Think, Believe, Achieve! Part 1

In the previous blog entry, I gave an example of how we are limited in life by our own beliefs. Now, I'd like to explore how we come to our beliefs which lead us to experience the life we have.

When you and I were babies and young children, we soaked in everything from our environment like a large, super-absorbent sponge. For the most part, we were open to life and accepted most everything we experienced at face value without much questioning.

This isn't to say that we didn't ask questions; oh, what could be further from the truth. As children, most of us asked LOTS of questions--why, why, but why?!

These questions were important for us to begin to form deeper understandings about our world; We asked them for further clarification and better integration of this new material (whatever it may have been) into our world view--which we began forming since the beginning of our life experience.

Now, here is the catch related to our "why" questions, whatever we heard as the response, we did not question its validity. Instead, we accepted it to be THE truth on the matter. And, by the way, this belief that we formed can continue to stay with us our entire lives UNTIL it is challenged and doesn't seem to work anymore for us.

Having said all that, I want to make sure that I am not misunderstood. I do not intend to say that we can now blame our parents, teachers, and other significant influences for what we believe today as adults. Being like "sponges" served us well as children so that we could manage living our lives filled with so much new and potentially overwhelming information and experiences. However, as adults, it is our responsibility to choose whether we want to hold onto these beliefs or let them go.

Let me give you an example...

In our home, we use many herbs and homeopathic remedies as our first line of treatment for various ailments including the common cold. Most times, we prepare our herbs as medicinal teas. My daughter who is 4-years-old has throughout her life seen us use these remedies, has asked questions about these remedies, and has herself used these remedies when needed. And, guess what? They've helped us all.

Now, without hesitation or any more questioning, if she feels "the sniffles" coming on, she will quickly ask for either a homeopathic or herbal remedy. She has been conditioned to associate feeling ill with using herbs and homeopathic remedies. In her world view (belief), these two things go together (feeling sick and taking herbs/homeopathic remedies to feel better). Period, case closed. Unless something drastic changes in her life, as she grows older, she will continue to hold onto this belief which will in turn affect the way she responds to using different healing methods in her life.

This example is a simple one and it has been based on my family's conscious choice regarding the use of natural remedies. However, how about other beliefs that aren't so conscious that you and I have absorbed and have allowed to dictate our experience of life.

Take money for example. This is a big one.

T. Harv Eker, author of the #1 NY Times Bestseller, Secret's of the Millionaire Mind book, is famous for saying, "Give me five minutes, and I can predict your financial future for the rest of your life!"

How can he be so confident?!

I'll tell you how. Because he knows that whatever you and I have "programmed" as our belief about money, wealth, being rich, being poor, being middle class, working, etc., we will continue to experience regardless of our external circumstances. For better or worse. Furthermore, these internal beliefs WILL create our external experiences.

In other words, if you have a belief that making money is difficult; it will ALWAYS be difficult for you to make money. Even if you make a lot of money, it will be more difficult for you to make that sum of money than someone else who has a different belief. No matter what. Until that belief that you're holding gets challenged, neutralized and eventually a new belief takes its place.

We can blame our job, our boss, our spouse, our parents, the economy or anything else for "why" we are in the financial situation that we find ourselves (by the way, remember what I said earlier about blaming external sources). However, even when the external situation changes, guess what?! The financial situation either remains the same, or it eventually begins to look the same. Even though we may have a new job, boss, etc. everything begins to look the same. Similar issues begin to come up, we begin having similar feelings toward our job, boss, financial outlook....

Have you ever noticed how some people seem to attract and get involved in relationships with basically the same person, but with a different face? You know what I mean...

This is why I believe that Eker's book is fantastic because it goes in depth on the various ways we have created, hold onto, and live out of our beliefs. Additionally, it gives practical solutions on how we can move from our present limiting beliefs into a fuller, more authentic self when it comes to the issue of money, wealth and abundance.

Furthermore, T. Harv Eker has created the Millionaire Mind Evening event and the Millionaire Mind Intensive as workshop opportunities to become aware of, challenge, neutralize "old" unwanted beliefs and create "new" empowering beliefs.

In April 2007, I attended the Millionaire Mind Intensive in Chicago and now feel that I finally have the tools to be successful in ALL aspects of my life, especially in the financial arena!

Since attending the seminar, I have been given access to a recording of a Teleseminar he hosted where he describes his foolproof methods for financial success. I’m sending you the link because the seminar really worked for me and I’d like to see you benefit too… Click Here to Access the free Teleseminar.

As I said, even though the focus of the material was on financial success, the tools that are provided go way beyond the areas of money.

So, to recap my points from this blog post:

• As children we absorbed and formed beliefs about our world.
• We have lived out of these beliefs and may continue living out of them until they no longer work for us.
• As adults, it is our responsibility to choose whether to live out of our "old" beliefs or to create "new" beliefs.
  
• Until we become aware of our beliefs, challenge them, neutralize them and create new more empowering beliefs, we will continue to have similar experiences throughout life.
• There is hope for change. Tools are available for us to stretch beyond our current comfort zone and move beyond our self-imposed limits.

In Part 2, we will continue to explore our beliefs and how to begin creating new experiences in our lives.

For now, peace and blessings,

Rich

Live the Life of Your Dreams!

Even though it is easy to blame other people and events in our lives for how things turn out, ultimately it is our own mindsets or beliefs that keep us stuck.

Here's a story that a friend of mine shared with me that helps to illustrate this point:

Every day waited for the bus to pick him up to go to work, my friend would watch people around him at the bus stop. As is common in many places, after a few weeks, he noticed that the same people would congregate at this particular place. One of the people he noticed on a daily basis was a homeless man who would methodically move from newspaper stand to newspaper stand placing his fingers into the coin return. The man seemed to always look disappointed as he would feel for loose change and never seem to find any.

So, one day, my friend decided to arrive a bit earlier and place a couple of coins in one of the newspaper stands. He was hoping to add a little cheer to this man's day. After placing the coins in the coin return, my friend stood back and waited for the homeless man to arrive.

On this day, as always, the man placed his fingers into each of the coin returns and left disappointed not finding any coins for himself. Afterwards, my friend checked the place where he had placed the two coins; sure enough, they were still there! The homeless man had not noticed them (even though the coins were there AND he had placed his fingers right over them)!!

Now, this is not a social or moral commentary; instead, my point to this story is that we (like the homeless man) each have opportunities and experiences that we pass by because we don't "see" them. They are not in our consciousness. In other words, they're beyond our belief.

The homeless man believed that he would not find any coins; so, even though his fingers stroked right pasted them, he did not notice. At that moment, he was living his life out of a belief pattern that prevented him from having any other experience than the one he did. How often do each of us pass by the "golden" opportunities in our careers, relationships, and other areas of our lives because of an old belief pattern from our past?

Ultimately, it is our beliefs that limit us and prevent us to see anything else than our status quo.

If we want to change our experience in life, we must change our beliefs.

In the next blog entry, we'll talk about the steps to changing our beliefs.

Welcome to my blog, I'm glad you have joined me.

Peace and Blessings,
Rich