Can you Believe that?
This is a conversation about your beliefs and an invitation to question whether some beliefs we are holding on to truly serve our highest and greatest good.
Why?
Because false beliefs are like mental pollution. They can create a toxic internal environment stricken with lies of negativity, doubt, lack, unworthiness, loneliness, powerlessness (insert other bad adjectives here) which become our inner dialogue, our mind pollution. Without gaining truth in the matter, this can lead someone in a place of confusion, questioning their worth, lack of confidence and even depression.
What do we do when pollution afflicts our Planet? Gotta clear away the smog to allow the suns healing rays to shine. So let’s get into this!
Throughout our lives, we often encounter a multitude of beliefs that shape our understanding of the world. At its core a belief is “an acceptance that a statement is true or that something exists.“ It’s “a subjective attitude” towards a person, place or thing. Subjective in that there is no real measurable value or definitive truth to the matter. Many of these beliefs be adopt can serve us well, enabling us to navigate the complexities of existence (for example the belief that I can jump high allows you to bound across a flowing stream, or that i can do anything i set my mind to allows you to preserver though a difficult homework assignment). On the other hand, some beliefs can be misleading, leading us away from our truth and hindering our personal growth and happiness.
False Beliefs (aka Mind Pollution):
False beliefs are ingrained notions or ideas that are not grounded in reality or supported by evidence. They can manifest in various aspects of our lives, including religion, politics, personal relationships, and self-perception. False beliefs often stem from limited information (not seeking multiple sources for data verification), cognitive biases (you judge this information based on other perceived belief . If information were to contradict our other beliefs, we often reject/avoid, or try to debunk it), societal influences (mom, dad, uncle, neighbor, doctor etc. said so), and personal experiences (you drew the conclusion based on something you experienced) all which lead us to construct a distorted version of reality.
Some popular false beliefs are; Humans only use 10% of their brain: The Great Wall of China is visible from space: Swallowed gum stays in your stomach for years: Cracking your knuckles causes arthritis: Bulls are enraged by the color red.
All of these statements have been disproven with measurable evidence. Sure you can still think these things but you’d be holding onto a false belief.
What are the Consequences of holding False Beliefs:
It can be a big hindrance to your personal growth. A false beliefs acts as barriers, preventing us from expanding our knowledge and evolving as individuals. They confine us within narrow mental boundaries, impeding our ability to embrace new perspectives, experiences, and ideas. For example, you could have the belief that you are not very good at sports. In holding this idea, you don’t try to play, you don’t allow an opportunity to practice to see yourself improve. A wonderful replacement to that false belief could be “I continuously get better at anything I try when I practice.”
It can negatively impact decision-making: False beliefs can distort our judgment and decision-making processes. When we base our choices on inaccurate assumptions, we run the risk of making flawed decisions that may have unfavorable consequences. For example, if you believe yourself to be a klutz, making the decision to put together a intricate craft or even engaging with simple home repair could pose a negative decision.
They strain relationships: False beliefs can strain our relationships with others yes, but more importantly, the relationship you have with yourself. When we hold rigid beliefs without being open to dialogue or considering alternative viewpoints, we create barriers to meaningful connections and empathetic understanding. We use these misperceptions to make assumptions and set unrealistic expectations which, not surprisingly our partners fail to meet. Here’s a nice quick read that shares 13 false beliefs common in relationships. To share a couple quick ones - A great relationship should be easy, A good relationship is supposed to make you feel better, Your partner must meet all your needs,
How to Clear the Mental Pollution / False Beliefs:
Cultivate self-awareness: Developing self-awareness is the first step in identifying and addressing false beliefs. Using introspection, reflection, and mindfulness, we can turn the lens inward to identify what believes we hold. We become more conscious of our thoughts, biases, and preconceived notions. Once we know what thoughts tend to run thought the neverending cycle of pop-in and out during the day, we can hone in on the ones that no longer serve us. To share a frequent polluting thought for me was always that I was a failure. Even thought I had countless objective examples to prove my mind otherwise, this polluting thought would linger like last weeks garbage.
Seek diverse perspectives: Engaging with diverse perspectives challenges our existing beliefs and broadens our understanding of the world. Actively seek out conversations and interactions with people who hold different viewpoints, fostering empathy and promoting intellectual growth. I like to think of this as crowd sourcing, meeting and talking to new and different people allows me to understand various backgrounds, have more compassion for their personal experiences and broaden my beliefs about what truly is possible in this world. We can do this by reading different authors for various backgrounds, listening to podcast on various topics that you wouldn’t normally pick, joining a community event to meet new people you normally wouldn’t have during your day to day.
Embrace critical thinking: Develop critical thinking skills to evaluate information critically and question the validity of beliefs. Adopt a skeptical mindset that demands evidence and logical reasoning, ensuring that our beliefs align with reality. If you’re a sciene buff like me then you understand the need more than one source before I will accept new information as fact. #twosourceverification And I don’t just mean, my mom said it and then I heard it on the news.
“By default, people will believe anything they see or hear,” said Stephan Lewandowsky, a cognitive psychologist at the University of Bristol who specializes in understanding how people respond to corrections of misinformation. In our day-to-day lives, “that makes a lot of sense because most things that we’re exposed to are true,” he said. At the same time, the more we see something repeated, the more likely we are to believe it to be true. This “illusory truth effect” arises because we use familiarity and ease of understanding as a shorthand for truth; the more something is repeated, the more familiar and fluent it feels whether it is misinformation or fact [s].
Continual learning: Foster a mindset of lifelong learning, acknowledging that knowledge and understanding are constantly evolving. We only know as much as we know until we learn more about it! Read books, attend lectures, and engage in intellectual pursuits that expand your understanding of various subjects. The more we learn and grow the more our perspectives widen to the vastness and infinite potential of all things.
Embrace uncertainty: False beliefs most often arise from a desire for certainty and a fear of the unknown. It is a truth, we have no control of the future and this scares the pants off us humans. The only control we truly have is in how we response to life’s events. We need to embrace uncertainty with open arms, knowing that everything always works out for our highest and greatest good (a belief i’ve adopted to replace the false belief that nothing ever works out the way I’d like it to) . When we can, this allows us to recognize that truth is us engaging with the journey. We should remain open to revising our beliefs as new evidence emerges.
What are the Benefits of Embracing Truth:
Personal growth and self-actualization: Embracing truth enables personal growth by encouraging us to shed limiting beliefs and embrace new possibilities. We become more adaptable, resilient, and open-minded, fostering a sense of fulfillment and self-actualization.
Improved decision-making: When guided by truth, our decision-making becomes more informed, rational, and effective. We can navigate life's challenges with greater clarity and make choices that align with our values and aspirations.
Enhanced relationships: Embracing truth fosters meaningful connections by promoting understanding, empathy, and effective communication. It allows us to engage in healthy, constructive dialogue, building deeper and more fulfilling relationships.
In Conclusion, should we want to lead happier and more fulfilled lives, it is essential to examine and challenge our false beliefs. We do this by cultivating self-awareness, seeking diverse perspectives, embracing critical thinking, and fostering a commitment to continual learning, we can navigate the complex maze of beliefs to uncover our truth.
This post was inspired by a conversation between Micheal B Beckwith and Shawn Stevenson about Mind Fasting. I invite you to listen and form your own beliefs on the topic.
This is also a lovely talk Micheal gives called Agree To Disagree––Don't Believe All Your Thoughts.
Sidebar; what I am really trying to get to, the underlying message is to find your truth. Only you will know what truth is for you. Truth’s are those things that when we know them, we know them. It rings thought in our hearts and beings. Personal truth’s can be small, like “I am a good cook” “I like to run” “I love reading to relax my mind” or they can be grand “I am strong” “I am capable of great things,” “I am worthy of love,” “I am enough to receive love,” It has been a wonderous journey for me to discover mine, #nevereasyalwaysworthit and even as I write this I am learning and uncovering more beliefs I hold about myself and the people in my lives.
At our core, and in life we all have the same truths (you are a divine being of love and light), (you were born deserving of love) (abundant love is available for you at all times) …. its that the worlds puts blockage and misinformation in our ways from us truly seeing and believing it. These are the only truths that really matter. Everything else is just the mind’s noise.