Today we are going to explore beliefs. I can hardly contain my enthusiasm and passion for this simple, but incredibly important seven letter word.
“To change our lives and relationships, heal our bodies, and bring peace to our families and nations requires a simple yet precise shift in the way we use belief.” Gregg Braden
Beliefs are life. Everything you are experiencing comes down to the beliefs that you have accepted as true. Essentially, my coaching practice is about helping clients to identify, challenge and eliminate unproductive and damaging beliefs. Understanding your beliefs will allow you to understand why you do something, feel the way you do and get the results you get. Beliefs either serve you or they don’t. The great thing is that they can be changed.
Why the fuss? What are the implications?
If beliefs are life, consider that all of life, from your health, relationships, careers, ultimately your reality, can be understood through the filter of your belief system.
To illustrate the power of belief, we will use the story of Milarepa, a Tibetan yogi master who lived in the 11th Century. Until his death at the age of 84, he lived isolated in a remote cave high in the Tibetan mountains. A man who had mastered many seemingly impossible feats, he had used his yogic and mystical talents for revenge after the deaths of many of his family members. Ashamed of what he had done, he went into a self imposed exile in order to make amends and to truly master the psychic and energetic skills he had learned. Here in this quiet cave, Milarepa defied odds. The feat that remains a permanent, recorded event was a hand print he created in the cave wall. As the story goes, to demonstrate how any belief can be shifted and that beliefs have the power to impact the physical world, Milarepa placed his hand against the cave wall and created an indented hand print. Those who have seen, felt and attempted to create their own imprint, marvel at his accomplishment. How was he able to do the impossible? The answer is, he had belief. (1)
Although, most of you are probably not striving to alter the physical laws to such an extent, you are striving to live healthy, happy and successful lives. All of this is in direct correlation with your belief system. I have seen what can happen to chronic disease, pain, infertility, relationships and the overall quality in one's life when beliefs are changed. The seemingly impossible become possible.
The challenge with beliefs is that they feel true and you often have a mountain of evidence pointing to their validity. Beliefs are stored in the subconscious mind and this is the program that runs the responses you have to life. It informs how you will interpret the environment, people and the situations around you. This guidance system is generally formed in childhood, through messages and experiences you witnessed and participated in with your parents, teachers and social group. As you get older you often question certain beliefs, such as: religious ideals, roles within marriage, what money means to you etc. Other beliefs, however, go untouched and over time you come to accept these as your reality. What if you think life is hard, that you don’t deserve love, as you get older your health will inevitably gets worse, or that you will always be overweight? How would your body, health, relationships and essentially your life be impacted? How do you behave when you believe these things?
Think of a simple example. Maybe you believed in Santa Claus? If so, how did you behave leading up to and on Christmas Eve? Maybe you were extra good, wrote Santa a letter, left out milk and cookies and anticipated a gift under the tree? What if you were never told about Santa, therefore you had no belief in his existence? Well, then obviously, you would not have participated in any of these rituals, as your belief system did not contain within it this response to Christmas. The same is true in your life; we behave and participate in life in ways that validate what is true for us!
Some beliefs are quite ingrained, especially when paired with an emotionally charged event or memory; these beliefs can be challenged and reevaluated. This requires asking questions and then replacing the old belief with a new affirmation that will lead to the results you are ultimately hoping for. As a life coach I use many tools, such as EFT and Mind Detox to help an individual eliminate and replace inaccurate and often limiting beliefs.
Today Ask Yourself:
What do I believe about?
Life?
Relationships?
Health?
Money?
Where something is not working in your life, ask yourself: What would I have to believe to get that result?
What could I believe instead?
Please visit my website for further information on how beliefs could be impacting your physical health and your overall quality of life. If you would like assistance uncovering, resolving and replacing old beliefs, please contact me. I would love to help! I would also love to hear of any movies that you feel demonstrate the power of belief and that have inspired you to think of your own life differently.
(1) Source: 'The Spontaneous Healing of Belief: Shattering the Paradigm of False Limits', Gregg Braden, Hay House Inc, 2008
3 comments:
This is so true! I used to believe that because all the women in my family are overweight, I was destined to remain overweight as well. Once I started to believe that I could be healthy and that I didn't have to believe the old thoughts any more it all changed. I am now 30 pounds lighter because of a new belief!
You are an excellent writer! Thank you for sharing such interesting and useable ideas!
Who would have thought, :What you believe so shall it be." Thanks for the powerful reminder.
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