The World is Flat

The Nature of Beliefs

Just as our perceptions are not actual reality, neither are beliefs. Beliefs are simply a programmed way of thinking that directs our behavior. It doesn't matter what so-called reality is; what matters is what you believe. Having the ability to win a match or execute a task makes no difference if you don't believe you can do it. Beliefs are programmed expectations that cause you to see what you expect to see and to achieve what you expect to achieve.

When we are children, the world is expansive and, more important, unlimited. As we grow up, that perspective changes. We have experiences that form our beliefs regarding what we can and cannot do. We touch a hot stove and learn we can't do that without pain. Many of our experiences "teach" us what we can't do. Our efforts get dashed; our beliefs get challenged.

Perhaps you liked to sing as a kid, and the first time you sang in front of others, people made fun of you. That early experience taught you that maybe you're not meant to be a singer or you're not very talented. You "learned" in that moment and created a belief about your singing. That belief may stay with you the rest of your life.

What happened was that you had an experience that caused you to feel a certain way—in this case, rejected--and that occurrence set the bar for your beliefs about that area of your life. Unfortunately, most people simply give up on that skill or area of life, never finding out how good they could be if they challenged their limiting belief. A belief can be created quickly—sometimes in only an instant—and then it stays with us, perhaps for a lifetime.

Say, for example, you're an eight-year-old kid, and you see a dark, round shape as you climb into bed. Thinking it's a big spider, you scream, only to realize that it's not real: it's just a ball of yarn. The reality part doesn't matter. What matters is what you believe, and in that instant your brain believed it was a big spider. Also in that moment there was an emotional reaction of fear that your brain filed away, in order to protect you in the future. Your brain does its job, for the rest of your life, latching onto that fear whenever you see a spider or something that looks like one.

Thankfully, it doesn't have to be that way. If that fear of spiders, or any other belief, is not serving you how you'd like, you can change it. It doesn't matter how logical, ingrained, or traumatic your experience was that created that belief: we can unlearn what we learned. (The reframing exercise from Chapter 5 is one way.)

When we set a goal, we should examine what our beliefs are about that goal. You may ask yourself directly, "What are the three main beliefs I have around achieving this goal?" Is each belief useful for you now, in this situation? What would you have to believe to achieve your goal?

In the case of the fear of spiders, meaning was assigned into the arachnophobe's brain at the time of the incident. The same thing happens in other areas of life. With each new experience, your brain will attempt to assign meaning to the experience in order to understand how to respond. The brain goes through its checklist of questions: Is this relevant to me? What do I have in my databank of experiences that relates to this? Is this something I should be afraid of, or is it something I've mastered?

Beliefs not only set limits for what's possible in our lives but also attract situations to try to keep those beliefs intact. It's called homeostasis. Homeostasis is the effort of the subconscious mind to maintain a certain level of skill or achievement, whatever the individual believes is right for him or her.

For example, if you are performing above what you believe you are capable of doing, your subconscious will try to bring the performance down to your comfort level. By the same token, if you are performing below your level of belief, your subconscious will work to bring the results back up to your beliefs.

It doesn't matter what you believe; your subconscious does not judge your belief. It tries only to make your beliefs happen. That's why beliefs are much more important than hopes and wishes. You will always draw experiences into your life to support your beliefs…