What does it mean to develop a greater belief in yourself?
It means you choose to be positive and shake off negatives beliefs when they pop up. You direct your mind to see the positive even when the chips are down.
You are aware of the way life mirrors back to you your own beliefs based on the way you think with regard to love, business, relationships, and money.
People who have a greater belief system focus on opportunities. They learn along the way. They strive for happiness and satisfaction. They have good attitudes. They believe that because it is possible for some, it must be possible for them, too. They don’t sweat the small stuff and realize that at the end of the day staying stuck in the past is useless. They are patient and trust that all things eventually work out.
All of these ideas exist inside of the belief system.
How do you develop a greater belief in yourself when the itty-bitty shitty committee is always trying to trick you with excuses, feelings of unworthiness, or just plain deceitful lies?
1. Get positive.
Thinking optimistically is a muscle. It’s a skill set you can develop. Each of us has the power to choose our thoughts. Let’s just start there. If you believe you were born a certain way and can’t change, then you won’t, and if you believe you can, then you will. It’s a matter of redirecting your thinking. For example, if you believe today is going to be a lousy day, realize that it is just a thought (aka belief) and you can change that thought to a more positive one like “Today is going to be an amazing day.”
Your beliefs will transform into an inspired action if you allow them to. Positive thinking is energy that fuels your desires with the enthusiasm, passion, and drive. One note of caution here: if you are impatient and expect success to happen overnight before putting in some blood, sweat, and tears, you may find that you become frustrated or disappointed. Remember, you can always choose to be positive again (and again) as you strengthen your belief system.
2. Win the morning.
To develop an empowering belief system we must experience small wins along the way. That’s what I love about the saying by Tim Ferris “Win the morning and you will the day.” Start with small wins. When you do, your belief system will become stronger and stronger. There is research that shows we overestimate what can be achieved in a year and underestimate what can be done in three years. When you go even smaller and break down your achievements to one day, 24 hours, or 1,440 minutes, it feels less daunting and more doable.
Make a list of 3 to 5 things you can easily do that would put you in a winning state of mind. You can include things like making your bed, drinking a glass of lemon water, getting a power walk in, meditating, and/or reviewing your schedule for the day. Your mind will become conditioned to set and achieve goals in a positive way first thing in the morning, which adds a powerful boost to your belief system.
3. Surround yourself with positive people.
People influence other people. Emotions and attitudes are contagious. They can be positive and uplifting or negative and draining. If you want to empower your belief system, you will want to limit the interactions you have with people who are negative, complain, gossip, or are stuck in the past.
You ultimately become the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with and will want to choose them carefully. Start by choosing people who are happy, confident, optimistic, kind, hardworking, generous, and inspiring. By the way, you can politely create a boundary between you and the more negative types without being harsh or insensitive. As you create a more empowering belief system, you will find that you won’t have much in common and the relationships will often just dissolve by themselves.
4. Be a life learner.
Successful people love to read. They are sponges and love to learn. You can automatically grow your belief systems in a positive way by reading books, taking classes, and doing anything that’s oriented toward personal growth. You get a glimpse into new ways of thinking from new types of people. You are introduced to fresh ideas that are stimulating, fun, and inspiring. The saying “I never thought about it like that before” becomes an exciting way to approach life with curiosity, interest, and even fascination.
You have to also focus, develop, and work on your unique strengths to establish a strong belief in yourself. No one is perfect—therefore you have to let go of the idea of perfection and not be so hard on yourself. You have to work consistently toward getting a little better every day without pushing too hard. You can always find ways to improve, and when the tough stuff shows up, find someone who has knowledge that can guide you through. I’m a big fan of mentorship and having role models. Find someone who has achieved what you want and learn from them.
5. Honor thyself.
Not everyone is going to like you, but it does matter if you like yourself. It’s hard work to develop a caring attitude towards oneself. No one owes you anything, but you owe it to yourself to be compassionate, kind, and loving—first and foremost, to you. You are also worthy of living a beautiful life.
Check in. Do an assessment on yourself. Life reflects back to you how much you nurture, honor, and respect yourself. How much time do you spend doing things that make you feel good? Do you always put others first at the expense of depleting your energy? If so, lean into doing something nice for yourself every day. Start simple like taking a bubble bath or playing music in the background while you prepare dinner. When you truly believe in your own worthiness, others will start to see you in that same light.
6. Put health first.
Your physical body matters a great deal when strengthening your belief system. If you feel good, you are more likely to do well. The reverse is true also. When you don’t feel good, your mind can’t help but focus on your physical ailments. Everything decreases, including motivation. Health really is wealth. You intellectually already know this although you may not be applying it consistently. Your beliefs and emotions are part of your physical nature.
When you exercise, your body produces chemicals in the body such as serotonin, which helps reduce stress, anxiety, and the feeling of unworthiness. Even 15 to 20 minutes a day will make a big difference. Often I combine #2 and #5 above: honoring myself by going to the gym and winning the morning by getting it done early, which sets the day up for success.
To Flourishing Your Belief System,
I appreciate all of the SHARES and would LOVE to hear your comments below.