And when you focus on what you already have, Scripture tells us that you will receive more. True abundance isn't measured by material belongings, but by your ability to appreciate the richness of the present moment. So the more you practice gratitude and you live a wealthy life, the more you align yourself with the material aspects of wealth that you're wanting. Letting go of external validation is one of the greatest challenges on this path. The need for approval is really deeply rooted, but it's just another illusion that keeps us stuck. So the moment we stop looking for worth outside of ourselves, we discover a really profound truth that our value has always been inherent. There's no title, no certification, no degree, no wealth, no recognition that can add to who you already are. Welcome to A Changed Mind, a journey into the topics that matter to you most. From the neuroscience and spirituality of mindset and personal growth, to groundbreaking strategies for health, wealth, and relationships, to open and honest conversations about pressing global issues such as the environment, censorship, corporate capture, and democracy. Each and every episode reminds us of the certainty of the goodness of the future and provides the teachings, tools, and timeless wisdom, inspiring you to create real, lasting change in your life and in the world. If you've been desiring a sanctuary for your spirit, a place to go to tune out the distraction, negativity, and doom and gloom so that you can tap into the deep power, the vibrancy, and the potential you have inside, you're in the right place. Welcome to a Changed Mind.

Hey, it's David. Welcome to a Changed mind. A sanctuary for your spirit. A place where, each and every episode, I remind you of the certainty of the goodness of the future. I'm your friend, your host, your guide, David Bayer. Something feels different. You can't explain it, but you know it. The things that once seemed important, success, validation, routine, suddenly feel empty. The conversations that used to excite you now feel hollow. And deep inside, a question begins to form. Is this all there is now? If you've ever felt like the world you once knew is starting to crack, revealing something deeper underneath, you're not imagining it, and you're not alone. You are awakening. But here's the thing. Awakening isn't always beautiful at first. It can be unsettling, confusing, even painful. Because as you transcend the world of material consciousness, you start to see through the illusions you once believed in. That means questioning everything. Who you are, why you're here, and what truly matters. And in this episode, we're going to go deep into the awakening process. What triggers it, why it can feel so overwhelming, and how to Navigate it without losing yourself along the way. Because once you start to wake up, there is no going back. Now, the world of material consciousness is driven by basic human instincts. The need for security, for pleasure and validation. It's the lowest level of awareness where life feels like a constant struggle. Fear takes over. Fear of loss, fear of not having enough, fear of the unknown. And when you're in this state, it can feel like you're always battling for survival, holding tightly to the things that you have, the relationships, the social status, as if they define who you are. And in this mindset, the material world becomes your entire reality. And it's hard to see beyond what your senses tell you. This level of consciousness is controlled by the ego, the part of you that believes it's separate from everything and everyone else. And the ego thrives on competition and comparison, constantly seeking recognition and approval to feel secure. It creates an illusion that your worth is determined by what you own or how you are perceived by others, Leading to a never ending cycle of desire and dissatisfaction. Now, attachment takes over in this material consciousness, making you cling to money, cling to status, and cling to physical appearance and even personal struggles. When your identity is built around external things, your happiness becomes fragile. Always depending on circumstances. The moment you lose something, whether it's money, love or status, it can feel like your entire sense of self is falling apart. But that emptiness was actually always there, beneath the surface, waiting to be addressed. And I experienced this personally. Back in 2009. I had a business that I had been running since 2005. It was a venture backed technology company. And I had my entire identity wrapped up in the fact that everybody thought I was going to be the next.com billionaire. Now, Dave was so smart, Dave was so skilled, Dave was so charismatic. But in 2009, everything crashed in my business. And at the same time, I realized that I was a drug addict and alcoholic and a sex addict. And I look back on that and what I'm aware of now is that the business challenges that I was having was not causing me to drink or drug or sex. The drinking, drugging and sexing was creating the business challenges. And the drinking, drugging and sexing was actually caused by this baseline low vibrational consciousness that I was living in because I was so unaware of my limiting beliefs and my unmetabolized childhood traumas. So I was living in this very dense environment where everything that mattered to me was built around my identity. And of course, that's a dangerous place to live because you can't control your external Circumstances. And the irony is, is that the more you cling to the wealth, the success, the influen, the number of Instagram followers, the number of likes you get on a post, the more that world starts to fall apart in order to give you an opportunity to see what really matters, which is who you're being. Many people never realize that their emotional ups and downs are dictated by these external factors. If something good happens, a raise, a compliment, a new purchase, there's a temporary high. But when those things fade, the same feelings of emptiness, inadequacy, or fear return. And the reason for that is because they're habits. They've always been there, but not realizing that they've always been there. We try to control our external circumstances, and this is the cycle that keeps us stuck in a survival mindset, always chasing the next thing that promises happiness, but never truly delivering it. So the mind in material consciousness is constantly searching for fulfillment, yet it looks for it in places where it can never be found. And this is such a great technique of the mind. In order to sustain itself, to always allow itself to be the focus, to always give itself energy, it creates an insatiable hunger for more. More money, more possessions, more status. Yet no matter how much is acquired, the feeling of lack always persists. And let me just say, wanting more is not a problem. You should absolutely want more. The desire and the dreams that you have are the catalyst for all change in your life. But there's a difference between wanting more in order to fill a gap or a void of emptiness, and wanting more because it's something you're authentically excited about. Because that emptiness or that void within cannot be filled with things. It can only be healed through awareness. But in this state, awareness is overshadowed by the distractions of the physical world. Every moment is consumed by thoughts of gain and loss, success and failure, approval and rejection. So fear is the driving force behind material consciousness. The fear of losing what you have is keeps you holding on too tightly. And the fear of not having enough keeps you chasing more. This fear isn't just emotional. It affects the way you see the world. You start to perceive people as threats rather than allies, or you start to develop inauthentic relationships, doing what one of my mentors called horse trading. I'll do this for you so that you'll do this for me. You start viewing opportunities as risks rather than possibilities. Hey, I'd love to pursue my vision and create a new business or start a new business, but I can't do that because what if it doesn't Work out, and what if I lose what I already have? And change is something dangerous rather than transformative. And this is the reason why we start to live in this Bill Murray type of Groundhog Day, where it's the same day over and over. We know intuitively that something is very, very wrong, but we're not able to identify what it is or to create a change because of this trap within material consciousness. When fear dominates, it narrows your vision. And instead of seeing the bigger picture or new possibilities, you become locked into survival mode. And so your decisions end up being based on avoiding discomfort rather than seeking true growth. You play it safe, even when safe is keeping you in a cycle of struggle and dissatisfaction. There was a time in this business that my wife and I have now our coaching companies in 2001 when Covid hit, and then there were some updates to the Internet platforms, and we were running a lot of online marketing campaigns, building a big community through that, moving a lot of people into our coaching programs. And all of a sudden, those two things created tremendous havoc in our business. And for a couple of months had to start feeding money back into our business.

We didn't want to cut anybody. We didn't want to reduce any salaries. And for the first time since we had started this business, I started feeling the fear of financial insecurity. And so I realized at one point, my wife and I talked about it, that without noticing it, we were starting to play the game not to lose, rather than play the game to win. And my wife is just so good at this, at leaning into the discomfort. I had always wanted to fly on a private jet, and of course, I did once with a friend of mine, But I had never gotten a jet myself. It was way too expensive. And we always flew from Sarasota, Florida, to San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Southwest. I'm a Delta guy myself, but Southwest was a direct flight. It was really economical. But I never really loved kind of being in the cattle car of having to get into the A slot, B slot, C slot, and hopefully get into the front of the airplane where I could actually fit because I'm 6 7, rather than getting crammed back in some economy seat in the back. So I said to my wife, I said, hey, we're going back to Puerto Rico. Did you book our flight? She said, no. I said, well, you better get the tickets. There's not that much time. She said, I rented a private jet instead. She said, I'm not going to play the game to lose. We're going to play the game to win. And that's my wife. That's why she's my lady boss. But we can fall into the illusion of not having enough, living in scarcity and living in fear. And even in the midst of this illusion, there are signs that point toward the possibility of transforming through it. There are these moments that we have in the midst of the fear, of the material consciousness, of stillness. Perhaps it's in the quiet of night when there's no distractions, when you hear this inner voice or whisper, and that's what Carol and I heard that says, hey, you're playing the game the wrong way and there must be something more. There are these glimpses of a deeper reality. When material success fails to bring happiness, when the applause fades and an emptiness lingers, and when the pursuit of validation becomes exhausting and unfulfilling. These are the moments when the soul calls out for something greater, urging you to look beyond the surface and question the nature of your existence Again, about a year and a half after that story I just told you, we were at a point where we were trying so hard to get our business to the next level. We were working harder than we ever had and producing fewer and fewer results. And our desire to work hard came out of our passion for our mission in the world and wanting to help people end their suffering and support entrepreneurs and creating conscious businesses. But it also came out of a fear and a need that, oh, my gosh, we have a baby on the way. We got to get this business going. And we were pushing so hard, and both of us realized at the same time, there was this quiet whisper when we were willing to pause that the solution was actually to slow down. And it feels so counterintuitive. But what we both heard was, hey, your attachment to needing to make this business successful according to this timeline that you're inventing is the reason why this business is not having the success that you want. And we just stepped back away from the business, and we literally walked. As the miracle of life reorganized everything in our business into a completely new structure that allowed us to move forward and have the material abundance that we wanted and deserved, but not because we needed it out of a fear. So sometimes life forces you to wake up through a crisis. It could be losing a job, going through a breakup, or experiencing a major disappointment. And these things will shatter the illusion and start to make you question what really matters. And so while these experiences are painful, these bottoms these moments can also be tremendous gifts, opportunities to shift your perspective and start seeing beyond the material world. So transcending this stage Begins with awareness. You must first recognize the illusion for what it is. The belief that happiness is external, that identity is defined by possessions, that security is found in control. These are three really important things to understand, because the truth is exactly the opposite. The more you chase after material fulfillment, the more trapped you become. Real freedom is found in detachment, in realizing that your true self is not your body. It's not your name, it's not your reputation, but it's something far greater. This realization doesn't mean rejecting the material world, but understanding that it's not the ultimate reality. Money, success, comfort. They have their place, but they're tools. They're not masters. They're meant to serve you, not control you. Instead of transcend material consciousness, you have to start the inner work. It is necessary to train your mind to see its own patterns and to recognize when attachment is causing suffering, when the ego is demanding acknowledgment, and when fear is controlling your choices. And in this process, meditation becomes a powerful tool, allowing your mind to quiet its incessant chatter and catch a glimpse of the realm beyond thinking. Gratitude is another fantastic practice. So instead of focusing on what you lack, gratitude helps you focus your attention and see the value on what you already have. And when you focus on what you already have, Scripture tells us that you will receive more. True abundance isn't measured by material belongings, but by your ability to appreciate the richness of the present moment. So the more you practice gratitude and you live a wealthy life, the more you align yourself with. With the material aspects of wealth that you're wanting. Letting go of external validation is one of the greatest challenges on this path. The need for approval is really deeply rooted, but it's just another illusion that keeps us stuck. So the moment we stop looking for worth outside of ourselves, we discover a really profound truth that our value has always been inherent. There's no title, no certification, no degree, no wealth, no recognition that can add to who you already are. And oftentimes, when I'm coaching people on this, when they have children, it's a great point of leverage, because I'll ask them, hey, your son or your daughter, what could they do to be more worthy? And clearly the answer for them is, well, nothing. I said, well, what could they do or not do that would take away their worthiness? And they think for a moment, and they say, well, nothing like, my child is worthy regardless. And then I ask, well, at what age did they graduate into needing to have or be or do things in order to be worthy or in order to matter? And it's like a light bulb goes off on their head. It's like, wow, yeah, that makes no sense. I am inherently worthy. And this realization is the beginning of freedom. It's the first step towards higher consciousness. It's the journey out of material consciousness is not an escape from the world, but it's a transformation of perspective. You live the same life, but with a new awareness. So challenges become lessons, losses become redirections. Material possessions lose their power to define your self worth. And as that occurs, fear begins to dissolve, literally. You start to operate more from your parasympathetic nervous system rather than fight or flight. And what you find is a trust in something greater. Instead of feeling like life is something happening to you, you start seeing yourself as a creator of your own experience. And the struggle for survival is longer a battle, but it's an unfolding, it's a flow, it's a dance with reality itself. So to transcend above this stage is to reclaim your true power. The power to create without attachment, to love without fear, to exist without the constant need for validation. And this is the process of awakening. So the process of awakening doesn't happen overnight. I wish I could tell you it did. It's an ongoing process. I would say about 10 years ago I started my process. I'm still in my process. And it's a practice. That's what's important to understand. It's not a moment, it's a practice, it's an awareness. And it's a willingness to question old beliefs over and over and over again as you become more aware of them. And the thing is that once you begin, you really can't go back to sleep. You'll start to see life differently. Not as a race to go get a bunch of things, but as an opportunity to enjoy life as you continue to grow and connect and evolve. So the material world is still here, but now you see it for what it is, a gain. And you can enjoy success without being enslaved by it. You can have money without it defining who you are. You can receive recognition without it controlling your self worth. And most importantly, you can live in peace and joy and purpose, knowing that who you are is so much more than what you own or how others see you or what you do. And this is the freedom that comes from moving beyond material consciousness. Once you step into it, the world opens up in ways really that you could never imagine. And so at some point in life, you begin to feel this shift. The world as you once knew is no longer feels the same. The desires you have the beliefs you have. The relationship that once felt solid can start to feel fragile, as if something is emerging from a deeper place beyond what you can currently see. And this is the beginning of the awakening. It's the moment you start questioning the surface level reality that you once accepted without hesitation. And for a lot of people, this realization comes quietly over time. It's like a lingering thought, a hunch, a desire. You start reading some personal or spiritual development books because you're driven by this question that sounds like, is this it now? For other people, it arrives like a storm.

It's an event so life altering that it shakes everything to its core. It could be the loss of a loved one, the collapse of a dream, or a moment of profound clarity that suddenly makes the ordinary seem extraordinary. For me, it was a little bit of both. At the time my whole life collapsed because I realized it was unmanageable, that I was a drug addict, I was an alcoholic, I was a sex addict, which was the storm that came for me and getting into my 12 step recovery and through that process, actually doing this work to become more aware of my belief systems and to develop self awareness and a relationship with a power greater than myself. There was also a series of breadcrumbs that were left for me. I was at a bookstore and I don't know if you've ever had an experience where a book decides it's going to develop a relationship with you. There's this calling from a book on the shelf. And I was not an avid reader, but I walked over to the bookshelf and I grabbed a book called Awakening the Buddha within. And I learned the Eightfold Path of Virtue, which is Buddha's eight steps for transcending suffering. I came back after a business trip and one of my employees had left a little book on my desk called Kingdom Principles by Miles Monroe, which was Miles Monroe's interpretation of Christian principles, principles really very similar to what Buddha talked about. And then from there I went to a bookstore and I discovered a book called Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. And this all while I was working my 12 step program, a really phenomenal framework created by Bill W. To help people accomplish the same type of liberation and awakening that we're talking about here. So whatever form it takes, awakening is the point where you stop moving blindly through life and you start looking for a deeper meaning. And at first this shift can be really uncomfortable because the mind resists change. It's always wanting to keep down the same neurological paths. It's wanting your life to stay Static. Because static equals safe. And so it clings to the familiar. And in many ways, society has conditioned us to chase success, to seek validation, and to measure our self worth by external achievements. But when those things start to lose their grip on you, it can feel like you're standing at the edge of the unknown. Why do I feel disconnected from the things I once cared about? Why do certain conversations or relationships or goals feel empty? Why am I really here? These questions don't have quick or easy answers, but they mark the beginning of something really important. And that is a deeper understanding of yourself and the nature of reality. So once you begin to awaken, you notice subtle but undeniable changes in how you start to see the world. The development of a sense of detachment. You no longer place as much importance on external validation. The things that once defined your happiness, money, status, approval, they start to feel a little less significant. And there's an increased awareness of energy. You begin to recognize that your thoughts and emotions are not just personal experiences, but forces that influence your reality. And then the appearance of synchronicities and miracles, strange coincidences, start happening more often. You might come across the exact book you need at the right moment, or have a conversation that provides clarity to a question you hadn't even asked out loud. There's a longing for something deeper, an inner pull toward purpose and towards understanding, and towards something beyond the surface of daily life. One of the most profound realizations in the awakening process is understanding that much of what you once believed to be solid was actually an illusion. And so, for example, we believe that security came from control, but true security comes from trust. Or maybe you thought success was about external achievements, but true success is about living in joy and aligning with your purpose. Or perhaps you thought happiness was something you had to chase, but you realize that true happiness is already within you. It just needs to be uncovered. So this shift doesn't mean rejecting the material world. It means seeing it for what it is, just a reflection of your consciousness, not the source of your fulfillment. In Plato's allegory of the Cave, he talks about this. There are people who are chained up their entire lives, and there's a flame behind them. And there's a puppet master between the flame and the chained people casting shadows against the wall. And the people believe that the shadows are actually the reality. During this phase of the awakening process, you realize that your reality is just a shadow of a light that is being cast through you. And those things that you enjoy in your life are representative of a wholeness inside of you and those things that you experience that are problems or challenges are actually a reflection of the shadow inside of you that's waiting for this newfound development of self awareness, to have the light cast upon it so that you can create cleanly in your reality. Now, awakening isn't a one time event, it's an ongoing process. Some days you'll feel a deep sense of clarity, like you finally get it. Other days you'll feel lost, questioning everything. I still have those days and more. But this is part of the journey. The key is to remain open, allowing yourself to explore without rushing for definitive answers, giving yourself access to the power of pause and engaging in practices that help you tune into your inner world. And that might be self reflection, like journaling or meditation or quiet contemplation, which can help you process new insights and recognize patterns in your thoughts and emotions that might be connecting with nature. Because the natural world has a way of grounding us in the natural world. We're experiencing the mathematics of reality in a very pure form, without the distortion of the ego or the mind. And it reminds us of reality and life's rhythm and flow. Or it might be just practicing a mindfulness instead of constantly analyzing or planning. You practice being fully in the moment, descending from this mental space somewhere up above our head where we spend so much of our time back into our body and truly experiencing presence, allowing us to see life with fresh eyes. There's also the possibility of letting go of the need for external validation and starting to trust our own experiences. Your journey is unique and your soul knows the way. So the more you awaken, the more you realize that certainty and safety was never the goal. The beauty of life is in its mystery. Instead of needing all the answers, we begin to embrace the unknown with curiosity, waiting for the next answer to emerge or unfold, rather than living in fear. And so as you awaken, you trust that even in uncertainty, you're exactly where you need to be. You begin to let go of old identities and roles that no longer fit you. Surrender the idea that happiness is something you achieve and you start seeing it as something that you allow. And so awakening is not about finding something new. It's actually about remembering what was always there. And this journey is deeply personal, yet it's also profoundly universal. Because as you step into a new way of being, you'll find that the world responds to this newness of you. New insights, new experiences, new connections begin to appear. Not because they weren't there before, but because now you're finally able to see them. And be available for them. So there is no end to the awakening process. Just deeper and deeper levels of clarity, of peace, of understanding, and of connection. The question is not whether you will awaken, but how fully you will embrace the journey when it begins. So you've started to wake up. You've begun to see through the illusion that happiness isn't found in external success, that the chase for validation is never ending, and that real fulfillment has to come from within. But now comes the next question. If you're no longer just reacting to life, then how do you start creating it? Because once you've seen through the illusion, you have a choice. You can either drift, knowing that something greater is possible, or you can step into your power as a conscious creator of your own reality. And in the next episode, we're going to take this transformation to the next level and we're going to break down exactly how your thoughts, your emotions and beliefs shape the reality around you. And more importantly, how to use that knowledge to create the life you truly want. Because what if reality wasn't something you were stuck in, but something you were actively shaping? What if your mind held more power than you ever realized? That's where we're going to go next. And if you haven't watched the first video in this four part series, absolutely check it out. Otherwise, I'm looking forward to seeing you in the next episode where you'll learn how to become the creator of your own reality. And if you love this episode, do me a favor. If you're listening on the audio platforms and you haven't yet, subscribe and leave me a rating or review. If you're listening on YouTube, do the same thing. Subscribe. Hit that bell icon so you get notifications. And this is just what I think. I want to know what you think. You're on the journey. What have you been experiencing? What have you been learning? Leave me a comment. And the last thing, and the only thing that I ask is if you love this episode and there's somebody in your life who needs to hear it, do them a favor and do me a favor and pay it forward and share this episode with them. I love being here with you today. Thank you for the opportunity and I will see you in part three of this four part masterclass. Unconsciousness. Hey, it's David. One more thing. If you want to go even deeper on everything we've talked about on today's episode, don't forget to jump over to www.DavidBear.com. you can find the link in the show notes and subscribe to our newsletter a couple of times a week. I'm going to be sending you the latest episodes that we've released, along with additional free training. You'll get immediate access to my Free Mind Hack ebook and go even deeper into all the tools, the technologies, and the frameworks that have helped tens of thousands of people establish a changed mind. Don't forget to jump on over to the site and I will see you in the next episode.