Shownotes
What if awakening is not a mountain top, but something waiting inside an ordinary day? On I Awaken, host Niharika welcomes back Tom Meyers to explore awakening as discovering the potential you were born with.
Tom shares why running from life never worked for him, and how a sense of direction changed everything, slowly, over 26 years.
About the Guest:
Tom Meyers is the author of Futurize Yourself and runs a clinic where he works with patients. Originally from Belgium, he lived in England and worked on cruise ships before his own turning point at 29.
Key Takeaways:
- Awakening can mean uncovering your potential and bringing it into daily life.
- You cannot escape yourself. What you carry travels with you.
- Let personality serve individuality: who you became in service of who you were born to be.
- Inner restlessness is an invitation to ask whose dream you are living.
- You do not have to change everything in a day. Choose a direction and grow into it.
Connect With the Guest:
Website: https://futurizeyourself.com
Website: https://tommeyers.be
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meyerstom/
Episode Chapters (approx.):
[00:00] The Quiet Pause: opening reflection on awakening as a deeper way of living
[01:30] Rethinking Awakening: from mountain tops to your own potential
[04:00] You Cannot Escape Yourself: Belgium, England, cruise ships and the same inner weight
[06:00] Personality and Individuality: who you became and who you were born to be
[10:30] The Restlessness Around 29: Tom’s view of an inner calling
[14:00] What Holds Us Back: fear, family, status and why it need not happen in one day
[20:00] Finding Your Place: fulfilment, gratitude and growing through resistance
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Transcripts
00:00:08 Niharika: Hey, listeners. There is a moment that arrives unannounced, a quiet pause between the noise of the cars and the rush of your day, where something in ancient inside you. It's not dramatic. It's subtle, almost easy to miss. But once you get to notice that, everything begins to shift. And today we are. We explore what it means to truly awaken, not as an escape from life, but as a deeper way of living with it.
00:00:48 Niharika: Welcome to I awaken. I'm Niharika and this is a space where we slow down and explore the quiet revolutions happening inside all of us. Today I'm joined by Tom Myers, and someone who has spent years exploring the landscapes of consciousness and transformation. Welcome, Tom. So I'm so glad you are here with us today.
00:01:14 Tom Meyers: Thank you for having me. Let's have a great awakening conversation that others feel what I feel. You know, because that's, you know, that is what we want to share, share our experience of what it means to awaken yourself.
00:01:35 Niharika: Thanks. Looking forward to the conversation. So to start with, Tom, when people hear the word awakening, there's often this image of a mountain top or a meditation retreat or something far removed from everyday life. So what's the most common misconception you encounter about what it actually means to awaken?
00:02:03 Tom Meyers: Well, maybe there are just different types of awakening. You know, you have spiritual awakenings. You have what I'm more focused on is the awakening of your potential that what you're born with, that once found, develops and put into your daily life, makes you feel in your element and also makes you feel more content, fulfilled, and healthy. Even when the going gets tough or when you know when one has to make decisions and choices in life, life will always be ups and downs. But once you're awakened to your potential, then of course, you always will find new ways of expressing that. And when there is new learnings to be done because, you know, that's what you've been doing so far is not any more in line with the demands of today. Then when you need to re-express that and learn something new, then of course, it's not really as as much as a struggle because you're just going to build up onto your knowledge, onto who you are, and then it becomes actually something that you want to do. And so it's part of your personal evolution. And, um, that is so there's not necessarily misconceptions. It's just the way that you, the perspective that you take on it. And I take the very down to earth, very grounded way of looking at it, but at the same time, it makes me more spiritual in a certain sense, because then I, you know, when you're are in your potential, you start to have this miraculous, miraculous encounters. And also you start doing things away from how I never, ever in my wildest dreams imagined that. And it's also like it's sometimes it's like pre-programmed. So you think, wow, you know, if I look back, it's like it was meant to be this way. So it then, you know, as a, it becomes a kind of spiritual experience.
00:04:22 Niharika: Very true. That makes sense. And so if awakening is something we need to escape our lives to find, where do we even actually begin to notice it?
00:04:41 Tom Meyers: Well, can you escape life? That is, you know, I would, uh, you know, it's bringing it into your life. Uh, because, uh, in my own, uh, experience, you know, if I escaped my life. You know that. What I was not happy with. For example, I was living in Belgium. I was not too happy. Then I moved to England. And then from England I moved on to cruise ships and onto traveling. And then I went from this place to another place and to another place, and whatever I was carrying, uh, I it was, it seems to pop up everywhere where I went. So at the end of the day, it's um, who is the, you know, I'm in the center of all of it. I'm in the center of all of these issues. And unless that I started to look at it myself and to start dealing with it, then that's when the things changed. And then, uh, for me, that's when we, um, we don't have to escape anymore or we don't want to escape anymore. And escaping it will actually be counterproductive. And so, um, we need to bring. We need to awaken ourselves in the sense of, you know, we need to be connecting with our deeper selves from, you know, like some say, you know, you have personality and individuality. Personalities from what you have since you were born and is influenced by others, by eradication, by your social status and so many other things. While individuality is what you what you had already before you were born. And often these are in conflict with each other. And so it's about harmonizing. You know, awakening is also about harmonizing these two. But in a sense, that personality always is in service of your individuality, not the other way around. And once you start seeing that, once you start understanding that part, that there is something like a individuality, something you are born with the talents, the, you know, the certain feelings, certain archetypes, certain way of being, um, that represents you. So you have already a character before your. And when you're a baby and mothers with multiple babies can see that that one baby, uh, has already a character very different than the brothers or sisters. So that, you know, you can't say that we come into the world with a clean slate. And so, but it's about, okay, what is this? Who am I? And then it's about finding the balance because everything has the opposites, you know, have you can go into the, the worst kind kind of your archetype or, you know, the over overexpressed archetype. You have to find a balance in between and that personality that what you come with that is then with, uh, build over time from since you were born, that needs to be in service of the greater good because when it becomes the first place, it's becoming, you become very egoistic, you become self-centered. And I don't think in a in the world where we are human beings that are collective, uh, we all have our roles and awakening, you know, and becoming who you were born to be in the collective makes a much better society. And that makes you a better individual, makes you a better parent, makes you a better a neighbor, and so forth. And for me, it's a very rational kind of thing, uh, awakening and, but, uh, it has a lot of consequences not only for yourself, but for your environment as well.
00:08:38 Niharika: But it's true. And I think that's such an invitation to stop waiting for the perfect conditions as we assume it to be. And it sounds like awakening is about a rival and less about rival and more about recognition and seeing what's already here in a completely new way. But it's true.
00:09:06 Speaker 3: It's so true.
00:09:08 Tom Meyers: Uh, that, um. And I was one of those people that was waiting. Yes. You wait. You wait for the world to come to you. And actually, you need to step into the world. And so, um, there are many, some people that are lucky and that fall into, or they, they discover it immediately of that or they are supported with their environment, you know, to, to, uh, be recognized or recognize the potential and are developing it very, very early. But like me, that was not the case. And I think most people don't. And then we think from, okay, you know, it, you know, are we look at other people. Oh, and he's so lucky like this and oh, look at him or look at them and look at her and we always look at the others, but we never do the work right. And we never actually, uh, stop and say, okay, you know, it's not coming to me, but I have to come into it. I have to do the homework, I have to do the research I have to do and get to know myself better on your own, maybe through reading books, um, like my book futurize yourself or, you know, with help and, you know, like I, you know, I needed the help, but it's, it's about yes. Uh, unfortunately, we are very bad in, uh, investing time in discovering who we are really, and to really dare to look inside ourselves and to, uh, also take the responsibility of that. And it's a very normal thing to do because biologically we are primed, uh, you know, not to somewhere not to do that. We are somewhere primed to, to be more followers, uh, and to do what other people do. But of course, in this fast changing world. And if you really want to, um, awaken yourself, uh, as the awakened know, it's, it's, it's an investment of your, of your time, but absolutely, uh, you know, well worth it. Well worth it.
00:11:13 Niharika: Very true. And when someone feels that first stirring and that sense that something deeper is calling, and what do you think is really happening beneath the surface? Like, what are the roots of that restlessness or longing?
00:11:36 Speaker 3: Well.
00:11:36 Tom Meyers: Um, in my own case, it was really that feeling from, you know, that everything was becoming very difficult. And it was I was not advancing, I was regressing. And, you know, there was this big sense of conflict within me, this conflict that, um, and I suppose that's like your, you know, your, your real self, your, you know, that individuality knocking on consciousness door and saying, hey, wake up now. And particularly it happens with people around twenty nine. And it's not, uh, it's a very particular moment. Uh, and an astrologer explained this to me that this is where Saturn returns. And if you believe it or not, but it's like, I've tested this with so many people in my clinic that, you know, who are in this kind of conflict with themselves. And I asked them, you know, what's your rate? And usually it's something right between twenty eight and thirty one that this happens, you know, and statistically it's just, you know, it's solid that when you feel like, okay, what have I done? Where am I? Where am I going? This is most of the time, like this kind of calling, that something is not right. And you get back and you get it back at fifty eight. By the way, if you haven't done the job at twenty eight twenty nine. So it's about, you know, when you feel that inner, you know, inner disturbance that is mismatch, that between two parts of you, it's like being torn into different directions. That's the moment to seize, to seize it and say, okay, you know, do I go for it? Or am I going to live the life of others? Or as I sometimes say, or am I going to live somebody else's dream or my own? Yeah. So catch that moment.
00:13:39 Niharika: That makes sense. And when that calling gets louder, it gets at a point what tends to resist it. Like what keeps people from following that thread?
00:13:54 Tom Meyers: Oh, it's a hard job. It's not easy to look in one's own bosom and to really see one's, you know, one's, uh, let's say, you know, limiting beliefs. The metaphors, what, what, what one has been using and to taking personal responsibility. It's, it's very confronting. And of course, uh, it takes, it takes also time and energy. And one is often to, especially today in this fast changing world, we're so distracted and so distracted by so many aspects that, uh, and other and others that just don't want you to do that. Right. And, and it's most of the time like you have in the social media issues, you have also, you know, and if you have a family and you have kids, because most people have that by twenty nine and have a job. And then to put all of that onto the, you know, into question, that's very confronting. I also financially confronting and, you know, what are what are people going to say about me? And especially in certain cultures, you know, the, you know, the social status, the regard on one's profession and so forth is, is yeah, it does make us not do things. But if not in this life, uh, well, you will have to do it in your next life. And maybe it's better to do it in this life so you have a better next life. You know, uh, I'm a firm believer of, of that path, you know, do the job today because, uh, and do the job today because of the next generation, that might be you, because we always think about the next generation being our children and our children's children. But, you know, there are many cultures that reincarnation. Yeah. Who so who is the next generation? Well, you, you, uh, so, um, you know, so if you think about in my future thinking concepts, you know, okay, if that is true and if I believe that, then how do I want to evolve in that life? That depends on what I've done to this life. Uh, and, you know, so again, you know, it's about perspective. It's about what you believe, what you, you know, and how you create foundations, uh, for living life. And because in the beginning, you said as well, you know, we want, you know, we want to seize life and we want to, we have there is a life And we we need to create foundations, to live it, to live it well. But also, you know, when when there is a storm, how to weather it.
00:16:55 Niharika: MM. Very true. And I'd say that makes sense because there's something profound in that tension. Right. That part of us knows there's more. And there's a part of us that's terrified to let go of what's familiar already with us. And as you said, the age of twenty nine, we already had twenty nine years in the comfortable life. And we have to let go of some things to make that happen. And it's like we're being asked to something, ask to trust something that we can't yet see. And that's, that's where everything starts.
00:17:38 Tom Meyers: Yeah. And, and the trick is that it doesn't have to be in one day, right? So if you want to, you know, an awakening for me, you know, let's say that it took me. It's an evolving story. Yeah. But you see progress, but it's, you know, it's a twenty six year story for me and a twenty six year journey since I was twenty nine. Right. Well, actually in it's already thirteen, thirty one years ago. Uh, but it's, it's not saying that if you are doing something now, it's already to do the homework for envisioning it for in five, ten years time. Because at the end of the day, awakening is something you evolve into and it's not something that you fall into, right? It's something you develop step by step, step by step, year by year. But you need to have a direction. If you don't have a direction, that means, you know, you go one year, you go to the left. You go to the left. The other way, you go to the right and well, no, that's not the purpose. You have to you have to find your line and to image an image of the future. As you know, based on your potential especially, and what you want to feel and what you, um, what you aspire to in life, and then you let that sink in. And then also in a way, then you can see opportunities because if you don't know where you're going, one, how do you know to make the choice of decisions and actions? How do you see an opportunity or not if you don't know where you're going? So it's a very important to, to underline that that if you have a family, you have a job and you have this esteem in the community that, you know, don't throw it away. But now started focusing so. And let you be pulled forward into that awakened state of you.
00:19:48 Niharika: Yeah. And, and for someone moving through their regular days and work relationships, responsibilities, how does this shift in consciousness actually show up? Like what changes in the texture of everyday life?
00:20:09 Tom Meyers: Well, one, I've noticed that feeling in your element. Feeling, you know, you're more yourself, but also that attracts a different kind of person into your life. And the people that, uh, that also, you know, there's more appreciation. There is more connection with people, more like mind, you know, you meet more like minded people also. And, and at the end of the day, you start, uh, you are always challenged. But if you're challenged within your within your element, you can deal with it better. Or you can also say, okay, now I need some help with this or not. And you, you know, you just feel your evolving and it's the greatest feeling of all when you feel that you're, you know, that you feel fulfilled. And the more that you go on to it. So again, you know, twenty six years of doing it, I could honestly say, if I die tomorrow, I would die a happy man. Now, how many people can say that? Right? You know, it's like it would be too early. Of course, it's not that I want, but it's about that kind of inner feeling that, uh, that you're doing also things with far more consciousness and far more, um, you appreciate life more and. some people only you know, it's too late to appreciate life. They, they, they run through life. Instead of appreciating the moments, appreciating the connections, appreciating this conversation with you, for example, you know, it's something that I appreciate because and I'm here doing it and I'm, I feel, you know, that my heart's open for it. And I feel grateful because my God, you know, who who would have thought that twenty six years ago that I would be, you know, asked to be on a podcast, to share my experience and maybe share some wisdom, uh, to others to help others. Wow. You know, and I, you know, and I look at my arms, I get like, you know, the goosebumps, you know, just thinking about it, how, how wonderful. And so we have that also more life becomes fuller and intent in meaning, in appreciation in, and also in the relationships that you have.
00:22:38 Niharika: Yeah.
00:22:39 Tom Meyers: And. And that is what I needed to. I think, uh, needed to find within me, I was, I was completely lost and the relationships that was also lost. And I didn't find my place and I was, you know, okay, it's a bit long, but I was saying to somebody, um, one of my patients and she said, oh, this must be a new painting you have on your wall. And I said, um, no, it's been there since the beginning. Um, but do you remember I said from when I had my clinic, I was every six months or twelve months, I changed where my desk was and you know, I rearranged it. It's like I needed to rearrange things. I haven't changed my desk and where everything is for years now. Right? I think probably since the last twelve years, I have not changed anything And I suddenly thought, wow, that means I found my place. Right. That's fantastic. Right? That's so fantastic. A feeling from I Don't Need change. And I think before it was like maybe every room as in, you know, has another energy. And I needed that kind of energy, that kind of energy. And now it's like, okay, now the room. I'm a harmonious with myself and my environment in, in this place. I don't know if it's true, but it feels like that.
00:24:14 Niharika: Yeah, yeah, that makes sense. That makes sense. And maybe that is because we are so intent and so grounded to ourselves. And I think that is what we needed. We don't need the external features to combine it to be happy or fulfilled. We are just happy as we are grounded. And That is a sense of peace when we actually feel it. We long for it, I would say. If it's my personal experience and and it's striking how awakening doesn't remove us, like completely remove us from the messiness of being human. But instead it seems to change our relationship to that messiness, like bringing a kind of spaciousness that lets us hold it all differently. Yeah.
00:25:12 Tom Meyers: Yeah. It is. You know, it's life is messy. And as you say on your t shirt, drama is part of the story, right? But how grounded are you within yourself to weather that storm, you know, to confront the drama and to still smile and to sometimes say, hey, the drama is there. Okay, what do I need to learn? You know that because that is probably, as I often often say as well, you know. So imagine a bodybuilder, a bodybuilder, you know, he has weights and increases the resistance of the weights to get to what he or she wants. He doesn't do that with a pen. A pen is like, you know, twenty grams. Uh, you know, he's not going to get he's going to get tired lifting that all the time and he's not going to bring you anything. So, uh, don't be mistaken that when the going gets tough, you need to change. If you. But again, if you don't know where you're going, how do you know that when the going gets tough is for your, you know, is the resistance for you to grow Into that. What you want to become, or if it's part of you deviated from your path. Right. So awakening is for me, it's not only about the past and about your potential. It's also about your future, because that potential is there to be developed over time to become something potential is that it's, it's, it's a skill. It's something. But of course, if you're never going to do anything with it, it never becomes anything. So and it's about, you know, it's about giving it a future. Okay. What can this become in which I want to wake up to one day and then you have your line and then you know when to say yes or no, and then, you know, when the going gets tough is for your growing or not. So all of this is part of a, of, of a kind of very logical constructed, uh, life. And people like artists, they might find that all a bit wishy, you know, from odds to structured. But people like me who, you know, who are blue and who are very, you know, and need reason and need logic. Um, it fits me perfectly.
00:27:54 Niharika: Um, I would say it changes how we handle our past. It changes how we tell story to ourselves and how we hold our past. And it changes the perspective. Maybe the story remains, but the perspective we see, all the drama changes. That is so cool. And Tom, for thank you all for joining us. And thank you so much for spending this time with us again. And for anyone who feels moved by this conversation and wants to continue exploring with you, Where can they find you?
00:28:32 Tom Meyers: Well, they can find me on futurism dot com, the website or Tom Myers dot be and LinkedIn. You know, LinkedIn is like the place also where I am very visible. And, um, yeah, to connect, I would say, but futurize yourself in the books, you know, that's if you want to know my, my real story, my full story. It's all written down. So, um, and to help you get, you know, to, you know, help you to flourish and thrive in this fast changing world, but from your awakened, you know, from awakened state or, you know, developing your potential.
00:29:18 Niharika: Thank you for sharing that. And I would be the first one checking it out. But anyway, thank you so much for joining us. Oh.
00:29:27 Tom Meyers: Thank you so much for having me again. It's such a real privilege.
00:29:32 Niharika: And listeners, thank you for being here and for leaning into these questions with us. Awakening isn't reserved for mystics or monks, but it's the quiet shy to show up fully for yourself and to notice what's true and to let that truth change you. May you carry that awareness with you. And what is a burden but as a companion, walking with you through every ordinary and extraordinary moment of your life. Listeners, until we meet again. Stay awake.
