We’ve been trained to believe that when we have weaknesses, the best thing to do is act. Train them over and over by learning and putting ourselves in practice situations. Most of us continue to do this while telling ourselves we are terrible at whatever it is we are doing and let’s be honest, it’s exhausting. So we end up resigning ourselves to simply being weak in this area, unless we can change our belief system about it.
So what does that even mean? Let me break it down for you.
A belief is simply a thought you keep thinking. It could be something your parents said to you over and over that just embedded itself in your brain, or maybe it came from society or relationships outside your family circle. Somehow it got there and either consciously or unconsciously, your brain stored it away as truth and continues to repeat whenever the subject arises.
These stored thoughts give your brain direction on what to do.
In the moments where you feel an urge or need to decide between something that moves you forward or sets you back, your brain draws from your beliefs to make a choice.
If your belief system matches your goal, your choices will move you forward.
If your belief system doesn’t match your goal, your choices will set you back or an argument will commence in your mind and you will remain stuck.
What is great about this is that now we know what to expect and if you decide to pay attention, you can see all of this happening. Even better, is knowing that we have the power to change our own belief system. Remember, beliefs are just thoughts we keep thinking. So, the key is to figure out which thoughts, that are currently rooted in your brain, are simply not serving you in any given situation, so you can consciously remove them.
Then, find thoughts that move you forward toward your goal and practice them over and over until they become your new beliefs.
The process itself isn’t complicated, but it also isn’t easy. Ever argue with your spouse or child? Yeah, that’s what is going on in your brain on a daily basis when you are trying to change your beliefs. Some days it’s the silent treatment, some days there is yelling and some days are total resignation. All you have to do is keep at it, and you will get through that quarreling to the other side.
What are you telling yourself you aren’t good at? How is your belief system helping or hindering the process of achieving your goals?