Are Your Beliefs Serving You?

What is a world view? A lens of perception€¦mental and emotional filters that we see the world through. These determine our actions based on our beliefs. We all have a worldview that encompasses what we believe about life, the universe, people, relationships, prosperity, God, and how the whole thing works.

One way to begin to identify your deeply held world view, is to really pay attention to what you say to yourself and to other people. Notice how you react to events around you €¦both near and far. What automatic attitudes come forward in response to events around you? What thoughts do you focus on with your internal dialogue? What interests you for leisure activity? How do you feel about yourself as you go about your day, respond to daily events? Your thoughts and feelings are your filters through which you see the world. They are your information processing system. They are shaped by your beliefs.

Beliefs, even thoughts and feelings –along with everyone else’s –are neither right nor wrong. They simply are. They exist because you give them energy. You give them life. The more people around you with similar thoughts and beliefs, the stronger your beliefs may be. They are reinforced in your circles of contact through family, work, social events, news. They are reinforced when you feel good and also when you feel bad.

All change begins inside the self, inside your self. Change has to pass through your filters and your belief system in order for it to be real. When you try something new, you may go slowly at first if you don’t fully believe in it. You may take a “wait and see” attitude until you get enough evidence that supports your beliefs one way or another. Enough evidence let’s you say “Aha! €¦this or that happened, so it must be true.” Your experiences mirror your beliefs. You will always find the evidence that you need to support your beliefs, just as those around you find the evidence to support their beliefs.

Being aware of our beliefs and how they are affecting us provide the first step to becoming free from restricting mindsets. Changing any one belief alters our worldview and thus how we perceive reality. Change however tends to come slowly over long periods of time. Part of the reason may be that it is a protective mechanism to keep us from careening off in new directions that may not be in our best interest. However, this same mechanism can also be a detriment in that it keeps us too long stuck in old ways of being. So, while a rise in consciousness can be a good thing, we also need to be patient, kind and compassionate with ourselves as we open the door to new awareness and new ways of Being.

What kind of influence do your beliefs have on your reality?

What kind of changes would occur in your life if some of your old beliefs changed?