For some reason I’ve always been a fan of challenging assumptions.  It’s probably a key reason why I decided to be an entrepreneur.

Today I just wanted to share my take on why it’s important to challenge the assumptions of society at large.

Did you know that Doctors used to encourage smoking and actually endorse certain brands of cigarettes?

Going Against The Grain

At a subconscious level, we all want to fit in. As a result, we tend to do what our friends do. If the five people we spend the most time with all smoke, odds are we will smoke. If they are musicians, we’re more likely to pick up an instrument.

This can be used positively or for less-than-great or even terrible applications.

Let’s not forget that slavery also existed in the south for a long time and was generally considered to be acceptable practice. In fact, the number of slaves a person had might have been considered a symbol of success and influence.

It takes radical thinking to create positive change and create “paradigm shifts”.

Someone had to enlighten the general public of why smoking was bad, why slavery was wrong and why women should have the vote. These were all unpopular stances that were heavily opposed to the point of violence.

Abe Lincoln shifted the paradigm for human rights in the United States.

If we’ve been this wrong in the past… what are we wrong about now? What should we be looking to change?

The famous motivational speaker and self-help expert, Bob Proctor, said that just because we have mental activity does not mean that we are engaging in thought.

Challenge Everything

I personally recommend challenging EVERYTHING and Every Belief you have. A lot of our beliefs are basically absorbed from our family and peers and are not a result of our own thought.

For example, I believe the idea of a 40 hour work week is arbitrary and incorrect. How is it possible that almost every industry needs a worker for 8 hours per day? Who created the magic formula that determined that if a person worked their 8 hours a day they would earn just enough to get by?

What if the same results could be created in 5 hours per week? I believe they can be… by every single person capable of reading this post. But maybe you’ll find something you love so much you won’t want to walk away from it.. at that point “work” doesn’t exist.

I believe that people are meant to do what they absolutely love and are meant to be happy and engaged every single day. PERIOD.

We’re meant to have abundance, not scarcity… the challenge is that few people take the time to stop and think about what they want and actually make the decision to have it.

Today, make the decision to have exactly what you love and resolve to dismiss all the incorrect assumptions that you’ve made about the way things are.

I hope you’ve found this post helpful. Thank-you for reading. Please subscribe at the top-right side of the page.