The Power of Your Core Beliefs
by Starcat
All of us have those areas of our lives where we just can’t seem to quite figure out what to do, how to make things work. There are those of us who have a terrific family life and love what we do, but we can’t seem to make enough money to pay the bills. Or maybe we’ve got the prosperity thing all figured out, but can’t find the romantic relationship with a soulmate that we’re longing for. Perhaps we have an awesome job and a great partner, but chronic illness plagues us.
Chances are you know what your own trouble areas are. But do you know why the same challenges keep cropping up, time after time?
It’s most likely due to a hidden core belief. Core beliefs are often invisible, hidden deep within your psyche. They could be something you learned from your parents or other family members, or maybe from influential teachers, or just from the culture around you as you grew up. They might be something that once helped you get out of a tough situation, but even though things are different now, you still hold tightly to them on some level.
Some of your core beliefs serve you well, and you see their influence in the areas of life that come easily to you. But other core beliefs lurk there beneath the surface, sabotaging your success. These are the ones that need to be updated.
You might have tried lots of different things to get yourself back on track. Changing the way you think about your challenges is certainly a great start. Upgrading the way you feel about them is even better. But if you haven’t gone deep within to find out what your core beliefs on the subject are or to examine where they came from and why you believed them to begin with, then they’ll still crop up again and again.
Bringing your core beliefs to light, and then gently but firmly updating them, will create an amazing transformation in your life.
Let me use a recent experience of my own as an example. BlackLion and I created our course (then a self-study kit) on core beliefs several years ago, where we examined and worked to deliberately change our own personal beliefs. As we did the work, we developed tools to use and to share, ones that aid this deep inner transformation. Yet there are always more layers to uncover.
In June, we took the course along with our students, in order to experience it with them, and also to update and re-examine our own core beliefs.
One of the areas where I was able to go deeper than ever before is with my beliefs around money. This is an area where I’ve had ongoing challenges, and I’d previously uncovered the mixed messages about money that I’d received while growing up. But this time, I found another layer. My beliefs about money tied in with old patterns of worrying about what others think of me.
I grew up as a shy and sensitive child, and during my school years, all I wanted was to fit in, to be accepted. As an adult, I’ve gradually released my need for others’ approval of who I am. Except, apparently, where it was tied into these old money beliefs.
The previously-hidden belief that I uncovered was “I have to justify my money status to other people.”
From the notebook I kept during the course in June:
“It’s not good to be seen as too poor, or too rich, or frivolous with money. I need to be approved of, to be seen as worthy of what I have. There is virtue in poverty and struggle, in not being part of the mainstream economy. I have to be seen as ‘working hard’ in order to deserve to have and spend money. If I’m seen as too poor or needy, people will judge me as lazy and stupid. If I’m seen as too free with my money, people will think I’m greedy and part of the problem of society. Wow, this is a total no-win situation I’ve put myself in!”
Some of these old beliefs were from childhood and the Puritan work ethic that is prevalent here in New England, while others came from the hippie subculture I became part of during college. This belief, taken as a whole, was a paradox, setting me up to fail.
I’ve used the tools from the Alchemy of Core Beliefs course to release this old belief, and the changes in my life have been amazing. I’m no longer so stressed and worried about money, about each bill or purchase. Now that I’m not anxious about money, there is more of it. Our family income has improved. I got an unexpected bonus from my part-time job. I’ve even been able to invest in some business coaching, which will help me contribute more to the family budget each month while doing the work I love.
Your core beliefs have a powerful effect on your everyday life. You can work hard to change your external circumstances, but until you pair that with the inner work that will help to change them, you can often be left spinning your wheels.
Think about the recurring challenges in your own life. Are you ready to change them once and for all?
Click here to reserve your spot for The Alchemy of Core Beliefs online course, starting on September 1st. Spaces are limited so act now!
Don’t delay, change your life today!