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Stop Following Rules You Never Agreed To

by | Dec 29, 2025 | Podcast, Season 1

Stop Following Rules You Never Agreed To

For six years, Mattanja Lennings tried to fit into a box that was never hers.

She shaved off parts of herself. Followed every rule. Did everything “right” — Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree, classical opera training.

And she lost her joy. Her spark. Her reason for singing in the first place.

Until her spirit whispered: “Go paint.”

She went to the dollar store. Bought some supplies. And started creating again — this time, with zero rules.

Now she sells paintings for five figures. Not because of strategy. Because she followed her intuition instead of the industry.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

  • How six years of “doing everything right” led to complete emptiness
  • The moment her spirit whispered something that changed her path
  • Why not knowing the rules became her biggest business advantage
  • The Hathor story: when a painting told her to charge €3,333 (and she’d never sold above €200)
  • How to expand your nervous system to hold what your intuition already knows
  • The question to ask yourself: What’s YOUR opera?

About Mattanja Lennings:

Mattanja Lennings is an artist, former opera singer, and mentor from the Netherlands. After six years of classical training left her empty, she followed her spirit to painting — and built a business selling work for five figures without ever learning the “rules” of the art world.

Connect with Mattanja:

Connect with Anik:

Resources:

Memorable Moments:

  • “For six years, I made myself smaller and smaller to try to fit in the box. In the end, I did not fit and I had completely lost myself.” — Mattanja Lennings
  • “Every year you stay in a box that isn’t yours, it gets harder to remember who you were before you started performing.” — Anik Malenfant
  • “The goals aren’t the problem. The foundation is.” — Anik Malenfant

If this resonates: Leave a review and tell us — what rules are YOU following that you never actually agreed to?

Your Host

Anik J. Malenfant is a former Wall Street finance professional turned Inner Work Strategist. With 15+ years in corporate finance and advanced training in energy psychology, she bridges strategic intelligence and deep inner work—proving prosperity and integrity aren’t opposites, they’re partners.

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