In the coaching world, identifying and understanding our various beliefs, is one of the key foundational principles and focus areas for personal change and awareness. Beliefs shape our world. They define who we are - importantly, they also define who we are not. They tell us what is supposedly or actually real - or unreal or unbelievable. They tell us who is right and who is wrong... or misguided perhaps. Beliefs are pathways to reality - that is, the reality we choose (consciously or otherwise...) to see and experience. Our beliefs can support us, or they can restrict and disempower us. Lets take a closer look at beliefs, and inparticular, lets look at belief traps.
Any individual belief is a potential belief trap (a belief trap in simple terms is any belief that limits you or causes/creates conflict on an inner/outer level) - positive, neutral, or negative. The key here is to start becoming aware of your beliefs. Sounds easy enough doesn't it? After all we know what we believe in and why.... don't we? The fact is that many of us don't clearly understand or comprehend what we believe in, or why we believe in it. Further to that, many of us didn't consciously choose to believe what we believe in - these beliefs were passed down to us....or pushed onto us for that matter! We were born in to many of them, and for the most part, we picked up a majority of them on our way through life through our various social structures - a potential minefield of belief traps in amongst it all!
“If you don’t change your beliefs, your life will be like this forever.
Is that good news?”
– Dr Robert Anthony
But what does all this mean anyway, and does it really matter at the end of the day what we believe or not? It means a lot - and yes it matters! Our beliefs are like little boxes (paradigms) that help us formulate and make sense of our world. Importantly, we need beliefs to function and to make sense (create awareness) of ourselves and our world.
Make no mistake though, the depth or intensity of our beliefs, can seriously impact our lives...for better or for worse. Our beliefs, more often than we know or are aware of, hold us back from experiencing the life and the conditions we could live and experience... if we were not so adamant or attached to them. Yes...belief traps right there!
Think for a moment about what you believe to be true. [green_tick_1_list width="100%"]
- Do you ever experience conflict (inner or outer) when you either express or reflect on your various beliefs, or apply them in your day to day living?
- Is there a particular area of your life where your beliefs are creating issues for you?
- Are any of these areas creating pain or conflict for you consistently?
- If so, is the problem really out there with a certain person or group...or is it coming from you and your particular belief about those people or groups?
- Why am I so attached to believing something, and do I really understand how or why I believe in it anyway?[/green_tick_1_list]
If these questions seem a bit vague or need some further context, have a think about what you believe around religion/spirituality, family, gender, sexuality, relationships and your workplace. The key here, as always, is to start becoming more aware of you. Becoming more aware of what you believe, and why you believe it, can help you to start (or to continue) seeing how your world and your place in it is based upon, and around, your various beliefs about it.
Life Transformation Coaching is a great way to unearth and uncover some of those blind spots and hidden beliefs...belief traps... that may be sabotaging your life and holding you back from your potential and your capabilities.
For example;[green_tick_1_list width="100%"]
- Just one disempowering belief could be ruining a potentially great relationship, or holding you back from that next career move.
- That one belief may be ruining your life and your opportunities.
- What is a revelation like that worth to you and your happiness?
- How might it change your life and your lifestyle?
- Are you aware of some of your own belief traps and how they are holding you back from living a better life?[/green_tick_1_list]
For some people, finding these hidden belief traps can completely transform their lives. If you would like to know more about how life coaching with me can help you in your life, please go to the contact me form at the top of the page to arrange a coaching session.
*Craig Hedge is an Professional Coach and Lifestyle Mentor based in Hobart (nipaluna), Tasmania, Australia. He is also the author of the Instinctive Living self development book series available on Amazon.