You Have To Believe It
If you want to change your life, you have to believe you can.
It seems pretty, obvious, right?
But many MANY people approach change with hidden underlying beliefs and attitudes that it really isn’t possible. Of course, this sabotages the whole project from the beginning.
If you don’t believe it is possible, it probably won’t be. Your brain is pretty powerful. It will twist your perceptions and physical reality as much as it possibly can to fit the belief system programmed into it.
For example: The doctor says, “You are getting close to 40. You’ll probably start needing reading glasses soon.” A few months later you notice you are having a hard time reading so you go out to buy reading glasses.
Did you really need those glasses? Or did your brain create a physical problem that matched an underlying belief?
Here’s another example I heard a lot as a teacher: “No one in our family is good at math.”
Is there really no one in that family able to do math, or have they all convinced themselves that they can’t so no one has ever really tried?
I’ll throw out one more that I see a LOT: “The doctor says I have X and there is no cure. I’ll have to take medication for the rest of my life and even then it will slowly get worse.”
So one person has told them that there is no solution, so they just give up and decide to live with it? If they believe that, then their body and mind will create that reality.
Seems sad, doesn’t it?
But here’s the good part. If you believe that you can heal, then the possibility exists for you to do that. If you believe you can learn something new, then there is a chance you will be able to. If you think you can change your life, then you have the opportunity to try.
Believing that something is possible doesn’t necessarily guarantee that it will happen, but not believing it is possible eliminates the option before you have even tried.
So if you want to transform your life, you have to believe it is possible.
I do a lot of reading and I hear a lot of stories from people who have changed their lives in amazing ways. Sometimes I have a hard time listening to the stories, they seem so unbelievable. But people can do amazing things if they put their minds to it and I believe we can heal and change much more than we ever thought was possible.
And your mind is where it all starts. It starts with your beliefs. With figuring out what the underlying programming that is running all your systems. If you have an underlying program that says, “I’m not worthy enough to be happy,” then you’ll never be able to create happiness in your life. If your mind believes that your illness can’t be healed, then it can’t.
Here are some things I’ve learned in the past few years that have changed my beliefs about what is able to heal.
Scientists used to think that your brain developed until you were in your early 20s and then it was all downhill from there. You couldn’t learn as much or as well and you certainly couldn’t repair any damage. Fortunately, current brain research has debunked these myths. Your brain is extremely plastic, which means it changes, grows, develops, and repairs itself for your entire life (assuming you take care of it). Scientists have even discovered that older brains are able to make new neurons, which was a complete surprise to them. This is really good news because it means you have the opportunity to change your brain, learn, and develop new thought patters your entire life.
Tara Swart, Neuroscientists, Psychologist, and author of The Source writes, "Neuroplasticity, at its most positive, is the key to self-empowerment. It ensures that with effort, we can overcome deeply entrenched negative behaviors and modes of thinking, including addictive and destructive habits and relationships.” In her opinion, there is no reason to give in to “it’s just the way I am” thinking. You can continually change and grow throughout your lifetime.
Another big myth in modern culture is that our bodies are machines that inevitably break down as we get older. Our expectation is that we reach our physical peak in our 20s and then injury, pain, sleeplessness, and other issues just naturally crop up. Sadly, this myth is perpetuated by medical and health care systems that capitalize on people’s illnesses and support management of health problems rather than healing. From the explosion of alternative health options these days, it’s clear that people are finding many routes to healing outside traditional medicine. Bodies are made to heal, and if you give the body what it needs, it can repair itself in incredible ways. I’ve written a lot more about this in the blog post Your
Psychology is another area that has perpetuated the idea that trauma, mental illness, depression, and anxiety are problems that can be managed, but not necessarily healed. Well, thankfully the new field of energy psychology is taking this myth and stomping it to pieces. Energy Psychology is the intersection of traditional psychology with the practice of energy work (old techniques and new). Put the two together and you have a huge body of knowledge about trauma and emotional disturbances paired with therapies that can create real, lasting healing. So now people living with “trauma brain” or severe PTSD have hope for recovery. Those dealing with debilitating depression and anxiety can envision a normal future. If you want to learn more about this, start with my post Energy Psychology.
I hope I’m starting to convince you that your brain, body, and emotional mind are able to heal and repair throughout your life no matter what you have experienced. If you start with this basic understanding and believe that change is actually possible, then there is a real possibility of transforming your own life.
So if you want to start changing your life, look around and notice how others have changed theirs. Search for stories of people who have healed from illness, recovered from addiction, started new careers, left abusive relationships, healed from religious trauma, or whatever it is you are dealing with. Seek out those stories so you can see other people doing the thing you want to do and know that it is possible.
As you do this, keep your eye out for alternative ways to heal or change your particular problem. Don’t be afraid of things that are “weird.” Some of those things might be more powerful than you can imagine. Also, know that someone else’s path is not yours. You may experience some healing and progress doing what they did, but you’ll probably also have to try some additional things as well. Although your stories might be similar, no one is exactly like you so no one will heal exactly like you either. Be willing to try things and forge your own path. As I’ve written before, healing is complicated and there is no obvious road map to follow every step of the way.
About 10 years ago I started working to heal my severe food sensitivities. I didn’t even know if it was possible, I just knew that I had to try. I was willing to do a whole lot of weird things to try to find relief from this debilitating problem. I tried some stuff others recommended and experimented with some of my own things. Now that I feel like my body has fully healed, I wrote my story here to help others know it is possible and to give them some ideas of how to get started.
One of the “weird” things I learned along the way was EFT Tapping. I now use it as part of my practice with clients because it is so powerful. EFT has been tested and researched with all kinds of groups with great success. Here are stories of using EFT to treat trauma in War Vets:
Trauma: Tapping for War Veterans - Tapping Solution Foundation
And this a summary of research done with healthcare workers and burnout:
If you are dealing with a particular health or trauma issue, I suggest looking it up along with “EFT” in the search box and see what comes up. Chances are, someone has dealt with your issues using EFT.
If you explore my blog you’ll find other stories I’ve shared about people changing and learn about alternative paths toward healing that I have found really work. There IS hope for change. There is the possibility for healing and learning. If are able to believe it is possible, then you will be able to find a path to make it happen.
If you want to learn more, check out all the links above. You can find me on Facebook or Pinterest where I share books I’m reading that will help you change your life. You can always contact me and we can talk about what you are experiencing. Even if I can’t help you directly, I might be able to point you in a direction that will take you toward the change you want.
