From a young age I have studied many philosophies, and in my time followed a few. I have come across every kind of religious and spiritual belief, philosophy, business model, technique and handy hint. I have seen people completely, violently and passively disagree. In all that lifetime of study, I have not found one viewpoint or method that universally works for everyone everywhere.

I have therefore drawn the only logical conclusion - there is no "ready-made" way of doing anything that will suit you perfectly - at best you will only find broad agreement. Hitching your wagon to any star, or putting complete faith in any one worldview, will inevitably lead to experiences of paradox, disillusionment, contradiction, confusion, fudge, compromise and rationalisation.

Why should this be so? Because everybody's concept of reality is unique! There may be common features and broad agreements, but the whole picture of "how it is" is an idea unique to you, forged by your own unique experience and genetic makeup. Reality is not an absolute but rather a relative concept. Accepting this fact will allow you to enjoy a life that is more fulfilled and unrestricted by unhelpful "shoulds" and "shouldn'ts"

As you go through life you will come across philosophies, methods and business models that you will find attractive. It is then very tempting to assume that you have found "The Way". You can now relax and simply throw yourself into your path, simply learning more about it as you go along. Unfortunately what actually happens is that you come across all the snags I mentioned above and discover that "The Way" is in reality simply "A Way"

I am not suggesting that one should not therefore believe in anything - it is impossible to live life without taking risks and making assumptions. However, what you DO believe should make complete sense to you. The way to minimize internal conflict is to construct your own personal spirituality, philosophies and methods that work for you. This construction, like any modern city, should undergo constant reconstruction throughout life as we develop.

Once we abandon the idea that there is an absolute truth that can be known, other than the reality of consciousness itself, we can be liberated to live life to the optimum and no longer live in fear of having wasted what is after all a temporary experience.

I am a great believer in "cherrypicking", picking up ideas and beliefs that work for me as I come across them, and discarding others that no longer fit my experience. With no option closed, my personal philosophy, spirituality and business model has been constructed from elements drawn from everywhere, and is perfectly suited for my life!

In my profession I deal with many other very varied individuals, and I'm fully aware that all the techniques available to me won't suit everyone, so I spend a lot of time understanding and listening to the other person. The therapy they receive is then well-tailored to that individual's attitudes and outlook. I dispense only those elements that I am convinced will be understood and work for them.

I would strongly recommend that everyone deals with everyone about anything in the same way - we should communicate with others in a way that they will be able to accept. To directly challenge anyone's view is threatening and rather rude. Whenever we are attempting any form of persuasion, it is always more productive to direct the attention to the hard evidence of positive experience offered by our way that will appeal to that individual. Knowing enough about the individual is thus crucial to your success! When in Rome, it is best to offer that which is appealing to Romans!