Hidden Beliefs Create Your Life

By Gayle North

We all have beliefs that we are consciously aware of. We have religious beliefs and political beliefs and lots of opinions based upon our own personal life experiences.

In this article we will explore the power and influence of our hidden beliefs - those beliefs that we are not consciously aware of that are literally running our lives. If you notice a pattern of unsatisfactory experiences in some area of your life, it is likely that what you’re experiencing is a result of a belief that is hidden in your subconscious.

I often use this example with clients: If I am two months old and I am crying because I am hungry (an experience we have all had), I could develop any one of a number of beliefs from that experience. I could get the idea that “nobody cares for me” or that “I will always have to scream for what I get” or even that “life is painful.”

Maybe you have seen children who always scream for everything they want. People who work in customer services encounter customers who seem to have the idea that they are not going to get what they want unless they “scream” for it. Could it be that these patterns were developed as infants or small children? Behavioral scientists are finding more and more evidence that this is true.

Yes - we really do have enough cognitive ability to develop beliefs and attitudes at these young ages and they are based upon our limited knowledge and experience at that time. Some researchers think that it may be possible that we are experiencing emotion and developing impressions in the womb. All of our sensory experience of sight, sound, feelings, tastes and smells create lasting impressions.

These impressions develop into beliefs. Sets of beliefs usually link up and create a belief system that make the “problem” occur over and over again - automatically - at a specific time in response to “trigger” situations or events. It makes no difference that we consciously and logically might prefer a different outcome. Our subconscious mind faithfully does this on “automatic pilot.”

Your subconscious mind essentially is programmed just like an alarm clock. The belief system will create all kinds of havoc in order to be right and justify creating reinforcing experiences. It says “Do this, at this time, and make this happen in my experience. That is, in my mind, (or in my body, emotions, spirit, work, finances, success, skill, development of athletic performance and achievement, relationships, etc.)”  Dr Larry Nimms.

I see the results of these belief systems in my clients. There is always at least one powerful belief underlying any negative behavior or habit. For example: One client who wanted to quit smoking and had tried numerous times in his life discovered that he had a strong belief, because of the culture and family he grew up in, that he would not be respected, listened to, or truly accepted until he started smoking. Smoking was the ticket to adulthood according to his hidden belief system and even though he really wanted to be a nonsmoker, the beliefs he had in place would not allow the change until he reprogrammed the old belief system.

Once limiting beliefs are discovered, they are usually easy to change because with our adult orientation, we can see the fallacy and create a more supportive belief to replace the limiting one. Once we discover the beliefs and change them, the next step is to let go of all the anger we harbor toward ourself related to the problems we created for others and ourselves because of the old belief system.

The next step is to actually forgive anyone who helped to create the belief system within us. The truth is always that they were doing the best they could. Then we forgive ourselves for having the problems created by our beliefs and for not being able to resolve it sooner - etc., etc. Freedom from old limiting beliefs results in freedom from the havoc that they cause.

Gayle North  offers Personal Coaching for Positive Change using recently developed empowerment technologies to clear mental and emotional blocks that keep people stuck in unhealthy habits and prevent them from performing at their highest potential  in school, sports, relationships, work and finance. Call 406-837-1214 to learn how you can STOP SMOKING IN ONE HOUR and for coaching in person or by phone.

changeiseasy@montanasky.net                  www.PositiveChangeInstitute.com