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COURSE

Stop Waiting And Start Living: Life Lessons On Purpose, Time, And Happiness

With Rianna Hijlkema

What would you do differently if you knew your time was running out? That's not a hypothetical question. A face-to-face encounter with death became the moment everything changed, and the catalyst for this course. Note: This course includes an honest discussion of death and a near-death experience. If that's a sensitive topic for you, please listen at your own pace. Most of us live as if we have unlimited time. We put off the things that matter. We chase the wrong goals. We mistake being busy for being alive. This course is a direct, compassionate challenge to that way of living, and an invitation to redesign your life before you run out of time to do it. Across 11 lessons, you'll explore: — Why we all die eventually, and what that means for how you live today — How to stop dying with a to-do list and start living with intention — Why suffering is optional (even when pain is not) — The choices you have that you're not seeing — How to stop being average and start being great — The mind game that keeps you stuck, and how to break it — How to dream bigger and build a life that actually excites you — Why hardship is temporary and your excuses are not — The truth about money, success, and what actually makes us happy — How to live a created life, on your terms, without regrets This course won't give you a 5-step productivity hack. It will give you a shift in perspective that makes you want to live differently, starting today.

The wake-up call most people only get when it's almost too late.

11 Days

2.7k students

4.8 stars

18 min / day

English

About this course

Goal Setting Practice

Anti-Procrastination

Values-Driven Action Practice

Meet your Teacher

Rianna Hijlkema

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Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala

Rianna is a full-time traveler and serial entrepreneur. She is currently based in Bali, although rarely in one place for long. Over 15 years of traveling the world and living a life most people only plan for "someday," she has come to understand one thing deeply: time is not a given. This course was born from an encounter with death that forced us to stop postponing our best life, and to start asking the questions most people avoid until it's almost too late. Through her teachings on Insight Timer, Rianna shares the reflections, lessons, and mindset shifts that came out of that experience, helping others find clarity on what truly matters before life demands it of them. Her work centers on the inner dimensions of a well-lived life: purpose, resilience, emotional freedom, and the courage to stop waiting. All donations are greatly appreciated and will go entirely to female empowerment projects run by the Centre for Women's Empowerment and Community Development (CWEC) in Lamjung.

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11 Days

2.7k students

4.8 stars

18 min / day

English

Lesson 1

We All Die Eventually

I was in a dark place. I couldn’t find joy anywhere. After witnessing so much suffering, I didn’t dare to smile, have fun, or enjoy life. I felt guilty. I thought it was not fair for all of those people going through a reality much worse than mine. Is life fair? I don’t know. Life is life. It is the way it is. Caution: This lesson discusses death and a near-death experience, which may be sensitive for some listeners.

Lesson 2

Don't Die With A To-Do List

I guess that just like me, there are plenty of things you want to do, learn, or experience in your life. Everyday you have a little bit less time, so don’t postpone. Every time the status quo is settling in, remember that you can choose to assume full responsibility and live without making excuses. It is a decision you can make. It is a decision you should make. Better to make it sooner than later because later is too late.

Lesson 3

Suffering Is Optional

We all experience pain in our life. We can’t escape it. And if you think you’ll never get caught in a tsunami, so did I! Bad things doesn’t only happen to others. Thus if it is inevitable, how can we make sure to deal with it as quickly and as smoothly as possible? Most people roll their eyes when I say that suffering is a choice. And maybe you’ve just done it too... Wait! Let me explain.

Lesson 4

You Have More Choices Than You Think

When we feel stuck or a bit low, we often think that we don’t have a choice, that we are trapped. We want to be happy but because of this or that, we can’t really. We tend to look for things we don’t have to feel good. And it isn’t really our fault. The consumption mentality, pushed by clever marketing, makes us think that happiness comes from something external.

Lesson 5

Don't Be Average

I hope that by now, you can answer this fundamental yet straightforward question: What do I really want out of life? There is no better time to think deeply about it. You are not too young, and it’s never too late. The key is that you do it now. You know that your life is ticking away. Every minute you are closer to death. I know it sounds a bit dramatic, but my point is that you understand that you better make every moment count. I’m sure you know that already, but are you doing it?

Lesson 6

The Mind Game

So let me ask you again, what do you want? Are you truly satisfied with your default future? Are you more committed to your reality or to your dreams? What if right now, while contemplating new possibilities, you’ve just opened the door to a whole new world. What if you could make it happen? A good “what if” question makes you think, and that’s how the mind game starts.

Lesson 7

Dream Bigger

Have you ever asked yourself this question: What’s the whole point of life? I guess we all do at some point. I’m not sure there is one answer. But to keep it simple, I think it is okay to say that it is about creating a happy and satisfying experience. However, this amazing not average life is not just going to happen to you. You can trust the universe but you have to meet it halfway.

Lesson 8

Hardship Is Temporary

You probably have already set goals or decided to pursue a dream in the past. And you also probably felt like giving up when things got more challenging. Don’t worry, you are not alone. Creating the life you desire requires courage. It requires long- term thinking, delaying gratification, and learning not to quit when it is hard.

Lesson 9

Be Great or Make Excuses

When was the last time you said, “I should ...” and never did anything about it? Was that today, yesterday, or last week? We all know how it feels when we have to do something, but don’t do it. It feels bad. What is your excuse? Even if you come up with “good” reasons, deep inside, you know you are not showing up as your best, which hurts your self-esteem. The truth is that the excuses you are making shape your reality.

Lesson 10

Money Fantasy

I could not complete this course without talking about money. It kind of rules the world, and most people are chasing it. Yet there is this fantasy behind money that often misleads us. I know you want to be successful. We all want it! I asked you this question before, and I am curious to hear what being successful means to you.

Lesson 11

Live A Created Life

Life is too short not to make the most out of it. What are we here for if it’s not to create joy and share it with others? You don’t know how the future will unfold, so it is your mission to live every day to the fullest and die without regrets, whether that's tomorrow or at a hundred years old. It is a choice that you can make and a choice that you should make. Because if you don’t choose, somebody else will do it for you.