Negative Thoughts and Beliefs
A belief is a firmly held opinion or conviction. A belief feels true for you on some level even if you know intellectually that it's not true. Often we think a belief is the same thing as a truth (because it feels so true to us). Truth never changes; beliefs can and do change as our perceptions change.
Many of us have negative beliefs (remember from Stickman: we didn't have a filter between the ages of 0-8, and a lot of negative beliefs made their way into our subconscious mind) that keep us from moving forward and embracing our own truths!
A false belief is a "misconception resulting from incorrect reasoning." Where do these false beliefs come from? Everywhere! Our own observations, our environment (if everyone is doing it, then it must be the right thing to do!), our parents, etc.
John Godfrey Saxe wrote a poem called "The Blind Men and the Elephant."
Six blind men each went to see an elephant to see what the elephant was like.
The first man, touching the elephant's side, thought it was like a wall.
The second man, touching the tusk, thought it was like a spear.
The third man, touching the trunk, thought it was like a snake.
The fourth man, touching the knee, thought it was like a tree.
The fifth man, touching the ear, thought it was like a fan.
The sixth man, touching the tail, thought it was like a rope.
Which one was right? They were all right and they were all wrong! Because they couldn't see the whole elephant! Because our mind is not capable of processing all the information (seen and unseen) that surrounds us every day, there are always parts of the whole picture missing! We do the best we can to piece all the information together, but there will always be gaps in our understanding.
The important thing is that we acknowledge we have false beliefs that are holding us back, and then seek to discover the truth of who we really are!
Think back to the goal you wrote down on Day 5. What are some false beliefs that are keeping you from reaching that goal?
The following is the best exercise I have found to replace false beliefs with truth:
1. Get out a piece of paper and something to write with.
2. Draw a line down the middle of the paper.
3. On the left side write down all the negative or false beliefs you can think of! When you try to achieve your goal, what are the "excuses" that come up right away? Write down as many as you can, but try to come up with at least 3-5. As you think of more, add them to the list! Note: All of these false and negative beliefs are actually the OPPOSITE of who you really are!
4. On the right side, write down at least 2-3 positive statements that are the opposite of the negative you wrote down.
Here is an example of what it might look like (I purposely used "I" statements, "you" statements, and general statements because that's how we receive them -- through our own observations we come up with the lies that start with "I," we believe lies that generate from other people, and we also believe lies that are believed by the masses):
I have learned so much about myself through this exercise! Be as honest as you can -- the more "lies" you catch yourself saying, the more truths you will discover about yourself!
Great job!
Daily Challenge: Every day for 30 days in a row, I want you to say the following out loud at least 10 times each day!!! Be sure to say it cheerfully and enthusiastically! This scripture is found in Philippians 4:13:
“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
You've now completed this challenge eight days in a row!
Be sure to congratulate yourself for a job well done!
Be sure to congratulate yourself for a job well done!
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