Are you able to say that your life is “PERFECT?” What I am asking you is whether you operate from the domain of full self-expression where you experience everything that life has to offer without limitations set by your mind. I was having a conversation with someone, who is an extremely important individual in my life, about this philosophy because it is something that we embody, share, and attempt to portray to the world as a model of endless possibilities.  But before I begin, I would like to take a moment to share my definition of PERFECTION which is…

The ability to feel fortunate with what you have, while being open to the possibility of having more, but BEING abundant regardless of whether or not anything changes.

Unfortunately, we have been conditioned by society to believe that this concept is unattainable. We live in a world where mediocrity has become accepted as the norm. And the byproduct of this way of life is an impediment upon our growth and overall fulfillment. As a result, we become programmed into believing that living as a shell of who we are is our destiny.

Who told you that a dead end career is probable?
Who told you that growing older will lead to sickness and disease?
Who told you that an unhealthy relationship is inevitable?
Who told you that conformity is the only way to “fit in?”

I am not speaking directly at YOU, but rather I am sharing my perspective on society as a whole. Acceptance of mediocrity is one of the root causes to the identity crises that the majority of our world will experience at some point in their lives. I am sharing this because I experienced it last year. I accepted mediocrity in my career, my relationships, my health, and with the who I was as an individual. I felt that I lost what makes me…ME! I accepted a mediocre life, and as a result, I was expressing myself as a mediocre individual. But this article is not only about my recognition as to where I was and my newfound ability to state that for today, “MY LIFE IS PERFECT—FOR ME,” but rather I hope to challenge all of you to find where this “shows up in your life?”

Because what I have come to realize is that mediocrity is contagious and will expand as it consumes your way of being. Initially, it might surface within a relationship, but I guarantee that it will infiltrate other areas of your life. The reason people get comfortable living an average life is because it is not harmful nor is it bad, but you better believe that it is NOT PERFECT! And I will stand by the fact that ALL OF YOU deserve to live a life of perfection based on how you define this term. You deserve to have it ALL…the love, the success, the health, and most importantly—YOU! But in order for this to materialize and become something real, I think it is critically important to understand how it surfaced in the first place. Therefore, here are my observations as to why so few people live a life of limitless possibilities…

1.       We are lazy. Someone once told me that “LIFE is HARD WORK,” and in that moment (by the way, I think I was 9 years old) something about these words did not resonate with me, but I was unsure as to why until now. Life is NOT HARD WORK! However, if that is the story you continue to tell yourself, than you will accept a mediocre existence where the somewhat probable, unfulfilling, limited life will be the inevitable. But once you give yourself the permission to change your story, you will begin to recognize that life is not work at all, but rather a conscious effort to confront your challenges so that you can achieve what you ultimately desire. So, what do you want from your LIFE? This is a question that ONLY YOU have the power to answer as you possess the free will to create “YOUR PERFECT LIFE.”

2.       We have no (or limited) self-worth. I went out for dinner about three months ago and one of the people who were present told me that no one in her world cares about what she has to say…and was convinced that this was the TRUTH. So I asked her, “Where was this belief born?” She had no idea as to what I was referring to, so I took it one level deeper and asked, “Who in your past ignored you when you were speaking?” In that moment, I saw a distinction become REAL as she told me that when she was five and playing with her cousin, he ignored her when she was speaking by turning away. I then made the following statement, (and I encourage all of you to think about how this concept shows up in your life because this is WHY you may be accepting mediocrity), “Do you realize that as a result of the action that your five year old cousin took by ignoring you, you have allowed yourself to BELIEVE that people do not value what you have to say for the next 25 years of your life? Is it worth it?”  

3.       We think perfection is unattainable. We live our lives with self-limiting beliefs as to what is truly possible in order to “play it safe,” and then justify our actions or inactions with the story that something is NOT POSSIBLE. Because if this is what we tell ourselves, then why would we even try to achieve it. But I am here to express a sentiment that I hope resonates with all of you. I have the family, the relationship, the friends, the career, the health, and the ME! Does this mean that I do not experience challenges? Does this mean that I am coasting? Does this mean that chaos does not enter my world? ABSOLUTELY NOT, but what it does mean is that I am open to the possibility of living a life of PERFECTION and NEVER settling or accepting mediocrity in ANY area of my existence. With this being said, I am NO different than any of you, so please recognize that perfection is VERY MUCH attainable.

4.       We are afraid. Whether you have lived within the domain of mediocrity for a year, ten, or even your entire life, the UNKNOWN is the most significant barrier to action because human beings are afraid of what is possible. Living within the domain of mediocrity will guarantee ONE THING…an unfulfilling, inevitable, predictable, and limited existence. And if you are okay with that, than BE AFRAID and remain in this place. But if for some reason you are no longer satisfied with being part of what society has labeled as the norm, then face your FEARS and be open to the possibility of living a PERFECT existence. This is not subjective, but rather it is something that you can feel, something that can be experienced every moment of every day, and something that will allow you to understand  that regardless of what takes place in your world, NOTHING will steal YOU from YOU!

In closing, everything about life is man-made. Business is man-made, relationships are man-made, and your health is man-made. What I mean is that all of you have the power to “MAKE YOUR LIFE” in whatever capacity you desire. But what I must emphasize is that you DESERVE to live a life where you are capable of uttering these words, “MY LIFE IS PERFECT—FOR ME!”

So what will it take for this to become YOUR REALITY…?

What does this mean to you? Please leave a comment.

Some pictures from Flickr.

It is possible to say that our world will never be the same because of a group of heroic, courageous, and fearless leaders, the US Navy Seals, who put their lives in harm’s way in order to end an era of toxicity which was led by Osama Bin Laden. I am not here to go on a political tirade, nor am I am going to discuss my beliefs on what will manifest as a result of our actions, but what I will do is share an interesting philosophy. On May 1, 2011, the United States of America began celebrating the death of an infamous figure, who was responsible for one of the most viscous and tragic events which has taken place in the history of the world…9/11. But as the United States culminated with cheers of joy, there were people in other countries who were not rejoicing, but rather paralyzed with anger and pain. The same event happened in the same world, but yet, people from two distinct geographic areas and beliefs, interpret these events completely different. This obviously held true on 9/11 because as the United States suffered and mourned the loss of so many people, (and our sense of security); other countries raided the streets in fits of joy, excitement, and the illusion of power. Once again, the same event took place in the same world, but yet, people from two distinct geographic areas and beliefs interpret these events completely different. So although there are a plethora of lessons which can be discussed from what took place, I believe most of these principles are on a macro level and somewhat abstract if applied in our everyday lives. But as I was working out early Monday morning, and the nine flat screen TV’s in my gym were all echoing the same sentiment about the events from the evening before, I began to think about what YOU AND I can learn and integrate into our lives. And then it struck me…

The same event took place in the same world, but yet people from two distinct geographic areas and beliefs, interpret these events completely different.

Whether the “event” was the end of Osama Bin Landen’s life, or the Yankees winning the World Series, or the changing of power in the House, these are all events that represent the law of DUALITY. One group celebrates, while the other suffers. Same event, same world, different interpretation.By no means am I comparing the Yankees to Osama Bin Laden, but I wanted to emphasize this point, and then help you realize where this COULD be showing up in your life. Those of you who are blessed with the fortune of love and intimacy by means of a marriage or relationship may have had this exact same experience surface at some point during your life. For example, has there ever been a time when your significant other asked you to spend an evening doing something that you really did not want to do? Your immediate reaction may have been “NO or NOT INTERESTED!” That moment represents an event where the premise of DUALITY is flagrantly obvious as you celebrate your fictitious victory by “not giving in,” while your significant other suffers. This could also “show up” in your career, your relationship with your children, with your personal health, and many other areas as well. What I encourage you to recognize is that there are ALWAYS two sides to each event, one that celebrates and the other that suffers. So why is this so important?

 When it comes to Osama Bin Laden, some would say justice has been served, while others believe that a monumental leader has died. This might be an extreme example, but regardless how many times have you asked yourself, “How will the other person feel based on my actions (or inactions)?”

It comes down to a simple premise to live by…CONSIDER the perspective of others! I know the macro event of Osama Bin Laden does not even compare to telling your significant other that you do not want to consider their request, but on a micro level, within your relationship, it means the world. So my challenge for you is the following…

Today or tomorrow, operate from a place of consideration, where you literally put yourself in the shoes of the opposing party, and think about how you would feel based on the action, or inaction, that will be exerted from where you were prior to making this shift. This philosophy is something that will yield magnificent achievements in your life because it will have you recognize the power of duality, which I define as…

For every action (or inaction) there are two perspectives present, one which celebrates and the other which mourns.

Therefore, prior to the action, or inaction, place yourself in the perspective of the other party and then ask yourself this question… “Is it worth it?”

When it comes to Osama Bin Laden, the answer is obvious and I want to commend the US NAVY SEAL, and our entire country, for never giving, never backing down, and for BE-ing an example of what is truly possible when you combine a vision and never give up mentality…I am proud of our country.

But for all of you…HOW DOES THIS SHOW UP IN YOUR LIFE? 

What does this mean to you? Please leave a comment.

Some pictures from Flickr.

I hope that the past few weeks have been as wonderful for you as they have been for me. Each time I sit down to share a new philosophy or experience that has recently taken place in my life with all of you, I find myself not knowing where to begin or what I should communicate first. As a result, I have written article after article, but now it is time to share.

Brandentity is about to grow in a way that I have always dreamed of, and in the coming weeks there is going to be an extremely exciting announcement that I will make. I have always believed that Brandentity possessed limitless potential as to what it could become. I am not sure if all of you realize this, but in the early phases of this movement, we gained incredible momentum because of the vision of what was truly possible. The platform began as a solution for an epidemic that I believe infests our world; one that expands far outside the scope of what we see on the surface –the recession, obesity, healthcare, divorce, drugs, suicide etc. but is actually rooted deeper within our personal existence. What I am referring to is destroying our lives and coined as an Identity Crisis. This can show up in a variety of ways, whether it is within your career, relationships, parenting, health, etc. The root of this crisis is that whether you allow the world to see this pain and anguish, or you internalize it, you begin to live a life in which your environment has no workability and the outcome results in you becoming a shell of your true self. Maybe what I share does not resonate with you initially, but what I ask is for you to delve deeper into your existence, literally to your core, so that you can begin to understand who you are as an individual and what is holding you back from living a life where you achieve your fullest self-expression. This has been the mission of Brandentity from Day One, but what is about to happen is truly transformational, and I am eager to share this with you.

In the meantime, there are so many lessons which I have learned as this initiative is about to come to fruition and one of them surrounds the concept of coincidence. There have been countless occasions in my life, and I know that all of you can relate, where one of two things may have taken place:

1.)    I label an event or experience as a coincidence or “fate-esque” OR

2.)    I say “Why me…why does everything (bad, negative, difficult, etc.) have to happen to me?”

First and foremost, the term coincidence is derived from the word coincide which can be defined as “to correspond exactly; be identical,” or in other words, a PERFECT match. Therefore, nothing is a coincidence and nothing “happens” haphazardly to any of us during our lives. I can think of a number of events which have taken place, whether they surrounded the emotions of love, pain, fear, or challenging times, where I would immediately label the occurrence in this monumental fashion for no reason other than to define why it took place. But what I have come to realize is that all of us are EXACTLY where we should be at all times. This has nothing to do with our actual location in the world, but rather our whereabouts in our own existence.

This also relates with the concept of time because when these events take place; such as falling in love, starting a business, ending a relationship, or taking care of a loved one who is ill, these occurrences seem to manifest in our lives when we are ready to handle them—whether we realize this in that moment or not. Let’s pretend that life was a puzzle, and each experience represents a piece.  Therefore, if you are a visual minded individual, (and most of us are), look at life through that perspective and simplify the “events” by telling yourself that these are just PIECES.  I think it is important for me to delve deeper into this philosophy because if you are able to find where this concept “shows up” in your life, I am confident that even more meaning will be attached to where you stand today.

For me, the theory of “time is everything” is obviously not new, and I have heard it on a number of occasions in my past, but it has recently become an absolute reality for me in many areas of my life. Regarding Brandentity, I briefly mentioned how this organization is on the cusp of a transformation due to a newly established opportunity. But without all of the other PIECES which I have acquired over the years, I would not be who I am in this very moment, and as a result, this potential may have never been realized. These PIECES I am referring to were business successes, business failures, and various life events. These pieces have provided me with a foundation to build upon so that I can take my personal vision to an entirely new level. Another example lies within relationships because we often wonder “what was the point of a relationship that ended and why does everyone I get involved with tend to be ‘wrong’ for me?” However, each individual acts as another piece to “our puzzle of life,” guiding us to where we belong.

I am sure that all of you have had your heart broken and in that moment you pleaded for mercy, or maybe you are still holding onto the pieces of “what could have been,” and as result, you might not be allowing yourself to experience your next love, which could be your true love. But what I recognize is that the “fate” you may have attached to your previous relationship was a story that justified why this partner was not “right” for you. I am obviously not uncompassionate about feelings, but I have become more of a realist in the past 12 months and began to look at life through the lens of “what is” as opposed to what I create in my mind. I know that your breakup was painful, but without this experience you would not be where you are today—whole, complete, and perfect in this moment. And you might experience another breakup, or maybe you will get fired, or maybe sickness will enter your world, or maybe you will start a company and fail, or maybe you will miss your plane flight, or maybe you will be late for work. Think back to 9/11, an event which has etched a place in the lives of every single person who was alive during this time. How many stories were there of people who worked in the World Trade Center and for some reason, on the morning of 9/11, they were either late, stuck in traffic, ill, or just took a day off? The stories are endless, but the reason I use this as an example is because this is not a coincidence. Remember the term coincide means a “perfect” match. Those people who did not go to the office that day were exactly where they should have been in their lives in that moment. Once again…time is everything.

It is also important to recognize that you cannot fake or create your fate because this is derived well before you had a say. I am not going to go on a spiritual tangent at this moment, but instead, I share this with you because something that I have seen many people struggle with, (myself included), is accepting life for what it is. Remember, from my last blog post, our context is decisive, which means that the words we attach to the event which takes place is what will manifest because it is what we believe. So if you went through a painful divorce, lost all of your money in the stock market, connected with your “soul mate,” won the lottery, or did not get the business deal that you desired, I want to emphasize the importance that this is not coincidence, nor is it the universe trying to “get revenge,” but rather this is exactly where you should be in that moment.

I think back to the many experiences in my life which were neither positive nor negative (although in that instant you better believe that I labeled them) because they were simply events. So as Brandentity takes on a new life, as your world will always take on a new life, and as we progress together, I ask that you recognize life for what it is and remember that nothing is coincidence and everything is a “perfect match,” because we are always exactly where we should be at all times.

What “PIECES to YOUR PUZZLE” come to mind?

What does this mean to you? Please leave a comment.

Some pictures from Flickr.

Since the week prior to Valentine’s Day, I have been writing, talking, and thinking about love. I composed messages that I intended on sharing with all of you that I considered too philosophical, too long, or not appropriate for right now. Prior to last year, I would have been extremely frustrated for not delivering a message on this special holiday, but I have come to realize that all of us are EXACTLY where we should be in each moment. For example, my frustration for not broadcasting a message to all of you would have been a useless emotion that occupied “rent-free” space in my mind. So instead, I accepted what was and decided to allow the “right” message to evolve naturally. And after some introspection, I began to think about love in an entirely different light.

My entire life, I have been told by a variety of people that “love is hard work,” and as a result, I have adopted this perspective as part of my conditioned belief system. I am sure that I am not alone with this misconception. Often this philosophy has been engrained in many of our minds and manifests in our relationships in which LOVE becomes difficult, challenging, and hard work. But with this being said, I have made the choice to begin THINKING for myself; as opposed to what society and my surrounding world has attempted to bestow upon me, and change my philosophy that love is not hard work at all. This has nothing to do with semantics because the words we associate with the relationships, emotions, and choices that we make in our lives will ultimately manifest in all of our circumstances. Thus, if you say love is hard, then you better believe that LOVE will be hard. If you say that your job is impossible, then your job will be impossible. And if you say that you will never lose 15lbs, then NOTHING will allow you to lose weight. Our context is decisive, so choose your words wisely.

Now back to love, because what I have discovered is that love does not require hard work or even work at all, but rather an extreme sense of consciousness and the magnitude of your consciousness will dictate the intensity of your love. When I say an extreme sense of consciousness, it is not solely based on the quantity of time that you spend thinking about the other person. Instead, I am referring to achieving a level of awareness in which you understand your partner in a way that you actually reach the core of their existence. This deals with recognizing what they are thinking before they even say it, understanding their feelings before they are made known, and exceeding their desires when they are not even realized. Love is the being, thinking, and doing just because…When you achieve an extreme sense of consciousness for the love that you share with you partner, you experience unconditional joy regardless of the external circumstances in your lives. However, I want to emphasize that the intensity of your love must be based on the extreme level of consciousness that BOTH of you share in the relationship and with yourself.

With this being said, there are times when a relationship culminates and both partners go their separate ways and wonder, “What did I do wrong in this relationship…? I need closure.” WHAT DOES THIS MEAN!?!?!??! First and foremost, there are no right or wrongs in life or love. Everything is what it is and therefore, nothing was done wrong, and nothing was done right, because everything was just done. I believe that closure is a limitation that your mind has set so that you can protect yourself from moving forward and opening yourself up to what is truly possible. I must admit that for 48 hours after the culmination of my most recent relationship, I kept on repeating the quote from above, and guess what…MY WORDS WERE DECISIVE and I was unable to move on. It wasn’t until the 48^th hour hit, that I chose to express a different statement, “Nothing was wrong, nothing was right, everything was how it was.” This shifted my perspective and it permitted me to realize that closure was simply a self-limiting belief because I was afraid to move on, but since that 48^th hour, I made the choice to have closure.

What it comes down to is this, there is only ONE emotion that still exists which is completely natural and organic which is why it is profound and beautiful. This emotion is LOVE, and until the pharmaceutical industry decides to create a pill which prevents the onset of falling out of love or finding love, this will remain the case. There are pills to “cure” unhappiness, there are pills to “cure” loneliness, and there are pills to “cure” unhealthiness, but there are NO PILLS FOR LOVE because that is something which is unique to YOU! Therefore, the challenge for you is to accept the fact that LOVE is real. It is something that is born inside all off us, and it is the only “thing” which feels just as good to give as it does to receive. Love is at the foundation of our lives and if for some reason this emotion is not present for you, then I would like you to answer this question, “What beliefs do I have around the emotion of love which are preventing it from entering my life?” Maybe they focused on the concept of love being hard work, or needing closure, or whatever else you repeat to yourself on a regular basis. The choice is yours as to whether or not you allow this blog post to anchor a new conditioned experience in which a new conversation evolves, as your new context will manifest. Therefore, please remember that love requires an extreme sense of consciousness and the magnitude of your consciousness will dictate the intensity of your love.

How intense do you desire your love to BE?

What does this mean to you? Please leave a comment.

Some pictures from Flickr.

These past two weeks have been magnificent in a way that I actually have trouble communicating, but I will give it my best shot because what I have learned is something that I hope all of you will embrace. The feedback that I received from my last blog post was a catalyst for my newly realized level of overall abundance about life. I literally had people from all over the world commenting, writing, and thanking me for revealing my TRUTH because it empowered them to begin approaching their own. The concept of TRUTH is profound because I believed that my STORY, the one I told myself EVERYDAY, was perceived as a far “safer” place to reside than my reality. Justifying my actions and inactions with a fictional tale as to why my choices were best suited for me was easy, and I literally convinced myself that everything was status quo. But hindsight is 20/20 and I am now aware that my essence was lost in an abyss of stories, self-directed lies, and a burning desire to feel secure.

This past weekend, I had the great fortune of celebrating a few birthdays with a group of my friends. It is always wonderful to connect with people who represent so many memories in your life because it enables you to reflect on the past. During this encounter, I spent quality time with a “long lost friend,” whom I was incredibly close with during our youth, but as time went on, we ventured in different directions.  As we spoke, we began to reflect on this past year, but keep in mind that he knew nothing of what took place, all that he knew was that I moved back to New Jersey. The irony of this conversation is that my friend actually saw me in March of 2010, at my “18 degree mark,” when I transitioned into the private equity opportunity, began a relationship and moved in together, started spending enormous amounts of money, got a second dog, etc. etc. etc. The 18 degrees occurred at a Whole Foods in New Jersey, where we bumped into one another after not seeing each other for almost three years. The discussion was brief, and then we went our separate ways. However, when we saw each other on this past Saturday, he told me that in our previous encounter, he felt that I was not the same Jared Yellin that he knew from the past. How is it possible, that someone who only entered my life for a moment was able to see how far I had drifted from my true self? Why didn’t I see what he saw? How is it possible that someone can be looking at their reflection daily, and yet not recognize the contradictions that someone else can see so clearly? When did I become so blinded and spiral out of control?

I found this conversation intriguing as this realization was enlightening. What I learned is that some people in our world have the ability to look at our circumstances through an objective and unbiased lens, with no ulterior motive, other than the fact that they care about our well-being and are able to see something that we are unable to see in ourselves.

After discussions with one of my mentors, he referred to my life as being stuck in the groove of a vinyl record, going round and round, listening to the same song over and over again. This song represents the fictional story that we tell ourselves about our lives. This song is our perceived TRUTH. This song is what keeps us stuck until we stop listening.

With this being said, I would like to share another realization that I confronted in these past few weeks. Due to a year of contradictions, I have made the commitment to immerse myself in being congruent with people, things, and events. Therefore, I recently joined a philosophy group and in our meeting, there was a woman who shared “her story” about her current relationship. She was talking about her mate of three years, and how she is consistently unfulfilled because of his actions and inactions. She feels like the love in her relationship is waning, yet they have been together for many years and leaving is currently outside the realm of her possibility. As she continued to share “her story,” there were many questions which were posed in order to simply induce thought, not to sway in either direction, but instead, to help her begin to see her TRUTH. As the conversation unfolded, she focused on the moments in her relationship that she interpreted as wonderful while completely ignoring the toxicity of their union. These moments represented vacations, nice dinners, events, sometimes intimacy, etc. This woman was holding on to her “song” of a first kiss, three years ago, and neglecting the multiple challenges which surfaced throughout their existence. I am sure that many of you can relate with the concept of holding onto the pieces of yesterday, instead of being open to the possibility of having the ENTIRE “thing” today and tomorrow. This woman’s “story” was the narration which echoed in my mind for the past 365 days. And then the challenging question was asked…

“What would your life be like if you no longer held on to the pieces of possibility, and instead opened yourself up to endless possibility?”

Please do not breeze through this question because if there is an area in your life where you are literally scavenging and clinging to memories of when things were “great,” then I would like to enlighten you based on my most recent revelation that nothing will change. Your decision to let go may result in being alone, unemployed, or even financially challenged, but I firmly believe that letting go of yesterday’s pieces will be more fulfilling and result in endless possibilities.

At the 18 degree mark of my 360 degree journey, the world knew what I had yet to discover, the same way that our group knew what this woman was unable to see in her reflection. The world knew that I was stuck, the world knew that she was holding on, and the world knows that many of us tell ourselves a story, a justification, and a skewed sense of reality because we are too afraid to FACE our TRUTH and listen to a new song.

I hope that this message has a far reaching effect in your lives because as I sit in front of the computer, I can actually visualize the 1000+ Identity Revolutionists reading this message and revealing your TRUTH. At times we are stuck in our story and listening to that same song. We all have MOMENTS, and I stress moments, where we feel trapped, almost like we are fighting in the darkness and the light has yet to be seen. But what I encourage you to do is dig deep and provide yourself with the permission of honesty so that you can let go of the pieces of yesterday, and enjoy the entire “thing” of today, so that tomorrow and everyday forward will provide you with the endless possibilities that are available in all of our lives once we let go…

What are you holding onto…?

What does this mean to you? Please leave a comment.

Some pictures from Flickr.

It has been months since we have connected, and although I cannot say that I am back and better than ever, I have returned with more clarity and a greater understanding of what makes Jared Yellin who he is as a person. Although our most recent correspondence has been sporadic at best, during this hiatus I was not sitting back and allowing the world to pass me by, but rather I was learning more about myself than I ever thought possible.

When Brandentity was first launched, I felt like I was literally on top of the world. My career was soaring; the identity revolution was growing rapidly; my thoughts and actions were congruent; I was living a life of health and wellness; I was closer with my family and friends than ever before; and eventually, I began a relationship with someone whom I thought was the missing piece in my existence. I was abundant in every sense of the word, and if nothing were to have changed, I would have lived a life of complete and utter fulfillment…or so I thought—I felt invincible. I say this with no disrespect or ignorance, but rather with a level of complete transparency of my emotions.

As 2010 began, I was introduced to a group of investors who were in the process of a large merger and acquisition of a nutraceutical company. They offered me the opportunity to take on an enormous amount of responsibility as a manager of the company and the spokesperson for all marketing initiatives. Simultaneously, I pursued a relationship with someone whom I thought was completely congruent with me, as I was with her, and we decided to move rapidly, forgoing the formative experiences that “might” be essential when it comes to building a foundation for a thriving relationship. As time progressed, I began to lose what made me who I was and began to suffer from an identity crisis.

The irony of this realization is that I still had an enormous following as a result of Brandentity, and many people would contact me on a regular basis with the desire to understand how I “found myself” at such a young age. During this time, I literally received 100’s of messages surrounding the concept of an identity crisis, but was unable to respond as I suffered from the same epidemic as many of you. I literally could not look at the website; I could not reach out for speaking opportunities; and I could not respond to people who were asking for advice…the year Brandentity was launched, was the year I lost myself. The once “so together” Jared Yellin was spiraling out of control as my passion for life was dormant and my beliefs of what was possible became non-existent.

But how could this happen when I literally just launched Brandentity? How could I make comments about introspection and finding myself, and how my past no longer dictates my present, and how I was unscathed by my parents challenging divorce, and how my tagline was “confidence is my presence, never tense, never hesitant?”

How could I be this blind???????????????????

And now, 360 degrees in 365 days later, I can tell you that I was not blind, I was not ignorant, and I was not lost. I was deaf because I refused to hear the screaming of my intuition that things were so incongruent; and instead, focused on the superficial components of my life while ignoring the guidance of my inner voice.

So here is my update, and I share this with you because I have a feeling that many of you have either experienced a journey like this in the past, are currently on an adventure like the one I will share, or are perpetually living in an abyss of chaos.

The private equity deal could not have been further from what I was looking to achieve in my life, even though on the surface I had everything when it came to finances, responsibility, and opportunity. It was strictly a business, and although I love the dynamics of the business world, I realized that I need to associate myself with like-minded individuals who are driven towards giving back to humanity. This did not exist, nor was it ever going to exist, but the opportunity did provide an enormous amount of autonomy which enabled me to support my relationship and everything that it entailed.

Over this year I made the choice to pick up my life on two occasions in order to keep the relationship intact, even though my intuition was screaming that something was not right. I literally gave up who I was and my desire to be congruent in order for this relationship to work, and although this was at no fault of the other person, the choices that I made were fueled by the contradictions that existed in my life. As time progressed, we moved to an extremely small town in Virginia, and although my inner voice was adamantly against this decision, I ignored its presence in fear that the relationship would not survive unless I was physically with the other person. This move was a pivotal experience because I was now living in a place where I did not belong, in a career which represented a contradiction, and in a relationship that was stifling and unfulfilling for both parties. How could the Jared Yellin, who once felt inordinately abundant, feel so alone and empty?

I am here today as a messenger, because what I am about to share is something that I recently learned. The only thing that truly changed in my world was the superficial, and I always had ME, but I was consumed by my perception of my circumstances. I literally was unable to look at myself in the mirror because all that I saw was a giant contradiction. I was once the person who wrote about pursuing their dreams for a career, yet I put my world on hold for an opportunity which was not in alignment with what I am looking to achieve. I was once the person who wrote about love as the most profound emotion, but was in a relationship where it did not truly exist. I was once the person who stressed the importance of nutrition and exercise, yet I was no longer concerned with my personal well-being. I was once the person who was financially balanced and in control of my fiscal life, yet my infatuation within my relationship led to the demise of my bank account because I thought that all of the superficial “THINGS” would substitute for the lack of love. These outside influences dictated my personal level of fulfillment, and as a result, I felt alone and empty. It is so easy to listen to the echoes of the outside world as they influence your decisions, but your intention must be focused on your inner voice and your intuition.

As time went on, something motivated me to reconnect with the company that I was with prior to the private equity deal. I did this with no intention of returning, but rather because I was in dire need of support and guidance from a group of people who played an integral part in my growth. During our first conversation, it became extremely apparent that I had unfinished business and it was time for me to return. Sometimes in life you don’t know what you have until it is lost or until you have a moment of reprieve where you are finally honest with yourself. Simultaneously, the relationship, which was once everything that I thought I wanted, began to fall apart, and it was time for the two of us to go our separate ways.

Therefore, as I sit in a Starbucks in Englewood NJ, I have literally gone 360 degrees in 365 days; living in NJ with my supportive family and friends, with the same incredible company, and ready to be part of this revolution with all of you. This journey has been the most humbling experience of my life because it allowed me to confront everything that I do not know about myself, while forcing me to come to terms with the fact that I am not invincible; actually I am no different than anyone. None of us are…we really are all the same regardless of our wealth, intellect, looks etc. We are all profound individuals, the only difference lies in our ability to listen to our inner voice.  My unconscious being was literally screaming at me since January of last year that every decision I was making was not in alignment with what I was looking to achieve in life, but I chose not to listen. Besides sickness or disease, there is no such thing as being blindsided or surprised by what life throws your way because if you were to allow yourself to delve deep into your internal being, the answer would have been apparent the entire time. Whether you go through a difficult breakup, make a poor investment, or take a risk in your career, your intuition will always be there to guide you as long as you allow this voice to be heard.

So 365 days later, I have less money, I am single once again, and I might have “wasted” a year of my business life, but what I gained is something that no money, no time, and no relationship could ever replace…what I gained was awareness, what I gained was a deeper sense of consciousness, and what I gained was genius as to what I still do not know. Therefore, I could not feel more fortunate about the last 365 days of my life and I hope that as we progress together, you will allow me to share these lessons with you.

In closing, here is one of my favorite poems, something that I read years ago as a result of a very special person in my world, something that captures the essence of what I have learned…

The Man in the Glass by Peter “Dale” Winbrow Sr.

When you get what you want in your struggle for self
And the world makes you king for a day,
Just go to the mirror and look at yourself
And see what that man has to say.

For it isn’t your father or mother or wife
Whose judgment upon you must pass.
The fellow whose verdict counts most in your life
Is the one staring back from the glass.

You may be like Jack Horner and chisel a plum
And think you’re a wonderful guy.
But the man in the glass says you’re only a bum
If you can’t look him straight in the eye.

He’s the fellow to please-never mind all the rest,
For he’s with you clear to the end.
And you’ve passed your most dangerous, difficult test
If the man in the glass is your friend.

You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years
And get pats on the back as you pass.
But your final reward will be heartache and tears
If you’ve cheated the man in the glass.

Thank you for all that you do, thank you for supporting and believing in our mission, and thank you for always being YOU!

What does this mean to you? Please leave a comment.

Some pictures from Flickr.

I know that many months have passed since we have last connected, and although I have adamantly proclaimed, on a number of occasions, “I AM BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER,” I have began to realize that I still have “work to do.” This past year has been one that is humbling and enlightening at the same time because it provided me with the opportunity to see a side of myself that was repressed and unknown to my being. It has forced me to uncover areas of my identity that I never even new existed, but at the same time, has allowed me to realize that I still have SOOOO much growing that needs to take place. With this being said, I am not here to tell you that I am officially back, but rather to say thank you for staying committed. I know that it might seem like I have disappeared, but the vision of the IDENTITY REVOLUTION is stronger than ever before. Bu this time, I know that I need to “recharge” and then share my experience when the time is truly right.

Therefore, I wanted to wish you a VERY HAPPY THANKSGIVING and on this wonderful day, I encourage you to not only say “thank you” to the people in your world, but also to acknowledge yourself for all that you do!

I admire each and everyone of you and will be forever grateful that we are a team…!

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When were we told that we are too old to dream? Unfortunately, this might have been a perpetual lesson that has been engrained throughout our lives because of societies conditioned ways of thinking. Remember when you were a child and one week you wanted to be the President of the United States, the next month you yearned to become an astronaut, and then the following year your focus was on becoming a ballerina? What happened to that innocent excitement that all of us possessed during our formative years? There are a number of factors which lead to the extinguishing of dreams, but there is nothing as powerful as being told to think “realistically,” or to “stop dreaming.” These comments may have originated from our parents, friends, teachers, preachers, or anyone else who entered our world and were already jaded as a result of conforming to what society stresses as the “normal way of thinking.” But dreams are where realities are born and over the course of time, with consistent effort and focus, these thoughts become real things and the dream is manifested.

The reason I have introduced this concept of dreaming is because this happens to be one of the many lessons that I learned on my Costa Rican getaway with Lindsay. This concept reinforced a philosophy which I consistently share, but which was clarified on our travels. While in Costa Rica, both Lindsay and I yearned to immerse ourselves in the culture and experience everything that is indigenous to this country. As a result, we hired a private tour guide who took us on horseback through miles of coffee plantations, rain forests, and lush landscape that makes Costa Rica like no other place on earth. During this excursion, Lindsay and I shared many stories with our guide about our life and the exciting changes on the horizon, (which you can read about at the end of this blog post). In addition, we asked numerous questions in order to understand what brought this gentleman to Costa Rica. We learned that he is a 57 year old man, who was born in Italy, but desired to escape the materialistic life that his family was leading; and instead, enjoy a life of simplicity. As he continued talking, he began to get extremely excited as he proclaimed, “My dream is to purchase a plot of land on the pacific coast of Costa Rica and become a welder, but not for the purpose of making money, just because this is something that I thoroughly enjoy. I am not there yet, but I know that someday I will be able to accomplish my dream.” When our guide made this statement, he had that same childish glow that all of us had when we emphasized our desire to become an astronaut, athlete, or dancer. Our guide did not allow himself to be extinguished by the conditioned way of thinking that society has used to “make us more realistic,” and instead, he shared his dream with the same excitement that he had when it first entered his mind. He is a believer and has fortunately been inflicted with a virus that I refer to as the DREAMERS DISEASE.

I share this story because I found it to be enlightening and inspiring at the same time. I share this story because I hope that at least one of you, if not all of you, become honest with yourself with regards to your dreams. I share this story because I hope that you realize that whether you are 6, 16, 56, or 86 years old, it is never too late to dream. And finally, I share this story with the hope that you will now be inflicted with the DREAMERS DISEASE.

Many people are reluctant to dream because of the potential disappointment that might manifest, while others consider this act as a something juvenile. But regardless of your rationale, I encourage you to realize that a life without dreams is one without life. Dreams are our internal desires that make us who we are and motivate us to “keep at it,” regardless of the surrounding circumstances. The beauty of dreams is that they are unique to the beholder and are often derived from the unexplainable when viewed from the outside world, but when we search within, these dreams make sense and become our guiding purpose. Our dreams are one of the reasons that we do whatever it is that we do each and every day in order to get one step closer to making this thought real. But if this does not resonate with you, it may be as a result of living a dreamless life.

Remember, there is no age when dreaming becomes obsolete or juvenile, and at any point, your dream of finding true love (even if you have been single for years or divorced multiple times), publishing a book, starting a company, having children, or becoming a welder in Costa Rica has the potential to manifest, as long as you never lose sight of what you desire to achieve and stay inflicted with the DREAMERS DISEASE.

UPDATES:

I was published, once again, on My Daily Insights and I encourage all of you to read the story entitled “The Lemon Squeeze.” The lessons that can be learned from this piece of writing are profound as they will inspire you to realize that your “fears” are preventing you from living the life of your dreams. As a result of this publication, we have 392 new members (and counting) who have joined Brandentity and have become part of the IDENTITY REVOLUTION! Get ready to learn who you are, what you stand for, and what makes you…YOU!

As many of  know, Lindsay and I live an extremely “on-the-go” lifestyle and we are back at it again because she earned the opportunity to complete one of her missions in life by volunteering for an organization based out of Maryland. Therefore, we will be moving to Virginia next Friday and you better believe that growth, on all levels, will be taking place and I plan on sharing this experience with all of you. I feel so fortunate to be able to support her on this quest…

So until next week, I encourage you to begin living a life where you permit yourself to be inflicted by the DREAMERS DISEASE!

What do you dream about?

What do you think…? Please leave a comment.

Thank you flickr for your pictures.

As I am sitting on a plane, heading from Arizona back home to New Jersey, only to pack for a romantic Costa Rican getaway with Lindsay tomorrow morning, I find myself reflecting on the past few months and all of the experiences which have taken place. I am the type of person who enjoys the process of introspection, even when it is painful, because it enables me to discover why I do, what I do in any given circumstance. There have been a number of situations that have resulted in challenging times and periods of excessive change, but for some reason, these past ninety days drastically took me away from my mission and what makes me …ME. And as I processed everything that has gone on in my life, I began to realize the reason my “funk” was extended for longer than I would have liked was because of the guilt that I placed upon myself for not living with passion, for not serving my purpose, and for living a life of contradictions. The guilt, that plagued my existence, is what consistently held me back from addressing these demons and moving forward to live in alignment and re-discover my authentic self.

I have a feeling that many of you may know exactly what I am discussing with this concept of guilt because it happens to be an emotion that almost everyone experiences at some point in their life. Maybe for you it deals with your inability to control yourself when it comes to the foods that you put in your body; or maybe you treated someone in your life unfairly and you are having a difficult time accepting your own actions, or maybe you made a decision to pursue a career that took you away from your family, and as a result, your children grew up and have an unsatisfying relationship with you. Regardless of where your guilt is rooted, there is a chance that if you allow your conscious mind to tap into this vortex of pain that you will begin to realize that your past decisions are echoing in your existence. You may go to bed at night with an unsettled feeling in your stomach, awake in the morning and dread the day, and purposefully avoid mirrors due to the fear associated with looking at yourself. You might even continue to  deny of these circumstances and  do whatever results in these feelings of pain whether it is eat more, fight more, or work more, simply because this “addiction” represents a fallacy of an escape in your world.

For me, it was pure and utter avoidance. I have a file on my computer of ideas, projects, and philosophies that I have developed over the years. This file was intentionally unopened over this period of time because of the guilt that I experienced on a daily basis just knowing that my life was one of contradictions. The emotions that I experienced felt like I was being sucked into an abyss where I would be lost forever, as I wallowed in everything that I was “not doing or doing wrong,” as opposed to the incredible successes and opportunities which materialized over this period of time.

When I first launched BRANDENTITY and the IDENTITY REVOLUTION I wrote about the concept of an “Emotional Savings Account” and how during our life, we experience different events which will either add or subtract from the balance in this account. Our perception of these situations will either move us in the direction of emotional freedom or deteriorate at our existence with emotional distress. The concept of GUILT happens to be the most expensive emotion that any of us will experience during our lives. Guilt is often deep rooted, and when exacerbated, this emotion can redefine our identity and become it.  I also realized through my personal experience over these ninety days that it is impossible to sustain a good quality of life in which you love living, if you allow guilt to occupy space in your being. There might be a reprieve every so often as a result of something positive, but ultimately, you are still stuck in your own mind which is where the guilt resides.

As your “fearless leader,” and I am saying this with complete sarcasm, I wish that I had a solution for those who resonate with these words because I have a feeling that the majority of you will. But unfortunately, I am not sure of exactly what YOU need to do in order to free yourself from the entrapment of your thoughts. I am hoping that a discussion will manifest where different philosophies and concepts are shared because you never know how far your words will carry and whose life will be changed forever because of a simple comment that is posted below. But what I can tell you is that my reprieve, which has got me back on track, was being completely honest with myself, while allowing the closest people in my life to see my vulnerabilities. This held me accountable once the process of change began.

As I previously mentioned, my parents emphasized their concern for weeks prior to my revelation, but having Lindsay ask me a question, (one that I asked myself on countless occasions prior to that night), “Where is the Jared I fell in love with,” was my catalyst for the process of rediscovery. Notice I said process because we never truly achieve our identity, but rather redefine it. That is why the journey is so exciting because each moment, each event, and each experience will mold you into becoming who you truly desire to be based on your interpretation of what this situation means in your life.

So my advice, is be transparent and willing to face the guilt that is preventing you from living because the longer that you allow the MOST EXPENSIVE EMOTION to occupy rent free space in your mind, the longer you will be a victim to your thoughts. Therefore, believe in the process and trust me when I tell you that I have done this over the past few weeks and I can honestly say that I have never felt better….

Where does your GUILT reside?

What do you think…? Please leave a comment.

Thank you flickr for your pictures.

I am back from my three-week adventure and I feel better than I felt in a number of months. This experience has led to personal growth, intense thought, a relationship which has reached an entirely new level, and the rebirth of PASSION. In my last message, which was sent prior to the business trips and vacation with Lindsay, I decided to be completely transparent and share the contradictions which were “eating away” at my existence.

A number of months ago, I discussed the concept of being constipated with emotions and unable to express yourself due to the fear of what might manifest. In essence, I am referring to being vulnerable and allowing your “weaknesses,” to be revealed to the world without even considering the consequences. During my three month “funk,” I was unable to take my own advice and I allowed my fuel, or in other words my emotions, to fester inside and steal my existence. This was a difficult yet profound period of my life because it forced me to assess what Jared Yellin is all about and then to redefine, and continue to recreate the who I am, the what I stand for, and the what makes me…me. I realized that an identity is not something that we achieve, but rather a process we must immerse ourselves in, even if we are uncomfortable as a result of the unknown. But as I have shared, I had many people in my life telling me what I already new and asking me all of the right questions, but the problem was that I was unwilling to provide the honest answers as to why I was experiencing a loss of identity. And then Lindsay opened my eyes and forced me to go through a process of introspection, in which honesty was my only choice, as she enlightened me to find myself once again—the passionate, the motivated, and the determined Jared Yellin who had and will always have the vision of spearheading the IDENTITY REVOLUTION.

My intention behind this message is not to reiterate the lessons that I have learned because you are more than welcomed to read my prior message entitled, I Am No Different Than You, but rather to share something with you that signifies the Law of Attraction, the Power of Perspective, or simply opening our eyes to the endless possibilities on the horizon. Because on July 9^th , as I was enjoying my romantic vacation in Costa Rica with Lindsay, the unexpected happened when I was published on one of the most influential personal development websites, “My Daily Insights.” This occurrence is extremely symbolic because “My Daily Insights” was one of the first introductions to motivation, personal development, and the concept that our words hold enough power to change the way we do things. When I became a subscriber about seven years ago, I always dreamed of having a quote or a piece of my writing published so that the world could be introduced to Jared Yellin and experience his passion for life. The irony of this particular situation is that I submitted this article, I Will Be Happy When, about seven months ago, and it was not published until my perspective on life was at a point where the message would resonate in the lives of the masses. I firmly believe that if I remained in that funk, this piece of writing would have never been presented to the 1,000’s of people who subscribe to this site, and as a result, many people’s lives would not have been touched and potentially changed. I had literally 100’s of people write to me as a result of this publication expressing their gratitude for my words and their desire to stay connected. This defies the concept that our thoughts are real, they are tangible, and once we decide to take control of them, anything and everything becomes possible as it is attracted into our existence. Many of you might think this is “new age philosophy,” or quirky, or far too spiritual, but I am here to tell you that regardless of what you think, this power exists for all of us. But you are in charge of when it will enter into your existence because once you make the conscious choice to look at your world through a different perspective, I guarantee that opportunities will become apparent that you never noticed before.

For those who do not believe in these concepts, I want you make sure that you understand that I am not trying to convince you to think differently than you have in the past, but if for some reason you keep on doing (or thinking) the same thing over and over, and have yet to manifest the results that you desire, then I encourage you to give this philosophy a chance. It is by no means simple, nor will the results happen overnight, but with a consistent effort and the consciousness to focus on everything that you have in the world, as opposed to what has yet to be achieved, I firmly believe that you will also experience something incredible.

That is enough from me as I do not want to preach, but what I want to do is let you know that the next few blog posts will be lessons that I have learned during my travels. I forced myself to be open to any experience that would present itself in my life and as a result, I have a variety of topics to share that I believe you will enjoy.

I also wanted to welcome over 590 subscribers to BRANDENTITY that have joined as a result of “MYDAILYINSIGHTS.” I want you to realize that this is not just another personal development blog, but rather a movement, or in other words, an IDENTITY REVOLUTION where you will begin to realize who you are, what you stand for, and what makes you…YOU. Get ready for the adventure of a lifetime and thank you for trusting me and joining BRANDENTITY!!!!  

What do you attract into your life?

What do you think…? Please leave a comment.

Thank you flickr for your pictures.