The Quality of Your Beliefs

Re-Creating Your Self

By Christopher Stone

Last time, in Re-Creating Your Self, the developmental journey that assists you in becoming the person you want to be, living the life you desire, we examined and evaluated two troublesome areas of everyone’s Belief System, the Contradictory and the Outdated Beliefs that you accept as being true about your self, others, and life in general.  We pointed out how contradictory and outdated beliefs produce mixed results in the areas of your life where these pesky ideas are held. We also noted the need to eliminate them in order to experience a more fulfilling, healthy, and successful life.

Using the information in the two previous columns, this time around, you will determine the quality of your own personal beliefs. This will result in a fuller self-understanding that will point clearly to the areas of your own life that require re-creating. It may also explain why certain areas of your life always seem to yield less than that for which you hope.

STEP 1: Review your beliefs lists from the previous written Adventures.  To your lists, add any new beliefs, or new categories of beliefs, that you have discovered since completing your lists.

STEP 2: Examine each belief on your lists individually, noting whether it is a principal belief, (a basic attitude about life), or a supporting belief, (an idea that reinforces a principal belief).

STEP 3: Evaluate each belief on your lists. Do your best to be objective. Is the belief positive or negative? Remember, a positive belief contributes to your health, happiness and well-being. A negative belief creates feelings of unworthiness, inadequacy, fear, loss and lack.

YOU GUIDE FOR THE QUALITY OF YOUR BELIEFS:

RALPH, 44-YEARS-OLD

I’m using Ralph’s example in the “Health” category as your guiding example. However, you will be determining the quality of all the belief categories that you listed previously, as well as any new categories of personal beliefs that you have subsequently discovered.

HEALTH

1. Belief: To a large extent, heredity determines your personal health. This is a Principal Belief. It is Negative.

2. Belief: In the final analysis, diet and exercise don’t help much if you come from unhealthy “stock.” This is a Supporting Belief. It is Negative.

3. Belief: Both my parents died of cancer when they were in their 50s, so I probably will, too. Supporting Belief: Negative.

4. Belief: I’m in great physical shape for a man my age - or any age. Principal Belief: Positive.

5. Belief: I’m stronger than a lot guys 20 years my junior. Supporting belief: Positive.

6. Belief: Health decreases as your age increases. Principal Belief: Negative.

7. Belief: I’m more likely to have health problems now than I was ten years ago. Supporting Belief: Negative.

8. Belief: Basically, we have scant control over our health. Principal Belief: Negative.

Years of experience with Re-Creating Your Self students in a private practice, in classes, workshops, and with readers of the book, have taught me many things about my process for personal transformation.  Among the most important is this: Students who can honestly identify 60% or more of their beliefs as being positive have a much healthier and fulfilling life than those who find that 60%, or more, of their beliefs about themselves, others, and the world in general, are negative.

The good news for those who hold a majority of negative beliefs is that they have the power, responsibility, and the right to change any, and all, beliefs that keep them from being the person they want to be, living the life they desire.  Always remember, the beliefs you have right now are not a prison sentence.  Don’t allow false, negative, contradictory, or outdated beliefs jail you.  Jilt them.

A Re-Creating Your Self Thought: About this, I am certain: The positive beliefs in your personal belief system will consistently create the most satisfying experiences in your life. The negative beliefs that you accept will always limit your experiences in the areas of your life in which the negative ideas are held.

Next time: You Can Re-Create Your Self.

Do you have a comment, observation, or a question about Re-Creating Your Self? Please send them to me at recreatingyourself@mail2teacher.com.

Copyright 2008 by Christopher Stone