Steve Nikolovski
I always knew there was more to life. One day I decided to find out.
Meet Steve Nikolovski.
He is warrior with a wide, open heart. Steve has a passion for seeing people thrive and keeps them accountable by reflecting their highest potential. It is this gift - for believing in better - that led him to create a life he loves.
‘I always knew there was more to life. I was really good at school, but I didn’t buy it. I knew it wasn’t the be all and end all, that there had to be something else out there. One day I decided to go and find out.’
Steve is an inspiring force, lending the gravity of his conviction to the importance of health and wellness to a difficult start in his early adulthood.
‘I grew up in Geelong, which was pretty much the hood in those days.’ Steve remembers. ‘There was a lot of alcohol, drugs, all that kind of stuff. In one year I ended up going to ten funerals. They were all men and most of them were suicides. It was a tragic byproduct of that lifestyle. It was time to get out and find something more.’
Steve moved to Melbourne where he quickly excelled up the career ladder, earning himself a seemingly carefree lifestyle, until the shadows of the past eventually caught up.
‘I was drinking and partying more. I had to stop and remember, this wasn’t what I left for. At that point I asked myself what one thing all my role models had in common and it was that they were all very healthy.’
Steve’s life took a radical turn when he decided to take responsibility for his health once and for all.
‘I started training, doing breathwork, ice therapy, anything you could think of. I worked at a place called 5th Element Wellness, which I feel very fortunate for. It was a job that matched my skill set, but it also happened to be everything that I needed at that point in my life.’
Steve went on to create Cold and Conscious, a movement born from determination to do things differently. Returning to his hometown of Geelong, Steve dedicated himself to early morning cold swims, breathwork and meditation on the beach. Before long the whole town began immersing themselves into ice baths, proving itself to be a powerful path to inner stillness.
‘In my party days, I was looking for connection. My favourite part was always laying under the stars having deep and meaningful conversations. I thought I needed more alcohol, drugs and parties to get that connection, but really it was separating me from the depth I was looking for.’ Steve says thoughtfully. ‘I think that’s true for most people. I believe we’ve all got this curiosity inside, waiting to be explored. Instead of pushing it away, don't be scared to get uncomfortable.’
Sacred is served at Cold and Conscious events, facilitating the connection Steve describes. At first he was a little dubious about its potential, but now he’s a full power Cacao Warrior.
‘I knew cacao was a health-food and a bit of a spiritual thing.’ Steve pauses before admitting. ‘But I still thought of it as hot chocolate. Now I have experienced it for myself and know that it connects me to my heart and my community, and to Mother Earth. It’s much deeper than I would have understood in the past. Sacred delivers the real medicine of cacao, which was what got me into it. The cacao parties really stood out to me as something that's extremely powerful. They bring in wellness and spirituality whilst having a lot of fun, which I think will help change culture and change the world. It’s replacing the toxic elements of partying with something truly deeper and more real. Instead of escapism, it’s fulfillment. Sacred comes from the heart for all of us. I really do think we're gonna have a big part to play as the cacao works her medicine in us all.’
What we love about Steve is his bravery to dream. No mountain is too high when you’re grounded to the earth and connected to the stars.
‘I know that people are capable of so much more than they understand. I know this because I was somebody who was always living life on the sidelines, waiting, hoping for things to happen. It wasn't until I looked at myself and started trying things that I realised, all the things that I thought I wanted, they are absolutely microscopic compared to what I can actually do and dream of. I think one of the biggest problems is that we're not really taught how to dream. We're not taught how to train properly or how to connect with the things that we truly love and value. We've got one life. We've got an infinite world of infinite possibilities and there are ways of making what we want happen. Anything is possible. I truly believe that everything we need at any moment in our life is within reach all the time. That's the kind of gravity I’m stepping into.’
As we’re speaking, Steve can’t see what I see, which is the artwork he’s seated in front of perfectly framing him with stars, galaxies and celestial light.
‘I heard something recently.’ Steve says thoughtfully. ‘That when you’re trying to describe the infinite, anything other than silence is just a really bad translation. We’ve got to try though.’
My heart warms as I listen to Steve. It’s only through self-love that we learn to feel safe to express what’s alive for us, what’s needing to be seen and held compassionately. The suppressed parts of us begin to find their expression in creation, which is authentic and a gift to be in the presence of.
‘The essence of my message has always been truth.’ Steve expresses. ‘It’s one of the most important things to me. If there is a little black hole in your peripheral vision, don't be scared. Look at it and figure out what it is, because that's going to get you closer to where you want to be. I want to say to everyone, this is an opportunity for all of us to step into a greater version of ourselves, to imagine what we want in our lives and for our world so we can create it together. The more of us who are on that wavelength, the more we're really going to be able to turn this around and make it work. That’s the work I’m here to do. I want to change our culture to something more loving, connected, resilient and strong.’
Connect with Steve
Instagram | www.instagram.com/stivka_
Website | www.coldandconscious.com.au
Written by our Sacred Scribe
Instagram | www.instagram.com/artful_listening
Website | www.artful-listening.com