I don’t know what I’ve been thinking all these years—or why I stopped following my heart.
You see, I’ve been working on my website, this personal development blog, for quite a few years now. Years. And the progress?
Honestly, I have nothing to show for it—for the work I put in and the long hours I spent, mostly on polishing my articles.
Why did this happen? I’m not entirely sure, but I think I was being delusional.
How?
Well, I started this website back in 2011, after I had the golden opportunity to interact with, inspire, and guide students in my personal development classes at Subharti University, Meerut, in March 2010.
And to tell you the truth, it wasn’t even my first online venture.
I created my first blog way back in 2000. The idea was to make some easy money online—because that was the rage in those days, you know.
And do you know what I named that blog? It’s embarrassing, but here it is:
“A Blog About Anything and Everything.”
Shit.
I thought I could make money by posting some stuff. What stuff? I had no freaking idea.
Later, in 2005, I came across StevePavlina.com, which changed my thinking completely. I began to believe it was possible to enter the field of personal development and make a name for myself.
But there was a problem.
I had no technical background. I knew nothing about websites. So I spent years—and wasted a lot of money—learning how websites work and how to operate them. Today, I realize that this stuff is best left to technical people. The technical side of blogging isn’t meant for normal guys like me.
During those years, I read countless personal development books, articles, blog posts, and more. But I failed to realize one crucial thing: I needed to be me, not a carbon copy of someone else.
The truth is, since 2011, I’ve made many mistakes when it came to personal development blogging.
(Don’t worry, I won’t bore you with all of them.)
It’s funny how working hard primarily to make money is a sure-shot recipe for failure, frustration, and depression—especially if you don’t know how to connect with your heart and follow it wherever it leads.
Yes, working hard to make your dreams come true is essential. But it’s equally important to know the direction in which you’re working hard.
In my case, didn’t I work hard?
I sure did—but in the wrong direction.
Why do I say that?
Because I believed I could become successful by ignoring my heart and running everything through my head.
I don’t know about you, but that approach hasn’t worked for me.
And guess what?
Yesterday, after reading Steve Pavlina once again, I realized something important: the Universe doesn’t reward copying or imitation—no matter how hard you try. What it really wants is for you to follow your heart, even if the path is unclear and even if you have no clarity right now.
I remember when I got the opportunity to train students in personal development back in 2010. I had no idea what I would talk about. Then I came across an article or a book (I don’t remember which) that said:
“Speak from your heart, and you’ll do just fine.”
And that’s exactly what I did.
You know what happened?
I became a mini-celebrity at the university—among students and teachers alike. Praise, appreciation, and respect—I received all of it during those short 40 days of my equally short career as a speaker.
After those classes ended, I tried opening a personality development training institute in Meerut—and ended up teaching spoken English.
I failed. Again.
Why?
Because I had stopped listening to my heart and had become calculative.
Yes, I did get a couple of corporate training assignments and even radio jockey training opportunities. But nothing concrete came out of them.
Later, I discovered SmartBlogger.com, where I learned a lot about writing and refining my message. That was helpful—but it still didn’t feel right.
You see, I’ve always been drawn toward personal development. Interestingly, my astrologer insists that I should do something involving a “screen.” He’s repeatedly suggested joining a TV channel or starting a YouTube channel.
But that doesn’t feel like my thing.
Today, I’m a voice artist—and I enjoy being one. But it’s not something I truly love.
After all these years of dabbling, I’m finally seeing a clear pattern:
Whenever I follow my heart, I feel good—and my finances improve as well.
Whenever I ignore my heart and follow the noise in my head, I almost always get screwed.
What about you?
Do you follow your heart?
Or do you ignore that quiet inner voice and follow your head instead?
And how has that been working out for you?
Think about it.
You might realize that even if everything seems “fine” on the outside, you’re still far from being happy—or blissful.
Let’s face it: as a generation, we’ve been trained to be head people and to ignore the heart. “The ways of the heart are dangerous,” they say.
I’ve found the opposite to be true.
It’s the heart that knows where to go, what to do, and how to feel good about being yourself.
So from today onward, I’m choosing to follow my heart—no matter how silly, stupid, or idiotic it may appear to others.
I’ve realized that I’m here to live my life, not to serve others expectations.