Throughout our lives our minds have filled up with various beliefs. These beliefs generate the incessant chatter in our minds that makes it increasingly difficult for us to process the meanings conveyed through our feelings.
To appreciate why these beliefs and chatter cause confusion is to start to comprehend how these beliefs are formed. Beliefs arbitrarily assign meaning to experiences and provide instructions for how to behave in specific or familiar situations.
But what if you found out that the beliefs that you hold true are wrong?
It is quite possible they are wrong because much of the thinking that has created our beliefs are based on assumptions. Some of these assumptions we see for what they are — mere assumptions that are not based on facts — and some others we are not even aware we have made an assumption.
The biggest assumption we all hold is; that because we think it — that because we thought it — it must be true. Oh, how our minds love to play tricks on us!
In a nutshell, don’t believe everything you think is true. Once this is understood then changing the negative beliefs that you hold about yourself can be much easier.
Interestingly, it is most often the self-beliefs we have formed that are backed by assumptions that are the most negative.
These are often the aspects about ourselves that we emphasize in our dealings with others. We can be quick to fully disclose these beliefs in the form of actions and words thereby constantly reinforcing their truth in the process. E.g., I’m not… very sporty / creative / good at math.
Why would we do that?
Well these are the self-beliefs that have typically gone unchallenged throughout childhood and are those have usually been formed at an early age.
As young children, we assume that when one who is older than us or holds a perceived position of authority has an opinion about us that their opinion is valid. Consequently, that person’s opinion becomes entwined as part of our lasting belief system about our self.
How many of us were typecast and assigned a role in our family from a young age by an influential adult, parent, teacher, aunt or uncle? The bright one, the sporty one, the pretty one, the not so bright one? Was this the truth or did we hear it from those we deemed as knew more than us and then without question built it into our self-belief system?
It is far more functional to know that you can form your own opinion about yourself and your life instead of letting others determine that for you.
Because we are creatures of habit, we do not pay as much attention as we should and we leave these beliefs unquestioned. It is wise to remember though the danger of doing this and heeding the warning encapsulated in the well-known saying that you become what you believe.
Originally published at nadinelhughes.com on November 14, 2016.
Originally published at medium.com