Blake D Bauer
Blake D Bauer is the author of the international bestselling book You Were Not Born To Suffer. Each year he helps thousands of people who cannot find effective support from conventional psychology, medicine, or religion. Blake is a world-renowned teacher and speaker with an extensive background in psychology, alternative medicine, nutrition, traditional healing, and mindfulness meditation. Based on both his personal experience overcoming deep suffering, addiction, and adversity, as well as his professional success with over 100,000 people worldwide, Blake’s pioneering work integrates what he’s found to be the most effective approaches to optimal mental, emotional, and physical health.
Instagram: @BlakeDBauer
Are there particular films that have influenced your writing?
Yes. I absolutely love the film The Fountain by Darren Aronofsky. It explores subjects that I enjoy thinking about such as; love, mortality vs. immortality, reincarnation, and mayan mythology. There is a line in the movie that goes; 'death is the road to awe' which many cultures and people believe. Personally I have always felt that we can be free in this lifetime, in this body. This perspective is something I feel strongly about, because I feel that if we can learn how to love and care for ourselves deeply, we suffer less and enjoy our time here more. In my experience, self love is the path to the death of the ego, or the separate self, which when practiced, heals our pain and makes every aspect of our life better. This theme is similar to the buddhist teaching to 'die before you die' meaning that your small ego self can be dissolved as we become less identified with our thoughts and more connected to our deeper awareness and consciousness.
Favorite non-reading activity?
I love to have coffee in various settings. It's an extension of my mediation and allows me time to just breath, think, and simply be. I also love to exercise every day. I like feeling strong and feeling my energy and blood flowing freely in my body. This also helps prevent writers block and frustration.
Not all books are for all readers… when you start a book and you just don’t like it, how long do you read until you bail?
Immediately. I think our time is very precious and one should enjoy whatever they choose to read. The only time I force myself to read something is when I’m aware a certain topic is important to understand, so although I may not love the writing, I love the idea of understanding the subject in more depth and thus continue to read.
Is there another profession you would like to try?
I recently discovered a passion for screenwriting, and am developing a few films. When I was 20 years old I had wanted to take a class on creative writing, but I never allowed myself to because I couldn’t justify it as being practical. Years later, after losing my brother, then my father, and then my mom getting ill, I decided to dive into creative writing for the pure joy of using my imagination. I have now spent two years studying with some of the top screenwriting teachers in the world, and I have loved every moment of it. There are many people who will never pick up a non-fiction personal development book, but these same people are often deeply impacted by film and television. I have found a new love for telling stories that communicate important life lessons.
If you could create a museum exhibition, what would be the theme?
I think some kind of installation where holograms of people are vulnerably sharing universal struggles, life lessons and hopes/dreams that everyone experiences in some form, like shame, guilt, hurt, loneliness, or sadness, and then the desires for love, happiness, to achieve a goal, etc. And then, the key perspectives and practices that have helped them overcome their pain and create what they want in life. The intention of this would be for the viewer to feel that someone understands their suffering and their hopes, and then offers some practical help. Maybe the exhibition could be divided into three rooms, representing PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE.
What do you worry about?
I worry about pollution. As a result of our self-destructive relationship to ourselves, I feel that we are mindless and destructive to our environment. We don’t realize that we are not separate from the trees that provide oxygen, the land that offers food, or the water that we cannot live without. I am also concerned about excessive technology in our lives, such as 5-G and genetically modified foods. I feel we don’t understand the full impact of the choices we are making or how they will effect future generations.
