How I turned devastating personal losses into the foundation for automated abundance
When Life Forces You to Choose
There's a Chinese phrase that's been gaining attention lately: Bai Lan (摆烂) - literally meaning "let it rot."
Most people think it's about giving up, becoming apathetic, or accepting defeat.
But I've discovered something different about Bai Lan. Something that completely transformed my life and my approach to building wealth and a healthier mindset.
Sometimes, letting certain things "rot" is exactly what you need to do to create space for what truly matters.
Let me explain what I mean...
The Cost of Holding On
My name is Ðean, and I've learned this lesson the hardest way possible.
In 2005, I became a widower when my wife was murdered. The grief was overwhelming, but somehow I found the strength to move forward and remarry.
What followed was a string of three failed marriages - each one ending due to lies, cheating, and stealing. My most recent marriage just ended in 2024.
For years, I carried the weight of these failures. I replayed conversations in my head. I analyzed what I could have done differently. I dwelled on the betrayals, the broken promises, the financial damage.
I was trying to control things that were completely out of my control.
And while I was focused on the past, my present was suffering. My creativity was stifled. My financial situation was unstable. My energy was drained by resentment and regret.
That's when I discovered the true power of Bai Lan.
The Art of Strategic Letting Go
As an artist, musician, and grower, I understand that creation requires space. Because sometimes you wouldn't want to paint a fresh new masterpiece on a canvas that's already covered in old, failed attempts. You have to clean the slate.
Bai Lan isn't about giving up on life - it's about giving up on the things that are rotting your life from the inside.
Here's what I chose to let rot:
- Dwelling on my ex-wives' betrayals
- Trying to understand why people lie and cheat
- Replaying past financial losses
- Seeking closure from people who will never give it
- Waiting for apologies that will never come
And here's what I chose to focus my energy on instead:
- Healing from past traumas through art and music
- Building automated business systems that work while I sleep
- Creating multiple income streams that don't depend on other people's honesty
- Developing relationships with people who share my values of integrity and growth
The difference? The first list was completely out of my control. The second list was entirely within my control.
From Chaos to Automated Abundance
Once I stopped trying to control the uncontrollable, something amazing happened. I had energy again. Mental clarity. Creative flow.
I started applying the same principle to my business life.
Instead of chasing prospects and hoping they'd be honest about their intentions, I built systems that attracted the right people automatically.
Instead of depending on traditional network marketing methods that require constant hustle, I implemented direct response marketing that works 24/7.
Email sequences that nurture prospects while I'm creating art...
Landing pages that qualify leads while I'm playing drums...
Social media funnels that build relationships while I'm tending my garden...
The result? I went from trading time for money to building recurring income streams that give me the freedom to focus on what I love: helping other creative professionals break free from financial instability.
The Creative Professional's Dilemma
If you're reading this, chances are you understand the struggle.
You have talents. You have passions. You have dreams of financial freedom.
But you're probably also carrying some baggage:
Past business failures that make you hesitant to try again
Relationships that drained your resources and confidence
Creative projects that didn't pan out as expected
Financial setbacks that still sting when you think about them
Here's what I want you to understand: Those failures aren't defining you - they're refining you.
But only if you're willing to practice Bai Lan with the right things.
What Deserves to Rot vs. What Deserves to Grow
The key to Bai Lan isn't letting everything rot. It's being strategic about what you release and what you nurture.
Let these rot:
- Resentment toward people who wronged you
- Perfectionism that keeps you from starting
- The need to understand why bad things happened
- Comparison to others who seem to have it easier
- Fear of failure based on past experiences
Nurture these instead:
- Your unique creative gifts and perspectives
- Systems that generate income without constant effort
- Relationships with people who support your growth
- Skills that increase your value in the marketplace
- Habits that improve your physical and mental health
The Spiritual Side of Letting Go
Remember my story about my late wife Mary's spirit visiting me at the art competition? She told me to keep doing my art, but I realized she meant something deeper.
The art wasn't just my paintings - it was my entire life experience.
Every betrayal, every loss, every failure - they're all part of the masterpiece. But I can't create the next chapter if I'm still trying to fix the previous ones.
Bai Lan taught me that some chapters are meant to end badly. Some relationships are meant to teach you what you don't want. Some financial losses are meant to show you better ways to build wealth.
The art is in knowing when to let something rot so something better can grow.
Your Automated Future
Here's what I've learned about building a stable financial future as a creative professional:
You can't control market conditions, but you can control your systems.
You can't control other people's honesty, but you can control your due diligence.
You can't control timing, but you can control your preparation.
That's why I focus on automated business systems. They work based on principles, not personalities. They generate results based on value, not manipulation.
When you have systems that bring qualified prospects to you instead of you chasing them, you're no longer dependent on other people's moods, promises, or integrity.
You become the artist of your own financial destiny.
The Choice That Changes Everything
So here's where you are right now...
You can keep carrying the weight of past failures, financial setbacks, and broken relationships. You can keep trying to control things that are fundamentally out of your control.
Or...
You can practice strategic Bai Lan. Let the right things rot so the right things can grow.
You can focus your creative energy on building systems that work for you instead of against you.
You can turn your past struggles into the foundation for future abundance.
What I'm Looking For
I'm looking for creative professionals who are tired of the feast-or-famine cycle. People who understand that both success and failure cost us precious time, and they want to make sure their time is invested wisely.
People who are ready to let go of what's holding them back and embrace what can move them forward.
People who are ready to practice Bai Lan with their limitations and nurture their possibilities.
The Art of Moving Forward
The accumulation of our experiences - both good and bad - becomes our art. But we get to choose which experiences we highlight and which ones we let fade into the background.
I chose to let my failed marriages rot. Not because I don't care about the lessons they taught me, but because dwelling on them was rotting my present and my future.
Instead, I chose to nurture my creativity, my business systems, and my ability to help others break free from their own cycles of financial instability.
That choice changed everything.
Your Next Chapter Starts Now
If you're ready to practice strategic Bai Lan in your own life...
If you want to learn how to build automated systems that create recurring abundance while you focus on your creative passions...
If you're done letting past failures dictate your future possibilities...
Then click here to discover what comes next.
Because your creativity is waiting. Your financial freedom is waiting. Your best chapter is waiting.
The only question is: What are you ready to let rot so something better can grow?
Don't let inaction become another thing you have to let rot later. The cost of waiting is always higher than the cost of starting.
Your future self is counting on the choice you make today.
I'm Ðean, and I believe your greatest masterpiece isn't behind you - it's ahead of you. But first, you have to clear the canvas.
[Click here to discover your path of fun to automated abundance →]
Mahalo and Aloha 🤙🏽
About the Author: Ðean is a multi-disciplinary creative professional who combines artistry with automated business systems. After overcoming significant personal and financial setbacks, he now helps other creative professionals build stable income streams that provide time freedom for their passions. His approach combines the Hawaiian principles of Kokua (helping others) and Ohana (family) with proven direct response marketing strategies.