What if we updated our belief systems to cultivate more kindness, joy and wisdom?
By Annie Katz
Many of us were raised to believe that life is a struggle. We learned about survival of the fittest, good guys fighting bad buys, and man against nature. We were told that we were born sinners and had to strive for redemption. We believed what our parents and cultures taught us, so we fought hard, struggled every day, drove ourselves relentlessly and did our best to dominate the pack, climb the corporate ladder or secure a spot in heaven.
But what if our parents, teachers, and cultural leaders were mistaken? Maybe they were passing down defective programs they learned as children, and if that’s so, how might we imagine a new set of beliefs that allows us to relax and enjoy life?
As adults we can reprogram ourselves based on mature knowledge and direct experience. Wouldn’t it be wise to upgrade our belief systems to cultivate more kindness, joy and wisdom? Let’s play with the idea of choosing our own destiny.
What if as children we were taught to relate to the world logically, using the scientific method? We could observe the world, define a problem or goal, gather information, form hypotheses, make predictions, test our theories, draw conclusions, learn all we can, and then develop new theories for how the world works. That method gives us a systematic way to discover natural laws and to learn how humans can interact with their environments so that everyone gets what they need to thrive.
What if we believed the world was a classroom, a school where we could learn important life lessons? But instead of a school imposed upon us by other people, this would be the school of life, where we could evolve into the best versions of ourselves. Life would be infinitely supportive, patient and generous. We could make the same mistake a thousand times and still have another opportunity to get it right and move on to the next lesson.
Or what if we were taught that the world is a playground? In such a world, we would be given play areas appropriate to our age along with a few basic suggestions: Don’t hurt yourself. Don’t hurt anyone else. Learn from your mistakes and make better choices next time. Life is a wonderland when you behave yourself and practice kindness! In a playground world, we could watch others, and when we saw someone having fun, we could copy them or ask them to teach us how to do that.
What if we were taught a completely different set of beliefs, one that gave us courage, confidence, and the probability of a long, happy successful life? What might those beliefs be? How would it feel to believe them? How would we behave and what would be the results of our behaviors?
When I was a child, my parents taught me that the world was a dangerous place, and that I had to be strong, bury my feelings and work hard day in and day out to survive. It took many years of exhaustion, depression and unhappiness before I questioned all those beliefs and began the important work of knowing myself from the inside out and reprogramming my mind.
What if my parents had taught me that the world was a complex, wonderful place, and that I could find a way to learn, grow, thrive and contribute, a way to balance work and play, a way to live peacefully and harmoniously with others? What if I had been taught to value serenity and contentment? Or creativity and beauty? Or to have loyal friends and helpful co-workers instead competing with everyone? What if I had been encouraged to create a balanced life with enough challenge, enough leisure time, enough intimacy, enough freedom and enough solitude, all based on what I truly value most?
We can begin today to upgrade any defective programming. Abandoning faulty beliefs and replacing them with skillful ones is not easy, but it can be done. And with our new assumptions and beliefs, we can make the world a better place for ourselves and for all our fellow beings. Wise, compassionate mental programs can transform battlefields into wonderlands and spread peace, joy and happiness throughout the world.
Annie Katz is a retired educator living in Ashland. She has studied philosophy and spiritual practices all her life and now writes novels for fun. Readers may contact Annie at [email protected].
Want to contribute? Send 600- to 700-word articles on all aspects of inner peace to Richard Carey ([email protected]).
