Interview With A Free Thinker Jonathan Mead

Jonathan Mead coaches people to break their limits, live on their own terms and work for themselves following their passion. He’s a martial artist, husband, and general trafficker of truth.

Jonathan has a popular blog Illuminated Mind – where he writes about self development, living an authentic life, freeing yourself from the 9-5 grind and reaching your true potential.

1. Can you briefly tell me about your past?

I started on this journey a couple of years ago. I was dissatisfied with my life and where it was heading, and wanting to have more control. I wanted to be self-employed, to decide how my day was structured and the projects and mission that I supported. That’s how I created IlluminatedMind.net, to be a platform for expressing my thoughts, my gifts and giving others the inspiration to do the same.

2. How did you free yourself from the illusion so many people live in?

If the illusion is that you can’t do what you want and you have to live your life based on a societal template, then the answer to that is easy and also difficult. I freed myself from it by questioning and testing my assumptions. I found out that a lot of the assumptions I had about the way I was “required” to live weren’t really requirements at all. They were simply agreements, and at any time I could stop agreeing to them and create my own structure and way of living. Well, figuring that out is just part of it. Then comes the work of changing those beliefs, and implementing your new way of living in the world.

3. How did you manage do discover your true self and how did your life change after that?

It all comes back to questioning. Who am I really? What do I really want? And it’s also about pealing back the social layers. You might start with an answer that feels contrived and spat off like a pre-made response. So then you have to keep going deeper. You have to ask “what else?” and “is that really all?” And you can start asking things like “What if I knew I couldn’t fail, what would I do then?”

After I discovered (and I’m still in the process of discovering), things started to feel a whole lot freer for me. I started to feel like I was the one in control and that my true, core nature was being expressed. It’s a nice feeling to have that you’re becoming who you are, not who you’re supposed to be.

4. Can you describe your usual day?

My usual day involves connecting with people a lot, peers, growth partners, fans, readers, clients. Also a lot of writing, reflecting and mapping. I’m a big fan of mapping things out and taking the time to really make sure I’m going in the direction that I want, and being sure that I’m playing the biggest game that I can be. Other than that I’m spending a lot of time with my wife Ev’Yan, who also helps with running the operations of Illuminated Mind. I’m usually practicing Jeet Kune Do and gymnastics at some point during the day too.

5. What’s your life’s purpose?

That’s something that I thought was really important to figure out, like the “ultimate purpose.” But now I’m finding that my purpose changes. Right now I would say my main purpose is to express my true potential and help others express their true potential.

6. Why do you think people never wake up from the illusion?

Discomfort, fear. It’s hard to have your view of the world completely uprooted and replanted in an entirely different reality.

7. What steps can people take to find their own unique paths?

Explore, don’t try so hard. And practice listening to your intuition and your heart. See where it guides you. I also wrote an ebook that helps with this specific topic called Reclaim Your Dreams, which people can find on my website.

8. What do you think about the subject of comfort zones and do you challenge yourself regularly?

I think comfort zones are meant to be challenged. It’s almost as if they’re there to say “hey, you could really experience some awesome things if you went past me.”

I try to challenge myself as much as possible, and rethink what it’s really possible for me to do. That’s something that martial arts and gymnastics helps a lot with. I really like the idea from Alice in Wonderland of thinking of “six impossible things before breakfast.”

9. You write in your blog about walking the edges. What do you mean by that?

I think this comes back to your comfort zones. Those are the edges that you think are real, or where you think the end of your world lies. But the truth is, when you approach them you’ll find they’re really simply plateaus. As Bruce Lee said “you must not stay there, you must go beyond them.” That’s how I try to live my life.

10. What do you think about the whole education system? Does it make people independent or dependent?

I think it does a little bit of both. On one hand I think the education system could be better, and teach things that are more life-skill oriented, encourage people to follow their own paths and all of that. But sometimes I wonder if that’s even possible with something so large. Whenever things get to a certain size, it becomes hard for them to stay authentic. Large institutions seem most vulnerable to homogenization and getting stuck in unuseful patterns.

11. I loved your expression about listening to your “uncommon” sense. Many people have hard times thinking outside the box. How do you do this?

I’m not sure how I do it, it’s something I’ve always done. I’ve always questioned things and tried to follow my own path. So, I think it comes back to questioning. Always asking “What if?” or “Is this really the only way?”

12. What, in your opinion, are the keys to a happy and meaningful life?

Connection, love, a feeling of belonging. Feeling like you’re doing something that matters.

Thank you very much for these insightful answers. I hope that your interview will inspire many people to find their own paths instead of following the suggestions of others. I think your blog really helps to awaken people and I strongly encourage my readers to take a look at it.

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