The Power Of Beliefs

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by Glenn Baja 

Beliefs control. They are the building blocks of our reality. Just as each of our beliefs differ from one another, so do our personal realities. The conscious beliefs we hold will be experienced as our own realities. Such is the power of beliefs.

And where do our beliefs come from? Many originate from childhood, handed down from our parents, and taught to us by teachers and society. Others come from friends and acquaintances. Some serve us…some do not. But we are not at the mercy of these beliefs…unless we choose to be.

Beliefs generate emotions––and largely determines emotions––not the other way around. If we find that we feel generally unhappy, there likely is a conscious belief that feeds those thoughts of unhappiness. If we find ourselves chronically overweight, and can’t seem to find any diet or exercise plan that works, chances are we have an underlying belief that nourishes the belief that we deserve to be this way.

Same with poverty. If we have a belief that money is evil, has contributed to the downfall of society, and is only coveted by the greedy, selfish, and powerful, then chances are we have a belief that poverty, or lack, is more spiritual and righteous than abundance is. Same with fear. If we believe that the world is awash in turmoil, deceit, and evil intent, then we will believe that we need to protect ourselves, take shelter, be suspicious, and not risk.

Our conscious mind receives data from both our outer and inner worlds. But if we believe that it is only attuned to exterior conditions, we then cut ourselves off from inner knowledge, our intuitive voice, and from the creativeness and imagination that dwells there.

Personally, I’ve struggled and searched for my personal answers and “insights” for decades. Deep-thinking and analyzing my beliefs has taken my down many paths and filled many journals. I’ve struggled with feelings of worthlessness, doubts of any talents and abilities I may have, and even questioned why or how anyone would love or care about me, especially if they knew of my short-comings. Yet, I’ve always been a seeker, and would have it no other way.

Whether it has served me or not, I’ve always had this need to discover my worth, my purpose, and my reason for my place in this Universe. I’ve always felt that something exist that just needs to be found and discovered, something that will fill my cup full with self-content and self-acceptance. Unfortunately, for most of my life, I’ve searched for these answers outside of myself. I now know they lie inside, and have existed there all along.

There is a purpose for my being that is greater than I, and I will continue on my personal journey to find out what that is.

Incantations

It’s been a long and interesting road. Weeding out the false beliefs I have about myself and life itself is a process that still continues. It’s only been relatively of recent that I’ve realized my conscious mind is a channel to both the outer and inner worlds of existence. Every day I succeed a little more than the last in allowing myself to be more open to my sources of splendor, power, and confidence. What I do know for sure, is that if I focus on what isn’t right, more of that comes into my life. Contrarily, if I focus on what is great, or can be great, about any situation or thing that happens, this brings forth greater amounts of joy and abundance into my life.

To help in this process, I find the use of incantations––positive words or phrases that I repeat to myself both silently and outwardly––to be especially beneficial in changing my perspective. It’s been a way for me to slowly change my belief system, and draw more life-enhancing, life-invigorating ideas, beliefs, and physical manifestations into my life. Some incantations may be long, some short, but all are positive.

What’s yours? Do you have one? Maybe there is a message, perhaps one that you’re not even aware of, that you tell yourself over and over, if only in your head.

Let’s find out. Being totally honest with yourself, go ahead and fill in the following blank:

I Am _____.

What word, or words, come to you? What is it that you believe about yourself? How has this word influenced your life?

Just think of the difference that one word, whatever happens to be your “truth,” could make in the way a person lives their life. Think of the differences in a persons belief system that chooses “unlovable, unworthy, unhappy, or lonely” versus “blessed, loved, gifted, or joyful.” It reminds me of the adage of “two people walking in a pristine, old-growth forest together. One is looking all around, admiring the beauty, splendor, and magnificence of the woods, while the other is looking around the same forest, calculating how much money the harvested lumber would bring-in on the open market.”

What’s your word?

Growing Into Power

I am still growing and learning. I choose to be up until the day I die and begin down the next road of existence. Despite a present day fear I have––“if left unaddressed and unchanged, the human species will be the shortest lived species to ever exist on earth”––I will continue to apply all of me, and all that I do, to change this direction. But I know that in order to do this, I must first change myself.

I believe in the power of incantations. Recently I came across a very powerful one that I feel, if embraced and internalized into our lives and souls from our early years on, could set a course of positive change in the world. I came across it in a Oprah Winfrey book called, “The Wisdom Of Sundays.” The book is a compilation of life-changing insights from guests on Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday show. The following phrase comes from Oprah herself:

“Use me, God. Show me how to take who I am, who I want to be,

and what I can do, and use me for a purpose greater than myself.”

The power of these words and the power of this concept ignites my imagination. How might living this incantation––centering it within, and keeping it upfront and conscious in all we do––change lives, outlooks, and even the future as we know it?

How could the task of accepting and honoring who we truly are (complete, as is), deciding who we wish to be (using our imaginations to visualize something larger and greater than ourselves), and using the natural strengths and abilities we already are gifted with, for a purpose greater than ourselves––how could that change not only ourselves, but eventually the world? And the best part? We are asking God, to use us, and show us our direction.

It’s mind boggling to think about…

The Result

Keeping this thought in the forefront of our minds can give us a whole new perspective on life. We become focused on listening, building, discovering, and growing those strengths within us that will make us stronger.

There is something fulfilling and enriching about having a purpose larger than ourselves that’s used as a force for good. Whether it’s working on world-wide problems, helping others become better teachers, or volunteering time and energy at the local soup kitchen, there’s a larger purpose out there for each of us, if only we believe and trust that there is.

Most of us have been taught what to believe. We are learning that those beliefs have kept us in a small, confined, and comfortable cage that has left many of us feeling “empty” on the inside. We can change that.

It only takes believing we can.