*TW: Mention of suicide
I have been so honored to share details of my journey through life on this podcast. Now, I feel inspired to begin sharing other peoples’ transformative journeys to hopefully inspire you upon your path.
The first story I want to share is Kaizen’s.
I met Kaizen on my recent plant medicine retreat in Peru, which you can hear all about on my last podcast episode.
Kaizen is a Mindset Coach from New York, where he was born to Ghanaian immigrants. His parents were extremely invested in his success and as their oldest son, Kaizen himself began to feel the pressure to strive for perfection. Though raised around religion, spirituality, mental wellness, and holistic wellbeing weren’t a focus - life was about taking logical steps to success.
After years of excellent grades and setting high standards, Kaizen was accepted into Harvard, where he attended college. Despite being a high achiever with all the qualifications to study amongst his peers, Kaizen began to feel like he was floundering. In his mind, he had achieved his goal and reached Harvard, so he should be happy. In his heart, he felt anxiety, depression, and discomfort surrounded by so many over-stress, type-A, high-expectation people.
Eventually, the stress became more unbearable and turned into darker thoughts of self-harm and suicide. Kaizen knew he needed to take time off.
After Harvard, exercise and fitness became Kaizen’s outlet for keeping his anxiety and depression under control. He took on an exciting job planning e-sporting events, and for all intents and purposes, was successful. However, Kaizen spent most of his 20s simply getting by, that stress and anxiety kept at bay but never truly going away.
In 2020, at age 30 and faced with a looming global pandemic, Kaizen quit his job to become a pro gamer. Instead, Kaizen found himself on a journey of Self-discovery, fueled by spirituality and plant medicine.
In this interview with Kaizen Asiedu - who you can follow on Instagram @ThatsKaizen - we go in-depth on how transformational work, plant medicine and psychedelics have changed Kaizen’s life, and what truly knowing your Self can do for your life’s purpose.