Interview with Ivan of Ivancampuzano.com

Today I have the pleasure of sharing with you an interview with my friend Ivan of IvanCampuzano.com, a popular personal development blog.

Ivan and I connected by Twitter a few months back and I must admit I really like his writing style and passion for helping people. I think you will enjoy what he has to say.

Having nearly 11,000 followers one of your strengths is connecting with people online.  Care to elaborate?

Twitter has proven to be a great way to meet like minded people (It’s how I met you) and also a great learning tool. I choose to use twitter as a way to motivate and inspire my followers. One experience in particular, was when one of my followers @wrtheuer did a random act of kindness.

I happened to be on a coffee tour in Costa Rica, found out they had wireless internet, so I logged on to twitter on my ipod touch and gave a quick update. My follower then went online, found out where I was taking the tour, and gave them a call to purchase some chocolates and coffee for me. This let me know that even though you may not be aware, the work you do is not taken for granted.

What in your opinion, is the “secret” to true happiness and fulfillment?

This question is worthy of a book or at least a whole blog post. I’ll keep it short and sweet, ultimately you need to quit looking for happiness and fulfillment in your external reality. This is a search that will only yield momentary superficial moments of happiness and will never satisfy your innermost feelings of fulfillment.

You need to learn to turn inward (meditation), to go on an inner exploration of discovering your true nature. To get in tune with how you really work and how you make your decisions. Realize that your journey is a process, and assuming you have a sincere desire, you will yield quantum leaps in your personal growth. You will come to discover your natural gifts and purpose. You will come to understand and drop the beliefs that are causing you pain.

Learn to listen to your heart and follow it, but be prepared that it will also take you into what you perceive as wrong. This is life the only way you know what right is, is by experiencing the wrong. Too many people live their lives only by what other people or religion tell them is the right way to live. When living like this you are not able to move, because something wrong might happen. Anything that is not based on your experience, learn to accept it only hypothetically.

This is your life to explore, commit many mistakes all the while remembering only one thing: don’t commit the same mistake again. Live like this and you will be growing and gaining wisdom not borrowed from anyone. Long lasting happiness will only be found inside, so don’t wait any longer.

When did you discover your passion for personal development?

I guess I have always had a passion for personal growth. It has just evolved. For many years I accumulated large amounts of knowledge, but only recently  have I been turning that knowledge into understanding. I was always the kid with immense curiosity and questioned everything.

What is your favorite post you’ve ever written. Why?

I don’t think I have a favorite. I just enjoy writing something that will cause someone to have a “click” happen inside them. To make them aware of something that they have always known, even if it was on an unconscious level. Something that will inspire someone to become self empowered.

Some posts I like:

How to increasre your awareness and expand your consciousness

How to reclaim your child like creatvity

How to create a new day and a new you

What’s the most important lesson you’ve ever learned?

To put my analytical mind aside and really listen to my heart. Learning to develop trust in myself and having the courage to go into the unknown.

In you your blog you often share your traveling experiences. How has this aided you in growing as a human being?

I love traveling and living in new countries because it forces you to expand by going into new unknown experiences. To venture off into the unknown is to jump into freedom. People say they want to be free, but freedom creates fear. They are afraid of the reality they know would make them feel truly alive and integrated with life.

Freedom and the unknown make people afraid because there is danger in insecurity. The danger lies in that they feel they are going to lose themselves, and lose everything they have ever known. They are right, but the only thing they are losing is their false sense of self (ego), living in the unknown your ego falls apart and the real you begins to emerge. This is why I enjoy living in new countries by myself; it ends up being an adventure of self discovery.

What are your plans for this blog and you as a person?

To simply grow and evolve, I am person who is passionate about learning and trying new things. I am constantly outgrowing old ways of thinking so my blog will be a reflection of my journey. All I hope to do is provide insights and ideas to help people grow. This is how I have chosen to contribute to the whole.

Thanks again Bud for having me on your great site. I wish you the best and I know you will keep growing and contributing in miraculous ways. Take care my friend.

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