Mindfulness
Removing Negative Belief Systems
Are you living the life that you desire according to your own beliefs or are you trying desperately to please others? Are you afraid to live big and create the life of your dreams? Do you find yourself questioning your self-worth and thinking “I’m not good enough”, “I’m not smart enough”, “I’m not pretty enough”, or “I’m not enough enough!”? Are you living in a mental prison of your own making caused by your attempt to live by external rules that are imposed on you by your family, friends, social institutions and nameless/faceless others? If so, you may be infected with the disease of Not Enough-ism! This article provides insights about this disease and suggests a plan for eradicating the negative beliefs that may be paralyzing your life.
We live in an era in which we are raised to believe certain things about ourselves, our potential, and the world around us. Our subconscious mind is rife with negative belief systems that operate like viruses to control our thoughts and behaviors and limit our potential. As children, we receive training at an early age on how we should think and act in order to be considered good enough to be accepted by others. If our attempts to live up to these standards are unsuccessful we may find ourselves in a vicious cycle characterized by negative self-judgement and self-rejection, which leaves us feeling mentally, physically, and spiritually exhausted. Left unaddressed these feelings grow with us into adulthood where, despite our accomplishments, we may see ourselves as unsuccessful and self-identify as impostors. Our greatest fear is that we will be found out.
Brendon Burchard, author of The Motivation Manifesto, defines fear “as a mental construct that we alone fuel with small thoughts that betray our magnitude.” Noting that we can control our emotions and our thoughts, he suggests that the only way to transcend fear is to look it straight in the eye. “If fear is winning it is because we keep choosing it over our other impulses to be strong or bold or great.”
Consistent with this Don Miguel Ruiz, author of The Four Agreements, notes that every human being has a personal dream that is often overshadowed by fear; however, the problem is not our dream but the risks we must take to be ourselves. In other words, most of us have allowed ourselves to become so controlled by other people’s opinions of us that we would rather give up our own dreams and endure lives of suffering than to live by our own rules and risk non-acceptance.
If you find yourself in this situation, the good news is that you have at least two choices. You can choose to live fearlessly and march to the beat of your own drum or you can choose to remain locked in the prison of your own mind while allowing someone else to hold the key. What will it be? If you choose to live fearlessly you can begin by reconnecting with your divinity. Remember that you are God’s creation. As such you can be anyone or anything you want to be. You have the power to reimage yourself and to achieve your dreams.
The most difficult part of the reimaging process involves conducting an honest self appraisal. What are your beliefs? Where did they come from? When that little voice in your head tells you what you can or can’t do, whose voice is it? Your parents? Your friends? Your pastor’s? Are the beliefs that you hold based on your independent assessment that they are in your best interests, or did you blindly accept them because they were taught to you at an early age? In other words, are they the result of family and societal conditioning? Once you identify the negative belief systems that are holding you hostage the next step is to treat them like the viruses they are and remove them. There are many tools that you can use to do this including meditation, affirmations, journaling, hypnosis, tapping, muscle testing, and past life regression. Reiki and other energy modalities also can be used to facilitate spiritual rejuvenation and enlightenment. The process of removing negative beliefs can be quite intense but it is a necessary precursor to spiritual healing. Don’t hesitate to to seek the assistance of qualified professionals if you’re not comfortable doing it alone.
Sending you much love and light on your journey.
~Peace
~DrSue
