“Miracles happen to those who believe in them”.Bernard Berenson
Health is not the absent of sickness. It is a state of being and also a state of mind. Our beliefs determine the state that we are in, whether it is our physical state or mind state.
Beliefs can cause all our problems in life. Luckily for us, beliefs are also the most powerful weapon we have against them. It just depends on what kind of beliefs we have.
For the most part, beliefs are created in our minds without our consent. Most of the beliefs you have today were not formed through a process of conscious choice.
Things that have happened to you in the past, things you have heard from people who are close to you or who you trust, things you have observed in the world around you, things you have been taught and even imagined create your belief system.
Most of them have occurred during childhood, when you did not have enough life experience to doubt them.
In this journey you are taking towards health, the most challenging part is to get over the thought that what you have learned “ will cause you harm” in fact heals you and vice versa. I remember how challenging it was for me. What I believed to be true, was not true. I was scared.
Our belief system is there to protect us. We use it as a guard. We consider it our guardian angel, so it hard for us to let some belief go. I lost my guard. Weight is easier to lose than a belief.
The Belief guardian
Guarding beliefs is important. It is defense mechanism in our mind that prevents dangerous beliefs from entering our system. This guardian evolves over the years. When kids are young, this guardian is not very developed.
Theoretically, grownups have better guardians with better filters because they have had more experiences more times. However, most of our beliefs develop in childhood, so as we grow up, we base new filters on the ones we already have. In essence, we mainly strengthen our childhood filters and become more effective at protecting our childhood beliefs.
Though our mind is full of beliefs, there are basic simple beliefs we carry from childhood and protect at all costs. We didn’t “choose” them, but this is the way our childish brain filtered them.
1. If it is from someone close to me who cares for/about me, it must be true.
2. If I have heard it 3 or more times, it must be true.
3. If something has happened to me once, it will happen again.
4. If an authority figure believes in it ( government, doctors, teachers, parents, bosses, celebrity, leader…) it must be true and if I won’t adopt it, I’ll be in trouble.
5. Every painful experience must be recorded so I do not get hurt again.
6. Every success experience must be recorded so I can make it happen again.
Those are very “primitive, childish filters” and carrying them can’t help us get over “Fat is going to kill me” “Oats will lower blood sugar”, ”count your calories” “Cholesterol is the source of all evil” and “Medication is the only cure”.
If you want to take control over your health, the most important tool towards it is adopting the basic belief – “I can change my beliefs”.
I have heard many of my clients telling me they need to change their life in order to change their beliefs . Much like happiness, it works the other way. Realizing that when we are happy, we are more successful instead of “ success brings happiness” is a change of belief, nothing more.
Change your beliefs about food, weight, health, and life, and you’ll change your life.
When you start questioning your beliefs about weight, exercise, food, mindset, health, sickness, you become aware of how those beliefs were planted in your mind by others in an attempt to sell you something that will benefit… them.
Keeping you in the dark with the beliefs that make you feel powerless, and dependent is wonderful tool in taking from you the ability to “control” your life. That is the reason many people gathering the courage to question their beliefs escribe this journey as “awakening”. It is physical and mental awakening. Being aware will being you into the light.
Wishing you a bright journey towards health
Make your day a great day!
Ronit
The happiness coach
