What’s so special about belief?
The ancient Greek Stoic philosopher Epictetus stated that: "People are not disturbed by things, but by the views they take of them." This profound quote, said over 2000 years ago by a lame slave, conveys the idea that it is not external events themselves that shape our lives but rather our interpretations and beliefs about those events.
A key to happiness
Epictetus’s simple statement is actually the key to profound happiness and wellness. In essence the notion is that you may not be able to control external events and circumstances but you can control what you think about them, which in turn determines how you feel about things and what beliefs you form about life. And …. well, beliefs are a big deal.
Beliefs: self fulfilling prophecies
Beliefs are super important because they are a profound force that will shape the trajectory of your life in ways both subtle and profound. Your beliefs are like the invisible architects of your reality, influencing your thoughts, emotions, and actions. They serve as the foundation upon which you build your understanding of the world and your place in it. Whether it's your beliefs about yourself, your capabilities, or your potential for success, these convictions serve as self-fulfilling prophecies, guiding your decisions and determining the outcomes you manifest. Belief has the power to either limit your horizons or propel you towards greatness.
In short, your beliefs can either open doors to your most extravagant dreams or shut them firmly closed.
In this blog we will explore ways to uncover hidden belief structures that are sabotaging you with simple practical step by step practices.
What awesome people have said about belief:
“Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain “Move from here to there," and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." - Jesus
"We are what we believe. All that we are arises with our beliefs. With our beliefs, we make the world." Buddha
"Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right."– Henry Ford
"The only thing that stands between a man and what he wants is the will to try and the belief that it is possible."– Henry Ford
"If you think you are beaten, you are; if you think you dare not, you don't; if you think you will win, you are right." – Henry Ford
"Believe you can and you're halfway there." – Henry Ford
“If you believe you can, you probably can. If you believe you won’t, you most assuredly won’t. Belief is the ignition switch that gets you off the launching pad.” ~ Denis Waitley
“I don’t think anything is unrealistic if you believe you can do it.” ~ Richard L. Evans
“Belief precedes success.” – Jonas Caino
“Believe in yourself and you will create miracles.” – Kailash Satyarthi
““I am the greatest.” I said that before I even knew I was.” – Muhammad Ali
“If you believe it, the mind can achieve it.” – Ronnie Lott
“You can achieve anything if you believe in yourself. But the opposite is also true; without strong self-belief you will not go far.” – Paulo Coelho
The placebo effect: belief that can kill or cure.
If you doubt the power of belief, consider the placebo effect. The placebo effect is the remarkable, and well documented, phenomenon in which a person experiences genuine improvements in their health, and we are talking here of serious disease and suffering, after receiving a treatment or intervention that has no therapeutic value. These improvements occur solely because the individual believes in the treatment's effectiveness. The placebo effect underscores the powerful connection between the mind and our physical reality.
The bone and the strawberry jam
A good example of this is an anecdote told by my grandfather who used to take mule trains across the vast wild outback of north-western Australia to deliver mail and trading goods. On one of his journeys he came across an indigenous man who was on his deathbed, living in a solitary camp after being shunned from his tribal group. He said he was dying because the tribal witch doctor (the Wakirlpirri -man) had cursed him by pointing a special bone at him that was imbued with powerful “medicine”. He also believed that white men had a special medicine that could fix him. After some thought my Grandfather mixed up strawberry jam and water and presented it to the dying man as the redeeming medicine he believed in. A month or so later he passed back by the man's camp to find that the man's physical health was in good form and back to the pre-bone pointing days. He was cured of the bone.
In this case it could be argued that the placebo effect almost killed the man but also cured him.
The bottom line
To sum up. What we believe can and does have a powerful impact on our lives. If you are experiencing difficulty in certain areas of your life then chances are that a set of limiting beliefs lie at root of these problems.
The way forward
The good thing is that beliefs are not static. Thus, the first step towards changing your life is to first identify beliefs that may be limiting your progress. This is not always easy because many of our beliefs lie hidden deep within our unconscious mind.
How to out the beliefs that are preventing you from being epic
What follows is a set of exercises to winkle out your limiting beliefs and expose them to the light of your consciousness.
The auto-writing hack
Step 1: Create a Quiet and Reflective Space
Grab your journal or some writing paper and a pen or open a blank page on your lap-top. Find a quiet and comfortable place where you won't be disturbed. Sit down, relax, and take a few deep breaths to clear and calm your mind.
Step 2: Define the Area of Your Life to Explore
Decide on a specific area of your life that you want to explore. It could be related to career, relationships, health, or any other aspect where you feel stuck or limited.
Step 4: Set your intent.
Say assertively to yourself outloud that your intent is to uncover any limiting beliefs you hold about [state the area of your life that you are investigating] For example “I intend to uncover any beliefs I hold about money that are preventing me from being wealthy”
Step 5: Stream of Consciousness Writing
Set a timer for 10-15 minutes. Begin writing freely without censoring your thoughts. Write down everything that comes to mind regarding the chosen area of your life. This can include beliefs, thoughts, feelings, and past experiences. Absolutely anything that comes to mind. Just keep putting words down no matter how weird or dumb they may sound. Remember no judgment. I It doesn't have to be in perfect prose or grammatically correct or sound nice. Just let the words arise and record them in a continuous stream. Don’s stop to critically review what you are writing.
Step 6: Analyze Your Writing
Review what you've written with a critical and self-reflective mindset. Highlight any recurring themes, patterns, or statements that stand out as negative or limiting. These could be phrases like:
"I'm not good enough for that job."
"I'll never find true love."
"I'm always going to struggle with my weight."
“I'm not smart enough for this job promotion”
“I'm not talented enough to write”
“I'm not experienced enough to play in this team”
“I'm not confident enough to start my own business”
“I'm not worthy of her love”
“I'm a loser and not capable of success.”
“I'm too old/young/fat/thin/ugly to be her friend”
“It's too late for me to get good at this”
“I'm not lucky enough to be wealthy”
Step 7: What belief do you think has the most power
For each limiting belief you have identified, go through them and ask yourself this question. Answer it without thinking too much about it. “On a scale of 1 to 10 rate the power of the belief where 1 = this belief has zero power over me and, 10, this belief totally owns me,
The why hack
This is a simple but very powerful technique for getting to the root of an issue.
Step 1: Create a Quiet and Reflective Space
Grab your journal or some writing paper and a pen or open a blank page on your lap-top. Find a quiet and comfortable place where you won't be disturbed. Sit down, relax, and take a few deep breaths to clear and calm your mind.
Step 2: Define the Area of Your Life to Explore
Decide on a specific area of your life that you want to explore. It could be related to career, relationships, health, or any other aspect where you feel stuck or limited.
Step 4: Set your intent.
Say assertively to yourself outloud that your intent is to uncover any limiting beliefs you hold about [state the area of your life that you are investigating] For example “I intend to uncover any beliefs I hold about abundance that are preventing me from being attracting in into my life”
Step 5: Think of the issue you want to investigate or recall a situation where you feel stuck or uncomfortable with the issue.
Step 6: Begin asking a series of why questions.
First you ask “Why do I feel like this about ….. Or “Why am I always ….” or "What is it about [ the issue ] that makes me so uncomfortable?” Then you write down the answer. Then you question the answer with another why question and you write that answer down. Then you ask another why question about your last answer and so on for 5 why questions.
This is how it may unfold
Q - Why am I always on the verge of broke even though I earn quite good money?
A - Because I spend it as soon as I make it
Q - Why do I spend it as soon as I make it
A - Because I just have this overwhelming urge to buy stuff as soon as I have money in the bank
Q - Why do I have an overwhelming urge to spend as soon as I have money in the bank
A - Because having money in the bank makes me nervous
Q - Why do I feel nervous about having money in the bank
A - Because having money in the bank is not good
Q - Why is having money in the bank not good
A - Because money is the root of all evil
By asking yourself "Why?" five times, you can get to the root limiting beliefs that are probably holding you back. In the example above the limiting belief is that money is the root of all evil. This belief is quite common in communities that are strongly influenced by fundamentalist Christian teachings and can have a devastating effect on one’s relationship to money and wealth.
The key to doing this exercise is to just let the answers arise without censorship. Just jot down the first thing that comes to mind after you ask the question. In other words don't over think this one
The Inner Critic Dialogue:
Most of us have an inner critic. In some cases this critic is scathing and merciless. This “entity” will give you every reason not to grow and strive to reach for your dreams. On the other hand you also have a voice that tells you that you are capable, that you can achieve anything you set your mind to, and that you deserve to realize your dreams.
In this exercise you will have a conversation between your Critic and Advocate. Hear is how
Step 1: Create a Quiet and Reflective Space
Grab your journal or some writing paper and a pen or open a blank page on your lap-top. Find a quiet and comfortable place where you won't be disturbed. Sit down, relax, and take a few deep breaths to clear and calm your mind.
Step 2: Define the Area of Your Life to Explore
Decide on a specific area of your life that you want to explore. It could be related to career, relationships, health, or any other aspect where you feel stuck or limited.
Step 4: Set your intent.
Say assertively to yourself outloud that your intent is to uncover any limiting beliefs you hold about [state the area of your life that you are investigating] For example “I intend to uncover any beliefs I hold about wealth that are preventing me from living a comfortable life”
Step 5: Think of the issue you want to investigate or recall a situation where you feel stuck or uncomfortable with the issue’.
Step 6: Have a conversation between your advocate and critic.
- Start by taking on the role of the advocate. Initiate the conversation by greeting the critic in some way. Or make an opening statement or ask a question.
- Now change position in some way and take on the role of the critic and respond to your Advocate in whatever way that comes up.
- Now change position back to that of the Advocate and respond to your critics' response in whatever way comes up for you.
- Keep the conversation going for as long as it seems there is energy there. Remember to change position each time you swap roles. This could just be how you hold your body, your posture. Or it could be actually changing where you sit.
- After the conversation seems to completely reflect on what your critic was saying to you. You will find that they will often state limiting beliefs.
A conversation may go like this (A= Advocate, C =critic )
A - Hi, I want to ask you about me and money,wealth and abundance.
C - Ahhh it’s you again. You really are a pain in the ass. What’s your question then - out with it
A - I always seem to be struggling with money even though I work hard
C - Well you just aren't working hard or smart enough. Money doesn't grow on trees you know.
A - But other people work just like I do and they are sitting pretty. They have money in the bank, a nice car, and holidays each year. What am I doing wrong?
C - Look, do you really think you deserve to have wealth? You are not really that smart you know and besides you are just a wicked, naughty child at heart.
You will note that in the very short conversation some limiting beliefs have already showed themselves:
- Money is not plentiful - it doesn’t grow on trees
- You have to struggle to have wealth - you aren't working hard enough.
- You don't deserve to have wealth
- You are wicked and naughty and don’t deserve wealth
- You are not that smart
Step 7: which belief has the most power
For each limiting belief you have uncovered, go through them and ask yourself this question. Answer it without thinking too much about it. “On a scale of 10, rate each belief where 1 = this belief has zero power over me and, 10, this belief totally owns me.
Like the hacks above, the key to this exercise is to not think too much or try to direct the process. In taking on the roles and responding to the other role, just go with the first impulse as if you were having a real conversation with a real person.
The power question hack
"The important thing is not to stop questioning." - Albert Einstein
"A prudent question is one-half of wisdom." - Francis Bacon
"It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question." - Eugene Ionesco
Questions are powerful and have the ability to transform.
In the following exercise we will deploy a series of questions to uncover limiting beliefs as follows
Step 1: Create a Quiet and Reflective Space
Grab your journal or some writing paper and a pen or open a blank page on your lap-top. Find a quiet and comfortable place where you won't be disturbed. Sit down, relax, and take a few deep breaths to clear and calm your mind.
Step 2: Define the Area of Your Life to Explore
Decide on a specific area of your life that you want to explore. It could be related to career, relationships, health, or any other aspect where you feel stuck or limited.
Step 4: Set your intent.
Say assertively to yourself outloud that your intent is to uncover any limiting beliefs you hold about [state the area of your life that you are investigating] For example “I intend to uncover any beliefs I hold about money that are preventing me from being wealthy”
Step 5: Write down your answers to the following. Here we will stick with the theme of money, wealth and abundance. But you could change the questions to address the area that you want to investigate.
- What stops you from attracting wealth into your life?
- Complete this sentence - “Money is ……”
- Complete this sentence - “The thing about wealth is ….”
- What would happen if a whole bunch of money flowed into your life?
- What will happen if you don’t become wealthy?
- What will happen if you don't become wealthy?
- What excuses do you frequently use to justify not pursuing your goals?
- What are you most committed to?
- How do you feel when you think about your financial status
- What stories or narratives from my past continue to affect my present mindset about money?
- What am I telling myself about wealth and abundance?
- Complete this sentence “My belief about money is …..”
- What were you told about money when you were young?
- What are your earliest memories about issues related to money?
- Do you deserve to be wealthy and abundant?
- Would you enjoy being rich?
- Complete this sentence - “Rich people are like …”
- Complete this sentence - “Money is like …”
- Complete this sentence - “The problem with being rich is …”
- What do I often say to myself that starts with 'I can't' or 'I'm not'?
Again the key to this exercise is to just let the answers arise. Don’t try. Don’t censor. Don’t overthink. Just jot down what comes to mind first when you read the question.
The metaphor hack
Metaphors have a way of holding the most truth in the least space." - Orson Scott Card
"Metaphors are a way to explore the depths of our souls, to unlock the doors of our minds, and to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary." - Unknown
"Metaphors are the keys that unlock the doors of perception, leading us to new insights, deeper understanding, and profound transformation." - Anon
"Metaphors are the secret language of the soul, whispering the truths we long to discover and the wisdom we yearn to embrace." - Unknown
Metaphors are the enchanting tapestries of language, weaving threads of familiarity into the fabric of the unfamiliar, illuminating the complex and abstract with the simplicity of comparison. They are the poetic bridges that connect disparate worlds, inviting us to explore the uncharted territories of our thoughts and emotions, ultimately guiding us toward deeper insights and profound transformations.
Here we use this powerful language of the unconscious mind to explore hidden limiting beliefs about money. Remember though, you can apply this pattern to anything.
Step 1: Create a Quiet and Reflective Space
Grab your journal or some writing paper and a pen or open a blank page on your lap-top. Find a quiet and comfortable place where you won't be disturbed. Sit down, relax, and take a few deep breaths to clear and calm your mind.
Step 2: Define the Area of Your Life to Explore
Decide on a specific area of your life that you want to explore. It could be related to career, relationships, health, or any other aspect where you feel stuck or limited.
Step 3: Set your intent.
Say assertively to yourself outloud that your intent is to uncover any limiting beliefs you hold about [state the area of your life that you are investigating] For example “I intend to uncover any beliefs I hold about money that are preventing me from being wealthy”
Step 4: Identify a thought or feeling you have about money and wealth
Step 5: Introduce the Metaphor
Visualize a symbol or metaphor that represents your thoughts or feelings about money and wealth. This can be an object, an animal, a natural element, or anything that comes to mind. Go with the first images or idea that arises. For example, if your metaphor is a heavy stone, imagine holding this heavy stone in your hands. Really get a sense of its weight, texture, color and smell. Spend some time with it.
Step 7: Interrogate the metaphor with your intent in mind
Start a dialogue with the metaphor. Ask questions like:
"What does this metaphor symbolize or represent to me about money?"
"How does this metaphor make me feel?"
"What does this metaphor say about my relationship with money and wealth?"
"What are its characteristics, qualities, or behaviors?"“What is this metaphor trying to teach me”
While holding the metaphor, finish this sentence “Money and wealth are ….”
Concluding remarks
There you have 5 potent patterns to expose the limiting beliefs that are getting in the way of really owning your future. Note down the limiting beliefs you have uncovered and become conscious of any inner dialogue that features these beliefs. Remember, awareness is the key.
In part II of this series of Blogs on limiting beliefs we will explore ways you can challenge and neutralize the negative impact these they have on your life.
