This is the second post in a three part series. Part 1 Thinking About Beliefs sets the groundwork for this post.
A large number of self-help programs talk about how limiting beliefs are preventing us from achieving the quality of life we want for ourselves by sabotaging our efforts. If we can find the source of this belief then we can change it.
In a word. Crap!
Lets take a little trip down memory lane. What were you feeling exactly 7 1/2 minutes ago? Was your left ear itching 1 hour ago? Think back to the last time you were at the park. How many people were there? What were they wearing? How many cars were in the parking lot? Our memory of events is selective and really doesn't represent reality very well at all. We could easily misrepresent what was happening at that time simply though what our perceptions allowed us to see. So using our memory to seek the causes of our limiting beliefs becomes very questionable.
Don't worry for those of us who believe it is necessary to know the cause in order to change a belief; we can if need be, make up a socially acceptable reason and claim it for our truth and have examples from memory to prove it and not even know that we are making it up.
[Note] A lot of therapies use this step for serious problems as a starting point for action and it can be a very useful tool to examine what we believe in an experts hands.
Let's look at another perspective on limiting beliefs. If you are reading this right now; congratulations. You are a survivor. Your beliefs have allowed you to live in this complex world and keep yourself alive. All of your beliefs. You notice that there is no reference to the quality of your life. That is a whole other issue. You exist today because of your beliefs and not in spite of your beliefs. There are no limiting beliefs when it comes to survival; only necessity. Enough said.
A fallacy or false belief is a misconception resulting from incorrect reasoning. That is why the post is titled as it is. Rather than worrying about our limiting beliefs; how about we acknowledge that our beliefs got us to this point in our lives and we simply want some changes.
Start from where we are; warts, wrinkles and all. Today's reality is our only starting point. It's all we have for a certainty.
Stay tuned for the next post in this series on The Number 1 Myth of Self-Help Programs.
16 conversations:
"Today's reality is our only starting point. It's all we have for a certainty."
absolutely true. correct. right. yup. uh-huh. i get it.
smiles, bee
It's surprising how few dp get it. Kudos Bee
Had to swing by to see the second post. Too tired to ramble on tonight. It will have to wait until I get some rest. Very intersting... I can see where you are going here! See you tomorrow Peter.
Ok comedy+ see you tomorrow
Hi Peter,
I agree with you. Till we admit we are wrong, we will never grow a little wiser. Looking for the cause is like looking who to blame for our outcome.
Thank you for the post.
How do you catagorize religious beliefs?
Thanks!
amazing gracie beliefs are our individual understanding of being alive and our place in the universe. We need a relationship between causes and effects that makes sense to us. Religion, philosophy or our path provides that relationship.It is our guidelines for living tempered by experience.
This blog is all about challenging our thinking Sam and I thank you for joining the conversation.
Here's all I can muster today:
The task is not so much to see what no one yet has seen, but rather to think what no one yet has thought about that which everybody sees.
Erwin Schrödinger
I like your quote comedy+ bang on
Hi Peter - For some reason I seem spent in terms of my thought process. That quote just jumped into my head... Then - Nothing. Hopefully I'll make a comeback after a weekend at the boat. See you Sunday :)
Enjoy your weekend comedy+
Absolutely! I live breath to breath.
You are a great writer.
Thank you Bobby and I appreciate the compliment
Limiting belief could be due to FEAR, aka False Evidence Appearing Real. The challenge is always how to clear the mental block so that we can climb out of our self imposed deep dark valley to the green pasture up there.
Thanks for your comment viivenne and joining the conversation
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