Beware Your Beliefs

“The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen.” ~ Frank Lloyd Wright

Belief is a powerful force. Human history is filled with volumes of accomplishments and atrocities as a result of a belief. Beliefs create a vacuum between what is and what should be, creating an incredibly powerful draw. Beware your beliefs.

What you believe in can propel you forward or hold you back. It can open your eyes to possibilities or it can blind you to consequences. Your belief structure is behind the way you process information, the way you make decisions, the way you judge yourself or others, even the food you eat. 

The fun thing about beliefs is how your brain forms them: you hear something first, you believe it second, and then you test it (maybe). Your brain is naturally wired to construct your beliefs using that process and in that order. When our ancestors were learning about their environment it was important for them to discern what they heard and create a belief around it quickly. Was that noise a lion or the wind rustling? It was better for our ancestors to default to the belief it was a lion. To test that theory may very well cost them their life (and feed the lion).

Your hardware (brain) is old and still possesses the programming to create beliefs quickly. It takes an upgrade to your software (your thinking) to move into the third and most uncomfortable step in forming a belief, testing it. If you are uncomfortable testing your beliefs, it’s a good sign you should. 

Moving forward may require you to take inventory on what it is you believe. Over the next week, intentionally identify the beliefs in your life. As you discover one, write it down and ask yourself: is this belief true, does it empower me, does it limit me, does it harm me or others, is it still relevant to who and where I am in this moment.