The way we perceive our own worth as a person has a profound influence on every aspect of our life. Today’s culture sends a lot of mixed signals that can easily distort our views about what makes us a worthwhile person.

Unless we develop a well grounded understanding of the true nature of personal value, we will probably end up adopting one or more of these distorted views.

How Self-worth Affects confidence

Our confidence in our own abilities will ultimately be the deciding factor when it comes to taking action and producing results. A lack of self-confidence acts as a restraint, holding us back from pursuing the life we desire. A distorted view of self-worth leads us to believe that we don’t deserve a better life and undermines our efforts to create change.

Self-confidence, self-worth and self-esteem are all closely related and are based on a personal belief system. Beliefs are rarely about reality. They are an emotional conclusion based on our personal perception. This means that logic alone is not usually enough to alter limiting beliefs. But asking logical questions about the perceptions that lead to those beliefs can make them more susceptible to reason.

Common ideas that distort our perception

It’s important to realize that there are those who work really hard to influence our views and personal values. Advertisers try to anchor their product to our emotions in an effort to make us feel incomplete, or below par, if we don‘t buy what they are selling.

Many employers want us to think that their approval is a key factor in our self-worth and that our job is the most important thing in our life. There is also a social perception that exerts a strong influence to live up to certain expectations. And these are just a few of the forces working to mold our viewpoints about ourselves.

To counter some commonly accepted but misguided notions about self-worth, let’s take a closer look at the two sides of five different ideas that often lead to confusion.

1. Someone else’s opinion or your perception. What this boils down to is whether we place greater importance on external or internal validation. I think that we all appreciate it when others approve of us, even if we have a strong sense of self-worth. It’s human nature to want the approval of others, but it should not be the standard by which we gauge our own worth.

We need to develop an empowering belief about our own worth as a person, and it should form the basis for our personal validation. External validation should be used to reinforce our beliefs, not as a basis for them.

Never allow someone else’s opinion of you to shape your view of yourself. Practice giving sincere approval to yourself every single day.

2. What you’ve acquired or what you have given. How much stuff we own has absolutely nothing to do with our personal value. Your contributions are much more important than your acquisitions. Giving from the heart is a reflection of your inner self. It speaks of who you are, not how much you can afford.

Making personal value judgments based on material assets is for shallow thinkers only. Leave that thinking for the creditors. We don’t want to think that way, and we don’t need to be influenced by those who do.

3. IQ or practical thinking ability. On the journey of life, practical smarts are of far greater value than IQ scores. I am not saying that you can’t have both, because you can. But test results do not make one person more valuable than another. If we have common sense and the ability to make sound decisions then we are blessed.

In certain academic circles test scores may elevate someone, but that is not the real world. My brother had the same IQ as Einstein, but lack of common sense cost him his life. Never allow test scores to make you feel more or less important than someone else. There will always be people whose test results are both higher and lower than yours.

4. Accomplishments or efforts. Accomplishment is a wonderful thing. We all feel great when we work at something and get the results we wanted. But here’s the thing; sometimes we succeed at producing our intended result, and sometimes we fail. That’s just a fact of life for everyone.

The problem is, the reward for success is usually tangible while the value of failure can be much harder to appreciate. Life is about learning what works and what doesn’t. In the learning process, success and failure have equal value as long as we learn from them. Never link your personal worth to the results you produce. Your are a person, not an accomplishment.

5. Flash or substance. This one seems obvious enough, and yet our culture often places greater value on flash. Never mistake looks, abilities, outrageous behavior or material wealth as a measure of self-worth. Substance is the name of the game. No matter how nicely wrapped a package is, the important thing is what’s inside.

The same is true of people, it’s what’s inside that counts. When we are true to our personal ethics, we have integrity. When we care about the welfare of others, we have compassion. When we give without expecting anything in return, we are generous.

Cultivate these qualities and you will be a person of substance. What a wonderful basis for a strong sense of self-worth and feelings of true value.

What is your most valuable asset?

You have something of great worth and it is so rare that it’s not shared by anyone else on the planet. Do you know what that is? You are a one of a kind, totally unique individual. You are you, and that alone makes you valuable.

Take some time to appreciate who you really are, aside from all the trappings and outside opinions. Make a list of things you like about yourself and then read it out loud so it can resonate in your consciousness. Think about all the ways you have contributed to the lives of those around you. Now, give yourself some well deserved approval. It’s time to celebrate you!

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My book TRUE SELF is the fastest inexpensive way (coaching is the fastest) to make positive life changes very quickly. Do you want to discover your core passions, dismantle your hidden, limiting beliefs, and realize your most desired goals? TRUE SELF will guide you smoothly through the process.

Sometimes people find themselves inadvertently cultivating a desire for things that are out of harmony with their beliefs and values.  Wrong desires are the foundation of untold pain and suffering.  So much of what is wrong in the world today started out with someone acting on an inappropriate passion.

Such actions never lead to a life of personal excellence.  Instead they rob you of your dignity and sense of self-esteem.

The problem with justification

When we desire something in life, there is a tendency to justify our actions and excuse behavior that is out of harmony with our deep down sense of right and wrong.  We may not even know we are doing it on a conscious level or we may minimize the situation telling ourselves it’s no big deal.

The problem is, a on a deeper level we have created a conflict, an internal battleground.  If we allow ourselves to continue without correcting the problem, sooner or later that internal conflict will undermine our efforts and we will be forced to compensate.

Use your power of choice

But remember you have a choice.  The same skills that allow you to assign a positive emotional value to average daily activities also give you the power to devalue unwanted or inappropriate tendencies.

Doing so will make it possible for you to choose to be passionate about things that support your personal values and to discard anything that offends those values.

When you choose to be the one who decides what you will be passionate about, you become the master of your own world and the designer of your own life.

Circumstances verses attitude

The quality of our life is more about what we make of it than what our current circumstances are.  Really, it’s all about attitude.

Circumstances have a way of changing.  Sometimes they support our dreams and passions while at other times they provide a challenge.  The ability to keep your dreams alive in the face of challenging circumstances is one of the greatest attributes of a successful person.

When your passions are in harmony with your values and beliefs obstacles become opportunities and walls become hurdles that you can jump over.

Do you ever desire things that conflict with your values?
How do you respond to such a desire?
The lines are open!

If you enjoyed this article, consider email or RSS updates!

My book TRUE SELF is the fastest inexpensive way (coaching is the fastest) to make positive life changes very quickly. Do you want to discover your core passions, dismantle your hidden, limiting beliefs, and realize your most desired goals? TRUE SELF will guide you through the process.

We all have a certain image of ourselves. This mental image is based on our personal assessment of our abilities, looks, intelligence, popularity and any number of other personal qualities. Our emotional evaluation of that image will determine our level of self-esteem.

Even though we tend to think that our self-image is accurate and based on reality, it’s not. People rarely see themselves objectively because we view everything through a complex set of perception filters. We simply can’t help but see ourselves through the window of our beliefs about who we think we are. Life is entirely about perspective and each of us has our own unique perception of reality.

What kind of self-image do you have?

Is your view of yourself empowered by feelings of self-confidence, or is it clouded with limiting thoughts of self-doubt? Have you unknowingly placed invisible boundaries on what you are able to achieve because of hidden limiting beliefs, or do you see a world of limitless possibilities ripe with opportunity? What you see is directly related to the way you respond to your own self-image.

But if self-image is based on perception, then we should be able to change it, right? Well, we can! How would you like to develop a custom made perception of your own abilities? How about a mindset where you know for certain that anything is possible, and where feelings of doubt, resentment, and failure no longer exert their influence on you?

Self-image and your expectations

It all starts with the mental picture you hold of yourself; your internal self-image. In order for you to free up your vast hidden potential, you need to learn to fully appreciate just how unique and valuable you really are. You also need to understand that no matter where you are in life, you have the ability to unleash enormous potential and create unprecedented change.

You are the one who gets to decide what you get out of life. If you are truly convinced that you deserve a life of abundance and joy, you will find a way to create that reality. On the other hand, if you don’t see how such a life is possible, or if you hold the feeling that you don’t deserve “the good life,” your results will probably meet your expectations.

We can all benefit from an updated image

Your self-image can limit you, or empower you, to a much greater degree than most people think possible. If your self-image is an outdated old picture left over from an unhappy or emotionally taxing time, it probably isn’t serving you very well. Not only that, but it doesn’t even represent the person you really are. All it does is hold you back!

Many people carry around deeply ingrained beliefs anchored to undesirable events from the past. Those beliefs are not only limiting, they are also obsolete. Dismantling them and replacing them with new, updated, empowering beliefs will completely change your self-image. As a result, your self-esteem will skyrocket. Remember, self-esteem is based on our emotional evaluation of our self-image.

Change your filters, change your life

We live in a world that can and does overwhelm many people. Learning to maintain a positive mental and emotional perspective is a very valuable skill. It can quite literally change the way we see ourselves and the world around us. But a positive emotional perspective needs to be based on a positive self-image or it won’t be able to hold up under pressure.

To rebuild our self-image and bolster our self-esteem we need to start on a very core level. We need to get in touch with our TRUE SELF and harmonize our beliefs and actions with the person that we really are. We also need to let go of unrealistic negative baggage that isn’t serving us. I know it sounds like a tall order, but remember; this is your quality of life we are talking about.

3 steps to creating a more empowering self-image

1. Figure out who you really are and what you stand for. You are not your job, your friends, or the results you produce. You are someone with core values and standards. To create an empowering self-image you need to get in touch with those values. Once you do, then do your very best to live by them. This will create a sense of inner harmony and purpose.

2. Let go of pride and embrace self-honesty. When we lie to ourselves about who we are it creates internal conflict. You don’t need pretenses to be worthy of your own approval. We all have shortcomings and it is perfectly alright to admit it. Having room for improvement doesn’t make us less of a person, but lying to ourselves does.

3. Always choose the higher path. Don’t cut corners on the journey of life and don’t violate your personal ethics for any reason. Once you figure out what you stand for, then stand firm – your self-image depends on it. This world is full of people who will do anything to gain an advantage. Never ever stoop to that level. Choose the high road and you will discover the unmatched advantage that comes with an empowering self-image and a health self-esteem.

Do you think self-image is really that important?
Have you thought about self-esteem from this angle before?
The lines are open!

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Are negative thoughts and beliefs preventing you from moving forward with your goals and dreams?  If so, how about taking some steps to detoxify your mind!

We usually think of detoxification as the process of removing toxins from our body to achieve a greater level of health and well-being. What most people don’t realize is that our minds can also become incredibly toxic.

How do you know if you have toxic thoughts?  Well, do you find yourself feeling powerless, hopeless, intimidated, frustrated, ineffective and stuck? Granted, everyone experiences some of these feelings occasionally, but if you spend much of your time feeling like this, you’ve definitely got a case of mental toxic overload.

Two simple steps to detoxify your mind

To eliminate toxic thoughts we need to capture them and move them out of our mind. How can we do that? Have you ever heard the phrase: I need to capture my thoughts on paper? How about this one: I need to wrap my mind around what it says here?

We can use the principles in those two common phrases to purge our mind of toxic thoughts, and to replace them with a more positive and empowering thought pattern. This will, in effect, radically alter our perception of our own abilities.

First, purge the toxins

The first step is to find a way to purge the negative thoughts and beliefs that are holding you back.  One of the best ways to do this is to write them down.  Grab a blank sheet of paper and a pen, and start writing how you feel about yourself, your goals, your dreams, and your life in general.

You might end up with statements like these:  “I feel so sick and tired of struggling.  No matter what I do I can’t seem to make changes.  I really think I’m defective somehow because I can’t do the things that other people find so easy.  I’m doomed to live a life of mediocrity and lack.  I’m powerless to change anything in my life.”

Keep writing until you’ve covered everything you can think of.

Next, create the antidote

All of those negative thoughts and beliefs you just wrote down are literally polluting your potential!  Unless you replace them with something more empowering, they’ll continue to influence everything you think, say and do.

Grab another sheet of paper and begin writing a positive statement that directly contradicts each negative one.  However, be sure you write it in a way that is believable to you.  Using the examples from above, your antidote might look like this:  “I am absolutely determined to make better progress on improving my life.  I can make changes simply by taking one step at a time and believing in my own ability.  I am learning new and powerful life skills to help me conquer challenges and move forward.  Other people who appear to have it easy may have been working on this stuff longer than I have.  I will eventually reach the same state of confidence and mastery.  I know I have the power to learn, grow, and make my life into something meaningful and fulfilling.”

Now, make the switch

Once you’ve got your antidote ready, destroy the toxins.  That sheet of paper you wrote all the negative stuff on is now where those toxic thoughts live. When you wrote them down, you took them out of your mind and relocated them to that sheet of paper. Now that you have them where you want them, it’s time to eliminate them from your life.

Take that piece of paper and burn it or rip it into tiny shreds and throw it away.  Feel the relief that comes from knowing that those thoughts are no longer part of your life. To make sure they don’t sneak back in; take the antidote every single day!  Read your new empowering thoughts as often as you can and do your best to internalize them as part of your new identity.

Fortify your mind

In most cases, a tiny bit of toxins usually won’t cause a big problem, but if you allow them to build up over time they can wreak absolute havoc in your life.  That’s true with both physical and mental toxins.  By taking the antidote on a regular basis, you minimize the buildup of mental toxins in your mind and automatically empower yourself to do and be more than you ever believed possible.

Does this seem too simple to be effective?
Are you willing to give it a try and find out?
The lines are open!

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What do you see when you look at the world around you? What do you see when you look at the people around you? We all see things that we are attracted to, and things we don’t want anything to do with, isn’t that true?

How objective do you think your perspective really is? If we could all be totally objective then we would all see things the same way, wouldn’t we? But we don’t! We see things differently because we are all different. Much of what we see in the people around us, and the world in general, is actually a reflection of our beliefs about ourselves.

Life is a mirror of sorts

When you’re around a person that leaves you feeling annoyed, nervous, troubled, suspicious, edgy, or in any way uncomfortable, where does that come from? Very often, some part of what you are seeing is a reflection of a hidden belief you have about yourself, one that you are not very comfortable with. If you’re harboring hidden fears and insecurities, and what someone else is saying or doing is reinforcing those, you’re going to feel uncomfortable around them. That will be an uncomfortable relationship.

Likewise, when you’re around people who encourage you to feel loved and appreciated, part of what you are feeling is a reflection of your own belief that you deserve to be loved and appreciated. In this case, the people around you are reinforcing an empowering belief that you have about yourself. So, you are naturally attracted to those people and want to have a closer relationship with them.

What are you attracting into your life?

This kind of attraction works both ways. Other people will be drawn to you if you tend to reflect their own empowering beliefs about themselves. However, if something about you reminds them of their own fears and insecurities, they won’t want to be around you.

There’s a lot we can learn from this. By studying our response to our relationships, and other people’s response to us, we can gain insight into possible limiting beliefs that we need to work on. Once we become aware of the fact that what we believe about ourselves is being revealed by the quality of our relationships, it puts us in an excellent position to address any belief that we are not especially pleased with.

Honesty is required!

Of course, this all sounds good in theory, but being brutally honest with ourselves, especially concerning some hidden limiting belief, can be somewhat uncomfortable. Our ego wants to resist the fact that anything unpleasant is actually a reflection of a negative belief on our part. It’s much easier to give credit for our discomfort to someone else. This is where resistance comes in.

After all, who of us wants to think that that annoying person we just met is somehow a reflection of an inner insecurity? Who of us wants to think that we are somehow responsible for the friction that exists in our relationships? Really, who of us wants to think anything negative about ourselves?

To be honest, we need to be balanced

Balance means that we need to be able to discern which signals being reflected back to us in our relationships are revealing limiting beliefs, and which ones have nothing to do with us. If we treat our mate with love and compassion, and we see someone else being abusive, we are not going to like it.

That doesn’t mean that we have a hidden abusive streak in us. To the contrary, it probably means that we believe that everyone deserves to be treated with a measure of respect. So, not everything that feels negative is a reflection of some hidden limiting belief. To think that it was would be completely unbalanced. Let’s face it, some things are just bad regardless of what you believe.

Do you like what you see in your relationships?

This can be a hard concept to come to grips with because it means that we need to accept responsibility for our own perception of reality. We need to be open to the idea that our beliefs determine our perception, and that our relationships reveal those beliefs.

Let’s look at some specific, hidden beliefs that our relationships might be revealing. None of this is designed to hurt anyone’s feelings. Actually, it is designed to do the exact opposite. If we are harboring negative or limiting beliefs about ourselves, chances are pretty good that we are already in pain because of it. We can’t work on a problem until we are aware that there is a problem. Awareness is the first step.

3 relationship scenarios that reveal limiting beliefs

1) Many people are consistently attracted to people who reinforce their limiting beliefs. If you believe that you don’t deserve to be loved, then you will be attracted to people who are incapable of loving you. They will also be attracted to you. No matter how hard you try, that relationship will never be deeply satisfying. This will only serve to reinforce your limiting belief that you don’t deserve to be loved.

2) Low self esteem carries with it a sense of unworthiness. If we feel unworthy of a mutually respectful relationship, we will be attracted to people who lack the ability to show respect. They will also be attracted to us. It may not be real obvious at first, but our radar can sense the signs and draw us in. In this case, familiarity will probably breed contempt and our belief that we are unworthy of respect will be reinforced.

3) If we believe that people are basically unkind, how will that influence our relationship choices? We will probably find someone we are attracted to on another level and then make excuses for their lack of kindness. Eventually, when their unkindness is directed at us, our limiting belief will be reinforced and we will have the hurt feelings to prove it.

Awareness is the path to freedom

All three of the relationship scenarios are painful. None of us wants that to be our reality. So, how do we avoid playing into these traps? Once we become consciously aware that it is our beliefs that are creating an unpleasant relationship experience, we have taken the first step toward freedom. Then we can take decisive steps to dismantle those limiting beliefs.

When limiting beliefs are replaced with empowering beliefs, it changes the kind of people we are attracted to, and the kind of people who are attracted to us. It changes the whole dynamic of our relationships. We begin to build relationships with people who reinforce our positive beliefs about ourselves. This will completely change what we take into a relationship, and that, in turn, will change the way we experience our relationships.

Take the next step and amaze yourself

Our reality is the manifestation of our beliefs. If we don’t like our current reality all we need to do is change our beliefs and we will get a new reality. If you want to do this, the easiest way is to get my book TRUE SELF. I’ll walk you through it step-by-step and you will get results, guaranteed.

Bottom line, you deserve to be loved and treated with kindness. You are worthy of respect and consideration. And you can build satisfying relationships with people who want to reinforce your empowering beliefs. What you believe you can achieve!

Do you find it easy or difficult to face limiting beliefs?
Do you feel this provides any insight into your relationships?
Do you think it’s easier to take responsibility or assign blame?
The lines are open!

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Questions can be used in many ways to assist us in our personal development. Asking the right ones can help break down the emotional anchors of limiting beliefs. This is powerful because beliefs are not usually subject to logic, but questions can help break down that resistance.

Another important way that we can use questions for personal development has to do with how we focus. The mind loves to find answers to questions. Give your mind a question and it immediately goes to work trying to find you the answer. So, asking the right questions will encourage our mind to think in a positive direction. This means that our focus will also move in that same positive direction.

Personal development has everything to do with focus. We grow as a person in the same direction as our focus. If we focus on negative things, that will define our world. This is the opposite of personal development. But we can’t focus in two directions at once. This means that carefully constructed questions actually harness our attention and move it along the path of our choice. The video below will show you how to do that. It’s called…

Use Questions to Empower Yourself

Personal development follows focus

I hope you found this information helpful. With a little practice you’ll find that using built in assumptions in this way will become almost second nature. Learning to make positive assumptions about the various situations in our life has a dramatic effect on our attitude, and our perception of life in general.

As we continually train our mind to focus in positive directions, the negative aspects of life fade into the background. It’s the classic half-full half-empty syndrome. When we are focused on possibility and opportunity our world responds accordingly. New opportunities will arise, and we will see possibility everywhere we look. This is the power of using questions as personal development tools.

Do you have a favorite assumption that you like to use?
Do you feel there is personal development value in this method?
The lines are open and your thoughts are very important!

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So far in this series we have focused mainly on the role of our internal map of reality. We have also talked about how our beliefs serve as our internal map makers.

Learning to create a reality that empowers us, rather than limiting us, is certainly a powerful and advanced life skill. This skill, perhaps more than any other, has the ability to totally transform the quality of our lives.

Editors note: This is the fifth and final part in a series of articles about
How Your Beliefs Create Your Reality.
Here are the links to the other articles:
Part 1: What We Believe to Be True
Part 2: Your Internal Map of Reality
Part 3: Defending Your Beliefs
Part 4: Upgrading Your Beliefs
Part 5: Beyond the Map

But wait, there’s more!

Creating an internal map of reality based on empowering beliefs is definitely something everyone should endeavor to do. With that said, I don’t want you to conclude that mastering this ability constitutes the final frontier, because it doesn’t.

In fact, the real key to a life of wonderment and awe is not found within the confines of a intricately detailed map of reality where every square inch is ruled over by some established belief. That wouldn’t be much fun! The real key to such a life actually lies…

Part 5: Beyond the Map

The problem with being too locked in to a minutely detailed map is that everything is (seemingly) accounted for. Perhaps this point can be best made by looking at our earth.

What happens to people’s perception in areas where every square inch of land is accounted for? Don’t they tend to live by, and be restricted by, precisely drawn boundaries? And doesn’t that reality have a way of fostering preconceived ideas about how things are supposed to be? To a large extent, those boundaries put very real limits on their life experience.

A different perspective

Now, what happens to our perception of the earth when we view it from space? About the only boundaries we can still see are the continents and oceans. And from that vantage point, what is our impression of the planet? It’s beautiful, right?

The point is, too many details and boundaries tend to shrink our focus. They can easily blind us to the beauty that surrounds us. If everything is precisely defined, we can quickly lose our sense of wonderment and awe.

Balancing boundaries

What does it take to experience life in a productive and meaningful way, and still maintain our sense of discovery and adventure? At what point do the boundaries on our internal map of reality cross the line from empowering to limiting?

In parts 3 and 4 of this series, we established that it is our beliefs about who we are, and what we are capable of, that are either empowering or limiting. So, once again, it all comes back to how our beliefs create our reality. Only this time, we are looking at the concept of limiting and empowering from a completely different angle.

Treasure Hunting

When you think of a treasure map, what kind of image does that conjure up? Usually, it’s a map with some notable place markers, but not too many details. At least that’s how it is in the movies!

Finding the treasure always involves an adventure of discovery. The treasure hunters have barely enough details to keep them moving in the right direction. Everything else is discovered along the way. It’s an adventure that keeps them fully engaged and living in the moment.

Your internal treasure map of reality

For life to be an adventure of wonderment and awe, we need to treat it like a treasure hunt. We need our empowering beliefs to keep us headed in the right direction. To maintain our sense of adventure, we also need to avoid the trap of too many precise boundaries and preconceived ideas.

Living beyond the map does not mean that we don’t have a map. It means that we choose to discover the details along the way, rather than try to fill them in ahead of time. It means approaching situations, people, and experiences with a sense of open curiosity. It means that we look for the treasures that are unfolding with each new day.

A shift in perception

When we are truly empowered by our beliefs, life gets simpler. We tend to let go of judgments and expectations, and replace them with compassion and curiosity.

When we look at the earth from space, there are no national boundaries, conflicts, agendas, or disappointments. There is only beauty! Once we learn to view life from beyond the map, it’s pretty much the same scenario. It’s a beautiful treasure of wonderment and awe.

I hope you have enjoyed this series of articles!
Your comments make the circle complete.

If you enjoyed this article, consider email or RSS updates!

My book TRUE SELF is the fastest inexpensive way (coaching is the fastest) to make positive life changes very quickly. From discovering and dismantling your limiting beliefs, to aligning with and realizing your most cherished goals – and everything in between. TRUE SELF will guide you through the process.

If our beliefs create our reality, doesn’t that open up a whole world of possibilities? So, the next question we should be asking ourselves is: “What kind of reality have I created?”

Simply by asking that question we are actually accomplishing two important steps. First, we are acknowledging our creative ability, and at the same time, we are accepting responsibility for current reality.

Editors note: This is the forth in a five part series of articles about
How Your Beliefs Create Your Reality .
Here is a list of the subjects we are examining:
Part 1: What We Believe to Be True
Part 2: Your Internal Map of Reality
Part 3: Defending Your Beliefs
Part 4: Upgrading Your Beliefs
Part 5: Beyond the Map

In parts 1-3 of this series we examined several fundamental ways in which our beliefs influence our reality. One thing that should be abundantly clear by now is the fact that the quality of our life is a reflection of the quality of our beliefs about who we are, and what we are capable of.

Knowing that empowering beliefs create a desirable reality, and limiting beliefs do the opposite, is a good place to start. Obviously, the next step needs to be learning how to eliminate the beliefs that don’t serve us, and replace them with beliefs that do. Which brings us to…

Part 4: Upgrading Your Beliefs

There is an essential first step that must be taken before we can even think about upgrading our beliefs. Do you know what that step is? It’s simple really, we need to identify our current beliefs and figure out which ones need an upgrade.

On the surface, this sounds easy enough. But beliefs are shrouded in all kinds of confusing disguises. In fact, have you ever noticed that the word lie is at the center of the word belief? So, how do we get around the deceptive power of our limiting beliefs?

Look at the results!

The easiest way to identify our own limiting beliefs is to look at the results they produce. Any area in our life where we are producing good results is probably anchored to an empowering belief. Likewise, any area in our life that is plagued with unsatisfactory or frustrating results is likely anchored to a limiting belief.

The results we produce always reveal the underlying beliefs. Now it’s time to examine and list those areas, along with the beliefs and feelings that support them. These areas are currently emotional liabilities. They are the beliefs that limit you, and need to be changed.

Identifying your limiting beliefs

Apply the following 7 questions to every area of your life that leaves you feeling limited, incompetent, unqualified or afraid. Make a list that includes the unfulfilling activity, and the limiting belief associated with the negative feelings behind it.

1) What do you feel you are not very good at,
. . and why do you think that is so?
2) What areas of your life leave you feeling
. . incompetent or unqualified and why?
3) What new activity are you afraid to try,
. . but would like to? Why do you feel afraid?
4) What is your least favorite activity, and
. . why do you dislike it so much?
5) In what area do you want to improve,
. . and what do you feel is holding you back?
6) What do you avoid helping others with,
. . and why do you feel unable to help them?
7) When you want to make a good impression,
. . what do you try to hide, and why?

Dismantling these limiting beliefs

To begin dismantling your limiting beliefs, you need to link them to a painful, negative, emotional anchor. The more painful the anchor, the more effective it will be. Start by asking yourself some pointed questions about each belief such as:

1) What price have I paid because of believing this?
2) How is what I believe affecting me financially, physically and
. . emotionally?
3) Why did I get anchored in this limiting belief to begin with?

Continuing to question the validity and consequences of any limiting belief will expose a wide array of negative emotional anchors for those beliefs. Once they come to represent pain, it becomes much easier to move away from them and move toward more empowering beliefs.

Look for empowering replacements

Next, ask yourself a few simple questions.

1) What would I have to believe in order to succeed in this area of my life?
2) What would I have to do differently in order to produce the results I want?
3) Which of my existing, empowering beliefs can I apply to these areas of
. . my life?

As you answer these 3 questions, allow yourself to develop a sense of certainty that, by changing your beliefs, you will be able to produce positive results. Make a list of these new beliefs so you have them as a reference. Review this list often, especially if you find yourself slipping into a negative mindset.

Look for improved results

Adopting these new empowering beliefs will change the results you produce. In turn, being alert to those changes will help reinforce and validate your new beliefs. Soon, your new beliefs will be totally accepted into your subconscious and be reflected in your new internal map of reality.

I hope you are enjoying this series so far. In part 5, Beyond the Map, we are going to look at the amazing possibilities that exist at the next level of creating your reality.

Did you discover any hidden Limiting beliefs?
Do you agree that your beliefs create your reality?
The lines are open!

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My book TRUE SELF is the fastest inexpensive way (coaching is the fastest) to make positive life changes very quickly. From discovering and dismantling your limiting beliefs, to aligning with and realizing your most cherished goals – and everything in between. TRUE SELF will guide you through the process.