It was on a packed peak hour train that Karolina Carrera decided to live life differently.
She was surrounded by disengaged people focussing on their phones rather than each other, who were going through the motions and just getting by in their everyday lives.
This morning commute inspired Karolina to take that itching need to level up and not only live it, but also turn it into a book to inspire and empower those stuck in the rat race.
Nearly two years later, Karolina is now the author of Level Up – Harnessing the Immense Power of You, a guide to escaping ‘the haze’ and living with purpose and freedom.
CrowdInk spoke with Karolina about her favourite messages from Level Up and why she is inspired by sharing her truth.
Title of your book?
Level Up – Harnessing the Immense Power of You. You can purchase my book here.
What was the inspiration behind your book?
I’m a strong believer that once we ‘know better‘, then it’s important to share our learnings with others. We are all students and teachers of ’life’ – we just don’t always realise it! Or think that what we know or our experiences, whether good or bad could help others and be a catalyst of change for another. I’ve been asked ‘are you a teacher?’ many times throughout my life – I used to laugh as I took it as a literal ‘job’ title remark and would respond with no. Then one day, while sitting at a café and having what I thought was a general chit chat with a lady on the table beside mine, she asked the same question…and this time I said yes! No hesitation, just a yes. I like to share what I know – what I know to be truth for me, as it might just be truth for others also.
Where did your journey begin?
In June 2019, while I was on a morning peak hour train commute into town, I remember looking around the carriage at all the disengaged people. Plugged in, not talking and not happy. I was taken aback by the overwhelming sense I had of ’it doesn’t have to be this way; I can help these people’. It was such a strong feeling, an intuitive nudge that was followed by a thought of ‘I should write a book, a book about what I did to get out of the haze, out of the funk.’
Tell us a little bit about your book.
Imagine if you were handed a recipe with the exact ingredients and measurements to make something spectacular of your life. Would that interest you? Would you consider it? Wouldn’t you rather take one tiny step towards freedom now than remain stagnant in a life devoid of hope? I invite you to be a little curious, to know that possibilities of a clear path, growth and expansion are available to you. I’ve collated bite-sized strategies and tools over 12 chapters that are easily digestible and can be implemented with no fuss. If you’ve ever imagined a life of ease, living in alignment and on purpose, then this book is a must.
What have you discovered about yourself while writing the book?
To get out of my own way and step into possibility and enjoy the process. I have uncovered my love of writing! This is from the young girl who disliked long form writing in high school and university. Now I can’t get enough! It’s enjoyable, it’s fun and it is now part of my toolkit to inspire people en masse.
Share one of your favourite messages from the book.
Trust yourself. It’s time to move beyond the surface and go deeper. The real work is the internal work. Let’s stop putting our hopes, dreams and desires on others as well as comparing our life to someone else’s as that is how we deny our greatest potential. We absolutely harness the answers we seek and should back ourselves. It essentially comes down to love and self-love. When we love who we are, we give ourselves permission to be imperfect and accept that that is okay. To be authentic means that you are okay with being imperfect.
What are the common traps for aspiring authors?
The first one would be a lack of self-belief in themselves and not choosing to commit to take those initial steps. The second trap would be wearing the perfectionist hat which leads to procrastination and self-doubt. All beginnings are hard, so with this in mind the quicker an aspiring author can shift into creation mode and chunk down creation into small time frames, the quicker they will starve their fears and feed action taking.
How can people connect with you (e.g website, social media channels, links to book purchase)?
You connect with me via my website, as well as my Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn channels.
Do you need to hit reset on your life and start living it for you? Karolina’s book, Level Up – Harnessing the Immense Power of You, is your guide to starting fresh and taking charge of your life.
Purchase your copy of Karolina’s book here to take the first steps towards transformation.