We work based on belief systems and world views. Everything we're told, everything we read, everything we watch and everything we encounter is what shapes our belief systems, and that forms the basis for interpreting the things we encounter from then on.

Different people react differently to the same news and the same situations and that is because they have different belief systems with which to interpret the situations.

I like to look at our belief systems as a map, one that is handed down to us by our parents and our teachers. The map was built by them and was valid when they did so. You can think of it as a print out of a Google map of your city that you take today and use twenty years from now. The city has changed a great deal over twenty years (or maybe not, depends on your city).

So, if you're following the twenty year old map, you will likely run into things that are not on the map and find that some of the paths on the map you have no longer exist. At this point, you can either think that the map is right and that you are just not following it right and try different approaches, or you can face the fact that the map is not up to date and make changes in the map to account for the reality you now see. There is also a third option. To stick to only those paths and markers on the map that are still true and ignore the rest.

The belief map is just an example. It is true of any map you might be following. Except for Google Maps (perhaps not even that), you are unlikely to have an up to date map with directions for what you need to do to get to where you think you want (your goals).

Remember that where you think you want to get to (your goals) maybe based on an outdated map. Following a map is not about following the most optimal way to your destination. It is about updating the map when you encounter things that aren't on yours and then passing it on to others. That is how a culture grows.

Dedicated to the numerous bans we are witnessing in India in the name of religion and culture. Education (knowledge, not literacy) liberates us all and helps us chart our own belief maps. Then we can have liberation from all the bans.