There’s a little known secret that would help many more people achieve the success they are capable of.
That secret is that it’s possible to change your beliefs.
You may wonder why you would want to. They’re just thoughts after all, right?
Yes, beliefs are indeed thoughts, but they often determine our actions and reactions – and they have the power to hold us back from doing what will make us happy.
For example, if you have a belief that you don’t deserve to be successful, this could lead you to unconsciously sabotage any plans you make to improve your situation.
Or it could cause you to not try at all because you believe it would be a waste of your time and energy.
Perhaps a family member or someone like a teacher passed this ‘gem’ on to you, and you simply believe it without question. What might this type of belief do?
- First, you may find yourself resisting any opportunities that come your way simply because you don’t believe that good things will happen to you.
- You might also feel inclined to refuse any offers of help that come to you from other people, even if you really want help.
- You might even go so far as to unconsciously create obstacles and difficulties along the way, just to ‘prove’ to yourself that your beliefs are true.
This may sound far-fetched, but the mind works in mysterious ways!
It’s amazing how easily we can trick ourselves into believing something, and how fiercely we will defend our beliefs when they are challenged – even by ourselves.
How do you know if you have unconscious beliefs that might be holding you back?
One simple way to find out is to grab a sheet of paper and a pen, and start writing statements like these:
- ‘I deserve to be successful and happy.’
- ‘I find it easy to make substantial amounts of money.’
- ‘I encounter opportunities wherever I go.’
- ‘I am ready to tackle any challenges that I may face.’
- ‘I believe in my ability to create the success I desire.’
Then take a look at what you wrote and as you read each statement, pay attention to how you feel inside.
If any statement conflicts with one of your existing beliefs, you will feel a twinge of guilt or fear inside. It may be subtle, but if you pay close enough attention you will feel it.
Those are the beliefs you need to work on changing if you want to make any progress.
How do you change existing beliefs? You replace them with more empowering beliefs.
Let’s use this statement as an example: ‘I am ready to tackle any challenges that I may face.’
If, when you read that statement to yourself, you feel uneasiness or dread, then you know you have a doubt about your ability to handle challenges.
Your job is now to convince yourself that you DO have the ability to handle challenges.
Think back to any challenges you have faced in your lifetime. How did you handle them? Did you buckle down and do what needed to be done, or did you cave under the pressure?
If you can recall even one challenge that you were able to handle and overcome, you have solid footing to change your belief!
You simply need to keep convincing yourself that if you handled one challenge successfully, you can handle others. The more frequently and passionately you can reinforce this concept in your mind, the more quickly your underlying belief will change.
Most often, we are capable of much more than we give ourselves credit for. You won’t know until you try.
After you handle even one small challenge, you will feel your confidence growing and you’ll be eager to take on more.
Remember that changing your beliefs is a process but if you keep at it, it won’t be long before you start to notice a big change in your attitude. And like so many other things in life, the more you practice the technique, the better you’ll get at it.