What really drives us to action?
What is really running our lives?
Beliefs.
Beliefs we may not even know we have.
Our beliefs decide:
who we hire
who we marry
how we raise our kids
how much money we have
whether we get the book written
whether we exercise
if the bills get paid
But here’s the thing about all those beliefs that are driving your life.
Some beliefs are true sometimes but you may believe they are true always: maybe at one time your best friend betrayed you, but that doesn’t mean you can never trust anyone again.
Some beliefs might have been true for you once upon a time, and you think they are still true: maybe you went through a hard time financially and couldn’t afford a nice car, or a vacation and now you are financially secure but continue to deny yourself those luxuries.
Some beliefs were true, but for someone else: Your mom and dad might have been bad business people and so you might believe it runs in the family, but actually you might have business acumen you never would have guessed.
But some beliefs actually never were true (in spite of the fact that we believed them):
The earth is the center of the universe. The world is flat. Smoking is good for digestion.
Sure, some really are true all the time:
Gravity exists. The sun will rise. Water seeks its own level. But most are malleable.
True or not, beliefs blindside us. They are stubborn. They hang on and are constantly trying to prove themselves.
Once we have a belief, we are programmed to only pay attention to information that confirms those beliefs we already have. The more we believe something, the less we acknowledge any experience or data that does not confirm what we already believe.
But…
When we only pay attention to the information that confirms our beliefs, we lose the chance to explore a greater opportunity, a new direction, a real breakthrough.
This week when you hear an idea, ask yourself:
What is my belief about this?
Is it really true for me now in this situation?
What action do I usually take?
What am I willing to try?
Let me know what you discover!
Until next Tuesday. YIPPEE!
Elizabeth