Do you want to know how to change your life?
The difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas as in escaping from old ones.
– John Maynard Keynes
Who is John Maynard Keynes?
You’ve heard the term Keynesian Economics? That comes from John Keynes. He was a very influential British economist. He believed that governments could mitigate the effects of recessions and depressions with fiscal and monetary policy.
I’m not interested, at least not here, in political or economic policy. It’s about the ideas that we can use to improve ourselves.
The Problem with Old Ideas
People hold onto their old idea. They invest heavily in them because they form the “truths” that their whole world hangs on.
Here’s an example from history that everyone can understand.
Christopher Columbus had a hard time finding someone to finance his trip back in the 1490s. He had this crazy idea that the world was round and he could find a better way to India by sailing west. The problem was everyone knew for a fact that the Earth was flat and sinking money into boats that someone was going to sail off the edge of the world was not a sound investment.
How to Change Your Life
You often hear phrase like “think outside the box” or “keep an open mind.” It’s the same idea with today’s quote of the day.
Question your old ideas. What have you been holding onto that may not be true anymore?
It’s hard to let go of old ideas. First you have to convince yourself, then you have to convince everyone around you.
My Story
Here’s an example from my own experience.
The old idea is that after you graduate from high school you go to college, get a good job. You build your career until you finally retire at 65 and live out the rest of your old age.
Most of that is already blatantly false. A lot of people work past 65 because they don’t have enough money to live on. But people still hold on very tight to the rest of it. Go to school, get a job.
I hated my job so I looked for something else. I went to massage therapy school with the idea that my wife and I could open our own practice. Instead, I ended up with a network marketing business. You can read more about my path to network marketing here. It’s a fascinating story.
First I had to convince myself that it was OK to break with the accepted idea of a working career. Then I had to convince my wife. I didn’t tell anyone else what I was doing until I quit my job. Then I had to deal with my parents, in-laws and friends.
They all thought I was like Columbus, about to sail off the edge of the world.
Like Columbus though, I didn’t fall off. I found a whole new world.
Review
Do you want to change your life? Question everything you know. Find out what former truths no longer serve you and set out to discover new truths.
Free yourself from the prison of outdated beliefs.
Here’s an outdated idea – the sky’s the limit. Check out yesterday’s quote of the day.
