Let me start with something uncomfortable.
Everyone talks about scale. Build bigger. Reach more people. I’ve spent 24 years trying to touch millions with Mindvalley.
And I’ve finally figured out the part no one tells you: the bigger you get, the more you realize that apps, content, and algorithms all have an invisible ceiling.
Let me explain.
In 2002, I was VP of a dot-com with offices in San Francisco and New York. I was paid well, earning the equivalent of $150,000 a year in today’s money. I had stability. A decent place to live. Everything that was supposed to matter.
But something felt off.
While I had money and stability, I lacked meaning. I woke up every day dreading going to work. Work was a chore. Something I simply did not enjoy.
I’d worked many jobs across the years, as a dishwasher in Michigan, for a nonprofit in New York helping Americans understand other cultures, and climbing the corporate ladder as a VP of Sales in technology. But this VP role? It was draining the life out of me.
One day, in the middle of that chaos, I made a decision that made absolutely no financial sense.
I paid $10,000 to train as a Silva Method facilitator.
The Silva Method was a meditation course I’d taken about 18 months earlier. It has transformed me. In fact, it was the very course that helped me go from an intern at this company to a VP in record time. Now I had the promotion, the salary, and the title.
So why would I suddenly throw away $10,000 to become a facilitator?
Here’s what I understood, even then:
The best investment is never the one that makes immediate sense.
It was a gut feeling, really. I knew I wanted to start a business. I just didn’t know what. I dabbled with many ideas, an early version of a blogging software app (Blogger.com beat me to it), a unique spin on children’s stuffed animal toys. Nothing felt right.
But then I saw a quote by Nelson Mandela that I couldn’t shake from my head. It said:
“If you want to change the world, change education.”
I thought about that. And I realized something profound: the best education I’d ever received wasn’t university. It wasn’t Microsoft.
It was meditation. Mindset. Consciousness.
That was the education that truly transformed my life.
So I decided to double down. I decided to dedicate my life to upgrading human education, not just teaching people how to make a living, but how to live.
I put down $10,000 to train with one of Jose Silva’s nephews. Jose himself had passed away in 1999, so I never got to meet this brilliant man.
After I graduated, I decided to teach my first Silva class.
As you can see, it was small. Hardly anything to brag about. And I took this picture before my students poured in.
I taught them the Silva Method over a weekend and earned about $2,000-$3,000.
I felt rich for the first time in my life.
I’d earned money on my own initiative. But more than that, I felt something I’d never felt in that VP role.
I felt alive.
I couldn’t see the future. If you’d told me that 20 years ago, before making that decision to become a Silva instructor and teach my first class, that I would be running an education app company that does well over 100 million in revenue, and that app would be featured in every Apple store in the world, I would have thought you were crazy.
Everything started from that crummy hotel room at a Holiday Inn in 2002.
While my VP of Sales job made me money but drained the life out of me, teaching and helping students with the Silva Method lit me up.
I felt joy. A connection. A centeredness that I had never experienced before. I was contributing. I was making a difference.
From there, I built a website to sell meditation CDs. Then, building an app. The n creating Mindvalley. Then, creating festivals around the world.
Each step of growth came from this one question:
How could I spread enlightened ideas to more and more people?
The mission vs. the money
You remember when I earned $2,000-$3,000 teaching that first Silva Method class?
I said it was the first time I felt genuinely rich.
But here’s what actually happened that weekend:
I made a choice. Not between a job and a mission, but between two kinds of lives.
One pays you. One fills you.
Business people do it for the dollars. Entrepreneurs do it to change the world.
The difference?
When you’re acting from a mission, everything changes.
That $2,000 didn’t feel like income; it felt like an impact. It felt aligned. It felt alive.
And that alignment? That’s what compounds.
That’s what scales from one hotel room in 2002 to 100 million people in 2024.
The real question isn’t
“Will this make money?”
It’s:
“Is this me solving something that matters?”
When the answer is yes, money follows. Impact follows. A life that means something follows.
Here’s the uncomfortable truth:
If your work is only about you, it will eventually exhaust you.
But if your work is about something bigger than you, something that serves humanity, something that heals, uplifts, and transforms, then that energy finds you.
All great movements start small.
A classroom. A garage. A dorm room. A hotel conference room with bad carpet and stale coffee.
But they start with a decision.
Not to make money. Not to build a brand. But to serve a mission.
So let me leave you with this:
What injustice bothers you?
What system feels broken?
What part of humanity deserves an upgrade?
And what would happen if you stopped asking:
“What’s practical?” and started asking, “What’s noble?”
Because that $10,000 decision? It wasn’t about meditation. It was about saying yes to a mission. And when you say yes to a noble mission, the world rearranges itself around you.
Sincerely,
Vishen
One last thing: Ask yourself one honest question: If money were guaranteed, what mission would you choose? Drop it in the comments. Sometimes speaking it publicly is the first step toward making it real.
If you are interested in the Mindvalley Certified Life Coach, I’ve added a little bit of information below; see the PS line.
PS: Because of how becoming a coach and facilitator changed my life. In 2021, I started a company with co-founder Ajit Nawalkha called Mindvalley Coach. To train people to become coaches and facilitators.
Over 12,000 coaches have been trained so far, and many of them didn’t do it to turn this into a side business, like I did, but because they want to bring the practices of elevating humanity to their employees, businesses, and families.
If you find this interesting, our next Certified Life Coaching class starts March 4. Go here to learn more.
84 Responses
Medical freedom
If I could speak clearly and money was guaranteed there are two classes I would teach. Both involving customer service, human connection, kindness and respect.
I would teach a special one for the medical community. It would be called “A Client/Patient Appreciation Class”. It’s for medical students and ALL medical personnel. It is time to clean house! It is time to put each individual patient’s wellbeing first. The God complex can be checked at the door! I would make it clear that ultimately the client/patient provides their paychecks and keeps the lights on in any facility whether that’s through insurances, themselves, etc….
I would teach “not all good things are good for all people”. (Mine own quote) Every person is unique and if this is the profession that truly brings that person an abundance of joy then it’s time to listen, to be honest, to be responsible and that means keeping their clients absolutely as healthy as possible and, most of all, it’s time to show the utmost respect.
The other class I would teach is also a customer/client appreciation class. But, it’s for anyone and everyone in any position from receptions, sales, warehouse personnel to CEOs. AI can NOT take the place of human connection. People aren’t algorithms, they’re people. They’re sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, veterans, moms, dads, grandparents, aunts, uncles, your favorite grade school teacher and your biggest nemesis. We have become so busy on our phones, notebooks, computers, games, social media and what’s the latest and greatest thing…….we’ve forgotten that there’s a person on the other end of the phone, sitting next to you, around the table or across from you. It’s time to turn the page and create a new era of kindness and respect.
Technology is great…..in its place!!!! AI has its place. But, there is a balance to maintain. The pendulum has gone too far in one direction. We’ve forgotten about our fellow homo sapiens. Loneliness is at its all time high. Yes, the last five years had something to do with that. However, that is the past. We are in the here and now. What are we going to do with this opportunity?
If money was not an issue I’d quit my job and work on my non-profit, The American Dance Museum.
Thank you for your inspiring reflections. I have been reading your work for nearly four years now—quietly, attentively, sometimes skeptically, but always with the curiosity of a journalist who once believed that ideas could still change the course of a life.
I should be honest with you.
Today, I trust passion more than I trust promises.
Over the years, I have watched many beautiful words—mission, purpose, humanity, even “free”—slowly lose their innocence. They are dressed up, polished, and then sold back to people like me, who are told we are not customers but “communities,” while still being treated as leads in a funnel. After a while, the emails stop being opened. Not out of indifference, but out of fatigue. When every message wants to convert you, you begin to protect what little belief you have left.
I am a 64-year-old journalist.
Or perhaps I should say: I was one.
For four decades, I tried to remain faithful to journalism—to the stubborn idea that truth matters, that stories matter, that people’s lives deserve to be recorded with dignity. Then war arrived in my homeland like a ruthless editor who deletes entire chapters without warning. I left everything behind and came to Canada. The country welcomed me kindly, but my forty years of experience were placed gently, almost politely, into a drawer labeled “irrelevant.” I was told to start over.
So I did.
Today, I work as a driver. It is honest work, and I do not complain. But sometimes, between one destination and another, I feel that my life was rewritten in a language I no longer fully speak. I am afraid that this, perhaps, is how my story will end—not with a final article, but with a final ride.
And yet, strangely, your story about that small hotel room in 2002 did not sound like a marketing narrative to me. It sounded like a confession. A man choosing to feel alive rather than merely employed. That part I understood deeply. Because when everything else is stripped away—titles, offices, audiences—what remains is only the stubborn pulse of passion. The same pulse that kept me writing through difficult years, and that still whispers to me even now, when no newsroom is waiting for my copy.
Allow me a small journalistic footnote. You quoted Mandela in spirit, but the well-known line attributed to him is: “If you want to change the world, start by changing yourself.” Perhaps the phrasing differs across sources, but the essence remains the same: transformation begins inward, before it echoes outward.
I do not write this to reject your message, but to place it in the real terrain where many of us stand—older, displaced, uncertain, yet still quietly loyal to the idea that meaning is more valuable than profit. If there is a mission left for me, it is not to build an empire or an app, but simply to remain faithful to the craft of telling human stories, even if the audience is now only myself.
You asked: if money were guaranteed, what mission would I choose?
I would choose to keep writing—honestly, stubbornly—so that the lives erased by war, migration, and time are not forgotten.
Perhaps that is not a scalable mission.
But it is a true one.
Sincerely,
A journalist who lost everything except his passion
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Every job I’ve had for the past 12 years hasn’t been about the money, it’s been about how I can serve and uplifting others…whether my work as an Event Coordinator helping bring clients visions of their weddings and functions come to life 💕 uplifting someone’s day serving them in hospitality ☕️🍰🍻🥂, helping the elderly enjoy their last year’s of life with dignity (and fun 😉) and helping the Carer’s feel appreciated for their hard work when I worked in Aged Care…or my time working in school’s helping kids see their potential and helping teachers feel seen and valued in their important roles …I have been very blessed to find so much fulfilment in all of the work I have done. And…despite money being guaranteed or not…I am on a mission to help as many people as possible feel safe and valued for who they are, so that we can live in a world that feels safe and valuable to everyone ❤️
Question: If money were guaranteed, what mission would you choose?
Answer: I would educate people about life, about how to cope, about what tools and systems work for what results they want. I would inspire, create a support group and community, and would do YouTube videos, create content and empower others. I would teach about self-compassion, self-love. I would help them find who they are, their energy types, and create pathways and map out ways to work with who they are an not against their zone of genius. I would yell, and dance, and jump up and down when someone hit a milestone. I would create ways to reduce stress in their lives, to create income, to empower others about finances, and help people engineer their invironment for success. I would connect others to other people who need each other. I would create assets that pay me and would teach others how to do the same. I would bring hope, teach people about the power of gratitude, and map out ways to create massive abundance. I would champion the wonderful people out there who are giving and share their goodness and support and knowledge. I would create a network of believers, of creators, of enablers, of entrepreneurs. I would help others find their purpose and live it to their fullest.
I have a deep yearning for something much more, meaningful. Throughout my career as a lender before moving into the corporate banking. I have always enjoyed motivating encouraging and mentoring others to stay positive and to achieve more. I would like to discuss my possibilities of becoming an affiliate or felicitator.
If money was no object, I would take my Silva 2 day Ultra seminar that I took with Laura Silva and help women with CPTSD and DV to become whole once again. Mental Health has not been helpful and it seems to add to the problem. This woud level up my training as MSN , retired. Being a victim of both of these, I think I could have a huge impact.
If money would not matter I would construct houses that are autark, derive from an understanding of natural law and balance in their forms, their lighting, their position in coordance to their owners energy. Including water that has well water quality and feels like a second skin to your body. An oasis, a still point, in all the chaos of this world. Totally natural and healthy within and without….
My mission: helping companies move from linear, fossil-based resources and processes to circular, biobased resources and processes.
i have a multi book deal with my Success Attitude concept, I am speaking on stages globally, i share on the MV stage, I have a deal for my interactive movie to empower women which means my manifestion course with Reagan has worked 🙂
Great message – I would revitalize small town America
I run a health and wellness company that uses natural ingredients for healing.
Whenever I start to feel overwhelmed by the business I inevitably will get a call from one of my customers telling me how our products have transformed their health and therefore their lives.
This is why I do what I do. It makes all the long hours worth it!
If money were guaranteed, I would dedicate myself to missions that truly touch the human soul:
Empowering young women who lack confidence, helping them believe in themselves and recognize their inner strength.
Supporting people affected by environmental catastrophes such as earthquakes and wildfires, offering both practical and emotional support.
Helping individuals reconnect with their spirituality and cultivate deeper happiness and meaning in their lives.
Supporting young orphaned children, ensuring they feel cared for, valued, and hopeful about their future.
Visiting retirement homes to accompany elderly people, so they do not feel alone and forgotten.
After reflecting on this question, I will take time to truly visualize myself living these possibilities. I sincerely hope that one day I will bring at least some of these visions into real life.
Thank you for such an insightful and inspiring question.
Vishen, your path inspires me. So much of what you share really hits home for me.
I recently self-published Uplifting Poetry for Self-Love, Hope & Healing in hopes of spreading light and love. Just last night, I began exploring partnerships so it can reach further than I ever could one by one.
Saying it publicly here feels like a step. Many blessings, and my gratitude for all you’ve brought into my life through Mindvalley. 🙏💜
Helping people be truly themselves and rest in themselves with love.
For children to learn to keep their glow and song amid forces of conditioning.
For adults to reclaim it.
I wrote and illustrated a children’s book (“Baby Duckling meets the Mermaid”, about metta practice) for my niece along these lines. I think it’s time to make some more.
When I did my MBA thesis a decade ago, it was on “Conscious Human Intention in the Workplace and its Effects on Improvement Initiatives”. Since then, I’ve been using Noetic Science as a methodology to help me truly understand what works and what doesn’t, so that I can bring theory to practice in the business world. That is my purpose. That is my mission in life.
Thank you for being so open about your life. That is amazing how you always trusted your heart. Congrats on all of your milestones. They feel really special and are a part of a magical journey. You brought up a great point about investments. Investing for me is being the space that is requested at any given moment of the day 24/7 … you ultimately make the final choice. The whispers are always there and this plays in my ear everytime I hear a whisper… I saw an IG post where Michael Jackson had an article that stated something along the lines of …one of his team members shared… He would call everyone up at 3am to create the melody in his heart because the universe gave it to him first. That was powerful and reassurance that my heart and my love are uniquely mine and it is my choice if I allow myself to sing it. And so for me investing in myself is filling up my cup with whatever my heart desires so I can give from my overflow and trusting that every stepping stone appears after taking that leap of faith(the footprints). Every time I purchase anything … I say thank you money angels for visiting please come back and visit with more and more friends soon(Honda). Oh it’s def a party to remember!! I love playing with money and trust the universe has my back always. I also learned something new today in a Mystical Mastery class I am in as well (I know I know … it’s my life what brings me joy) during meditation with the rose , my aura quartz crystal, my rose oil from alteya (sacred land of roses) and (me, myself and I…. I felt this flow in … Tears are as sacred as a Tree willing to let go of it’s leaves in the fall… knowing and trusting that the divine intelligence has a bigger plan. So when my inner temple feels the energy of the frequency being released … I am held , loved and releasing … knowing I am making space for a higher frequency of love to flow through me in all ways if I am willing to rec as well. So yes ! Invest in what lights you up because that is how you ignite the light in others! By the way , how was Italy/Spain? I think you were going to both. Any aha moments with the family or new inspirations. I feel like their Flamenco dance has an interesting energy and making fresh pasta as well… kneading is like investing and the dance is that spark to cocreate with life… reflections, inner power, inner knowing , that passion for life itself. Cheers to an amazing week!
If money was guaranteed I would go back to Zimbabwe and start up my ‘All Dolled Up’ project again, properly, as a registered charity and expand its capacity from not just toys but being able to revamp enitre orphanages, repaint, furnish, play areas etc…There are 1.4 million orphans in Zimbabwe roughly 10% of the population……all relying on charity. There is none to little government assistance to these childrens homes. Obviously all donations to these homes go towards the fundamentals, shelter, food, clothing and education. Most of these kids have ever owned a toy of their own in their lives, especially in the smaller ‘unknown’ orphanages. I started a project called ‘All Dolled Up’ where I asked people to donate to me all their second hand toys, in any condition so I could revamp them. All the teddy bears through the washing machine, new googly eyes if needed, brushed up and a new ribbon. Good as new! Anything and everything from Barbie dolls to toy cars, jigsaw puzzles, books, clothing whatever I could get hands on. I would contact an orphanage, visit, get a list of first names of all the chidren, age, gender, hobbies, disabilities and set a date for the party. Then I would pick and pack a large gift bag for each child so that everyone in that home was gifted equally yet individually. I added in basic toiletries and some snacks and sweets. And then my helpers and I would go and have a party with the children, music, cakes drinks, and we would hand each child their persnalised gift bag. It was the most fullfilling and best time of my life. The look on those chidrens faces when they got their bag, was the most humbling and joyous moments in my life and I will treasure them forever. if only I could earn a living in Zimbabwe I would go back in a heartbeat and start it up again!