Your beliefs create your reality in a literal sense. Cruising through life unconsciously unaware of what your beliefs are make you susceptible to a shallow understanding of why you experience life the way you do (life’s ups and downs).
Do you ever take a step back and ask yourself why you experience life the way you do? Why the things that make you happy make you happy or why the things that make you sad make you sad? What meaning do you attach to these experiences that make you feel what you feel?
We often tell ourselves that we are not enough, not important, or that we are just bad at things. These are some of the limiting beliefs we have. How many opportunities do we not chase because we look down on ourselves? How many times have we taken a step back into the shadows as a result of these limits we make up for ourselves?
What if we owned the truth? The truth that stays a fact regardless of what we have learned to believe and make that our new beliefs. What if instead of saying I’m not enough we said I am enough as I am, I am important or my needs are important?
Imagine how many more doors we would approach instead of running away. Imagine how many more things we could accomplish. The world becomes filled with endless possibilities simply by reaffirming who we are and believing it. By consciously making the decision not to respond to these hidden beliefs we are able to build on the positive new beliefs we establish for ourselves and align ourselves with everything else that comes from this newfound freedom.
Your behaviour as a result of beliefs:
Who you are as a person on a fundamental level is profound. Feelings like shame (that make you think that you as a person are bad) tend to create an enviroment where you undermine yourself and your efforts to change as well as reducing your hope for becoming better. This can be countered by understanding that you are not a bad person but rather a person who has done something bad. Unlike shame, guilt makes you want to do better next time and make amends for any wrong done.
Your health as a result of your beliefs: Things like genetics, socioeconomic circumstances and exposure to trauma or toxins are just some of the many factors that affect our health but research has suggested that beliefs matter too. Studies have shown that people who had a more optimistic outlook on life were found to be less likely to develop heart disease and having positive beliefs about aging actually made you live longer than those who had negative beliefs. Studies on the placebo effect (A placebo is anything that seems to be a “real” medical treatment — but isn’t. It could be a pill, a shot, or some other type of “fake” treatment) have also done well in proving just how much beliefs play a roll in our lives.
Engaging in practices that change your habitual way of thinking like being mindful of your beliefs or a gratitude journal. These practices can help you become aware of all the good things in life. This keeps you away from negative thoughts. Setting clear intentions and goals on how to approach each day. Make an effort to align behaviour with those intentions and goals.
Things will not always go your way and they will not always be easy but keep moving. When you fall over the wagon get back on and keep going. Recognising that while beliefs are powerful, not all of them are powerful.