Soul: Why is it really here?
There are now 8 billion people living on this Earth, but in my estimation, there have only been and are about 2,000-4,000 people - whom we sometimes refer to as geniuses - who have truly achieved mastery. I have often asked myself how it can be that only so few souls truly unfolded their full mental, emotional, and spiritual potential, while all the others seemed to be asleep. How can it be that a person with a unique idea lifted the entire humanity to a new level and forever changed the lives of millions? Whether it was Nikola Tesla's new electricity, Mark Twain's adventure stories, or Mozart's music that have profoundly and permanently changed our world.
Use all the talents you have, for the forests would be very silent if only the most talented birds were to sing!
Henry van Dyke.
What truly motivates us as humans? When they want to pursue a profession that should also fulfill them in the long term, it is important to understand what truly drives us as humans according to neuroscientists. Just 70,000 years ago, humans went into the jungle with their clubs to hunt and above all, wanted one thing: to survive! Their motivation was always to satisfy these primary needs: to eat, drink, sleep, and reproduce. Over time, humans evolved, and with increasing socialization, factors such as reward or punishment increased. For example, people feared breaking a Roman law and being whipped, or they were rewarded for their work, such as a blacksmith being paid with silver coins.
In our present time, the former forms of motivation no longer work, as most of us live in democracies and do not fear for our own survival. According to researchers, the following
3 factors motivate us in the long term nowadays:
1) Autonomy.
This means the ability to decide for oneself when, how, and in what way a task should be completed. In a Yale study, two groups of people were each given a houseplant. Group 1 was only asked if the plant could stay with them for a while, which they agreed to. Group 2 was instructed not to take care of the plant by watering it until it withered after a few weeks. After three months, psychologists returned to collect the plants (or remains). The result: People in Group 2, who were not allowed to actively care for the plant, fared worse on different levels than those in Group 1, who could contribute autonomously.
In the business world, it is often said: People come to companies (for the image, advancement opportunities, or fame), but they leave because of bosses. As long as today's bosses lead their employees as they did in the dark ages, micromanaging and dominating from the top down, employees cannot be creative and freely unfold. At one of the most innovative companies in the world, Google, this was recognized, and the "Innovation time-off" was introduced. This rule states that 20% of the work time per week should be used without specific tasks, to allow space for creative work without a concrete goal. The fruits of this were: Google News, AdWords, and Gmail.
In my own company, people are allowed to decide for themselves when, how long, and where they work. My team has been delivering outstanding performances for years without reward or punishment systems. However, this only works with willing people who truly love what they do, without the need for constant praise or limitation from the boss. As a result, each individual flourishes and takes responsibility, while I do not constantly slow down the processes as a bottleneck. A wise leader steps aside for willing and capable employees, without having to approve everything. For new projects or arising problems, I often ask my team only: "What are your ideas or possible solutions for this?"
2) Learning.
What is the difference between a tree and a stone? The tree grows. Just like us humans, we need to feel the growth and strive to become better in the long run. Just imagine having to wear the same clothes, have the same friends, pursue the same hobbies, and spend vacations as you did in the first 15 years of your life. The only constant in the universe is change.
Heraclitus
Studies have shown that a person who has been performing the same professional tasks for five years significantly decreases in performance and only switches to the "money for performance" mode. To prevent this emotional stagnation, constant and new challenges are needed.
For example, I remember vividly when I started offering my own first public seminars. After this LIVE event, I offered three more seminars on three different topics to all participants. All subsequent seminars were well attended, and I made good money. However, after about 2 years, I realized that I was feeling emptier and more trapped. I then booked a coach and through him, I understood that I had built a comfortable and secure system with little learning potential. I had essentially locked myself in because while I was learning a lot privately, I could not apply it professionally!
Therefore, I decided to destroy my very well-functioning business model and from that point on, only offer each subsequent seminar live once. These were then professionally filmed with multiple cameras and posted online in our
Genius Academy at a significantly lower price. Many people were even more grateful because they could now watch my courses permanently, at double speed, multiple times, from anywhere, for different durations of learning units, and at any time, without travel and hotel costs. I, in turn, freed myself from the mental prison through the benefits of modern technology. This way, I could finally share, grow, and learn the success knowledge I had acquired expensively and carefully bundled in various areas of life for years with the world.
3) Meaning.
Would you like to work in a hamburger shop all your life? Probably not. Apart from the fact that through exactly the same actions, there is little room for autonomy and learning, we all know that wheat flour, cheese, meat, fried fries, and sugary drinks are very unhealthy in the long run and only harm everyone. It is therefore a less meaningful activity for a conscious person, as nothing positive thrives in the long term through this work.
The soul is our most important guide. Within it lie powerful forces that show us the way to a fulfilled life. But far too often, we allow ourselves to be distracted by external noise. We no longer feel our inner strength and wonder why the universe is working against us. Maxim Mankevich knows how to awaken the primal forces of the soul and bring them into harmony with the laws of the cosmos.
In his book
"Soul Master", the author shares his most valuable knowledge and a higher truth that shows us how to achieve personal mastery on all levels of existence. For more information about his book, click
here.
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