Alex Manzi

This 'Map of Consciousness' creates an enlightenment trap that the "gurus" don't want you to know about. It is GROSSLY misinterpreted and I'm going to explain why. You’ve probably seen the “Map of Consciousness” by David Hawkins floating around the internet. It’s a diagram showing different levels of human consciousness, from enlightenment all the way down to shame and guilt, with each state linked to an energetic vibration or frequency. On the surface, it looks helpful. It lays out the full spectrum of human experience in a structured way. But there’s a big misunderstanding about this map that most people miss and many so-called gurus WON'T admit. I know this, because I fell into the misunderstanding. It’s this... You’re not meant to live only in the higher states like peace, joy, or enlightenment. You're meant to experience ALL of them. Every single level on that chart, from shame to enlightenment, is part of being human. There’s nothing wrong with any of them. They’re not good or bad. They just are. But the moment you start believing that some levels are “better” and others are “worse,” you create tension inside yourself. And that tension becomes the real problem. As an example... Let’s say you’re feeling peace. You’re right at the top of the chart. You tell yourself, “This is it. This is where I need to be.” What happens? You start clinging. You fear dropping down into anger, fear, or guilt. That clinging creates tension. Suddenly, peace no longer feels peaceful. Now imagine you’re in shame or guilt. You resist it. You try to push it away. You tell yourself you should be in joy or love or enlightenment. Again, tension. The real trap is the belief that you shouldn’t be where you are. This is what I see happening all the time. People using this map as a way to judge their inner experience. Trying to measure how “good” their life is based on what state they’re in. It turns into a scoreboard for your emotions. And that’s not what the map was ever meant to be. I’ve been caught in that game too where I've been chasing those upper states. Telling myself I need to stay in love, peace, or joy. And every time I fall out of them, I feel like I’ve failed. But that’s just another form of resistance. It’s like expecting the weather to always be sunny. That’s not how nature works. Some days are cloudy. Some days it rains. Some days there’s a storm. And it’s all part of the cycle. Human emotion works the same way. You can’t sustain those upper frequencies 24/7. You’re not supposed to. And when you try to, you create suffering. The gurus who push this idea of “living in high vibrations only” often have something to sell you, wither a course, a method, or a lifestyle. They keep you in a loop of chasing a feeling that’s unsustainable, which keeps you dependent on them. But the truth they don’t tell you? The real power comes when you can be okay with whatever state you’re in. Shame. Guilt. Fear. Courage. Acceptance. Joy. Peace. Enlightenment. All of it. When you accept the experience you’re having fully, without resistance, your energy naturally shifts. Your vibration naturally rises. Not because you're forcing it. But because you're no longer holding tension. That acceptance creates spaciousness. It brings ease. It brings presence. And that’s the whole point. Life isn’t about escaping the lower states. It’s about embracing all of them without making any of them wrong. So the next time you see that chart, don’t use it to judge where you are. Don’t use it as a stick to beat yourself with. Use it as a mirror to reflect the full spectrum of being human. That’s where the real transformation begins.

@ScalerSohom Thanks man. Appreciate the words. What stood out for you particularly?

Yesterday we kicked off day one of my Lead with Clarity retreat. We started with lunch made from local produce - fresh, nourishing food to fuel the body. After lunch, we went into our welcome circle. I welcomed everyone to the group and acknowledged them for being here, for the commitment they’ve made to themselves to take a week out of their lives to create change, whether in their circumstances, careers, mentality, or within themselves. We talked through our loose agenda for the week, which includes plenty of coaching, but also downtime and reflection. The slowing down and reflective elements are just as important as the coaching. They’re how people get the most value out of this experience. We then set our group agreements: - To keep each other in integrity - To stay on track - To listen for the best in each other - To show up for ourselves and for one another as best as we can This opening circle is about setting the scene. It creates the container for what will be an incredible week of transformation - for everyone here, including myself. I asked each person to bring one or two intentions: what they wanted to see differently, change, or gain by being here. By naming their intentions, they put them out into the universe. Whether we cover that exact topic or not, they’ll be listening through the lens of what they want to learn, shift, or experience by the end of the week. All of this is designed to help everyone get the most out of the retreat, so it can truly be one of the most transformative weeks of their lives. We also started our first conversation on the mind-body-spirit connection, and the importance of being in tune with all three. That’s how we begin to live into our full potential and create a fulfilling life. I’m excited to see where these conversations go and what unfolds over the rest of the week.

A client left me a message today. The film she has been working on for months to get funding received the final £4m it needed to get into production. 5 months ahead of schedule. All because she stopped waiting and started creating.

This was a legendary conversation 🙏🏼 looking forward to listening back

@jackmoses0 Krishnamurti the goat

If you want to change a habit, don’t look at the habit itself, but instead look at the self-image that is creating the habit. All actions are downstream of your personal identity. Intentionally construct a new self-image, do the meditative work to embody your new frequency, and the habits that no longer serve you will naturally fade away without effort or force.

@ndrsbdnr Thanks man, appreciate you 🙏🏼

I'm sharing this brilliant post, not only because it describes what I'm struggling with myself, but because I am 100% certain that many more people are in the same boat. If you are building your vision at home, in isolation, this can creep up on you before you know it.

@realaniskhan Well said Anis

@IAmAlexManzi That guilt-driven productivity creates worse work anyway. The weird thing nobody mentions is that your best thinking happens during downtime. Rest isn't lost time, it's when your brain actually solves the hard problems you were spinning on yesterday.

A few months ago, I decided to quit being a workaholic. I realised that my default state was constantly thinking I’m not doing enough. There’s more I can be doing. I should be productive right now. Every time I had a gap in my diary or a bit of downtime, my mind would go straight to: How can I fill this time? What can I do to move things forward? And I could always find something; messages to send, content to write, strategy to plan. But what I noticed was that I was stuck in an endless loop of doing. Even when I wasn’t working, my mind was. That feeling of I should be further ahead or I’m falling behind became constant background noise. And I’ve seen this same pattern in so many business owners and leaders; the belief that doing more equals better results. When I noticed this, I decided to run an experiment. Every time that thought "I need to do more" showed up, I wouldn’t act on it. Instead, I’d take action only from the place of I’m doing enough. I’ve done enough. I started trusting that what I get done this week sets up the next week, and that the next week sets up the one after. Four months later, something interesting happened. Not only did I start enjoying my downtime more; going for walks, reading, playing PlayStation, spending time with the dog, but my business results got better. I even finished something I've been putting off for years - writing my graphic novel. In fact, these past four months have been the best I’ve ever had in business. And it’s not because I’ve been doing more. It’s because the energy behind what I’m doing has completely changed. The energy now comes from I already have everything I need. I’m already doing enough. There’s no desperation, no pressure to prove myself. There’s passion. There’s calm. There’s fun. There’s trust. I’m sleeping better, training better, and actually enjoying the process again. The work hasn’t changed... the energy has. And that’s made all the difference. So I’ve decided I’m done being a workaholic. I’m choosing to be a lifeaholic. Because if we can’t slow down enough to actually enjoy the life that’s right in front of us - to be present, to spend time with the people we love, to rest - then what’s the point of all the success we’re chasing? Curious - have you ever noticed how your energy changes the quality of your work? Peace and love 💜

Someone asked me what’s the best thing I’m working on right now I said myself

@mattwelter You need to be talking to me. No cap. Anxiety runs deeper than what you do / don’t have

i have... - an amazing girlfriend - making ~$450k this year - can work anywhere / anytime - live in a house w/ a pool yet i have anxiety every damn day, tight chest, hard to take a deep breaths, intrusive thoughts, always feeling not enough, can never relax what went wrong

What choices are you making?

I stopped trying to build my business “online” because guess what? Real coaching relationships are created offline. They’re nurtured and grown over time. And I’ve had my best income months since then.

A client said to me recently, “I just feel like I’m constantly chasing my tail. There’s never any time to think. I’m either in meetings or fixing fires.” He runs a successful creative agency. Talented team. Impressive clients. But he’s exhausted and so is his team. I asked him, “When was the last time you stopped long enough to actually think?” He paused. Then laughed. “Honestly? I can’t remember.” That’s the problem. Somewhere along the way, “busy” became normal. We wear it like a badge of honour. I know because I used to do the same when I worked at BBC Radio 1Xtra and Spotify — long hours, constant deadlines, the next campaign always waiting. It felt exciting… until it didn’t. What I’ve learned and what I now help my clients see is that busyness kills creativity. It drains energy. It stops you from seeing the bigger picture. The best leaders aren’t the busiest. They’re the most spacious. They build room to think, breathe, and reflect — and that’s where their best ideas come from. If you lead a creative business, here’s a question worth asking: What’s the real cost of being “too busy” to think? Much love 💜

The greatest internal skill you can build is when everything seems to be going against you, to still believe, respond and act from a place that everything is working out perfectly

@thedanielaros Love to hear it man!

@IAmAlexManzi Being "busy" used to feel like an Olympic sport. Glad I left that crap behind.

The biggest lie we tell ourselves is that being “busy” is normal. “I’m slammed.” “I’m time poor.” “I’m flat out right now.” These are the phrases I hear the most often. I used to say those things all the time when I worked at BBC Radio 1Xtra and Spotify. Everyone around me did too. It was a badge of honour. A kind of proof that we were doing something important. But the truth is being constantly busy isn’t a sign of success. It’s a sign of disconnection. In those environments, everything felt urgent. Deadlines ruled. Slow seasons barely existed. And even when we created something amazing, we rarely stopped long enough to celebrate or reflect before rushing to the next thing. Now, after coaching 100+ leaders and creative founders, I see the same pattern play out again and again. Busyness becomes the enemy of what actually matters; creativity, innovation, and high performance. Because for those things to thrive, people need space. Time to think. Time to breathe. Time to reflect. When your team is running at 100mph, they’re not producing their best work — they’re producing the quickest work. The leaders and teams who win long-term are the ones who take a stand for slowness. They build cultures that value depth over speed. They make time to pause, question, and reimagine before they act. You can still run a fast-moving business without burning everyone out. But it starts with you — the leader — choosing to create room for both pace and presence. If you’re a creative founder or leader feeling stretched, it might be time to slow down so your team can speed up. What would change in your business if space became your strategy? Much love 💜

@TheMattViera Exactly my man

@IAmAlexManzi Life is meant to be lived. Not to grind.

@TheMattViera Yep and if you don’t create space for that clarity to arise, it will never come

@IAmAlexManzi It's all about knowing your "why"

The greatest thing you can create for yourself is clarity. Clarity in who you are. Clarity in what you want. Clarity creates certainty. And certainty creates unstoppable.

@abbiDogan It’s an invaluable skill my man

One of the most powerful things I’ve learned on this journey is how useful it is to create distance between myself and my thoughts. On the final day of the retreat, we explored this deeply. We looked at the crazy, limiting thoughts that often run through our minds - those stories that tell us we’re not enough, not ready, or not capable - and how much power they hold when we believe them. What happens when we start to see them for what they are? I encouraged everyone to capture their thoughts on paper. To literally write down the noise in their heads so they could see it outside of themselves. Because when you can see your thinking, you’re no longer trapped inside it. It’s like when a stranger says something wild to you in the street—you don’t take it personally, you just think, “that’s a bit crazy,” and move on. But when those wild ideas come from our own minds, we tend to believe them. We argue with them. We let them shape what we do or don’t do. By putting distance between you and those thoughts, you create space for truth and possibility to come through. You begin to notice that the voice that says, “I can’t,” isn’t you, it’s just noise. This simple practice of writing down thoughts, looking at them, and questioning their truth can completely change the way you relate to your mind. Instead of being ruled by it, you become the observer of it. And from that place, you get to choose what to believe and how to act. That shift opens the door to freedom. When you stop identifying with every thought that passes through, you can connect more deeply to your intuition, your spirit, your creative energy. You stop reacting from fear and start responding from clarity. I saw it in the group that day. As people began to see their own thinking more clearly, something shifted. They laughed at the stories they’d been believing. They felt lighter. More open. More alive. That’s the power of creating distance. You realise you’re not your thoughts - you’re the one noticing them. And when you see that, life opens up in ways you couldn’t imagine before. Much love 💜

“Calming your nervous system” is something you do. It’s a mind state shift.