WHAT ARE BELIEFS & HOW CAN YOU CHANGE THEM

What are beliefs?

Beliefs are assumptions that we believe to be true but are not necessarily true.

How do our beliefs influence us?

Our beliefs influence our thoughts and our thoughts influence the choices we make.

Limiting beliefs produce negative thoughts and make us do things that may not be in our best interest, or that are aligned to our life and career goals. They can create situations that leave us feeling compromised or frustrated. 

Empowering beliefs often influence thoughts that can make us move closer towards our dreams, maintain good relationships and give us a feeling that our life matters. They help us establish boundaries and to walk away from people or situations that are not good for us.

For example we may believe: 

• I need to have a particular job to be happy.

• My boss has to approve of me and let me know that I am doing a good job to feel valued at work. 

• I have to have x (a certain person in my life) to be fulfilled, to feel that I am attractive, safe and secure. If they are in my life my feelings of insecurity, anxiousness will go away.

• I need to have a certain amount of money in my bank account to feel safe, secure and that I am successful.

• My partner has to contact me at least once a day when they are at work to prove to me that they love me

Although we may believe that any of the above are based on truth or fact, this may not necessarily be the case. Often these beliefs can lead to us feeling anxious and insecure when what we believe should happen does not happen. This can cause us to react in ways that are disempowering and make us behave in ways that we later regret.  These type of beliefs are often referred to as Limiting Beliefs.

What are thoughts?

Thoughts are perceptions and opinions. When we describe our thoughts we reveal subjective information about how things are from our point of view. 

Remember:

• Everything created on this planet first started with a thought.
• The quality of our thinking determines the quality of our life.
• By changing our thinking we can change the direction and circumstances of our life.
• Our thoughts influence our feelings and our feelings influence our behaviour/s.
• Feelings are statements that describe our emotional response.

• Needs are statements describing what we would like but not necessarily what is good for us.