Hey everyone, I'll be looking to start this next month. As we've discussed, it will be an elimination-style fun competition that everyone can compete in for MASSIVE prizes, including all-expenses paid 1:1 coaching with me. But, of course, you should be doing it to help yourself develop and grow. This month's challenge will be all about building your social circle! It will help if you have access to the Building Rapport course (but it's not necessary). That course will go on sale with a $100 discount this weekend for those who don't have it yet. The challenge will require that you post in this group multiple times per week to stay in the competition, so if you're keen to compete make sure you have some time set aside for social building next month. All the actions will be manageable and do-able for anyone, so it's just a matter of commitment to your goals. Comment "I'm in!" below if you're keen..

Lately I've had been thinking a lot about a core theme in all the Brojo material: living authentically. The context to the question I'm about to ask is that I recently started taking the contraceptive pill after being diagnosed with adenomyosis and PCOS (the worst symptom of which was dyspareunia). The first two and half months on the pill were fine and then in the third month I started feeling unusually depressed. Now, I've dealt with high anxiety and very mild depression my whole life, but this depression has been next level. My doctor agreed that while the pill may not be the root cause of the depression, there is significant evidence to suggest that the hormone changes as a result of the pill can at least amplify depression. So, my question to everyone, but especially @Daniel Munro and @Jay Moore , how can we identify who we "authentically" are when there are so many other influences that could be altering our minds and in turn impairing that sense of authentic self? In my case, I've been thinking specifically about the role of hormones on the mind. The contraceptive pill has caused me to feel depressed in a way I would not consider to be "authentically" me and yet it's really colouring my vision of the world at the moment. But even if I wasn't on the pill, we can't deny that hormones play a large role in our lives, prompting this related question: what is "us", and what is hormones? To give an example of something that bothers me on this topic: I am sure that I do not want children and I have felt this way since I was a child, when I first realised that it was an option. Uncovering my shame around this topic has been one of the key outcomes from Brojo — I know it’s not the societal norm, but this choice feels like “me” and I’m willing to lose potential partners in being honest about it. My "authentic" belief is that to feel fulfilled, each individual needs to experience creation and nurturing in some way, but not necessarily in the physical sense of having children. For me, the creation is my writing, and the nurturing is my goal of running a writing retreat centre here in Italy. I do like taking care of others, but I've always been drawn to older people, even as a child myself. All that being said, having engaged with Buddhist teachings, I accept that people are always evolving, even from one second to the next. But while people change, I comfort myself with the thought that they change in a very slow and natural way, let's say at a 45 degree angle over many years, but certainly not a 180. I am not sure what a 45 degree angle on the children question looks like, since you can’t have a quarter of a child, haha. But maybe it’s meeting a partner who accepts that I have never been into babies, who agrees that not all women are built like that, and who is willing to be an active participant in the early parenting as a result — perhaps after many years together, we’d agree just to leave up to fate, not because we want a “baby” (after all, they’re only a baby for a short time) but because we’d enjoy supporting the growth of a new individual. Or maybe 45 degrees for me is a stepchild should I meet a man who has one — I am oddly open to that concept as most kids seem to really like me for some reason. Then again I could go 45 degrees the opposite way and become even more entrenched in my position. I don't know, the point is that 45 degree angles are hard for our present selves to imagine but they do sometimes happen because people do change, and I feel at peace with those changes still being “authentic”. But what scares the living daylights out of me is being told by society that one day “hormones” will suddenly kick in and I’ll be baby-crazy. To me, to go from not wanting children at all for almost my whole life to becoming one of those cervical-mucus-monitoring-fertility-obsessed women would be a total 180. I would argue that such a rapid change couldn’t possibly be my authentic self. The whole hormone thing really freaks me out on so many levels even beyond the baby question.

- Where in the world are you from? Complicated question. Short answer: from Australia living in Europe. - Why have you joined this 30 day challenge (what do you hope to achieve)? I want to become more confident because confidence -- and honesty -- are the traits I most admire in other people. - What is your biggest social challenge right now? Interacting with people I don't know very well.

I’ve long been a fan of New Year resolutions, but this year I’m taking a bolder approach to change with a mid-life reset. I'm armed with a suitcase, a one-way ticket to Istanbul, and a world of possibility. Over the past few months, with Brojo guns blazing, I’ve cleared the runway of the major obstacles that were stopping me from flying and thriving: a harmful relationship, toxic work culture, and mental illness. I’m ready to hit the skies in 2025 with an open heart, an open mind, and uncompromising integrity. Having worked my way through several Brojo courses to get to this point, it’s exciting to continue learning from a more positive baseline. Now that I’ve shut down the mental gymnastics that comes with dishonesty, I have head space to think more creatively about a lifestyle that reflects my values. At the same time, improved self-confidence means I don’t need to plan ahead like I used to, and can appreciate the richness of the present as I explore my options. I’m curious about the decisions I will make from a solid foundation of self-respect and healthy boundaries, and the people I will attract with powerful honesty. I hope the new year looks promising for you too.

I often work with people whom I call “the performer”. What distinguishes these people from others is their specific set of behaviours, attitudes and beliefs: they are generally extroverted, with an external locus of control, and they are masters at performing in front of people. What this means is that they are generally an extroverted person and they believe that the control is outside of themselves. They often highlight their strengths. They put on a show to try and gain approval from the people around them. They hide their weaknesses from people whom they are trying to impress. Their core belief are often: I must be impressive. I must be approved of. I must be validated to be a good person. I must have other people like me to be a good person. If you see some of these behaviours, attitudes and beliefs in yourself chances are you're going to frequently experience a constant pressure to achieve, succeed, and perform, especially around people that you’re unfamiliar with. To dive deeper into this topic, check out the original video here: