A Look At Our Beliefs …

In our last blog Part 1 post, we learned how our beliefs are formed in our subconscious. Then we looked at the process of subconsciously changing them.

So, now it’s time to take a look at how we can actually choose our beliefs

Once you find yourself reacting to a belief, becoming aware that you are caught in the pattern of your belief, you can begin to change it. Once you become aware that this is happening and step outside yourself to become a neutral observer and realize how you have been creating beliefs that don’t work for you like self-sabotage and frustration, you gain insight and begin to perceive your life from a neutral or different perspective. consequently, your feelings about the old belief begin to fade and a new awareness begins to develop. You start to realize how you have been creating your life around the events and circumstances in your life.

Once you begin to let go of the old, rather than justify it, or say “it has always been this way,” you have freedom to choose a new belief

Now you are free to choose a belief that is more in alignment with who you are. So, take a look at what you really want in all areas of your life and craft your new belief to fit your criteria in areas of spiritual, mental and emotional, beliefs that deliver the outcomes you desire.

What’s important is to embrace your new belief. Think and act “as if” it was true. After all, a belief is simply an instruction that has been accepted by your subconscious mind to bring about a certain outcome. And, most of our beliefs were formed when we were very small children, powerless and our brains were not fully formed. We did what we needed to do to get by … to survive.

By thinking and acting “as if,” you will notice that what is not resourceful for you can naturally fall by the wayside

This is because you are now taking a neutral stance and recognize what is not resourceful. As you identify and release what goes against your own self-interest, embrace what IS resourceful so can remain.

By watching yourself as the observer, with curiosity from a neutral point of view, you become more aware and more self-empowered.

Remember, the key to this process is to observe yourself from a neutral or detached perspective.

Once you learn to do this, you become aware of how the process unfolds

This process puts you in the driver’s seat. You now have more freedom of choice. So, it’s up to you to ask yourself what outcome you want? Once you become the observer, it easier for you to identify what would be a more resourceful outcome for you in this situation.

Once you define the outcome you would like, you can easily identify and create a resourceful belief. Yes, you can actually choose your beliefs.

Ask yourself: “In order for me to achieve the results I would like to reside in my world, what would I have to believe?”

To achieve this, completely let go of your old belief. Your past beliefs do not have to equal the present unless you choose to stay stuck in the past. Do not drag the old into the new or let it influence you. If this happens, you are allowing yourself to continue being held hostage by your old beliefs.

Once your decision has been made, you’ve defined your new belief and are now acting “as if” this is your true belief. Remember, the more you think and act from your new belief, the sooner it will become true for you. Ask yourself: “if this was my true belief, how would I think, how would I act and how would I feel? It’s amazing how this works! In time you become comfortable with your new belief and it seems familiar to you and your acting “as if” becomes a reality for you.

So now, let’s take a look at how we can uncover our beliefs

Since our beliefs rest comfortably in the depths of our subconscious, they operate without our conscious knowledge (under the radar screen). So, let’s look at ways to “tease” them out of hiding.

One way teasing out your beliefs is by making lists. In the WealthMind™ Workshop we do a powerful exercise where we look at our beliefs about money. We answer a series of questions and fill in the blanks. When asking these questions, write down all the answers that come to mind rapidly, (unfiltered). Make a list of questions such as:

• I am ________________________________
• People are ___________________________
• The world is __________________________
• Money is _____________________________
• My job is ______________________________

Write down in list form, like bullet points, everything that comes to mind about each category and add a few of your own.

If you would like to write sentences around another category such as weight, anger, your job/career, you can uncover beliefs around these areas as well.

Remember, we’re looking for beliefs that are holding you back and affecting your life that you want to shift, release and redefine to create a life you really, really desire and deserve.

Ask yourself, what is keeping you up at night?

For money beliefs it could something like:

• I am poor
• Other people are luckier than me
• The world is full of people I’m not sure I can trust
• Money is the root of all evil
• I never seem to get ahead
• People don’t respect me
• The world isn’t fair
• As soon as I make money, I spend it
• I can’t seem to get ahead

Take your time working on these sentences. Even if you write pages and pages which is easy to do once you get on a roll, you are getting it all down. This is good because now you have something to work with. Take your time a take a look at what you have written.

Begin by identifying sentences you wrote down that state what you don’t want

You want to begin by changing beliefs you’ve identified that reveal what it is you don’t want or are moving away from.

Remember our beliefs determine our results. So, these unresourceful beliefs have been operating in your life and determining your results probably (depending on your age) for many years.

If you believe other people are luckier than you, you will continually notice evidence of how other people luck into situations (and you don’t) showing up in your life.

If you believe you’re poor, you’ll continually notice evidence of how others are doing much, much better than you.

If you believe that money is the root of all evil and you consider yourself to be a good person, what happens as soon as you make money? Something will unconsciously come along to reverse your fortunes.

Look at the results you’re getting in life

If you notice it “always” comes out in a way that you’re unhappy with, you are holding a belief that this is true for you. Then your unconscious finds a way for you to make that happen.

As long as you are holding these beliefs you will get the same results.

You can’t do and think the same way over and over again and expect different results. This is the definition of insanity.

We tend to take on traits of those we hang around with

One way to begin looking at our life differently is to upgrade the people you surround ourself with. In NLP we look to model excellence. So, if you want to upgrade your life in any area, you can look to people you would like to emulate or read books about those who have succeeded. These are role models for us, and we can learn from others. Ask: “How did they accomplish their success?” When we look at others who have succeeded in areas where we want to improve our life, we begin by looking at their beliefs.

Ask yourself: “In order to create what ___________ has created, what must they have believed?”

Then you can apply those beliefs to your own life and watch what happens!

It’s important to look at resourceful beliefs and then take them on. You want to continually shift your attention to what you want, your new positive belief, not what you don’t want.

To this point in your life you have unconsciously learned how to focus and create according to your beliefs. Now it’s time to contribute consciously and begin to consciously create beliefs you really, really want, desire and deserve.

In the beginning of a new belief, it’s helpful to write it down your belief. Carry it on a card you can look at throughout the day. This keeps you focused on your new belief and you can pull it out and read it throughout the day.

When situations arise where your belief is tested, when you find yourself behaving or thinking in the old way, shift your focus to your new belief. As you continue to do this, in time you will notice a shift as the new belief integrates into your unconscious.

Act “as if” until it becomes automatic and in time it will

OK, I admit that in the beginning it will seem like it’s not really real but, here is my promise to you … as you continue to focus on your new belief and surround yourself with books, friends and create your environment with “things” that support your new belief … in time, if you do the work, your new belief WILL become your new reality!