I’m not sure where some of my beliefs originate, but one that has always held true was that if I really needed money, it would appear. I grew up in a family that did not ask for help from others and you definitely would never ask for money, but somewhere along the way I came up with this belief that money would be there if I really needed it.
So when times were tight and I needed money for the phone bill, I came across an old jar of change and sure enough, there was the needed thirty dollars. Or maybe the kids really needed some new clothes and sure enough the government sent some special rebate cheque in the mail. Sometimes it was a friend or family member who offered to lend money, just when I had no idea how I was going to pay for something. It just seemed that whenever I really needed it, the money showed up, just in time. Now is this some law of attraction or the universe answering my needs? I don’t know. You may argue that imy belief skews my perception and that I am remembering the times when money appeared and ignoring all the other times when it didn’t. In the end it doesn’t really matter, because it is my belief and perception. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks, because I'm the only one who can change it.
This belief has served me very well and has helped me to be less afraid to take a few leaps of faith when buying a first house and car. I knew in my heart that somehow the money to pay for it would always be there. Hey-if the bank was willing to loan the money than there was at least a remote possibility that they would get paid, right? But recently I had a revelation. What if I changed my belief ever so slightly? What if instead, I said that money would appear when I really want it, instead of when I really need it? Could changing one word change my perception of money?
This got me thinking about other things people believe about themselves and that I believed about myself? For the longest time, I thought I was too young to be taken seriously. Was I acting like I shouldn’t be taken seriously and as a result people wouldn’t treat my ideas seriously. Or maybe I never put my ideas out there for people to even consider. This last year I realized at age 37, that I could no longer use the excuse that I was too young. That ship has sailed. Really, how old does one have to be? It is all a matter of perspective.
When I was younger I also believed that teachers were these authoritative figures to be feared, but going back to school as an adult I started to have professors my own age or sometimes younger and started to see them as no different than myself. They were human and had lives outside of school. With this realization, I was leass afraid to talk to them and before long, I developed friendships with some. Again, this perception held me back for years because I was too afraid to talk to teachers at school. I didn’t want them to think I was stupid or didn't really deserve to be in the class I was in, because I didn’t understand something and so, I wouldn’t ask questions. As adults many of us still do the same thing, often at work or maybe in our relationships at home. We don't value our own thoughts and fear criticism.
What are your beliefs? Is there a way you could change them to make your beliefs more empowering? Do you have beliefs that are holding you back? Start by figuring out what your beliefs are. The best question to ask yourself when you make a statement is “How do you know?” You may just find that you don’t really know and it is just something you believe. Then you need to ask yourself if the belief empowers you or holds you back. If it holds you back, you need to find a way to create a new belief. Confront the belief, question it and see if it is really true. Often we don’t know where the belief comes from, but once we are aware of it, we realize that it is just one perception and can be changed.
Be open to questioning beliefs that hold you back. This week, I challenge you to question one limiting belief.
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