ABOUT ME
By Paul
Aside from living at a time when the internet exists, my biggest privilege is that I was born into a big family in South Africa. As a kid, I knew little of apartheid and South Africa's political history, but there is no doubt that I indirectly benefited from many years of incredibly unethical policy making. In the end, South Africa's political instability was the reason my parents decided to bring me and my brother to the UK, and it was there that I spent much of my childhood and adolescence.
Although I felt like an outsider a lot of the time (hardly a unique experience), growing up in London was great for the creative in me, and I developed an interest in a lot of very nerdy things. Along with that, I also really enjoyed spending my time being active...
My dad played a big role in inspiring this part of my life. He ran marathons, played rugby, competed as a bodybuilder, and was active well into his later years. Eventually cancer had it's way, but I learned from him that not only is it possible to stay fit and active throughout life, but also that life goes by very fast; so why not spend it doing the things you really enjoy?
Knowing what that would look like wasn't always so clear, but I knew learning and change were possible thanks to some important lessons my mom gave me. She showed me that not only are there several areas of life that are important to focus on (health, relationships...), but most importantly, all of them are open to change. Nobody has to stay the same; including me. Just because I couldn't do something now, it didn't mean it had to stay that way forever...
Soon after graduating university (by the grace of God, I got a 1st-class degree), I took the opportunity to teach English in China, earning about £400 a month. I didn't need much more at the time, and although I definitely didn't want to be broke my whole life, it was very important for me to ensure that I wasn't just working for the sake of money. I had plenty of learning still to do, and I needed to challenge myself.
After two years of being in China, I decided to channel the entrepreneurial spirit I was surrounded by and commit to learning how to make a business. Being introduced to the world of online education played a huge role in helping me figure out how to make that happen.
The biggest challenge of it all (aside from the technology and inner work) was deciding exactly what it was that I wanted to share. I still had a lot of work to do on myself, but what I realized along the way, however, was that part of my resilience and determination to succeed came down to the fact that I was enjoying what I was learning.
The fact is, when you enjoy the learning process and the rewards you get from it, you're much more likely to get good at it. If you like learning and growing and the direction you're heading in, not knowing something (whether it's a cooking technique or a completely different way of thinking) isn't a permanent roadblock - it's a matter of finding answers and applying insights. As Aristotle says (yes, I'm that kind of goober); the purpose of knowledge is action, not more knowledge.
So I studied and studied and created and edited and practiced and worked and worked and worked and worked; every day trying to apply the new insights I was learning. I was in a rush because I felt that if I didn't organise my mind in time, I would be in a bad way mentally forever.
The purpose of the business was freedom; I wanted to finish it and be free to live my life. And as I was learning and my mind was changing, I got clearer on what is what I wanted to spend my time doing in order to feel capable and comfortable and challenged in my life, and contribute to the lives of others.
Elephant Garden Education is the outcome of that, and it uses a pretty simple business model overall; share what you're knowledgeable about with people who are interested in learning it. It's the best way I've found to make a positive impact, while also being free to spend my time doing what I enjoy.
The purpose of knowledge is action; not knowledge.
We are lucky to live at a time when incredible teachers of almost ANY subject are accessible to pretty much ANYONE. Without needing to travel ANYWHERE, education that simply would not have been available a few decades ago is yours today if you choose it.
My goal (and the goal of Elephant Garden Education) is to help people focus on what's important to them offline, and to use the incredible resources available online as a way to reach their goals faster.
If you're eager to make pro-active change and you'd like a bit of insight on how to do it, I hope my experience can help you in one way or another.
Paul F. Creedy
LEARN YOUR FREEDOM
ON-DEMAND CLASS
Enrol in Paul's 3 Episode class and learn how to use the psychology of motivation, flow, habits, goals, and learning to live more of the life you want, now and in the future.
