Vitamin Jeff's blog: "BELIEFS"

Our beliefs come from many sources, parents, school, religion, what we read, our peers, and our own life experiences.

They are not fixed.  They change sometimes, PARTICULARLY if we have an open mind. 

Here is something else about Beliefs.  They are not ALWAYS a reflection of an objective reality.  They may or may not reflect what is really true about the subject of our belief. 

And here is maybe the most interesting thing of all about Beliefs, at least to me.  Our brain decides to adopt the Beliefs that it WANTS to, for whatever purpose.  Our Beliefs serve some purpose, or we wouldn’t adopt them.

That doesn’t mean they are objectively correct.

AND, it doesn’t mean that those beliefs serve us.  We might adopt a Belief at some point in our life that serves us at the time, but it may no longer be in our best interest to hold on to that Belief.  But we tend, as humans, to hang on to beliefs once we adopt them  Because we REALLY like to be RIGHT!

Here is an example of a Belief that might serve someone at one point in their life, that won’t serve them later on.

Suppose there is a 5-year child, living in an abusive home.  The child is repeatedly terrorized.  That child might well adopt a Belief that it needs to have emotional walls built around it, to protect itself from the emotional pain of the abuse.

Now say that child grows up and is 25 years old, living alone, and wants to develop a close, intimate relationship with another person.  How well will that Belief about walls serve that person as they try to become really close to another?  Not very well.  So its time for the Belief to change.  Perhaps to a Belief that walls are best for SOME relationships for that person, but not ALL.

What Beliefs do you still cling to that don’t serve you any more?

Equally importantly, how will you make sure your Beliefs don’t get in your way tomorrow.

Or next week. 

Or next year?