Belief Systems

I have been thinking a lot about belief systems lately.

I look at a belief system as a an already established cache of truisms. It is the set of precepts from which you live your daily life. It governs your thoughts, words, and actions. Your belief system is how you think the world should be or the world should not be.

I believe that belief systems exist to provide us with a place where we can find safety and comfort. I am not saying that they keep us safe. This is a very important distinction. For example, we may have a belief system that states that a major part of success is taking risks. Risks are not inherently “safe.” However, we can find safety and comfort in our belief system because we know that taking healthy risks will lead us to success.

So, basically, we all see the world in a particular way. That particular way is simply a part of who we are. Some of it we were likely born with and some of it was likely formed as we grew up and is still being formed. 

Now, what do we do when aspects of our belief system are holding us back from the life we want. For example, if someone believes that people are going to abandon them, they may then not get close to people for fear of being abandoned. However, this person may want to be close to others, yet is afraid of being abandoned. In order to get close to people, this person will then have to shift his/her belief system in order to be able to connect to others.

In this way, we must recognize where our belief systems are resourceful and when they are limiting. When they are limiting, we can then investigate them and then shift them to line up with our life vision so that they can encourage the life we say we want.