The Be in Belief
Belief can forge our moral framework, steer our relationships, or it can manifest itself as racism, terrorism, and persuade us to act in a variety of inhuman ways.
When it comes to our brains on belief, the goal isn’t accuracy; it’s validation. Validation that we’re in the right place doing the right things. And, when the brain seeks validation, it finds it. Beliefs can be slippery and yet powerful, and if we don’t consciously decide our beliefs based on real-world evidence, we run the risk of joining the lemmings over the cliffs of irresponsibility.
As we journey deeper into the information age, we’re finding that much of the news we receive, we receive in bite-sized, easy-to-digest nuggets designed to sway us one direction or another. I write beliefs for companies, and we take it seriously. It’s how we inspire people to not only drink the corporate Kool-aide but enjoy it.
The magic lies in realizing none of our beliefs are set in stone.
If someone believes life is a dance, how do you imagine they act? What if they believe life is a struggle, or a trainwreck, or a game…a fantasy? What if they believe belief is a choice that they make for every situation? That’s true power.
We have no limitations.
I’m not going to feed you a steaming plate of BS. Of course, we have limitations, but we all too often limit ourselves far more than we should. While we can’t change some things in the world, we can change how we view them. We can turn our challenges into disabilities, or we can turn our disabilities into challenges.
I’ve watched my mother live with lupus over the course of three or four decades. Her disease was her path to enlightenment. She hated it most of the time, but she will be the first to admit she grew every day as a person because of it, and she used that insight to raise a family and help the many people in her circle overcome adversity. She chose a powerful belief about what it means to access the world by wheelchair and how to interact with people.
One of my favorite cousins has spun his physical challenges into inspiration that travels the world. His determination and belief in his raison d’être change the world a little bit every day. I could write a whole post on Ward, but check him out when you have time. https://www.wardfoley.com
Our physical challenges are facts, not beliefs. Our beliefs about these facts change the world we live in and how we interact with people. As we open on a new year, it’s a great time to look at our beliefs and see how they serve us.
Be the Be in Belief.
My favorite internet video of all time often reminds me that our beliefs can help us do far more than most people would ever expect of us. Enjoy.