Are Your Beliefs Working Against You?

Do you ever wonder why things in life have turned out the way they have? Much of who you are is based on your beliefs. Either your conscious beliefs or your unconscious ones. Beliefs are powerful and your life will ALWAYS be a reflection of what you believe about yourself and the world you live in. We choose to “take on” our beliefs as a result of the way we interpreted various experiences in our lives beginning in childhood.

Beliefs are a sense of certainty about what something means that we rarely (unfortunately) question them. They are often based on emotionally charged experiences. A feeling supported by references i.e. life experiences. Imagine a table...The table top is your belief and the legs your references that support and hold that belief up.It's important to understand that the beliefs you have are never absolutely true. They are not proven facts. They are not set in stone. They are nothing more than perceptions, opinions, and generalisations you make about the world around you. In other words, beliefs are the mind's way of creating meaning to all that you experience.

Because they are constructs and therefore not 'real', no belief is either right or wrong. However, they can be either empowering or limiting, as they are the basis for what we think and do and therefore impact on our all aspects of our lives.

In many cases our beliefs are not even our own. Many were 'taught' to us when we were young and very impressionable (often between the ages of 0 and 7 years). Now as an adult they determine our feelings, thoughts, and behaviours, and are the basis for the construction of our personal realities.

For example: You may have been an average athlete when you were in school compared to your sister who won every race/trophy/award going. Your parents pass a comment about how "outstanding your sister is and for you not to worry - you'll find something you're good at one day too." What do you make this mean about you? 'I'm not clever'; I'm no good at sports'; 'I'll never do well at any physical activity?'. Fast forward to present day - What are your beliefs around you ability to do well with regards to exercise/ fitness/ health today? Always explore!

The decision to become more aware of your belief system is beneficial and empowering, because it will help you to identify if you are holding onto beliefs that are limiting you and holding you back from reaching your full potential.

It is the limiting beliefs that you want to address so you can challenge yourselves by examining the effects those beliefs are having on the different areas of your life, and finally adopt more empowering beliefs that will lead you to the success you desire.

What you believe determines the world you live in, and by changing one, you change the other.