Expand your Beliefs

In this article, learn how challenging all of the beliefs that we hold about Self can create great, positive change within the Self and the Universe that you are manifesting for yourself.

The beliefs that we hold about Self have a huge influence on our human experience.

We have written many times about the damaging effects that negative Self-talk has upon the psyche.

We know all to well that when we repeatedly criticize the Self, we are affirming negative beliefs which limit us in so many ways. Beliefs about Self drive our thoughts, emotions and behaviours, and these in turn affect our environment.

For example, if I believe that I am disorganized at work, my thoughts will read something like this:

'I'll never be able to finish all these tasks in this amount of time'

'I don't have the skills to remember all that I have to do'

'I'll need to ask my assistant to help me because she is really good at this sort of thing'

'I'm bound to mess up and double book myself - it's happened so many times before'

These thoughts will generate emotions within me such as panic, fear, trepidation and frustration caused by chemical changes within the body that are felt physically and identified and labelled by me.

These emotions will cloud my ability to organize myself, or even begin any of the tasks. This will cement the belief that I do not possess the correct skills, skills which I have in fact, denied myself previously because I have given the tasks to someone who I believe is better organization skills than I do. I may also have told myself that since I have a history of failure, there is no point in trying, and so seek help, thereby further deskilling myself and cementing the belief.

As a result of this cycle, my colleagues will perceive that I am not capable of organizing my workload and so will ask others rather than me to perform such duties. This will limit me because I am not considered for roles where organization is required and I will never develop the skills.

When I describe myself as disorganized, I am wise if I ask - according to whom?

Answering this question allows me to see that the limiting belief was given to me within my conditioning and so I can respectfully give it back.

But what about positive beliefs?

Can they be limiting too?

If we take the above example and challenge it we might affirm something like:

'I am organized.'

This may allow us to consciously influence the cycle of thoughts, emotions and behaviours in a positive way. It might lead to a repair of our reputation and the acquisition of some organizational skills, and open up some opportunities for different roles..........

But consider this:

If I affirm that I am one thing, am I not also affirming that I am not something else?

If you were to describe your personality in 50 words, each of those labels would have been given to you in childhood by way of someone showing approval - approval is the opposite of abandonment which is the one thing we are seeking to avoid at all costs - because to a child - abandonment equals death.

But in saying we are those 50 things, there are 50 opposing things that we are saying we are not.

If I describe myself as a happy person - does this mean that I do not allow myself to be sad - and thereby process essential emotions when grieving something?

If I identify as organized - does this inhibit me from letting go so that everything can come into a much needed natural state, even if that state is chaos?

If I believe myself to be a highly skilled expert within a particular field - might this cap by ability to humbly listen and learn with someone who is just beginning to understand the field with new eyes?

If I believe myself to be trustworthy and reliable - does this mean that, if a difficult choice causes me to let someone down for the greater good, I am crushed?

The above are examples of what could be regarded as positive beliefs about Self, but they still limit me because when I fall outside of their parameters, I consistently disappoint myself as I am failing to meet my own expectations.

Perhaps it would be wise to lose the concept of negative or positive beliefs and think of them in terms of limiting or expansive.

Rather than thinking of them in terms of

'I am capable of only this particular set of skills'

We can affirm that

'I am capable of all skills'

Some examples of expansive beliefs might include:

I am capable

I am adaptive

I have access to unlimited resources

I have unlimited potential

I am open to all things

Try this:

Step into the shoes of your Observer Self - the part of you that can observe what is going on for you - your thoughts, emotions and behaviours in all situations and ask the following:

'What am I telling myself here?'

This is your narrative and it will be a statement of what you believe to be true.

Is it true?

What is the underlying limiting belief at the heart of the story you have told yourself?

According to whom?

Picture yourself handing the belief back to the person who gave it to you.

It is no longer necessary to live your life within those limits.

It is time to expand!

Now create for yourself an expanding belief - one that applies no limits. One that allows you to achieve anything that you choose to.

Repeat it.

Meditate with it.

Believe it....

Because it is true!