Written by Leo Babauta
There’s a habit I have that I find really valuable, and I call it “examining my beliefs.”
If you work on this regularly, you will change.
Let’s say you have something you want to do, but feel stuck. Perhaps you are procrastinating too much. You may be stuck in old habits. This practice begins by trying to discover the thoughts and beliefs that are causing your actions (or inactions).
for example:
This is really hard I don’t want to do it because it makes me uncomfortable (belief: it’s too hard/it makes me uncomfortable)
As you can imagine, these beliefs won’t help you achieve your goals.
You may also want to examine the beliefs that cause you to feel irritated or resentful towards others.
They shouldn’t act like that They don’t love/respect me They don’t support me
These beliefs cause you to feel dissatisfied with someone.
So what can you do once you discover a belief? Examine it and, if necessary, practice letting go of it.
How to test beliefs
If you can’t uncover the beliefs that are holding you back or making you unhappy, have a conversation with others who can help you see the invisible. (If you would like to work with me as a coach, please apply for my 1:1 coaching.)
Once you’ve identified your beliefs, here’s how to examine them. Please ask the following questions.
How does that belief affect me and my life? Does it make you take action, take care of yourself, or act on your intentions? Do you avoid, find fault with, or get frustrated? If you think something is boring, are you more likely to find it boring (i.e., view it through the lens of your beliefs)? and)? Be clear about how this belief affects you. Is that belief really true? It may seem really true…but is it? And if you say, “Yes, that’s true,” ask yourself, “Are you absolutely certain that it’s true?” The idea is to question the absolute truth of a belief…because if we see that it might not even be true, perhaps we can start considering letting it go . What would happen without this belief? Imagine how you would feel if you did not have this belief. Can you imagine? If so, what you are experiencing is a moment of freedom for you.
Once you have completed this exercise of examining your beliefs…ask yourself if you would like to practice letting go of them.
How to practice letting go
First, you have to notice when you are being influenced by the belief, when it is affecting you. For example, if you are irritated with someone or avoid something, that belief is affecting you. Notice that it’s happening.
Ask yourself now. What would this moment be like without faith?
Just imagine. Just say “Pooh!” …Belief disappears. Imagine you are free now. You’ll feel more peaceful and more liberated.
Now, take action from this freedom. Try living your life with this freedom.
This is the practice of examining beliefs. If you work hard, your life will open up.
