Āris Birze is an unusual guy. Two years ago he began a journey towards financial independence following principles he found in various self-development books. All he had to do was to enliven those principles, it seemed, and success would inevitably come. So Āris read, listened and tried almost everything that others shared with him - in the end only to find an entirely different kind of fortune. A rich life, lead by truly meaningful goals, with people whom he loves nearby. With the ability to freely say Yes and No without the sense of guilt or regret. And without fear. Don't Be Scared contains Āris's notes written during a ten-day stay at an ashram in Rishikesh, India, which speak of solitude and battling out one's inner conflicts. "These ten days changed the way I see life, because I made a choice which determined how I will proceed further. Making a decision is one way to take 100% responsibility for your life, and this is my wish to you: Always find the strength in yourself to make decisions with awareness, and never say that you don't care. If you live, you are of value to the world, create something beautiful, powerful, useful, and tell me about it, because, even if no one else will, I WILL pat you on your shoulder and say: AWESOME, keep it going." The notes really are raw. Later editing has been kept to a minimum as no one thought it a good idea to try to make a neat picture out of a messy reality. Because questioning oneself is not a neat process, as those of us who have ever done it would undoubtedly confirm.
