Law 1: Transcend the Culturescape.
Extraordinary minds are good at seeing the culturescape and are able to selectively choose the rules and conditions to follow versus those to question or ignore. Therefore, they tend to take the path less traveled and innovate on the idea of what it means to truly live
We start our lives strong; as children we learn, grow, and change at an exhilarating pace. Yet for most people, once they graduate from college and start their careers, that growth slows down.
The culturescape is so strong, so self-reinforcing that it convinces us that life must unfold in a particular way. This is fine if you’d like to live a regular, safe life. There’s nothing wrong with that. The problem happens when “safety” gives rise to boredom and eventually stagnation.
Our culturescape evolved to keep us safe—but in this day and age, we no longer need to fear tigers by the riverbank. Safety is overrated; taking risks is much less likely to kill us than ever before, and that means that playing it safe is more likely just holding us back from the thrills of a life filled with meaning and discovery.
Law 2: Question the Brules.
Extraordinary minds question the Brules when they feel those Brules are out of alignment with their dreams and desires. They recognize that much of the way the world works is due to people blindly following Brules that have long passed their expiration date.
Extraordinary people think differently, and they don’t let their society’s Brules stop them from advocating for a better world for themselves. Neither should you. All of us have both the ability and responsibility to toss out the Brules that are preventing us from pursuing our dreams. It all starts with one thing: questioning your inherited beliefs.
You can use the same amazing brain that took those Brules onboard to uninstall them and replace them with beliefs that truly empower you. This idea alone can be hugely liberating.
Law 3: Practice consciousness engineering.
Computational thinking trains you to look at problems from all angles—to break down problems into processes and parts (decomposition), spot patterns (pattern recognition), and solve them in a very logical, linear fashion (algorithms). The goal is to come up not only with a solution but also with one that’s replicable, meaning that anyone—a man, woman, or child from India, Malaysia, or North America—could get the same results. Computational thinking makes you highly logical—and a very good problem solver. It’s what gives programmers and hackers their edge.
Extraordinary minds understand that their growth depends on two things: their models of reality and their systems for living. They carefully curate the most empowering models and systems and frequently update themselves.
Law 4: Rewrite your models of reality.
Extraordinary minds have models of reality that empower them to feel good about themselves and powerful in shifting the world to match the visions in their minds.
Remember that no single culture or religion dominates the majority of the planet today. No major religion holds sway over the majority of the human population. Know that whatever your culture trained you to believe, the vast majority of human beings probably do not believe. And you can choose to disbelieve, too. The power to choose what we want to believe and what we want to disbelieve is one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves.
The best advice is often to listen to your heart and intuition. Remember that our models of reality all have expiration dates. Even what we take to be absolute truth today may not always be a truth in the future.
Law 5: Upgrade your systems for living.
Extraordinary minds consistently spend time discovering, upgrading, and measuring new systems for living applied to life, work, heart, and soul. They are in a perpetual state of growth and self-innovation.
We’ve created a society where it’s considered normal to wake up with feelings of stress, anxiety, fear, and worry. But it isn’t. These feelings aren’t meant to be constant states. They’re alarm systems, evolved to alert us to things we need to deal with, not just live with. You’re not supposed to hate your work or dread your day. “Happy hour” shouldn’t be the drinks you have on Friday to celebrate getting through another week.
Instead of taking pills or engaging in unhealthy habits to suppress our feelings, we can install systems to be free of them. What’s inspiring is how popular these new systems are proving to be—and how fast and powerful the transformations are.
Law 6: Bend reality.
Extraordinary minds are able to bend reality. They have bold and exciting visions for the future, yet their happiness is not tied to these visions. They are happy in the now. This balance allows them to move toward their visions at a much faster rate while having a ton of fun along the way. To outsiders, they seem “lucky.”
Bending reality feels almost magical. Everything seems to “click.” You’re working, but it doesn’t feel like work because you love what you’re doing. When I’m in this state, I almost feel as if work doesn’t exist. Plus, intuition and insights seem to come easily, out of the blue. Maybe this is because your mind is focused so intensely on your vision that you’re alert to everything that will help achieve it and you’re in a happy, joyous state that opens you up to creativity. Sometimes it seems as if the right people, coincidences, and opportunities come to you, nudging and pushing you toward your goals. Is this the mystical law of attraction? Or is it what’s known as the brain’s reticular activating system? To me it doesn’t matter. It’s a model of reality that serves well.
Law 7: Live in Blissipline.
Extraordinary minds understand that happiness comes from within. They begin with happiness in the now and use it as a fuel to drive all their other visions and intentions for themselves and the world.
Law 8: Create a vision for your future.
Extraordinary minds create a vision for their future that is decidedly their own and free from expectations of the culturescape. Their vision is focused on end goals that strike a direct chord with their happiness.
Law 9: Be unfuckwithable.
Extraordinary minds do not need to seek validation from outside opinion or through the attainment of goals. Instead, they are truly at peace with themselves and the world around them. They live fearlessly—immune to criticism or praise and fueled by their own inner happiness and self-love.
Law 10: Embrace your quest.
Extraordinary minds are motivated by a quest or calling—a drive to create some positive change in the world. This drive propels them forward in life and helps them to gain meaning and make a meaningful contribution.
