Beliefs - When to Hold ‘Em and When to Fold ‘Em
It's the beginning of the year and a perfect time to talk about our beliefs. We all have them - but when was the last time they were reviewed? We spend time and money updating our computers, phones, cars and just about everything else in our lives - isn't it time to do the same with our belief system? Beliefs affect every aspect of our lives including our decision making process - both positively and negatively.
Our belief system makes up the personal truths we live with and by. They don't have to be shared by anyone else for them to be truth for the person with the belief. This however, also doesn't mean the person with a particular belief is correct. The only really correct €Truth€ is €Ultimate Truth€, which is seeing things as they really are. (The topic of €Ultimate Truth€ will be discussed at a later time - so no worries if you want to hear more about it.) Truths are learned through family, society, religion, experiences and sometimes we bring them in from past lives. Here are a few examples to make sure we are on the same page.
Remember when our ancestors believed the world was flat? They lived their lives in fear of falling off the earth if they travelled to the edge. That particular belief affected their lives so in many ways. That belief wasn't changed until someone else had another belief - that the world was not flat and set out to prove it. Even after it was proved that the earth wasn't flat - some still contended that is was.
What about the beliefs of communities and various societies that say to be happy - we must live our lives in a certain way? I still remember how the character in the movie Jezebel was ostracized from the community because she dared to be different. How dare she wear a red dress to a ball - when everyone knows you are supposed to wear a white dress, if you are single? Even though this was a movie I am sure you can site similar situations with customs. Oh - and let's not talk about the belief in slavery, which by the way is still going on today.
If there weren't a group of people, including one of our Presidents who believed we could fly to the moon - we never would have gone. And look at how far we have come and how much we have benefited from space exploration. We wouldn't have satellites helping us reach our desired destination or cell phones to keep in touch with others while on the road. We probably wouldn't have some of the fabrics taken for granted today - like Gore-Tex, which is used to make clothing that keeps us insulated in harsh weather.
Nations have been built, destroyed, new technologies discovered, people thriving and people starving all because of beliefs - either our own or others'.
So, what beliefs do you currently hold? When was the last time you took a look at them to determine if they are still valid - for you? Are any of your beliefs hindering your growth? Only you can answer these questions. Here is a simple exercise to help you determine if a particular belief is outdated.
First, get quiet and think about all the beliefs you hold. It is ok if all of them don't come to mind right away. Write them down as they come to you. You might want to keep your list private. These are your beliefs and no one else needs to know what they are - unless you want them to.
With each belief - ask yourself a series of questions: Where did this belief come from? How long have I held it? Why did I adopt this belief? How has this belief affected my life? How has it affected others' lives? What are the consequences of my holding on to this belief? Should I hold on to this belief? - If yes, why; if no - why not?
If the belief is one you wish to hold on to - nothing further needs to be done, at this time. However, you will want to review this belief again - possibly in another year to determine if it is still valid.
If you find that a particular belief is outdated - the next question is: What beliefs are you replacing the old belief with and why? You may find that there doesn't need to be a new belief replacing the old one. Whatever the answer is - run it through the same process used to analyze the old belief. Doing so will help you determine if the new belief should be adopted or not.
Our ultimate goal as sentient beings is to recognize our own enlightenment. To do this we must clear away obscurations that block our view. Taking a look at our belief system is one of the steps on this journey.
Our belief system makes up the personal truths we live with and by. They don't have to be shared by anyone else for them to be truth for the person with the belief. This however, also doesn't mean the person with a particular belief is correct. The only really correct €Truth€ is €Ultimate Truth€, which is seeing things as they really are. (The topic of €Ultimate Truth€ will be discussed at a later time - so no worries if you want to hear more about it.) Truths are learned through family, society, religion, experiences and sometimes we bring them in from past lives. Here are a few examples to make sure we are on the same page.
Remember when our ancestors believed the world was flat? They lived their lives in fear of falling off the earth if they travelled to the edge. That particular belief affected their lives so in many ways. That belief wasn't changed until someone else had another belief - that the world was not flat and set out to prove it. Even after it was proved that the earth wasn't flat - some still contended that is was.
What about the beliefs of communities and various societies that say to be happy - we must live our lives in a certain way? I still remember how the character in the movie Jezebel was ostracized from the community because she dared to be different. How dare she wear a red dress to a ball - when everyone knows you are supposed to wear a white dress, if you are single? Even though this was a movie I am sure you can site similar situations with customs. Oh - and let's not talk about the belief in slavery, which by the way is still going on today.
If there weren't a group of people, including one of our Presidents who believed we could fly to the moon - we never would have gone. And look at how far we have come and how much we have benefited from space exploration. We wouldn't have satellites helping us reach our desired destination or cell phones to keep in touch with others while on the road. We probably wouldn't have some of the fabrics taken for granted today - like Gore-Tex, which is used to make clothing that keeps us insulated in harsh weather.
Nations have been built, destroyed, new technologies discovered, people thriving and people starving all because of beliefs - either our own or others'.
So, what beliefs do you currently hold? When was the last time you took a look at them to determine if they are still valid - for you? Are any of your beliefs hindering your growth? Only you can answer these questions. Here is a simple exercise to help you determine if a particular belief is outdated.
First, get quiet and think about all the beliefs you hold. It is ok if all of them don't come to mind right away. Write them down as they come to you. You might want to keep your list private. These are your beliefs and no one else needs to know what they are - unless you want them to.
With each belief - ask yourself a series of questions: Where did this belief come from? How long have I held it? Why did I adopt this belief? How has this belief affected my life? How has it affected others' lives? What are the consequences of my holding on to this belief? Should I hold on to this belief? - If yes, why; if no - why not?
If the belief is one you wish to hold on to - nothing further needs to be done, at this time. However, you will want to review this belief again - possibly in another year to determine if it is still valid.
If you find that a particular belief is outdated - the next question is: What beliefs are you replacing the old belief with and why? You may find that there doesn't need to be a new belief replacing the old one. Whatever the answer is - run it through the same process used to analyze the old belief. Doing so will help you determine if the new belief should be adopted or not.
Our ultimate goal as sentient beings is to recognize our own enlightenment. To do this we must clear away obscurations that block our view. Taking a look at our belief system is one of the steps on this journey.