Two Years of YouTopian Journey

All Due to You. Thank You.

Hey friends.

Today we celebrate two years of YouTopian Journey on Substack. If you aren’t subscribed yet, what are you waiting for?

And if you have been part of the journey, this issue is dedicated to you. Thank you for being here.

OUR YOUTOPIAN JOURNEY TOGETHER

Build yourself a city.

Found yourself a state.

Do not cry for pity.

Grab and master fate.

Grab a swamp and drain it.

Cut the log and plane it.

Make the hill the valley field,

and on the man-made plain

breathe your last complaint.

Lay your shame,

forget your name,

do not cry for pity.

Build yourself a city.

-Poem found on a Pier 35 by Eric Hoffer.

The above poem kicked off our very first issue and it still holds true today. The theme, no, the essence of YouTopian Journey, has always remained the same. It is up to each and every one of us to take action and create our own path, despite the difficulties.

And there will be difficulties. The game of life is no joke and can be deadly to those who don’t take it seriously.

I started YouTopian Journey with nothing more than an idea and a concept that few understood and even fewer supported. It was a pandemic project, something that gave me purpose and kept back the darkness. While the rest of the world raged against the lockdowns, looked for someone to blame, and grew weak and weary, I went to work.

Why?

Because it is always better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.

“In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer. And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there is something stronger-something better, pushing right back.”-Albert Camus

There will be darkness. There will be vast stretches of the abyss that await one who attempts to go their own way and create something from nothing. The people that I shared YouTopian Journey with didn’t like the art. They thought the characters were too attractive, too outlandish, or too comical. They thought my writing was too long, too preachy, or too short. They didn’t understand what I was trying to accomplish. I ignored it all and went ahead anyway. I cobbled together 145 subscribers to launch and haven’t looked back since.

“Start a huge, foolish project, like Noah. It makes absolutely no difference what people think of you.”-Rumi

Two years later it remains one of the best decisions I have ever made.

Now there are over 23,000 of us. YouTopian Journey is read in all 50 states and 120 countries. Every week I hear from subscribers from around the world who share how much YouTopian Journey is motivating and inspiring them. The founder betting on themselves and creating a new company. The executive who has grown tired of their role and is looking for something new. The writer who is putting together their debut book, even though every publishing house denied them. These are just a few examples of who has reached out. There are many more and each one of them has my utmost respect because they are focused on gaining knowledge to improve themselves and make their goals a reality

If I had listened to the doubters and naysayers, none of this would have happened. I could have given in and focused on something else, discarding this idea like so many others, letting it gather digital dust on my hard drive. Instead of turning left and paving my own path, I would have turned right and followed the easy road. Comfortable, yes, but one that leads to oblivion.

“If you can see your path laid out in front of you step by step, you know it's not your path. Your own path you make with every step you take. That's why it's your path.”-Joseph Campbell

I would have never connected with other mental health startups and collaborated with them.

I would have never been plugged into the United Nations and won an award from the European Union Tech Chamber as a finalist for the 2021 SDG Awards.

I would have never had my work syndicated.

I would have never appeared on podcasts and been featured in the media articles that reached out to me.

I would have never lectured at such prestigious universities.

I would never have been selected as a Substack featured publication.

I would have never met so many new people and have been personally fulfilled that my work is helping them.

Was it easy?

No. I still deal with the pain points. Many subscribers still find this newsletter in their spam folder. Many organizations I reach out to don’t return my emails. Subscriber counts ebb and flow. I still struggle with the usual people who love it and want to champion it, only to vanish into the night.

Was it worth it?

Yes. One-hundred percent. Spending every week writing, watching the art work come to life, seeing people discover it, share it, like it, and use it, has been extremely rewarding.

Understand that we all start from nothing. Every great idea begins in imagination. It is up to you to bring it to life. It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it.

“The path to paradise begins in hell.”-Dante Alighieri

COMMITED TO THE JOURNEY

“If those committed to the quest fail, they will be forgiven. When lost, they will find another way. The moral imperative of humanism is the endeavor alone, whether successful or not, provided the effort is honorable and failure memorable”.-E. O. Wilson

Realize that when I write of the many lessons in this newsletter, I write from experience. I practice what I preach. I live the material so you can take my words to heart. I am committed to the brand, the journey, the knowledge, and you.

Commitment is as simple and difficult as it sounds. It means suiting up, showing up, and putting in the work. There isn’t any magical formula and while some of the work can be mitigated, it cannot be removed. Whether you are a creator, founder, dreamer, or someone who is still trying to put it all together, commitment is what makes or breaks you.

I am in the trenches, writing every week so that you never miss an issue. That is a commitment to consistency.

I am constantly marketing and networking, always sharing my work. That is a commitment to growth.

I am always reading and researching to provide you with quotes from some of the greatest minds of human history. That is a commitment to knowledge.

I am always moving forward, despite all of the setbacks, difficulties, and obstacles. That is a commitment to the achievement of my goals.

And what are my goals? They haven’t changed. In fact, they have been strengthened.

I intend to develop YouTopian Journey into a brand that continues to motivate and inspire while at the same time, making you mentally stronger and more resilient.

I intend to provide you with the knowledge that you need to help you become successful.

I intend to help you win the game of life, not just against external forces of conformity and submission, but against yourself. Your doubts and your fears. Your weaknesses and your frailty.

Why?

YouTopian Journey is about our goals, not fantasies.

It is about the action now, at this very moment, not some ephemeral moment in the far-off future.

It is about a commitment to yourself, not to the approval of your followers or peers.

It is about looking at that blank page and being fearless, for the blank page holds infinite potential.

Ultimately, it is about going forward through the faults, setbacks, criticisms, and inevitable mistakes that no doubt await you. That is what happens when one makes a commitment to action and this is precisely why so many fear the process.

“It is better not to act at all than to act in vain, fragmentarily, inadequately, like the countless, superfluous and inane majority of men…Action is a disease of thought, a cancer of the imagination. To act is to exile oneself. Every action is incomplete and imperfect. The poem that I dream is faultless until i try to write it down.”-Fernando Pessoa

But not you.

You have something to achieve. Something that is meaningful to you. Something that is more important than the obstacles that await. Whatever that is, only you can do it. If you couldn’t, you wouldn’t even be wasting the time to think about it.

Make a commitment to commitment and begin. Who knows where you will be two years from now?

“I’m not in a contest with anybody, have no thoughts about immortality, don’t give a damn about it. It’s the ACTION while you’re alive. The gate springing open in the sunlight, the horses plunging through the light…the glory is in the motion and the dare. Death be damned. It’s today and today and today. Yes.”-Charles Bukowski

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BE YOUNIQUE. KEEP MOVING. BE GRATEFUL

“Some of our richest days are those in which no sun shines outwardly, but so much the more a sun shines inwardly.”-Henry David Thoreau

These past two years weren’t easy for any of us but I like to think that we are worthy and that we rose to the challenge. After all, this won’t be the last challenge we face nor the gravest. There are always mountains beyond the mountains and the paradise that you seek, a land without challenges, is a myth.

Those that choose to walk their own path and leave the safety and confines of the multitude will become a target. But they will also be YOUNIQUE in their own way. And it is only by following the path of the YOUNIQUE one that you can have a real impact and leave a mark on society.

This has never been simple and is a lifelong battle, but you must continue to fight. You cannot give in and give up. You have a far too important role to play in the world.

“The will to be oneself is heroism.”-José Ortega y Gasset

You must also keep moving. You cannot become bogged down in the quagmire of negativity. Many sojourners of significance found themselves lost within the swamps of their soul, put down by the multitude who couldn’t see what they were trying to accomplish, let alone understand.

Movement is the greatest way to keep track of where you currently are and where you intend to end up. Life isn’t about data, analytics, and feedback, as important as they are, but movement.

Are you further toward your goals today than you were yesterday?

Are you moving forward or backward?

Are you even moving at all?

These are answers that you can answer for yourself. They do not require the opinions of others nor is permission needed. You can move this instant and this very moment.

Keep moving!

"Trust only movement.  Life happens at the level of events, not of words.  Trust movement."-Alfred Adler

Finally, always be grateful for everything that happens. Be grateful to the setbacks, they give you the ability to be flexible. Be grateful to obstacles, they allow you a chance to overcome them. Be grateful to those who doubt you, they give you a chance to prove yourself. And be grateful to those who help you, they will give you the strength and encouragement to keep going.

With that being said, I am grateful for you. Thank you for subscribing. Thank you for sharing. Thank you for the kind words and feedback. Thank you for the comments. Thank you for reading and being a part of the YouTopian Journey for the past two years.

A big thank you to Fernando Melek for creating all of the art and bringing the journey to life.

I hope to continue to serve you for years to come and I look forward to watching you change the world for the better, in your own YOUNIQUE and impactful way.

“As long as you live, keep learning how to live.”-Seneca

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CAN YOU HELP ME?

Please share this issue with your network so that others can discover YouTopian Journey. You never know whose life you can change with the click of a button.

Also be sure to click the like button and if you enjoy YouTopian Journey, then consider upgrading to a paid subscription for the full experience. You can change your life with spare change.

Thank you.

Shaun