looking for something from the outside to show me the way. In fact, I remember this being very dangerous because deep down I knew I wanted to walk on the path less traveled and live a life of adventure and fulfillment, but I saw myself asking advice from people who hadn’t embraced that life themselves.
I have experienced extreme fear and resistance to taking action many times in my life. Yet, the more I’ve jumped into the pool of uncertainty, the more I have acted and taken actionable steps toward the life I wanted to live, the more attuned I got with my priorities and life direction, and the more opportunities showed up. It is incredible how much expansion can happen from taking one big decision. Imagine how much expansion can result from a sequence of big decisions. It is amazing how the entire course of our lives can change. This change is initially very painful as we need to learn how to let parts of ourselves die. We need to be willing to let parts of our identity and ego die.
In my own experience, I can clearly see how a sequence of major, scary actions has led me to the life of my dreams. Leaving my family and friends at the age of 14 to pursue a career in professional tennis, moving to Brazil alone without knowing anyone and not speaking the language, moving to Belgium at the age of 17 with just $500 in my pocket to survive for three months, deciding to drop out of university despite social and cultural judgments, and moving to New Zealand at 20 with no security whatsoever.
I remember very vividly how much pain I went through on my first big decisions. For example, before going to New Zealand, I spent a few months at home feeling very comfortable with my friends and family. Everything was easy. But I knew that packing my bags and embarking on this new adventure was essential for my expansion. I didn’t want to do it, but I knew I had to take action, no matter how painful. The level of anxiety was through the roof, and the anguish of leaving was intense. I remember my mom driving me to the airport, and as we approached, I broke into tears. I was extremely scared of jumping once again into the unknown. My mom couldn’t understand why I was going. It was painful for her to see me in that state. She told me, "Matias, there is no obligation for you to do this. You have everything here. Are you sure you want to go? Why don't you stay here?” Despite the pain and fear I was feeling in that moment, I knew deep down that I had to take action. I already had enough proof from the past that every time I took this kind of action, it resulted in life-changing experiences. That moment was a catalyst for one of the most amazing and expansive experiences of my life, an experience that transcends just going to New Zealand. By going there, I opened a Pandora's box full of new surprises for my future.
The pain, fear, and uncertainty of taking action toward our dream lives will always be there. In my experience, they have never dissolved or vanished. But what starts happening is that it becomes easier to take action because we now have so much evidence of how much growth and expansion there is after these decisions. As opposed to the beginning, where you have an intuition of where these actions could lead you, but there isn’t experiential proof yet. This solid proof shows that every time we have taken action, we have found growth, expansion, and most importantly, freedom. The fear and uncertainty will always be there, but the work is to keep creating proof and evidence that support us on our journey.
This is an invitation for you to take action and embrace the path less traveled. Book that ticket, move to that country, start that book, quit that job, end that relationship—whatever it may be. You know better than anyone else what you have to do. And if you’re under the illusion that you don’t know, spend some time in introspection. Close your eyes and tap into yourself. We have all the answers inside of us, as cliché as it may sound. The invitation here is to stop postponing what is truly important. Growth is exponential when we take action on what truly matters. You don’t need to have everything figured out before making major decisions. Don't fall into that trap that keeps you static. The universe always supports us with the right people, events, and situations after we take action toward our dream life. Always. Be the protagonist of your own story. Take massive action.
Much love,
Matias