Exclusive interview with Jonathan Mead!
One of the most inspirational mentors in American culture today, Jonathan Mead teaches others to successfully drop the 9-5 lifestyle in place of reclaiming your dreams, living life on your own terms, and getting “paid to exist.”
Here, an exclusive interview into his private life:
What was your childhood like? Do you feel the way you were raised had something to do with your tendency to be what some would call “radical”?
Jonathan: “I’m not sure. I was raised in a fairly strict Mormon home, and brought up to be very conservative. There were a lot of rules and guidelines, so maybe that brought out an inner rebellion. I think a lot of times the greater the degree of restriction is placed, the greater the rebellion often becomes.”
Was there a turning point in your life when you realized that you were “different” or thought differently than most of your peers?
Jonathan: “Throughout grade school I was put in the ‘gifted and talented’ program. So I always knew I kind of thought differently. I think what I noticed was most different about me was my inquisitiveness. I always wanted to know how things worked; I wanted to take things apart and study them. But more than anything I always wanted to know the answer “Why?” behind everything. What was the point… why were things the way they were? These questions were always going through my mind and I was always questioning everything.”
Your website Illuminated Mind is very inspirational to me, personally. One of the main ideas of your site is to encourage people to reclaim their dreams and live life on their own terms. So many people, in America at least, tend to believe that “normal” adult life is about putting your dreams on hold and getting a “real job”. Why do you think so many people tend to abandon their dreams and settle for a job they don’t really like?
Jonathan: “I think it’s just the most comfortable, well-taken path. It’s kind of like the default template. There is no real instruction when you go out and follow your dreams, follow your own path, and that’s scary to most people. It’s easier to ‘do what works’ and do what your parents did or your peers are doing.”
Jonathan: “I think it’s just the most comfortable, well-taken path. It’s kind of like the default template. There is no real instruction when you go out and follow your dreams, follow your own path, and that’s scary to most people. It’s easier to ‘do what works’ and do what your parents did or your peers are doing.”
You suggest that we should embrace our desires. Why do you think so many people are afraid to do this?
Jonathan: “Because they’re used to being disappointed, or they’ve listened to other people tell them that what they want isn’t okay or what they should want. So, they see their desires as something to be distrustful. But really all your desires are are a kind of compass toward what will make you fulfilled.”
You live an active life. How long have you been studying martial arts and gymnastics?
Jonathan: “I’ve been practicing Jeet Kune Do for almost two years and gymnastics strength training for about a year. I just recently started going to a class to learn tumbling, it’s a lot of fun.”
How did you meet your lovely wife?
Jonathan: “We met on Myspace believe it or not! It was love at first chat.”
What is your advice on living a well-rounded life? In other words, having a healthy balance between spirit, mind, and body?
Jonathan: “Listen to the way you feel, it’s the perfect built-in navigation system for guiding you toward fulfillment. The better something makes you feel, the greater the indication that that is where fulfillment lies. The worse something makes you feel, the greater the indication that it’s something to move away from. It’s really that simple.”
You can sign up for Jonathan’s program and learn how to reclaim your dreams by going here: http://www.illuminatedmind.net/
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What do you think of Jonathan Mead’s philosophy?
Life Is Awesome 
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