Belief

"I'm not good enough; you can't change the way you are; I don't need anyone; I can't trust anyone; if I am not in control, something bad will happen; I am a victim; I am superior to others; if I am vulnerable, I will get hurt; I am bad; I am stupid; I must be perfect; I'm a loser; I am my flaws; whatever I do won't be enough; I don't deserve to be happy; when bad things happen, it is my fault; others can but I can't; I deserve to feel bad; my needs are not important; if I give in to others, I will lose my point of view; there's something wrong with me; you're stuck with your beliefs; I'm not worthy of love; I have to do everything perfectly; I shouldn't show my true feelings; I am responsible for how others feel; I must be in control; having problems means I don't have it together; success is for better people than me; I won't succeed so why bother trying; I have to do as I am told" ...and a thousand others likewise, and that's just those relevant to personal development. We learn these things in childhood and they are contagious from person to person. And often false. We need to need to remain open to revising our beliefs in order to move forward with our lives.

We see the world through the filter of our beliefs. But beliefs and reality may conflict, and we walk into walls. By suspending belief and observing directly - both the world around us and our inner world - we can then differentiate the truth of what is from a perspective ruled by conditioning. Eventually we have to make up our minds, to judge what makes sense for us to believe in. But there's a difference between being judgmental and making a judgment; we can't sit on the fence the whole time, we'd be good for nothing if we weren't able to make a decision based on informed opinion and our heartfelt values (rather than assumption or prejudice).

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dream," said Eleanor Roosevelt. "I would rather have a mind opened by wonder than one closed by belief."

Belief is truth (as you perceive it) held in the mind, because of what somebody else says or because you worked it out; faith is a fire in the heart. A belief can become faith when it is based on inner knowing. When you "just know," you can best put your certainty into action. Furthermore, inner knowing connects with your spiritual dimension, so all becomes possible.

If you persist long enough, and learn from your mistakes along the way, you will achieve. Learning from your mistakes, though, requires keeping one's beliefs open to revision. Fixed beliefs mean evidence is ignored because "it can't be true."

There’s nothing like the start of a political season to remind us that when we have an agenda to promote, (especially if that agenda is our own aggrandizement), it’s tempting to take an absolutist position. My position is right. Yours is not only wrong, it’s also half-baked, ill-advised and unwise. Though verbal attacks do not always spring out like Donald Trump blows, prick the surface and they are there. But are politicians so different from us when we are mean, mad, scared or hyping our own agenda? Indeed not. Continues

Henry Ford knew a great deal about automobiles and manufacturing. But he also knew a great deal about success and what it takes to achieve it. As he wisely observed, if you think you can do something or if you think you can't, you're right. In other words, your thoughts are a powerful, determining factor in your success. You must... Continues