I recently watched kids playing a game, wilfully changing the rules as they went along to suit themselves. And it made me think about the unwritten rules we live our lives by.
Think about it. You probably set your alarm for the same time, shower & wash yourself in the same order, have the same thing for breakfast, often choosing a grain cereal (as that is recommended), travel to work the same way, have the same conversations & arrive home, watch the same TV shows & retire to bed after setting your alarm for the same time again tomorrow.
Meanwhile you ponder why you feel unfulfilled & trapped by the status quo, & cannot understand why you are losing your edge in the corporate world.
Think for a moment about all the perceived rules we are living by. Make a list. Then challenge the ones you can change.
A good question to ask may be “Am I following this rule because it’s the best way, or because it’s the only way I know? Have I just found a way to be uncomfortably comfortable in my box of rules. Does the rule even apply to me? Is there another option?”
I like to play the “What If” game.
What if I set my alarm for 5 minutes earlier each day until I ended up with an extra hour of “me” time?
What if I washed head to toe one day & toe to head the next? Or brushed my teeth with the other hand? What synapses in my brain might be stimulated?
What if I challenged the consumption of grains for breakfast after finding out it was the grain board who funded the study recommending cereals, & had eggs instead?
What if I chose a different form of transport, or a different route to work? And then posed some thought-provoking questions to those I work with for more productive conversations?
What if I decided to eat dessert before dinner because life is too short?
And what if I actually blew the dust off that pile of books on my bedside (the ones I will read some day) & actually consumed something inspirational for an hour before bed instead of watching another episode of Love Island????
Turn your life upside down & see what falls out; Allow yourself to experiment, to fail, & to reinvent; See with fresh eyes; Doubt the default; Color outside the lines; Move your furniture around or swap the paintings on the wall; Look for different options in all you do & ask What else?; Get a big scrapbook & make a wild ideas page; Generate more ideas; Percolate a new mindset, one that does not argue for limitations but dares to believe that there are miracles close enough to reach out & touch.
An inspired path isn’t about adhering to the predetermined, but about forging our own. So if you are looking for a life filled with innovation, growth, & progress, dare to question your assumptions, experiment with unconventional approaches & ask What if?
And if you ever feel a little stuck or need some inspired & elevated ideas get in touch with us here at The Elevation Company.
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