Changing Beliefs About Yourself

Don’t let the length of the article full you….if you seriously take some time to contemplate the information, they might be the most thought provoking newsletters yet!

I want you to use your conscious mind and its logic. If you discover that you feel unworthy, then do not simply try to apply a more positive belief over that one. Instead discover the reasons for your first belief.

If you have not already done so, write down your feelings about yourself. Be perfectly honest.

What would you say if someone else came to you with the same reasons?

Examine what you have written. Realize that a set of beliefs is involved. There is a difference between believing that you are unworthy and bring unworthy in fact.

Then write a list of your abilities and accomplishments.

These should include such issues as getting along well with others, being attractive, being good with plants or animals, being a good carpenter or cook. Any talent of achievement should be noted as honestly as you recorded the most minute 'defects' earlier.

There is no human being alive who does not have creative abilities in his or her own way, achievements and excellent characteristics, so if you follow these instructions you will find out that you are indeed a worthy individual.

When you catch yourself falling into a mood in which you feel inferior, look at your second list, of abilities and accomplishments. Then use the positive suggestion in your own worth, backed up by your own personal self-examination.

You may say, 'But I know I have great abilities that I am not using. When I compare myself to others, then I fall far short. What difference does it make if I have a few mundane achievements that are shared by many others that are in no way unique? Surely my destiny involves more than that. I have yearnings that I cannot express.’

In the first place you must understand that in your own uniqueness it is futile to compare yourself to others, for in so doing you try to emulate qualities that are theirs, and to that extent deny your own miraculous being and vision. Once you begin comparing yourself to others there is no end to it.

You will always find someone more talented than you are in some way, and so will continue to be dissatisfied. Instead, through working with your own beliefs, take it for granted that your life is important; begin with it and where you are. Do not deride yourself because you have not reached some great ideal, but start to use those talents that you have to the best of your ability, knowing that in them lies your own individual fulfillment.

Any help that you give to others will come through the creative utilization of your own characteristics and no one else's. Do not get upset with yourself when you find yourself dwelling on negative issues in your life. Instead, constructively ask yourself why you are doing so.

The answer will come to you.

Use the knowledge as a bridge.

Let whatever emotions are involved happen.

If you do this honestly, feelings of self-worthlessness or despondency will go through and vanish, changing of their own accord. You may even find yourself impatient with the feelings themselves, or even bored, and hence dismiss them.

Do not tell yourself automatically that they are wrong, however, and then try to apply a 'positive' belief like a band-aid.

Have a sense of humor about yourself - not a malicious one but a kindly humorous regard for yourself. High seriousness is fine when it comes naturally and is not forced. But it can become pompous if it is prolonged.

If you allow yourself to be more and more aware of your own beliefs, you can work with them. It is silly to try to fight what you think of as negative beliefs, or to be frightened of them. They are not mysterious. You may find that many served good purposes at one time, and that they have simply been overemphasized. They may need to be restructured rather than denied.

Gregg Swanson is a human potential and peak performance coach and owns Warrior Mind Coach. He specializes in the development of mental strength and focus to achieve the flow state for maximum performance. You grab his complementary mini eBook, “Why is Change So Hard” by going HERE.