Today we’d like to introduce you to Blake D. Bauer.
Hi Blake D., so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
As a teenager and young adult, I struggled very deeply mentally and emotionally. In my teens, I abused alcohol and drugs to the point that I was arrested a number of times for drug possession. I also played football in high school and was co-captain of the varsity team senior year, along with two close friends. When I was 17, during the summer before senior year, I got a very bad DUI after a night of abusing cannabis, alcohol, and Xanax. I fell asleep high and drunk in my car in front of train tracks in the middle of the night. My football coach found out halfway through my senior year season and kicked me off the team. From there I spiraled downhill and fell into a very dark depression. I had destroyed and sabotaged everything I cared about and identified with. At the age of 18, I found myself very lost and confused, tortured by anxiety, negative thinking, and suicidal thoughts. My ego, or who I believed myself to be, completely shattered. At the same time, I was facing a major life decision and juncture about what path to take in life. Do I go to work, do I study, what do I study? How do I make a living? Is success and happiness about making money? I had no idea who I was or what I wanted to do with my life, which only added to my suffering, shame, and anxiety.
It’s a much longer story but at 18 years old I began asking two questions every day. ‘How do I heal myself or free myself from my suffering?’ And, ‘What is the purpose of my life?’ I moved forward each day solely wanting to answer and understand the keys to being healthy, happy and fulfilled. This quest led me to 5 different universities, to working for a seventh-generation Chinese herbalist and oncology M.D., to reading 100’s of books on health, happiness, healing, alternative medicine, personal development, religion, and spirituality, and to studying with masters in practices like meditation, yoga, tai chi and qi gong. After years of extensive study, work, and personal practice in these areas, the only thing I grew to care about was sharing what I had learned with other people who were also struggling with their health, happiness, purpose, and relationships. I was so desperate personally to understand how to feel well mentally, emotionally, and physically, and also to understand the purpose of my life, that when I found the clarity I was seeking, I simply wanted to share it with as many people as I could. This calling led first to private work with individuals, then to seminars, workshops, and retreats with larger groups, and then to the publication of my first book, which is now an International bestseller translated in 12 languages and thankfully helping people all over the world.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely not. I often felt misunderstood by family, friends, and society in general, and the journey felt like an uphill battle. I was going against what was culturally normal. I stepped away from what other people found important, I stopped trying to escape my pain, I learned how to heal, and then I made helping people my primary focus in a materialistic society that rewards and idolizes unhealthy forms of selfishness.
Professionally, getting published was very challenging. I was 24 years old when I had the idea for my first book You Were Not Born To Suffer. I started looking for an agent and pitching to publishers but no one took me seriously. I was rejected by over 100 agents and publishers because they looked at me as though ‘what could this kid know.’ Eventually, through a writing competition, I won a contract with one of the largest personal development publishers in the world, which at the time was a dream come true. The book series I was contracted to be a part of was not doing well and the budget was cut. I was first to go because I was a ‘nobody’ in their eyes. I was so heartbroken and confused at first, but then I decided that I would self-publish my book and not wait for anyone to say that my experiences were valid or that what I had learned was valuable. I had a very strong drive and calling, and so at the age of 27, I self-published the first edition of my book. I proceeded to print, distribute, market and travel to speak in Australia, the UK and the US, and my book eventually became a bestseller.
I was disillusioned multiple times when I realized that many people, publishers, or organizations care far more about the bottom line and making money than actually helping people. I realized the truth in the saying ‘don’t have false idols.’ I also realized that, in the end, we have to become what we are looking for.
Today these themes still challenge me, but I have learned to stay true to myself and my path without doubting myself or doubting what feels true and healthy. I think life tests us every day both personally and professionally to value ourselves more and to practice deeper self-love, kindness, and genuine vulnerability. For me, this dynamic proves true in every situation, each day.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Every year I help thousands of people who are stuck or struggling and cannot find lasting solutions from conventional medicine, psychology, religion, or common self-help teachings.
My worldview is that most forms of suffering are cries from our body, soul and subconscious mind asking us to love, value, accept, forgive, believe in, and be true to ourselves more fully in the present. Life and our body send us wake-up calls in the form of health issues, relationship struggles, accidents, and work problems so we can bring more awareness, kindness, and integrity into our daily life. I help people choose the view that everything is always happening in the name of love because this is the most powerful mindset we can choose to create our lives around. It empowers people to prioritize healthy love for themselves first and then for other people, which ultimately sets in motion the most important breakthroughs.
I currently host a handful of retreats each year and I just started taking a limited number of private clients for the first time in 7 years. My retreats are typically over a weekend or over 5 nights, and many take place in the mountains in Colorado. These focus on learning exactly how to love & value yourself in the present, in every situation, so a person can heal their past and present while also shaping a healthier future based on deep self-worth, self-trust and self-respect. I also teach Qi Gong healing exercises and meditation, which help people to heal their minds and unlock the stuck emotion, energy and blood that is keeping them stuck, depressed, or sick.
My private work with individuals and couples focuses on healing the root causes of our suffering and our deepest blocks. I help clients understand exactly how to heal their past trauma and heartbreak, improve their relationships, and love, value and care for themselves deeply now as the foundation for lasting health, happiness, self-respect and being able to offer healthy love to others.
Besides overcoming my own deep trauma, suffering and substance abuse, I have an extensive formal background in traditional Chinese medicine, five-element Chinese medicine, nutritional medicine, herbal healing, psychology, past life regression therapy-hypnosis, and various other forms of alternative medicine. I also trained with spiritual teachers, healers, and masters from all over the world in practices such as mindfulness, Buddhist, Taoist and zen meditation, qi gong, qi gong energy medicine, hands-on healing, and dao yin (a health and longevity yoga).
I know what it’s like to suffer, to be lost, to be tortured mentally and emotionally, to be unhappy, and to simply need effective support. I was desperate to heal, find purpose, and create a healthy authentic life that I could respect myself for. I feel lucky to have found the practical answers and solutions I was looking for, which is why I love sharing them with other people.
I help my clients understand exactly how to love, value and heal themselves in the present, which entails learning how to stop hurting yourself and how to stop allowing yourself to be hurt. I also support my clients in figuring out how to make a living doing what they love and how to break through wherever they’re stuck professionally.
If you’re stuck, struggling, or wanting support to make your next big move, you can find dozens of free interviews and podcasts online that will offer strong support immediately. Otherwise, check out my book You Were Not Born To Suffer, my retreats, or my private work. I have helped 10’s of thousands of people who hadn’t found practical effective solutions elsewhere, and I’d be honored to support your path and journey.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I think I’ve been on both sides of Luck. Overall I have to count my blessings and say good luck has won to date. My biological dad wasn’t really in my life growing up, which at first felt unlucky. But then, I had a step-father who was a much better influence in my life. He was also extremely hard on me, which felt very unhealthy at the time, but it turned out to be what I needed in many respects. I got away with doing drugs and drinking excessively as a teenager until it caught up with me. I took my good luck for granted and then eventually sabotaged everything I cared about as a young man. I was co-captain of the varsity football team in high school with offers to play college football but then I got a terrible DUI and ruined my good luck at that time. However, this led to me hitting rock bottom in my life at 18 which then led me to search for answers to some of life’s most important questions. The bad luck I created as a teenager became good luck because I found my purpose and life’s work at a very young age. I was rejected by 100 agents and publishers when I was writing my first book, and that felt like bad luck over and over again. Then I got a contract with one of the largest health and personal development publishers in the world, which then felt like great luck. But then my contract was dropped. Bad luck. Like many times in the past, I took my luck into my own hands and decided to self-publish, which led to my book becoming a #1 bestseller in Australia, which then led to a traditional publisher in London buying my book, to 12 foreign language translations, and to it now being an international bestseller. As I write this, it’s clear to me that luck is like the yin-yang symbol in that good luck can turn into bad luck if we take good luck for granted, and bad luck can turn into good luck if we learn from our mistakes and change when we’re making unhealthy choices. I think I am still tested with this theme every day, and I’m doing my best to be grateful for my blessings and to shift my pain and blocks into growth and impact. Ultimately I do think we create our levels of good and bad luck based on our karma, choices and focus.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.unconditional-selflove.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blakedbauer
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlakeBauer1/
- Twitter: https://www.facebook.com/YouWereNotBornToSuffer.by.BlakeDBauer/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BlakeDBauer
- Yelp: https://youtu.be/hpizDHaZ4Hw
- SoundCloud: https://youtu.be/U7CB79xbIiY
- Other: https://youtu.be/7N4TBilNEmI
