Most beliefs you carry aren’t yours – they’re hand-me-downs from parents, teachers, and society. Start questioning why you believe what you believe to build a life that’s actually yours.
The story
Here’s the thing nobody tells you: you’ve been collecting beliefs your entire life like souvenirs, and most of them aren’t even yours.
Your parents handed you some. Teachers added a few more. Society dumped a whole suitcase full on your doorstep. And now you’re walking around carrying all this weight, wondering why your life doesn’t feel quite right.
Attila B. Horvath tackles this exact problem in Chapter 7 of “The Journey – I wish I knew this before I was 21.” He argues that most of us are living someone else’s blueprint, following inherited rules we never questioned.
The solution? Start asking “why” about everything. Not in an obnoxious way, but genuinely. Why do you believe what you believe? Does it actually fit who you are, or are you just repeating what you’ve heard?
Horvath calls this process individuation – becoming your own person instead of a mashup of everyone else’s expectations. And here’s the kicker: your uniqueness isn’t some abstract concept. It’s your actual advantage in life.
He breaks down how to build a life that’s actually yours through self-education [learning what matters to you, not just what’s required], changed thinking [being willing to unlearn and relearn], and consistent small actions. The chapter references thinkers like William James and Napoleon Hill, but the core message is simple: your thoughts shape your reality, so you better make sure they’re yours.
The chapter also reframes failure as feedback, not defeat. When you’re building something authentic, setbacks aren’t signs you’re wrong – they’re data points showing you what to adjust.
For more about Chapter 7 of Attila B. Horvath’s book, “The Journey – I wish I knew this before I was 21”, visit https://attilahorvath.net/the-journey.
