“I strongly encourage you to let go of these beliefs. They are inaccurate and melodramatic and they do not serve you.”—Cheryl Strayed
When asked “What’s the best predictor for finding a genius?” Buckminster Fuller used to answer, “A good mother.”
What he meant by that is if your mother (or your parents in general) believed in the largesse of the universe, if they saw that proverbial glass as half full and if they recognized the tremendous potential in not just you, but in all human beings, then you’d have a pretty good chance of realizing the genius within you.
If the culture that formed your rudimentary belief system is generous, open and tends to looks on the bright side, then there’s very little that can stop you from becoming all that you’re capable of becoming.
I heard a joke once that the only reason Jesus became “The Christ” is because God alerted Mary before he was born that that is who he was.
Our beliefs, more than anything else, shape our life experience. And most of our beliefs (we have thousands) are picked up before we have much say in the matter.
So despite all the positive affirmations and intentions for success, your fundamental, underlying beliefs about how the world works at its core create the framework for your reality.
Ask yourself the following questions:
1. What’s your bottom line belief about other people? Are they good? Can they be trusted?
2. What about life in general? Is it hard? Fun? Or something to be endured?
3. What about yourself? What adjectives would you use to describe yourself? How did you parents describe you?
Our beliefs, the default setting we inadvertently picked up when we were growing up, are usually served up with a lot of rules, conditions and limits.
Most of the time, we’re not even aware of the underlying beliefs that create our reality. Which wouldn’t be a problem if our beliefs are aligned with our aspirations, dreams and highest selves.
But when our belief blueprints suggest that the world is a scary place, that money is limited, that hard work is a necessary evil, well, we’re going to have thoughts, those all-powerful creators of reality, that restrict what is possible.
Sadly, your beliefs don’t just filter your thoughts. They determine how big a reality you’re able to imagine.
Imagination and being able to envision a whole new possibility is what we now need.
So I say, “Let’s throw out those old, out-dated beliefs. Let’s juice up our imaginations and create a world that nobody has thought up yet.”
Pam Grout is the author of 17 books including E-Squared: 9 Do-it-Yourself Energy Experiments that Prove Your Thoughts Create Your Reality and the recently-released sequel, E-Cubed, 9 More Experiments that Prove Mirth, Magic and Merriment is your Full-time Gig.
13 Responses
Like so much you write, Pam, this is a banquet for thought.
If we’re not where we want to be in life it’s like we have a computer accounting program running in the background that’s programmed to give us the wrong answers. When this is called to our attention we say, “It’s not me, it’s the computer.” So, there’s no accounting for wrong answers. It’s the program.
Rather than computing the same wrong stuff we can either change the program of find someone who knows how and has a proven track record to do just that.
Average people become above average as soon as they begin searching for answers. They become extraordinary when they begin applying those answers. You are a tool for the above average to extraordinary.
Great way to explain it. I used to use the old cassette tape analogy. I just pulled all the tape out of the cassette so it was useless and put in one I’d programmed myself.
Hi Pam,
Are those questions you asked, our limited beliefts? I’m confused as to how I can identify my limited beliefs? I probably have some that I don’t realize.
Mary, try this.
Think about some area of your life you would like to be different, but write down WHY you think it is the way it is, now.
Then write down how you’d prefer it to be – you should notice how your old beliefs (whys) don’t support what you want.
“The Nature Of Personal Reality,” by Jane Roberts, is a good place to learn how to explore your beliefs.
I am now reading E cubed. I just started it. I know that in general I look at the world around me as a struggle and lack is my middle name.
I say No to this bullshit and as I pump my fists in the air I say Yes to every positive affirmation I can think of.
This is my journey.
Keep that up, Laurel! And keep E3 (and E2) close by. Any time you need a little pick-me-up, you can open any page, and what you read is bound to make you smile and feel at least a little bit better.
I was raised with people who could not be please no matter what. Glass was never half empty, it was bone dry. Life was a struggle. Then I watched my siblings try to measure up to their expectations and the worlds expectations and asked who gave them the damn yard stick anyway. So I got my own and wrote different measurements on it. I’ve told my sister a dozen times. They are dead, they don’t have the yardstick any more, you do. Change it! My glass is always on over the top and constantly being refilled. Life is sometimes a challenge but I can always meet those challenges creatively.
Hey Pam – yes lets. This is exactly the work that Natural Success are doing – teaching people how to actively to this using structural dynamics and superconsciousness thinking. Think you would love what we do – not in the USA yet but next time you are in London come have a chat with us http://www.naturalsuccessacademy.com or if you are in LA connect with one of our co-founders William Whitecloud author of The Magician’s Way and The Last Shaman. Anne xx
Alright that’s it! I’m coming to camp on your doorstep and become your personal assistant! Again … insightful worlds! Saw you speak in Denver, (gave you my boyfriends book about his journey around the world and got so tongue tied I could barely remember how to speak English) I’ve met oodles of ultra famous people but you meant the most to me as you speak from your heart. Blessing for all you do! Tammie and Lazarus
Three simple questions to get to the core of our being…
It almost sounds too good to be true but I can fully agree that simplifying things make all the difference when it comes to clarity of mind. Great post!
Dear Pam,
Greetings from Japan! I have been an avid fan of you, your books ( Esquared, Ecubed and most recently, Jumpstart your metabolism) and your radio interviews.
I am constantly trying out the experiments and “manifesting” things, and it has literally changed my life and also eliminated the misdirected belief system that I had seemed to have unconsciously built.. But most importantly, I am just very grateful to you for making me realize that I will be ok whatever happens in life, for the reason that I have MYSELF as the most joyful and reliable partner and best friend that I can have.
I have to admit that, as you similarly mentioned in your book, I didn’t believe the whole subconscious-law of attraction mechanism. I am very very happy to tell you that now, the more I read and re-read your book, it has just become embedded inside me in a very natural way. So, thank you for that.
p.s. Not to put pressure on you or anything, but I will be looking forward to reading more of your books!!
You had me at “Bucky”. 🙂 I read on Jerry Garcia’s Wiki that once he started tripping in the 60’s he turned his life around to stop trying to become something “normal”. Yee-Haw to creating from inspiration and leaving behind “what I’m supposed to be”. Thanks, Pam.