Your Beliefs Are Powerful Enough To Create Your Future: This 4 Step Process Will Help You Change A Limiting Belief
Inner Peace And Tranquillity
“Remember that what you believe will depend very much on what you are.” — Noah Porter
The power of your beliefs is an integral component which holds the key to your potential. Beliefs form the foundation to a wish, a prayer or an intention and may be clothed with a powerful will and desire.
The Free Online Dictionary defines beliefs as: the mental acceptance of and conviction in the truth, actuality, or validity of something. My own definition embraces the principle of truth despite evidence proving otherwise.
I would like to outline the case of how beliefs have the power to create your reality in the following section. Why have I chosen to focus on beliefs to highlight those aspects which may be holding you back?
Consider the last time you applied for job or were planning on purchasing a car, home or anything of considerable value. Your belief in the occurrence unfolding in a well-orchestrated manner is a powerful tool which shapes your coming reality.
Often, we have no idea how we know what we know, yet it is more than that — it is an inner knowing met with a strong conviction that events will come to pass in a positive way. We do not need to know the precise details how events will unfold, yet our inner guidance affirms the belief that all will be well if we proceed with an open mind and a welcoming heart.
Call it gut instinct, sixth sense or an inner knowing, beliefs serve to reaffirm your connection to a greater intelligence. You co-create life when you follow and act on your beliefs. Your beliefs have power through the thoughts and emotions you entrust them with.
Recall a time when you really believed in a cause with all your heart and soul. How did your body feel? You may have experienced an inner peace and tranquillity wash over you, despite an outward appearance or lack of physical evidence. This is the power of belief working through you.
Become Aware And Awake
“Man often becomes what he believes himself to be. If I keep on saying to myself that I cannot do a certain thing, it is possible that I may end by really becoming incapable of doing it. On the contrary, if I shall have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it, even if I may not have it at the beginning.” — Mahatma Gandhi
Personally, I hold the empowering belief which affirms, every event has the potential to shape my life when I choose to be receptive to the lessons which unfolds. With this in mind, I suspend my judgement about what life should look like, by becoming aware and receptive to the infinite intelligence and wisdom which resides within me.
I turn down the volume on my ego, which seeks to reaffirm its own plan and choose to allow life to co-create my destiny. I discover opportunities that become readily available when I adopt this way of thinking, rather become embroiled in negative thoughts.
I create and shape my reality based on infinite love, not fear. I believe in an intelligent and supreme force, one that guides my steps. I reason this force is responsible for creating a benevolent universe which continues to support me.
Your soul knows what is right for you — it has no agenda other than your personal evolution and happiness though the fulfilment of your deepest desires.
Your beliefs are powerful and colour every experience by intensifying your perception of reality. You are the creator of your life. You are the story teller, the director and producer of your destiny.
You do not have to know the infinite details of how life will unfold. You simply believe life is serving you and will continue to do so as long as you allow life to flow through you. How can it not?
How can the same force that gave you life not support your growth, happiness and wellbeing? Your choices are influenced by your beliefs, be it right or wrong. It is for this reason you become empowered though personal growth to take ownership by making conscious choices.
You are invited to become aware and awake. This does not mean sailing through life impervious to your choices and actions. Many people blindly act out their subconscious beliefs and wonder why their life is not what they imagined it to be.
Take a moment to examine the following questions by writing your answers down on paper or computer. Go with the first insights that come to mind. Do not dwell too much on looking for the right answers, since you will become caught in a flurry of thoughts.
Connect to your thoughts through feeling your way through the process. Awareness is the first step toward change.
1. Have you formed beliefs through the influence of others?
2. If so, whom? Family, friends, work colleagues, teachers, sports coaches, ministers or that of your collective society?
3. How are they serving you right now?
4. If they are not serving you, which beliefs do you need to re-examine and change to support your future?
5. Examine aspects of your life which you may have formed inaccurate representations. Consider the quality of your life. Not quantity, which is measured by material possessions. Look at the value of the beliefs you create.
6. When did you form those beliefs?
7. What was occurring in your life around the time these beliefs were formed?
In his book The Power of Belief, author Ray Dodd provides us with four steps to follow in order to change a belief.
“What distinguishes the majority of men from the few is their ability to act according to their beliefs.” — Henry Miller
1. Practise Awareness
Dissociate from the beliefs you formed as a child that no longer serve you. Challenge the inner voice that insists this is the way it’s done, as ego reinforces its control through such thoughts. These voices arise when you challenge an existing belief. Silence the endless chatter that interprets your thoughts and actions.
A limiting belief is recognised by your emotional response. For example, repeat the belief, I’m not capable and note the emotions that arise. You might be reminded of an incident when you were young and sense tightness or constriction in your chest, throat or stomach. This is your body informing you the belief still exists in your emotional body. Other limiting beliefs include: I’m not worthy, I’m not enough, I don’t matter, etc.
2. Give Up The Need To Be Right
Abandon beliefs that no longer serve you. In surrendering them, you suspend the need to gather evidence to justify you’re right. Through gained awareness, how does the need to be right feel? Is there a feeling of spaciousness as though a small voice within invites you to let go? By not gathering evidence you release your attachment to your old story.
In intimate relationships where there’s low self-worth, the person is likely to use evidence to justify they’re right if they are abandoned. Do you want to be right or happy? You can’t be both. “To change beliefs, we must learn to perceive them as abstract ideas separate from the world,” states teacher of the Toltec Wisdom Gary van Warmerdam.
3. Love Yourself Without Limits
To disempower a belief, stop reinforcing it. My belief as a six year old, terrified of swimming in deep waters was, I’m weak and will never amount to anything. I compared myself to other children who could swim in deep waters. As an adult, I realised it was imprudent to pay attention to a six year old. Whilst it took me longer to learn to swim, I became proficient at it. I embraced myself irrespective of my fears, because I am already whole. I invite you to practice self-compassion despite your beliefs.
4. Create A New Dream
Design a new agreement which re-works the old belief. After you challenge the outdated belief, compose a new one in line with your Truth. Following on from my earlier example, my new belief became, I stand in my own power and know my true worth. It includes attributes for living in alignment with my authentic self. Gather evidence to support your new belief. Live it, breathe it and be it. In your new loving relationship you might reframe your unworthiness to: I love and approve of myself unconditionally.
Examine your beliefs by becoming aware whether they are serving you now. You need not adopt other people’s ideas or beliefs, believing that since they work for them, they will serve you too. Allow your true self to unfold; since the life of your dreams awaits you on the other side.
It already exists out there — just tune into it!
