How our underlying beliefs shape our world
In the maze of life, understanding how our underlying beliefs shape our reality can help us move forward more effectively. Photo credit: Ashley Batz on Unsplash
Our professed beliefs are those beliefs that we are conscious of. They guide our actions and, consequently, the way we behave. If in certain circumstances we are prone to react, and not think, then our underlying beliefs may be at play.
Our underlying beliefs dwell in what we call the unconscious mind. Those beliefs are deeply rooted in ourselves: We see the tree but do not see the roots of it underneath the earth. Often, the only way we realize them is when we discover they have become barriers in our striving to move forward.
It is critical we come to understand our underlying beliefs — we do not want to end under the earth without ever understanding what was happening in our roots.
Because those beliefs are so rooted in us they make us function by default, and the default is not always a healthy way to live. Having awareness and clarity of those beliefs will help us know and understand who we really are, why and how we have them, and the resulting behaviors of those rooted beliefs.
Many of us have default behaviors that don’t always contribute to our goals or our visions. Becoming aware of all this—and rewiring and reframing beliefs, reality, thoughts, and feelings— is what will remove the barriers created by these unconscious beliefs and help us to move forward.
Here are some questions to ask yourself to help you unmask, or bring to the surface, your underlying beliefs?
Are your actions in line with your thoughts and feelings?
What happens to your actions and behavior when you can achieve a positive outcome? How does it make you feel?
What happens with your actions and behavior when you achieve a negative outcome? How does it make you feel?
If you try to have a pattern recognition system, which are those circumstances when your actions are not contributing to a positive outcome?
How do you feel when you have a challenge? What is missing in those moments?
Are you using a long-term perspective when moving forward?
