This post is part of "An A to Z for Success". See the side panel on the right for an index.
When you've taken the actions outlined in the previous post, you gain clarity about exactly what you want, and also why. Perhaps you even know pretty much what you need to do, to move towards realising your desires. And yet you fail to do it, or you even go and do the exact opposite. Ever had that experience? It's as if you "sabotage" yourself. What's going on?
Most likely, the problem lies in your BELIEFS.
Relax. I am not going to ask you to sacrifice any of your sacred cows. Nor will I ask you to convert to any other viewpoint. I respect that whatever you choose to believe is up to you. Here, I am talking about a specific type of beliefs that we are usually not even aware of, yet they control our actions more rigidly than the beliefs we consciously hold.
Beliefs can either boost or block our actions. Booster beliefs lend confidence to our own ability, and to the possibility of achieving our aims. But surely we cannot believe that we could take on board blocking beliefs that actually undermine our efforts to achieve what we desire. Where is the logic in that?
Well, there is a logic to it. At the time such a belief is formed, it is perfectly logical in the situation in which it arises. But then we outgrow the temporary need which was served by that belief, and we forget about it ... at least our conscious mind does. The problem is, it remains as a buried belief in our powerful unconscious mind, from where it operates on auto-pilot, creating havoc in our lives every time it is triggered.
These buried beliefs are what map out our so-called comfort zone. Our unconscious mind will do whatever it can to preserve that territory, thinking it is acting in our best interest. Powerful as the unconscious mind is, it lacks the discernment of the conscious mind and can only do what it's been told to do. It does not see when that is no longer appropriate.
Let's pause for a brief example to illustrate what we have so far.
All my life, until recently, I have felt deep discomfort in being photographed. I would do anything possible to avoid it, even though I consciously know and believe 100% that being photographed is harmless, and that photos are nice things which are useful in many ways. There is no logic visible in the idea that this behaviour was driven by my beliefs ... until I recall a certain day from my childhood.
To put it mildly, that day was not nice. Tempers had erupted and all hell had been let loose. And yet, my father, in his wisdom, decided we would spend the afternoon posing for some family photographs. In the circumstances of that day, it was a tortuous ordeal that I loathed.
Bingo! There I have the birth of a very powerful belief, long and deeply buried, that being photographed is a hellish experience, to be avoided at all costs.
We all have a stack of these buried beliefs driving our behaviour in ways we would not consciously choose. We often find ourselves excusing the results: "That's just me ... I'm always doing that ... It's my character ... I'm just that type..." But, though deeply embedded in our unconscious mind, these self-sabotaging habits need not be fixed forever.
Whenever you notice any such habits coming to the surface and thwarting your progress in some way, ask yourself, "What must I believe, to be driven to behave in this way?"
However much you protest that you could not possibly believe such a thing, the evidence keeps showing up in your behaviour. Just allow the possibility, at least temporarily, that it might be so, and you will most likely become aware of how it all started: your buried belief will be unearthed!
Quite often, simple awareness of a buried belief is all that is needed to dissolve it forever. Sometimes they have the strength to persist, but there are a number of techniques for eradicating even the most stubborn buried beliefs.
One way is to embed in your mind the opposite belief, through frequently repeated affirmations. However, simple though that sounds, most people experience difficulty with affirmations. To explain how to make them effective is beyond the scope of this brief article.
I find Emotional Freedom Techniques very effective for both uncovering and eradicating buried blocker beliefs. Click here to find more detailed information (and the basics of what you need to know in order to use EFT effectively are available for free).
In this post we have learned how to bust the barriers that often block us from taking the actions that will help us achieve our aims.
Next, we'll look at the CHOICES we make. Do we really have any?
This post is part of "An A to Z for Success". See the side panel on the right for an index.
As we are at "B", that allows us a "BY THE WAY"...
"B" is also for BODY, your power pack of energy. Whatever your aim is, you depend upon energy to carry it through, so it is crucial to keep your body in good working order.
This theme will pop up again later in this series, but it's good to be aware of it from the start. Begin now and choose to start something, however basic, to improve at least one thing in the area of your eating, exercise, relaxation, sleep, breathing... Simple steps can make a huge difference to your health and vitality.
When you've taken the actions outlined in the previous post, you gain clarity about exactly what you want, and also why. Perhaps you even know pretty much what you need to do, to move towards realising your desires. And yet you fail to do it, or you even go and do the exact opposite. Ever had that experience? It's as if you "sabotage" yourself. What's going on?
Most likely, the problem lies in your BELIEFS.
Relax. I am not going to ask you to sacrifice any of your sacred cows. Nor will I ask you to convert to any other viewpoint. I respect that whatever you choose to believe is up to you. Here, I am talking about a specific type of beliefs that we are usually not even aware of, yet they control our actions more rigidly than the beliefs we consciously hold.
*****
Beliefs can either boost or block our actions. Booster beliefs lend confidence to our own ability, and to the possibility of achieving our aims. But surely we cannot believe that we could take on board blocking beliefs that actually undermine our efforts to achieve what we desire. Where is the logic in that?
Well, there is a logic to it. At the time such a belief is formed, it is perfectly logical in the situation in which it arises. But then we outgrow the temporary need which was served by that belief, and we forget about it ... at least our conscious mind does. The problem is, it remains as a buried belief in our powerful unconscious mind, from where it operates on auto-pilot, creating havoc in our lives every time it is triggered.
These buried beliefs are what map out our so-called comfort zone. Our unconscious mind will do whatever it can to preserve that territory, thinking it is acting in our best interest. Powerful as the unconscious mind is, it lacks the discernment of the conscious mind and can only do what it's been told to do. It does not see when that is no longer appropriate.
*****
Let's pause for a brief example to illustrate what we have so far.
All my life, until recently, I have felt deep discomfort in being photographed. I would do anything possible to avoid it, even though I consciously know and believe 100% that being photographed is harmless, and that photos are nice things which are useful in many ways. There is no logic visible in the idea that this behaviour was driven by my beliefs ... until I recall a certain day from my childhood.
To put it mildly, that day was not nice. Tempers had erupted and all hell had been let loose. And yet, my father, in his wisdom, decided we would spend the afternoon posing for some family photographs. In the circumstances of that day, it was a tortuous ordeal that I loathed.
Bingo! There I have the birth of a very powerful belief, long and deeply buried, that being photographed is a hellish experience, to be avoided at all costs.
*****
We all have a stack of these buried beliefs driving our behaviour in ways we would not consciously choose. We often find ourselves excusing the results: "That's just me ... I'm always doing that ... It's my character ... I'm just that type..." But, though deeply embedded in our unconscious mind, these self-sabotaging habits need not be fixed forever.
Whenever you notice any such habits coming to the surface and thwarting your progress in some way, ask yourself, "What must I believe, to be driven to behave in this way?"
However much you protest that you could not possibly believe such a thing, the evidence keeps showing up in your behaviour. Just allow the possibility, at least temporarily, that it might be so, and you will most likely become aware of how it all started: your buried belief will be unearthed!
Quite often, simple awareness of a buried belief is all that is needed to dissolve it forever. Sometimes they have the strength to persist, but there are a number of techniques for eradicating even the most stubborn buried beliefs.
One way is to embed in your mind the opposite belief, through frequently repeated affirmations. However, simple though that sounds, most people experience difficulty with affirmations. To explain how to make them effective is beyond the scope of this brief article.
I find Emotional Freedom Techniques very effective for both uncovering and eradicating buried blocker beliefs. Click here to find more detailed information (and the basics of what you need to know in order to use EFT effectively are available for free).
*****
In this post we have learned how to bust the barriers that often block us from taking the actions that will help us achieve our aims.
Next, we'll look at the CHOICES we make. Do we really have any?
This post is part of "An A to Z for Success". See the side panel on the right for an index.
*****
As we are at "B", that allows us a "BY THE WAY"...
"B" is also for BODY, your power pack of energy. Whatever your aim is, you depend upon energy to carry it through, so it is crucial to keep your body in good working order.
This theme will pop up again later in this series, but it's good to be aware of it from the start. Begin now and choose to start something, however basic, to improve at least one thing in the area of your eating, exercise, relaxation, sleep, breathing... Simple steps can make a huge difference to your health and vitality.