Eduard Sebastian

I went from losing everything. Watching my dreams erode before my eyes. To making $70k as a writer. What happened? Here’s the longest post you’ve ever read on X: ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ From healthy to sick ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ My life was going pretty well until I turned 18. About two months after that, I became extremely sick, and it happened very fast. I was diagnosed with Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMJ) For some unknown reason, my jawbone shifted to the right. It started to press on my right ear, causing inflammation across my face. Something that usually happens to people after they reach the ripe age of 100 years old happened to me at a very young age. Doctors were shocked. It took a year to receive this diagnosis. During that year, they couldn’t figure out what was wrong A year when I lost pretty much everything. I couldn’t eat any solid food. I couldn’t listen to music or watch TV. I couldn’t properly use my eyes anymore. I couldn’t talk with my friends like I used to. I couldn’t walk outside without being struck by pain. My jaw was bashing into my right ear, leading to an unbearable amount of pain. I developed Hyperacusis, which literally means sensitivity to sound. Initially, it was loud sounds, but then almost everything caused me pain. Anti-inflammatory meds helped, but they destroyed my gut. Because they are not meant to be taken for months on end. This was my existence for about 2.5 years. Then, something happened. ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ Treatment and hope ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ After that year, I was diagnosed with TMJ and began treatment. It somewhat helped. But the change wasn’t linear. Despite undergoing treatment, I made very little progress with my condition. Until one day, about 90% of my symptoms disappeared. It felt like a miracle. The kind of story you’d read on the internet and think, "This could never happen in real life," but it did. It was as if God’s test had ended, and the lesson was learned. That period was one of significant personal growth. While battling illness, I was also pursuing a BSc degree in Psychology. During that time, I shattered all my limiting beliefs about human potential. And the sound of a "why" began to crystallize. ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ “He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.” ― Friedrich Nietzsche. ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ To give you a prime example. In my first year of college, I couldn’t write during classes. Because keeping my eyes open caused quite a deal of pain. So, I was only listening to the class with my eyes closed. I also gave up on some of the anti-inflammatory meds, Because I couldn’t pop them daily without creating even more gut damage. So, I grasped each word that was spoken and tried to memorize the information, on the spot. Impossible, right? Wrong. I couldn’t memorize everything, so rarely would I write something down. Statistics formulas, for example. And for exams, I had to stay with my eyes open to write. It worked because I was desperate. It worked because I had a unique affinity toward psychology. After classes, I would recall all the information in the class. Imagine doing only that with your time. Because I had nothing else left. What would happen? I got a scholarship. It was then that I saw the power of a strong why. Even though I was barely functioning as a human being, I still was crushing my exams. Only through sheer willpower. So when I healed, I could finally use all my senses properly. I thought I was invincible. Turns out that was false. ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ The second fall ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ So, after I healed, I thought my life was going to be an easy ride. What more could happen? Well, getting a soul-sucking job was next on my list of accomplishments. I was one of the best students the college had ever seen. And yet, I couldn’t find a job as a psychologist with just a Bachelor’s degree. So, you can imagine my disappointment when I got hired as a Customer Service Specialist. But my story didn’t end there. ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ Questioning everything ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ There I was, in all my might and glory. After three years of acing exams, the great student had become your favorite Customer Service Representative. "Depressed" was an understatement. I couldn’t believe it. I had healed from that terrible disease, and now this was my happy ending? Barely affording to live? Zero chances of doing something meaningful? For nine tedious months, I was lost. Until I looked within myself and realized I had to escape. My "why" was broadcasting a higher vision for me. Something greater was waiting, and I couldn’t let it end there. So, after being the worst employee who got promoted, I quit. ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ A loser and a dreamer ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ While I was working that 9-to-5 job, I started getting into digital marketing. Every spare second I had, I would study and experiment. I didn’t make any money. However, I realized that tapping into a global market was my way out. So, I tried to land clients as an SEO specialist and digital marketer. I failed on every possible metric. I even tried getting a job in the marketing field in my home country, but after 200+ applications, I couldn’t get one. Still, I knew it was possible, even though everyone around me told me to grow up and accept my fate. After I quit my 9-to-5, I had some money, and with the backing of my parents, I pursued an MSc in Psychology. But this time, I learned from my mistake. I wasn’t going to let formal education be my path to success. I needed to start a business. ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ Stumbling toward the light ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ People imagine that success comes easily. It doesn’t. It took me five years from the moment I decided to become a digital marketer to create a sustainable income as a writer. After I quit my 9-to-5, I started writing on Medium while I was pursuing the MSc. For six months, my articles only earned around $30, but I learned how to write. I published around 100 long-forms. I decided to try Upwork, even though, based on my stellar track record, I didn’t think I had any chance of getting a job. But I did. My first client paid around $60 per article, which was a massive upgrade for my existence. Within a year, I had client after client until I reached around $4k/month. This was the fifth year since I started trying to make money online. My life radically changed because now I could dream again. I was doing something meaningful. Only because, all those years, I kept believing. I kept working relentlessly, hoping that one day I could tell you this exact story you are reading right now. So, what are my plans right now? Glad you didn’t ask. I’ll tell you anyway. ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ My offer ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ I am launching a skool community. Stumble Toward The Light. Where I teach everything I know, more or less. I plan on releasing courses, frameworks, This means teaching: -Principles of using Artificial intelligence. -Search Engine Optimization -A path to find your “Why” -Principles of writing -Personal branding -Copywriting -Upwork I will also do a weekly group call. Guiding people toward the same outcome I achieved in my life. Living with purpose and earning money through something meaningful. Why all of those? Because I used everything to win, not a specific skill, not a specific method. The core of 'Stumbling Toward The Light' is using whatever you can to push through the absurd setbacks and challenges that life throws at you. The first FIVE people who join get the best deal known to humankind. I already have people interested, so let me create some FOMO and say: Hurry up. DM “Stumble” to learn more. ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ Thank you for reading the longest post I wrote on X!

Golden

Dan doesn't need the $1M article prize. I find it funny that most people quoting him are so unfamiliar with his work or his level as a creator. Dan is already a multi-millionaire; he earned all of that through his work as a creator. He already made it. So for him to win, it wouldn’t make much of a difference in his life. He is already on a trajectory to make far more than $1M. On the other hand, a random creator could have their entire bloodline changed by the prize. So I hope a small, unknown individual rises to the challenge.

AI detectors are the most useless invention I’ve seen. I won’t even get into how often they misfire, labeling pre-GPT writing as 100% AI-generated. What I want to talk about is how they’re used to pass judgment on content. It doesn’t matter if your article was written by your cat. If the content does its job, represents the brand, and drives conversions, it works. A human can write disgusting content that damages a business instead of helping it. So why should it matter? Because people struggle to accept that technology has become this advanced. It’s hard to admit that, with the right guidance, a soulless machine can mimic great writers with incredible precision. But that’s the reality.

Break your New Year's resolution. A fairly 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, but it seems like it could actually help you. How? Most people set ambitious goals at the start of the year. Ambition is good. But it also comes with pressure, and that pressure often leads to procrastination, frustration, and sometimes giving up entirely. 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺, failing in the process, and improving will get you a lot further. The results can come out ugly and imperfect, but if they work, 𝗶𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿. Perfection is the result of mastery, and mastery is the result of imperfect action.

Had to pause my break from X to comment on this. This is the hardest level of copium I’ve seen. Psychologist here. Over 10 years of studying the human mind, with a deep interest in cognition. Yes, there is degradation, but mostly because people let it happen. You can stop a significant part of it through exercise. If you look at the brains of athletes, they tend to maintain roughly the same cognitive capacity over time. Yes, if your diet is shit, if you aren’t capable of doing a push-up, and you treat sleep like a joke, cognition will be the least of your problems. But if you take care of yourself, there are countless ways to preserve cognitive function, even in later decades of life. From psychedelics to supplements to working hard on your craft, you can do something about it. If you are not a coward, there are options. But it’s easy to lie on your back and tell yourself that your prime years are gone. And that’s just another version of the victim mindset. Take accountability. Do some research. Now it’s easier than ever, with all the damn AI bots. Build a vision. You still have decades to achieve what you want. It just takes some courage.

Livestreaming a heroic dose level trip is a bad idea. Psychedelic experiences are deeply personal. Why would you want to broadcast your reactions to such an experience live to the entire internet? There is nothing to gain, and you risk contaminating your own experience. Because you are human, part of your mind will inevitably wonder how others see you. To face whatever the experience reveals, you will need the whole of your being to process it. You cannot care about anything other than being in the moment when your ego and the universe you once knew shatter before your eyes.

Labeling everyone who sells courses as a scammer is lazy. Why? You give up your critical thinking. There are creators with years of experience and real talent sharing what they know. And there are scammers trying to take your money. Your job is to tell the difference. The value is there. It just takes effort to find. I made over six figures as a writer by learning shit online. From cheap courses and free YouTube videos. It takes repetition, patience, and experimentation. No course will make you a billionaire overnight. But the right ones give you a map to navigate your challenges. Knowledge has always been sold, just in different forms.

Being harmless and “nice” is not a virtue. It’s cowardice disguised as aptitude. “It’s better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war.” ― Miyamoto Musashi Whatever you want out of this life, have the courage to become the person capable of attaining it.

You have to act on your beliefs. Action is the second ingredient of manifestation, one that’s often left out. People try to project themselves into success through fantasizing. It doesn’t work like that. You have to align your entire being with your beliefs. Then God or the universe inevitably responds with luck.