by Scott Allan
Take time to write them out and list as many as you can. You can start with parts of the short list above that apply and add to it with your own negative beliefs. Pay attention to the beliefs that target your self-esteem and devalue your worth.
Step 2: Disempower the old belief by injecting doubt and uncertainty. It is time to take a stand and question your belief thoroughly, analyzing it under a mental microscope through strict analysis. It is time to put your beliefs on trial.
You are going to question your beliefs, attack their vulnerability, tear down their walls, and weaken their structure. If a belief has been built on lies and falsehoods, it will not stand up to the scrutiny of your attack.
Here is an example:
"My family was extremely dysfunctional; so, I am dysfunctional.”
Begin by questioning this belief. Take away its power. Make a decision right now to reject it.
Here’s what I wrote: “What is the basis for this belief?”
“My family life was not perfect by any means. My parents loved me conditionally and they had their own issues to deal with. Many times, I felt rejected. But this doesn’t mean I am dysfunctional. To a degree, isn’t everyone? Don’t we all struggle with our own defects? I refuse to accept this belief anymore.”
Go deep with your ideas and push back hard. Then, ask pertinent questions that disengage the power your belief has over you. Put your belief on trial! Tell yourself that this is not a reality you choose to believe in anymore. Disown it completely. Choose to believe in something else. This is when your mind makes a shift toward reframing what it has been trained to accept.
Step 3: Reframe the new belief while discarding the old one. Full of fear, self-doubt, and lacking confidence, we can easily slip back into old patterns of defeat. We can convince ourselves that negative beliefs are true.
When you decide to replace your old beliefs, you are making a firm commitment: I refuse to feel this way anymore. From now on, I am going to reject all negative thoughts. If you do this enough, you will be thinking and behaving differently.
Step 4: Visualize the person you will become once you have created a new belief. Visualize yourself behaving differently, taking new and decisive actions, and pushing through your fear instead of being blocked by it. See yourself overcoming the obstacles that, until now, have been holding you back. Imagine the new way of life that waits for you on the other side of conquering your fears.
Then, visualize the steps that you would need to take to make this transition. What could you do right now to begin building momentum? How would you have to think and act to achieve an outcome that is seemingly beyond your reach or capability? Once you have the clear answer, it is time to start being that person.
Step 5: Reinforce the new belief, taking further repetitive action toward making it real. Now that you have a solid idea of the changes you want, start by supporting your new belief. Take immediate action and reframe your old belief with the new one.
If you tear down the old belief but do nothing to replace it, you’ll eventually resort to that old destructive way of thinking. When this happens, just remember what your replacement belief is and continue to reinforce it over and over. Such reinforcement has to be done consistently in order to succeed.
Try writing out ten of your favorite quotes. Utilize the power of positive words and affirmations. Repeat these several times a day. It will be uncomfortable at first, but be persistent.
The more you use words of positive power, the faster you can shift your beliefs to accepting what you are saying and thinking. Persistence and consistency are the keys. Soon you will be able to pull out your positive mental toolbox and use it to overpower negative thoughts and words.
Self-conversation is a powerful tool. Your negative beliefs used this tool against you for many years. Now you know that you can choose thoughts that support your new belief. Give your new belief lots of encouragement and support. Repeat it as many times as you need to. Convince yourself that it is true!
Step 6: Follow-up with action. In this final stage, you are going to continually strengthen your belief through convincing evidence. You will alter your actions and behaviors to align with the new belief as it starts planting roots deep in your subconscious.
It is important to reinforce the new beliefs on a continual basis. Create the beliefs you want to have. Do not settle on thoughts that devalue you.
Once a year, you could give yourself a small test to see where you are with your beliefs, and analyze whether they are consistent with your desires and purpose.
You may discover, as I have, that there are new discrepancies with your current beliefs and values. If so, you can always update your belief system every year, making subtle changes here and there, adjusting your course in order to stay on track.
Six Beliefs of Self-Empowerment
Beliefs construct the foundation upon which our lives are built. In structuring and reconstructing these beliefs to match the life we seek to govern, there are six areas we should focus our energy on.
Believe in Yourself
Personal excellence begins with a belief in yourself, in your abilities, and in your talents. Believe without a doubt that you can, and you will; believe that you can’t, and the opposite holds true. Your level of genuine belief in yourself determines the experiences you will have and the level of successful choices you make.
Self-doubt leads to poor choices; these choices lead to painful outcomes and poor results, poor job situations, and choosing friends and partners who are not supportive or compatible.
A powerful belief system begins with the fundamental basics of believing in who you are and a sense of knowing that you are going to make it no matter what, and that everything you desire is being drawn to you right now. A firm belief in something—an idea, a thought, or principle—is a magnet that attracts the opportunity and the right people at just the right time to make it all happen.
Beliefs act as filters that determine our perceptions of the world, and it is through these perceptions that beliefs are structured and formed.
Believing in yourself is an inside job. It is accepting yourself just as you are today. Believe that you can do anything you truly commit to, because you can. When we choose to believe in the possibilities, we bring what is possible into the real world. In other words, we make it happen. Don’t waste another minute of your time stuck on the failures of the past when you should be focusing on today and what you can do.
Believe in Children
Children have many important requirements that need to be fulfilled so they can grow and develop into strong, confident adults. The foundation for success in a person’s life begins at a very young age, when they start to absorb the energy that makes up their learning environment and surroundings.
As part of this environment, children are exposed to an entire world of various beliefs and ideas and, without really knowing why, they simulate the beliefs that eventually shape the course of their lives.
As parents, teachers, and the guardians of our children, we have a responsibility to teach, guide, and listen, to show them the right way to self-expression, love, and instruction.
It is the true nature of a child to trust people, especially adults, and it’s the responsibility of parents, big brothers and sisters, role models, and teachers to encourage trust through genuine encouragement and praise. What children hear, see, and value are internalized into core beliefs and can transform the direction of their lives.
If you show a child you believe in them and give them the support they need by providing assurance that they’re loved and appreciated, the child will grow up with powerful social tools to handle the fear of the world and develop high confidence and self-esteem.
An environment that instills fear of failure and lacks support or appreciation eventually fails the child, and the beliefs they internalize can erupt into self-destructive habits. This can be prevented if childhood lessons are set right.
Think about your own childhood a
nd recall the people who changed your life with just a single word or kind gesture. What beliefs did you internalize due to the influence of others? What beliefs did you realize were damaging to you?
Model the Beliefs of Successful People
You can emulate the success of your mentors if you study the system of beliefs they used as a pathway toward personal excellence. Success breeds success, and beliefs can be passed on through a high level of instruction.
Do you want to build financial freedom? Would you like to lose weight? Run a marathon? Build the perfect career? Anything is possible when you follow the beliefs of those who’ve already achieved what you desire.
To be the person you want to become, start spending time with those who live the way you want to. Emulate their actions and behaviors, but—most importantly—model their beliefs and make them your own. Successful people who accomplish great things in their lifetime have superior belief systems—beliefs that stretch to the unlimited pathways of excellence.
Believe in Your Dream and Life Mission
When you believe in your life purpose, it provides you with the focus and confidence to make clearer decisions as to the direction you need to take to fulfill your mission. Believing in a powerful destiny means believing in something bigger than yourself. One of the best techniques for solidifying belief in your dream is by reciting a daily mantra. Here’s an example of just one mantra that I often repeat to myself:
“I have a purpose and a destiny, and it is unfolding right now! I am doing great things with my life and I will continue to do great things as long as I stay true to who I am and the person I want to become. I believe I am becoming that great person right now! As I construct the roads for the future, planting the seeds of my soul in rich places to grow, my mission and destiny is attracting everything I need for today.”
Create a powerful mantra or a list of your favorite affirmations and repeat them to yourself every day to reaffirm your beliefs in what you’re doing and the path unfolding before you. Make this a daily habit, and you will attract the people and situations that are necessary for the unfolding pathways of your life.
Remember, believing in your dream means taking action. You can’t just believe and hope that it works out. Believers are doers. Our actions are fueled by the beliefs that we’ll succeed no matter what.
Maybe we don’t know how this will happen, but we know that if we persevere, leaving doubt and uncertainty behind, we will find a way. Each day, you must take steps to construct your dream.
Believe in Something Greater Than Yourself
I believe in success because I want to succeed. I believe that anyone, if they have the desire and passion and are willing to work hard, will succeed at anything, no matter what. Success is a choice, a conscious decision that determines your fate the moment you commit.
All great achievers believe strongly in what they can do. Through working hard and maintaining absolute focus, a high achiever brings what they desire to fruition.
When you believe in the success that is taking place in your life today, you stop believing in the limitations that prevent you from moving ahead. You trust that success is coming your way. Successful people are thankful beforehand for the success they have and will continue to have. They are the true believers! I have found that one of the best ways to encourage and strengthen my own beliefs is to help another to strengthen theirs.
Most people fail because they believe in the wrong ideas. They see success as something that exists “out there” and happens to other people, but not to them. They don’t believe in success because they have never had it or have never recognized it.
Over the years, the meaning of success has become very misconstrued and our perception about it has altered. It isn’t about having the greatest body, the most money or popularity, or even worldwide fame. It can be these things, but it isn’t limited to them.
Success is also about friendships, family, and spending long days at the beach or taking walks in the park. The everyday activities of living provide us with the true meaning of success.
Believe that you’re succeeding right now, even if you are in a grim state or a moment of suffering. These moments also symbolize the stepping stones to something greater. Once you define what it means to be successful, you’ll be in a much better position to create the beliefs you need to accomplish everything you’ve ever desired.
The Power of “I Can”
When I was a kid, one of my favorite stories was The Little Engine That Could by Platt and Munk. It’s the perfect story for teaching people about the power of stating “I can.” Too often, we carry around the belief that we can’t accomplish something or that it’s just not possible.
The words you tell yourself have power over your internal strength and convictions. By saying that you can’t, you are preventing yourself from learning new skills, solving problems, or moving forward. It would be in your best interest to consider it carefully before responding with, “I can’t.”
These thoughts cement our limitations, and define our level of success. Imagine you’re at the end of your life: How would you feel if you realized that “I can’t” was a lie you’d told yourself to escape your fear of acting on your dreams?
Like The Little Engine That Could, we must encourage ourselves as well as others. We have to believe in what we can accomplish.
When we tell ourselves that we can do it, this feeds in to the empowering belief that builds the possibility. If you tell yourself you can’t, you will be right every time.
But, you believe you can and you will. You build the mindset of a winner that becomes unstoppable. Most of the wins we achieve in our lifetime has little to do with talent or skill. It is the ability to create a vision for the life you truly desire. Then, following through with a set action plan to turn that vision into a reality.
SECTION II:
Create a Vision for Your Life
“Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire; you will what you imagine; and at last you create what you will.”
— George Bernard Shaw
The Self-Powered Imagination
“I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited.
Imagination encircles the world.”
— Albert Einstein
Everything is created through the universe of your imagination. It is within this imaginative structure that great ideas are realized, artistic concepts developed, and creative thoughts conceived; it is here that the words of poets and literary prophets are expressed, and scientific theories become real possibilities leading to breakthroughs.
The visual imagination stretches beyond the limited boundaries of basic two-dimensional thought. It reveals how a treasure chest of mental images can change the world we live in almost instantly.
Visualization is a creative machine that brings limitless opportunity for advancement in science, the arts, technology, and spiritual progress. It is also used to achieve the most impossible of goals. People from varying backgrounds, education, cultures, and social levels around the world have learned to master the art of visual imagination to attain wealth, freedom, creativity, and expression.
The power of the imagination is the beginning stage of all creation. Nothing happens unless it is first designed as a visual form within the mind. Everything you are going to attain and experience in life is designed and then built according to a series of visual images.
It is proven in scientific experiments and deep research that athletes training for the Olympics prepare for the sport both on the field and off. In fact, according to researchers Ellen Rogin and Lisa Kueng, it’s not only the physical training that impacts an athlete’s success, but the mental training, too. The athletes who commit to visualizing the training, to mentally see themselves succeeding, have the greater chance at winning.
This has been proven by Russian scientists who conducted experiments on the training method
s of four groups of athletes:
Group one: 100% physical training
Group two: 75% physical training, 25% mental training
Group three: 50% physical training, 50% mental training
Group four: 25% physical training, 75% mental training
The fourth group had the best results overall, outperforming the competition in the Olympics.
First, establish a goal. Then, visualize achieving that goal in detail, and stay focused on it over the long-term.
During the Olympics, athletes would use both internal and external visualization. For example, Alpine Skier Lindsay Vonn used her hands to simulate the path of the course through her own eyes. She would visualize herself speeding down the slopes as if she were actually performing in the race.
With external imagery, athletes will visualize themselves competing as if watching it happen from a spectator’s view. By implementing this visual imagery using both internal and external visualization, world class athletes could achieve their dreams and improve their performance.
Now, what could you do if you committed to just ten minutes a day of visualization? What goals could you achieve?
To create the destiny you want, you must form a direct link with your imagination. When you treat your thoughts as real things that carry energy, you can train your mind to direct your thoughts into seeing the possibilities. I am a firm believer that goals achieved build dreams, but this happens much quicker if you can visualize the actionable steps to accomplishing your goals.
Visualization keeps you focused as you develop a clear line of concentration. Your imagination is always seeing, planning, and putting together the pieces of your dreams to create what you want. When you focus on a specific goal, you are directing all your mental energy toward an objective that becomes the vision of what you want.