Limitless Beliefs

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Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact.

William James / psychologist, philosopher / 1842–1910

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You are the architect in the design of your reality. Interpretations and perceptions stem from beliefs, and beliefs are merely the mental acceptance of something or someone that often lack foundation in truth or certainty. If you heard about a professional athlete who died while exercising, such as a runner or basketball player, and you formed the opinion that exercise is bad for you, then this would be an example of a belief that lacks foundation in truth. Granted, if you are out of shape or have a genetic disposition toward a weak heart, then you could be at risk when exercising; however, the truth is that exercise is essential for good health, even for those at risk. A wise precaution would simply be to seek guidance from a medical professional before implementing a new exercise program.

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Throughout our lives, we have each developed a set of beliefs through experience and need, and although many of these may be based on truth, it is likely that each of us has beliefs that are not. In fact, most of us have foolish beliefs that limit our abilities or reduce our control of reality, yet we continue to accept them and allow them to guide our thoughts and actions. For example, if one were to believe that it takes money to succeed and he or she had no money, then that belief could stifle motivation and actually prevent one from obtaining success. Some beliefs allow you to take control of your life, while others make you feel as though you are a victim of experience. Your beliefs shape your reality by controlling the way you respond to events in the world. Once you realize which beliefs limit your abilities or allow external forces to manipulate you, you can then take the steps necessary to adjust them so that they work to your benefit. Furthermore, once you identify what beliefs will allow you to maintain control of your life, you can focus on those and create a better reality for yourself.

 

Basic beliefs. A belief is a state of mind in which you have trust or confidence in something or someone. You can define your values to pinpoint some of your key, basic beliefs. For example, write down a definition for each of your top ten values. When doing so, list what you truly believe, not what you think other people might want you to believe. For example, I value freedom and would define it as personal liberty or the ability to do what I want, when I want, and how I want, assuming it doesn’t infringe on the rights of others. My belief or definition of freedom may be somewhat different from yours. This doesn’t matter in this exercise because we’re completely different people, so part of what might make me feel free may not necessarily be of concern to you. At this point, you can define your values to gain further insight into what you want out of life and what might be preventing you from obtaining that.

 

Limiting beliefs. Next, you can list any beliefs that limit you in life to determine what might be holding you back. To do so, think about what you would like to have that you don’t have already, what you would like to accomplish that you have yet to achieve, or what you would like to become that you aren’t already. Then ask yourself why you don’t have those things or why you haven’t accomplished or become what you want and list the reasons accordingly. For example, you might want more time in life to spend with your friends or family, and when you ask yourself why you don’t have that time now, you might think that you have to work sixty hours a week to make a decent living. With this example, it’s important to note that there are many ways to make a living and a great deal of them require less than sixty hours of work each week. Also, increasing income can help, but lowering expenses is another possible solution. Simply changing a belief may not immediately affect your current situation, but it’s often a critical step to take in achieving your goals. Another example of a limiting belief is thinking that it takes money to make money. It may be easier in some instances to make money given a certain amount of money with which to begin; however, this is by no means a requirement and would be another limiting belief. Take the time to write down your limiting beliefs to gain further insight into your motivations.

 

Positive beliefs. To improve your focus and productivity, it’s often helpful to adjust your limiting beliefs so that they become positive beliefs. At this point, don’t worry about how these new beliefs will come to fruition in your life, just rewrite them so that they work for you. For example, if one of your limiting beliefs is “I have to work at least sixty hours a week to make a decent living,” then rewrite that in a positive manner, such as “I have to work only thirty-five hours a week to make a good living.” Alternatively, you could write “I don’t work because I love what I do to generate income” or eventually “I don’t have to work to make a living because I will soon become financially independent.” You may not be in that situation yet, but if you focus your efforts and persevere, you certainly can be. Word the majority of your beliefs in the present tense to increase their effectiveness. Of course, it will typically take more than rewriting your beliefs to obtain, accomplish, or become what you want in life, but this is an important step in the process. Rewrite your limiting beliefs in a positive manner so that they no longer prevent you from achieving what you want and instead assist you in your endeavors.

 

Finally, another helpful step to gain a better understanding of yourself is to list other positive beliefs that you already have. These would-be beliefs that have helped you in the past or possibly beliefs that you know benefit you accordingly. For example, I believe that I have a great deal to offer, and given the abundance of jobs in the world, I can always find an interesting and lucrative position. That belief has allowed me to find various jobs of interest at different points in my life. If you take a few minutes to write down your existing positive beliefs, then that will improve your focus, strengthen your resolve, and help you attain what you want. In addition, having completed the previous steps should have taught you more about yourself. Now that you know what’s really important to you and understand what beliefs have been holding you back, you can determine what you truly desire or what you would like to accomplish or become in life and remove self-imposed barriers from the past.

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