Your Erroneous Zones

by Wayne W. Dyer

Begin with insight into your own behavior. Study the neurotic dividends spelled out above. Then ask yourself why are you burdening yourself with so many shoulds. Ask yourself if you really believe in them, or if you’ve just become accustomed to behaving that way. • List all of the rules you abide by, which just don’t seem to apply. Those stupid conventional behaviors that you complain about, but can’t seem to shed. Then, make your own “Rules of Conduct” that make the greatest amount of sense to you. Write them down, even if you don’t believe at this time that you are capable of living them out. • Start your own traditions. For example, if you’ve always decorated your Christmas Tree on Christmas Eve, and you’d rather do it three days before, begin a new Christmas tradition—one that makes sense to you. • Have a consultation with your relatives and friends about the many rules of conduct you all follow which you find distasteful. Perhaps you’ll be able to bring about some new rules which appear to be more reasonable to everyone. You’ll discover that the old rules are still in effect only because no one ever seriously thought to challenge them in the past.