Jesse Elder; How to Create a Life of Your Own Design

What does freedom mean to you? Have you ever thought about it? 

We live in a society that holds the ideal of freedom on a pedestal, yet most of us fail to create a life of true freedom for ourselves. 

Why is that? 

If you were to ask a random stranger on the street what freedom means to them, chances are you’d get a slew of different responses. That’s because freedom isn’t just a word — it’s how we define our best selves. 

That was the topic of our latest interview on The Are of Making Things Happen with Steve Sims. In particular, we talked about the notion of freedom and what it means. 

We sat down with Jesse Elder. He shared his journey and defined what freedom means to him. He also spoke briefly about how others can craft a life of freedom for themselves.

Who is Jesse Elder?  

As a modern-day philosopher, entrepreneur, time-piercer, and freedom seeker — Elder has explored the depths of human behavior to find what works and what doesn’t.

If you’re curious about some of his philosophies for creating a better life, be sure to check out his past interview, which we aptly titled “The Tao of Mindset.”

What separates Elder from other thought gurus is that his ideas are painstakingly simple yet superbly profound. In studying his theories, you begin to unravel the complexities about life that seemingly aren’t that complex — like freedom.   

If you feel stuck in your life or are looking for a way to make a change — you won’t want to miss what Jesse had to say about creating a life of freedom of your own design.

Freedom Starts From Within

Jesse began his career as an entrepreneur in the martial arts niche. However, his business was different than most dojos you’ve seen.

Growing up as a martial arts expert with a black belt, he quickly realized that all the theories he practiced for many years didn’t make for great application in the real world. Knowing this, he set out to make a different kind of martial arts studio. 

He instead focused on practical elements of martial arts that would be applicable in real-life situations of combat. 

As his business quickly scaled to eight locations, he was responsible for educating up to 1,200 people a week — from two-year-old autistic toddlers to ninety-year-old seniors that didn’t have full mobility in their legs. 

He noticed a pattern emerge as he tailored curriculums for different people. Most of their martial arts training first started in the mind. 

Those moments on the mat were an escape from the pressures in life they couldn’t fight anywhere else. And those moments led to a sense of freedom from their problems.

After he sold his business, he started to apply this understanding to other facets of his life and career. Those understandings helped to form his popular video series on Facebook and Instagram called Mind Vitamins. 

Understand Your Human Experience

Jesse spoke about the importance of being aware of your human experience. While others look for solutions to problems outside of themselves, or vice versa, he chooses to seek answers from within. 

It has helped him to define what is essential for him to live a life of freedom for himself. Through hours of meditation and reflection, he has concluded that freedom for him means being self-reliant and prepared for whatever may come his way. 

He has practiced the habit of preparation to build a life of self-reliance and interdependence.

Building a Life of His Own Design

Jesse recently bought twenty acres of land in Texas and has built a farm and created a business focused on sustainability to help others who wish to become more self-reliant learn the skills he feels will be important in the very near future. 

He explains that it is not done out of fear but out of pure joy to become more resilient in a constantly evolving world.

Freedom means different things for different people. To design a life of freedom, you must determine what you want, prepare for it, and put that vision into action. 

For more information about Jesse Elder, please visit his website and check him out on Facebook and Instagram for daily content. 

For more great interviews like this one, please tune in to The Art of Making Things Happen with Steve Sims.