BELIEFS

What are beliefs?

A belief is an idea or thought that you have become committed to.  Ideas and thoughts can come and go, but if you think about them and agree to them, you commit yourself to them.  Most of our beliefs are received from other people, teachers at school, our religion, our parents, our peers.  Our beliefs are our truths.  They may not be the truth, but they are what we perceive as the truth.  They are what we base our lives on... what shapes our lives.  They are what attract the circumstances we have in our lives.  We have many areas of life:  health, wealth, family and friends, hobbies, relationships, career, personal space, contribution and spirituality.  We have thousands and thousands of beliefs, some that we are not even aware of, in all these areas of our lives.

You may believe that you are ugly.  This belief will keep you from enjoying a social life.  You will think that people will look at you and reject you or make fun of you.  You could very well be a very good looking person to others, but this is your belief.  This belief could have been formed when you were a child and some other child told you that you are ugly.  They may not have believed this themselves, but might have just said that to hurt you, as children so often are prone to do.   This would have hurt you and you would have thought about it often, and started to believe it.  Other incidents may have strengthened this belief.  You would have acted on this belief by limiting yourself to circumstances that you feel comfortable in.

"You can have anything you want if you will give up the belief that you can't have it."
~ Dr Robert Anthony

Are your beliefs serving you?

Take a piece of paper and a pen and write down all your dreams.  All the things you would like to do.  Now look at each one, analyse it, and find out which of your beliefs are holding you back from doing those things or accomplishing those dreams.  Beliefs are not set in stone... they are only our truths, and we can change them at any time.   Now write down the belief that is limiting your life, and next to it, or below it, write down the belief that would make your dream possible.  It would be the opposite of the belief that is holding you back.
Eg.   Many people believe that they must have a job, and that they would not be able to own a successful business.   That they must be content with surviving, rather than being happy and successful.

This sounds really crazy, but weren't all the most successful people rather crazy...lol!  Close your eyes and imagine that you have a cape behind you.  Yes, you.... Now anything that you can imagine, you can do!  You just have to instill the belief.  Go on, reach your full potential!  YOU CAN!!

Love, light and abundance :)

BELIEFS ~ WHERE DID WE GET THEM?

Our mostly well-meaning parents, teachers, peers, television, etc, have instilled certain beliefs in our minds.  These beliefs are based on the social ideologies of the time, or era.  We are taught that certain behaviours, images, fashions, body shapes, religions, discriminations, ways of thinking, etc, are acceptable;  and others are not acceptable.

"The outer conditions of a person's life will always be found to reflect their inner beliefs."
~ James Allen

A great example is the 'flower power' of the sixties.  It was acceptable to be close to nature, dress plainly and to speak one's mind, among other things.  Technological inventions increased, and now we are in the age of technology.  People are more materialistic, less interested in nature.   More involved with working long hours to make more money to pay for their expensive life styles.  Life is a rush.... and the best things in life, that are free, have been mostly left behind... There isn't much time for our kids, for nature, for compassion...

 "Circumstances do not make a man, they reveal him."
~ James Allen

Our ideas and beliefs change every few years according to our social conditioning.   Some states in the USA don't want children to be schooled at home because they feel that all children should be indoctrinated with the same ideas.  What ever happened to creativity, individuality?

Advertisements on television make us think that we have to be slim.  That we have to possess a particular car or phone, etc to be cool.... to fit in.  Many people even raise their children from very young to fit in with society.   So does that mean that if the child's peers take drugs, that is is ok?  It is much like saying to a child:  'You can swear, but only in certain places and under certain circumstances'.  Isn't it better to teach a child to think and make his own decisions, whether they fit in with society or not?

Many children are labelled as ADD or ADHD because they want to play and be active, as children should, rather than sitting in front of the TV all day, being quiet and out of the way.  They are fed junk food, processed foods, sweets, carbonated drinks instead of healthy foods.   They are often called stupid by teachers, parents and peers.  These children are not stimulated, read to, nor taught to concentrate.  It is easier to take a pill to fix these problems, but even pills have their problems, like side effects, etc.

In many cases, we are taught to accept these ideas without question.  I grew up this way...fearing all sorts of terrible punishments and consequences, that I now know were just fear motivation, and thus just made up... When I was twenty years old, I witnessed a man in our office grab a book that a lady was reading, and tear it to pieces, saying it was evil.  Since then this kind of thing has happened many times.... Of course, being the curious person I am... I had to find out what the big secret was.... Many questions crossed my mind, but I never really pursued them.  The opportunity only came a few years later when I started studying a teachers degree, and discovered some amazing things... then life coaching... and now the discoveries don't stop...

"Beliefs have the power to create and the power to destroy.  Human beings have the awesome ability to take any experience of their lives and create a meaning that disempowers them or one that can literally save their lives."
~ Anthony Robbins

"Blind belief in authority is the greatest enemy of truth."
~ Albert Einstein

That took care of most of my fears... and I discovered unconditional love.  Love for myself and for others.  An understanding of why people do what they do.  When we understand ourselves and others, we become more compassionate, and more loving.  Where there is love, there cannot be fear.  Where there is faith, there cannot be fear.

When we feel that we are expected to behave in a particular manner, we feel confined, in search of something, but we don't know what.  We feel that we are being judged, and so judge ourselves.  If we didn't judge ourselves, we wouldn't care when other's judge us.  It is in this judging of ourselves that we create self-suffering.

When we change our beliefs about ourselves, others, and the world, from limiting beliefs, to beliefs that serve us, we stop  judging ourselves and live happier, more fulfilling lives.  We lose the fear of tackling new things.  We gain the courage to look all those old fears square in the face, and conquer them.

Where there is no fear, love thrives.  Love for ourselves, others, animals, our enviroment, our circumstances. our world.  When we give love, we receive love.  Where there is love, there is great happiness.  Obstacles become adventurous challenges, and often go by unnoticed.

Don't for a minute think that your beliefs don't affect others.  It is because of these limiting beliefs, these fear beliefs, that we have so much war, hatred, crime, depression and unhappiness around us.  We attract what we are, what we believe, what we do... Our thoughts lay the foundation for our reality.  The Bible tells us 'As a man thinketh, so he is'.   Let us start to change our reality, our world, to a reality of peace and love... One thought at a time...

The most efficient way of changing a belief is by using affirmations.  Yes, many people say affirmations don't work.... of course they don't work if you don't use them correctly.  Affirmations must be repeated about 40 times a day, daily, for 40 days to become a belief.  An mp3 player is a great way of achieving this.  I wouldn't give mine away for all the money in the world.

Love, light and abundance ♥