Why you make life harder for yourself by obeying these 5 societal myths:

Untethered Mind, Thursday Edition, 4-min read.

—

You need only spend five minutes on social media to see perfectly normal people vehemently agreeing with absolute nonsense.

We can fall into the trap of assuming something is true because people you like and admire believe it.

But you didn’t look into it. You didn’t question it. And so the assumption prevailed.

And often, these assumptions about how the world works can eat us alive. We feel obligated to live in a way we don’t understand.

We wonder why we feel unfulfilled.

Here are some examples:

You’re not expected to feel good all the time.

This modern obsession with mental health is inadvertently making the problem worse. We feel resistance to the inevitable chaos of life and immediately run to an escape or a pill.

Our very resistance to discomfort strengthens our sense of imbalance.

Instead, realise it’s ok to occasionally feel pain and boredom.

In fact, you’ll set yourself apart in ways you hadn’t imagined by embracing it.

You don’t need to share the same views as the majority.

"The minority is sometimes right; the majority always wrong." - George Bernard Shaw

Over the years, I’ve seen how wrong most people are about most things. Most of these things I can’t share with you because I’d be heavily criticised or cancelled.

Come and talk to me in person over a tea if you want more details.

This isn’t me being unreasonable or arrogant. It’s just what I observe.

And so I’ve learned to find peace in detaching from the views of the crowd.

I used to think it was impossible for the majority to be so misguided. I thought there was something wrong with me.

But now, knowing that it absolutely is possible for crowds to be swayed in the wrong direction, I take pride in what an individual can see that the masses cannot.

You don’t need to change society for the good.

Closely related to the above is the obligation many feel that because they see the wrong being done in the world, they must act to change it.

You can if you like, and often, being engaged in something larger than yourself like this can bring tremendous satisfaction.

I applaud you.

However, I’m also telling you that you don’t need to feel obligated to change society and it’s downward trajectory.

This is your one life. And you’re not here to try to change people (at scale) who don’t see what you see and are not willing to change.

I choose now to keep a low profile. I’m not here to make my life more complicated by pointing out why others are wrong.

I choose to blend in silently. This brings me peace, and I have more energy to focus on what I can create.

You do not need to live in the same place your whole life.

Just because you were born, grew up, and have friends and family somewhere does not mean you’re obligated to stay there.

Mostly, this is because you like comfort and familiarity. I get it. Do what you like.

But also realise there is a whole world out there. The news has done a superb job of making us believe it’s safer where we are. But the news is a fabricator of stories.

Right now, I spend some of the year in Estonia because of its cool, beautiful summers and the rest of the year wherever I please.

You can live where you like, and you don’t even need to live in the same place year-round.

You don’t need approval from other people.

Care about what other people think and you will always be their prisoner." - Lao Tzu

Most of us grow up conditioned to believe that other people have the power to affect how we feel. It’s very strong conditioning.

Because we feel bad when someone criticises us, we assume our joy must come from other people, too.

This is a false belief.

You have all the joy and happiness you need from within, as clichéd as it sounds.

This doesn’t mean becoming a recluse.

It simply means you are no longer dependent on what others do or say to be content.

It starts by living out the reality of this fact:

You already have everything you need.

---

Thanks for reading!

Join us as a paying member to enjoy these additional benefits:

“You have no idea how your words have helped me move through the most challenging time of my life. Game-changing!“ - Janet Hall, subscriber

You get:

• Access to exclusive Monday member’s content podcast: Stroll with Alex.

• Access to regular Untethered Mind videos from Alex.

• Access all courses and future courses (worth $50+ each).

• Free instant access to Untethered Mind course to reduce anxiety (worth $290+)

  • Recent review: “I hesitate to say this because it’s such a bold statement, but this is the best course I’ve ever taken...ever...university included. Alex. Thank you." ~ George Sisneros, coach.

• Support Alex as a writer.

• Access all locked archive posts and videos.

---

Pssst. You’ll also love my recent book: ‘The Art of Self Respect: Twenty-five subtle habits for cultivating deep self-respect and attracting the respect of others‘ — get your copy today.

---

Reach out to Alex today if you’d like to discuss working with him directly to help you with life challenges and achieving your goals.