Beliefs are simply thought patterns. Thought patterns are created from thinking the same thought over and over again. That’s it! That’s all that beliefs consist of.
However, the consequences of beliefs are far from simple. Beliefs drive our behavior, our actions and our decisions. They are powerful and ultimately determine our level of happiness, effectiveness and satisfaction.
The good news is that beliefs aren’t permanent. They are changeable. They are disposable. You CAN let go of them – no matter how long you’ve held them.
Powerful Beliefs
When beliefs get really strong is when they’re anchored by emotion. They get embedded at a deep level – especially when we’re young. It’s just the mechanics of how our brains and energy systems work.
So if your belief arose from a teaching by someone you felt strong emotion towards – good or bad — that belief can be solidly entrenched. It can seem like the truth, not just a belief.
If your belief comes from a thought pattern about an event hooked to big emotions, the same thing can happen. For example, if you were razzed when you flubbed your speech in 7th grade, you probably hold the belief that public speaking is humiliating. The shame and embarrassment you felt was a strong emotional link to your thoughts about the event (the speech). The resulting belief can feel like absolute fact.
A strong belief can also grow out of lots of repetition of the same thought, too — even if there wasn’t a big emotional connection. So if you hear “Our people don’t dress like that” enough times, it can feel like the undisputable truth. Even when logic tells you something different.
But no matter how strong the anchor, or how powerful the belief, it CAN be released. If a belief is not serving you, and you don’t want it driving your life anymore, you can let go of it. There are various ways to do this, but I recommend EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques). It’s the fastest, most effective tool I know of to eliminate unwanted beliefs.
You Don’t Need To Replace Beliefs
And you don’t have to replace one belief with another one. Many people get stuck here. They think they first have to come up with a new belief system. They need a new ideology, or another person whose belief system they can adopt before they’re willing to release their old one.
It’s just not necessary. There’s a myth that before you can let go of an old belief, you must have a new one lined up to plug into that spot. But the truth is, left to your own true essential heart self, you would always choose good thoughts. You would choose the positive choice every time. So you don’t have to shop for a new belief to guide your behavior.
Look at innocent little kids. They always go for the good stuff. They’re attracted to it. And YOU would go for the good stuff naturally, too — once your limiting beliefs are out of the way. That’s what your true nature is. Don’t let that belief replacement myth stop you from releasing beliefs that don’t serve you.
If you want some help letting go of beliefs that are keeping you stuck, that’s my specialty. Give me a call at 805-835-5566 or email me at janet [at] janethilts.com and we’ll discuss how we can move you forward.
