How to deal with Toxic Beliefs

Last Tuesday, I hosted my local Mastermind group on my patio. We call it?"La Plaza"—an homage to my wife’s latin roots and my former role as a high-school Spanish teacher.

The theme of our meeting was the Wheel of Life, a powerful tool for self-assessment and goal setting. As we talked about its uses and benefits, my friend Jeff Miller bravely shared that a toxic belief was really holding him back in one area of his life.

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Jeff’s share really got me thinking.

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When we call something “toxic,” we’re saying that it acts as or has the same the effect of a poison. A toxic belief, then, is something we’re clinging to as it slowly kills us.

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It’s no secret that we all have toxic beliefs.?The good news it that developing awareness?of our toxic thinking is the first step towards change.

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Here are three simple steps to unearth your toxic beliefs and move into healthier, more successful living.

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Step One: Self-awareness

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The Wheel of Life was a great starting point for this discussion. The foundation of that activity is journaling and talking things out. Since we had taken notes and reflected prior to the meeting, we had more self-awareness and clarity on our thoughts than if we had been starting fresh.

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Step Two: Feedback from others

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As we shared our thoughts and experiences, we gained value by hearing ourselves share out loud with one another.?We felt known. And yet, we didn’t just talk. We also have had the opportunity to listen to the response of caring, empathetic friends. The men in this group both care and challenge me. I know I will get texts and follow up back from the guys in our group. This type of accountability is the best that I've found and an invaluable support.

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Step Three: Write your new story and build new habits.

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It’s not enough to identify your toxic belief. You need to replace it with something new. Of course, that’s easier said than done. It requires us to have empathy for ourselves, take action, and then continue to work as time goes on. Our brains have to develop new neuropathways. The old toxic thinking and habits are grooved into our brain. We won’t change until we develop new habits and ways of thinking. It's kind of like a dirt road on a farm where tire paths have become deep trenches. That kind of path can’t be changed overnight, but we can start formed a new path today.

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What kind of experiences have you had as you unearth toxic thinking and replace it with a new of way of being? I know that’s a tough question to answer in public, but I’d love to learn from you if you’re willing to share a part of your journey.

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#PersonalGrowth #Transformation #MastermindSession