What do You Believe?

What do You Believe?

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I believe that man is essentially good

And that we are all interconnected.

I believe that everything happens for a reason.

The Universe provides me with what I need

And Great Spirit is guiding me towards fulfillment.

Nature connects me with my soul.

I believe that life is an adventure to be lived to the FULLEST

And I am here to help build peace in the world.[1]

What do you believe – about yourself; the world; why you are here; what you are meant to do?

Beliefs are “assumptions or convictions that are held to be true, by an individual, or a group, regarding concepts, events, people and things.”[2]

I particularly connect with Ty Bennett’s definition of beliefs.

“Beliefs are the core of who we are, what we do, and the success that we acquire … It is the power of belief that causes things to happen in our lives … A belief is both mental and emotional. It is embedded in the mind and the heart.” – http://tybennett.com/the-true-definition-of-belief/493/

Our beliefs are extremely important for us to unearth and get clear on as they have a powerful impact on our lives. In the busy lives we lead, balancing so many balls, bombarded with so much information and so many “to dos”, how do you get clear on what’s important to you and what you believe about yourself, the world, why you’re here (on earth) and what you’re here to do (your mission and purpose)?

Here are a few suggestions:

1) Find a quiet place in nature or in your home where you can spend 15 to 30 minutes of uninterrupted time. Have some writing materials with you and/or a smartphone.

2) Close your eyes and take several deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth.

3) Get grounded. Feel your sitting bones on the chair, imagine you have roots coming out of the bottom of your feet grounding you to the earth and branches coming out of your head and shoulders connecting you with the sky, heavens, universal/source energy (whatever you wish to call it).

4) Ask yourself: What do I believe about myself? You may find it helpful to use the stem I am …  Ask this question with your eyes closed and notice what comes up for you. Examples might be: I am creative; I am a loyal friend; I have the ability to connect with people from a variety of backgrounds and cultures; I inspire others by my thoughts, words and actions; I am a gifted writer … ; I have the ability to translate complex concepts and make them easy to understand. …

5) Begin recording what comes from within on your phone or open your eyes and begin to journal. Let the words flow without judging or editing them.

6) Either continue asking yourself the following questions at the same sitting or spread them out over a few days or weeks using a similar process.

Additional Questions:

  • What do I believe about the world? I believe that; for example, the world is friendly; the Universe guides and supports me …
  • What do I believe about my purpose? I am here to …; for example, build peace in the world.
  • What do I believe about my life? I believe I have been given opportunities to learn certain lessons so that I may be of service to others and understand their pain. I believe I’m here to make a positive difference in the world.

7) At a later date revisit what you’ve written with an open mind and heart. Notice whether any emotion comes up for you. Do you have any ahas about your responses? Do you have a better understanding of yourself and what you’re on the planet to do? Also notice if your inner critic comes up and says “ that’s bragging … how can you say that about yourself; OR if you feel overwhelmed by your purpose. Get curious.

8) You may wish to share your experience with this process with a close friend or colleague who knows you well and whose feedback you value and respect. You may also wish to work with a coach to assist you to gain more clarity about your passion and purpose and support you to move forward toward the life and business of your dreams.

What do you believe? We welcome your thoughts and comments below. Feel free to share this post with others who you think might find it of value.


[1] Faith statement I developed at the Trust Program in April 2000 designed and facilitated by Cindy Barlow – http://www.ccbarlow.com/

How Are You Living Your Life?

How Are You Living Your Life?

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One of my friends died recently. He wasn’t a close friend but he had dated a dear friend of mine. His celebration of life was the most touching, positive and memorable celebration of life I’ve ever attended. Experiencing someone’s death, who is close to my own in age, certainly put me in touch with my own mortality and my recent way of living in the world. I realized that lately I have be setting goals and driving myself to achieve them. I have been focusing on “externals” rather than awakening and asking myself what do I really want to do today? What would make my soul sing? (and then doing it)

Yesterday (Sunday) I asked myself what do I really want to do? I ended up attending the local Centre for Spiritual Living. After that I browsed in a bookstore and bought one book of interest. Then I went for a long walk along the waterfront close to where I live (photo insert) and “drank” in the natural beauty. I felt like an ice cream so I treated myself to one and savored each lick as I sat in the soothing autumn sun. On return home I phoned my son and his new wife and one of my sisters and had great chats with all of them. I returned the message of a dear friend and we set up a lunch date for this Friday. I made dinner for my Sweetie and took time to decorate the table and light two candles. We each make a wish at the end of the meal and blow them out (which is a ritual in our home).

When I put my head on the pillow last night I felt that I had lived the day being in the moment and doing what I truly wanted to do. I felt so grateful, contented and relaxed. … I realize that during the week we often have to set goals and have activities to complete whether we’re working for ourselves or for others. That said there are things we CAN do each day to positively affect our experiences and enrich our lives.

Here are a few suggestions:

1)   Before you get out of bed in the morning think of at least one thing that would bring you joy to do that day (if you can think of 3 or 4 even better!). Commit to doing that/those things and notice how you feel during and after them.

2)   Try to be totally present with each person you interact with and notice something special about them. Share that positive attribute with them if you feel comfortable doing so.

3)   Carve some time out of your day to go for a walk/spend some time in nature and notice how it makes you feel.

4)   Think of one thing you’d like to do for someone close to you that demonstrates how special they are and do it (e.g. write them a note, a poem, send them flowers … )

5)   Reflect on your day before you lay your head on the pillow. Notice how you feel. You may also wish to journal about your thoughts or record them in your phone.

6)   Try integrating the above activities into your life on a regular basis and notice the difference J

Do you find that you are constantly driving yourself to achieve external goals? Do you rarely take time to do something you really love? Feel free to share your thoughts and strategies you have found helpful to integrate “things you love to do” into your day.