How Belief Runs Your Life, and What You Can Do About It

“Whether you believe you can, or believe you can’t, you’re right” — Henry Ford

What I believe dictates my attitude, my attitude forms my opinions, my opinions rule my inner mind and create a space for emotions to run wild throughout my inner world.

If I think everyone is against me, my brain is primed to pick out micro experiences throughout my day that reinforce that belief; a passing glance from a stranger, the elevator taking too long, the rainfall at 2 p.m., my $7 coffee tasting bad, EVERYTHING that happens somehow comes back to reinforce the seed of belief: I AM THE VICTIM.

It’s important to note that the things themselves aren’t reinforcing the belief, it’s our invoked judgement as we process experiences that stores things as reinforcements.

This judgement is not something we are consciously aware of, or need to blame ourselves for!

Think of the judgement like a little helper that works in the mind for the belief at hand. Just like tinted sunglasses, the judgment filters the experience of the day on account of the belief it’s helping.

Obviously me and you experience things differently because we are different people, BUT you and you ALSO experience things differently depending on the day you’re having and the mood you’re in.

The tinted sunglasses in our minds help us make sense of whats going on. This adaptation from ages ago helped perceive threats and enemies, find food, shelter, water etc. Today, in our high tech society these mechanisms are used to judge everyone around us, our environment and our experiences, against ourselves.

An unbiased mind is a lot of work to maintain because of the thoughts, opinions and attitudes we’ve adapted based on our life experiences.

The goal is not to lose the bias of yourself, it’s to understand that the tinted sunglasses that filter the mind are up to you to put on, or not put on.

Waking up in a good mood that seems to carry you throughout your day is attributed to this belief of I AM AMAZING or TODAY IS GREAT that YOU started your day with. The same principal applies for bad days when everything seems to go wrong.

Creating that initial belief in the morning is why so many of us start our days with meditation or gratitude or mantras or even cold showers.

The ability to cultivate the belief that carry’s you through your day IS IN YOUR HANDS. If you don’t set the mood, something or someone else will. If you don’t believe me try it out! A good day can be sparked by an accidental run in with an old friend the same way a bad day can be sparked by an accidental run in with an old friend! Perception sets the mood, so why don’t we set our perception?

The incredible power of belief, like all things, is a beautiful Yin Yang. It can be used against you, for you, with or without you.

If I think my life is perfect, my brain finds ways to agree with me.

This is your invitation to do the same ;)

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MORE about the power of belief: politics, disease, physical and mental health and overall quality of life https://medium.com/@alexandria1/the-origin-and-power-of-belief-29c3e4de486b

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THINGS I DO IN THE MORNING TO CULTIVATE MY BELIEF ; all are dependent on how much time I have, but I aim to do as many as I can

• An alarm that doesn’t make you internally groan; Helios or Springtide in Apple alarms are my go-to’s
• ANY exercise + a cold shower skyrockets confidence and pride (because you accomplish something unpleasant before you started your day)
• Journaling specifically to invoke the feelings you want to cultivate; gratitude lists, things your excited for, a past reflection that fills your heart, something you want to start today, a memory that makes you smile
• MAKING YOUR BED and keeping your space organized boosts feelings of productivity and confidence (if you don’t already do this it needs to be in your routine no questions asked)
• Meditation with or without intention sets up your mind up for a day in your control, helps alleviate potential distractions that pull the minds attention and determine mood / belief
• MUSIC. Whatever your into, set up your day with noise, even frequencies. I’m not saying to pump EDM on days you want to feel calm and reflective, try exploring soundscapes on Endel or Spotify, look into instrumentals, experiment with new tunes during the day and make playlists that match songs with intention