Adopting a “What Ever Works For You” approach is the next most logical step in your journey once you are ready, willing and open to seek a better way. As you begin to become more aware of all the programming and conditioning in your life being prepared to change the rules that have governed your choices and beliefs to date is a very liberating experience. Whilst it may sound like something that you have been doing all along it most likely has only ever been within the limits of what your environment, society and its rules, i.e., programming, have allowed. By questioning everything and putting your beliefs under the spot light for what may be the very first time in your life you will begin to see the “cave” you have been living within.
In my book, “A Burst for Freedom” I give the example of Plato’s Cave which represents people who believe that their knowledge and choices come from what they see and hear in the outside world: empirical evidence. Plato says that believers of empirical knowledge are therefore trapped in a cave of misunderstanding. A critical part of this guiding principle of Change the Rules is being prepared to do the inner work, to see the cave and to have the courage to step out from it.
The challenge is often where to start and who to believe as there is a ton of information our there and it can very quickly become overwhelming. This is another good reason to engage a Transformation Coach. Someone that has been where you are now, can hold space for you and has the experience to support you on this part of your journey. Changing the rules that have directed your life to date is not something that you necessarily want to do right away, at least in your outside world. There may be a lot of resistance and disagreement coming from your existing tribe so it may be important to focus on doing the inner work first and allowing that to flow naturally to your outside world. This could start with looking at your current “boundaries” and what may need to be re-defined or created anew.
Another important step would be to start creating the space around you so that there is less “noise”, less programming and less distractions. This has several great benefits as you will start to see things from a witness point of view, the fog of all your conditioning will begin to clear and therefore choosing new rules will become easier. Probably the best place to start is to stop watching the news on your TV. In fact, to stop watching your TV altogether. There is a reason it is called Television Programming! The main stream news channels on your TV are very much all about sensationalism, fear mongering and non-stop manipulation of what is really going on. Switch that off and within weeks you will see the world around differently and with more love. Then maybe over time move to restrict or stop reading main stream newspapers, listening to the radio and being selective as to the movies you watch and the information you absorb.
Below is a quote from The Budda that really encapsulates this guiding principle of “Change The Rules”:
“Rely not on the teacher, but on the teaching.
Rely not on the words of the teaching, but on the spirit of the words.
Rely not on theory, but on experience.
Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it.
Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations.
Do not believe anything because it is spoken and rumoured by many.
Do not believe in anything because it is written in your religious books.
Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders.
But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.”