Whether we are aware of it or not each of
us has a set of core values and beliefs about life. These core values and
beliefs influence the vision we have of the future and even sometimes the past.
These core values and beliefs are often
developed in childhood and for many of us these ideas come from our parents,
but they also come from general society. The TV shows you watched growing up,
the friends you had, their parents, your teachers and whatever was happening in
the world as you grew up that is reflected on the news affects your values and
beliefs as well.
Many of these things we don’t even realise
are there. Therefore, we will sometimes react unconsciously to things that
strike at those core values and beliefs. Sometimes those actions lead us down
the wrong path. Working on our personal development can enable us to become
much more self-aware about our core values and beliefs and why we have specific
ideas or not.
Positive & Negative Core Beliefs
Everyone has both positive and negative
core beliefs. The more positive thoughts you have, the more positive you will
behave, as you embark on achievement. These positive beliefs include things
like believing you are worthy, safe, competent and capable, appreciated,
accepted, knowledgeable, and so forth.
Negative beliefs are often focused and based
on your personality or inner-self, as well as on a negative thought that someone
had about you or based on something you said about yourself. These can be very
limiting to your self-esteem. That’s why you can meet two people, who have the
same job, make the same amount of money, and one will be happy and satisfied,
while the other person will inwardly feel miserable.
Finding Out Core Values & Beliefs are Negative
You may not even realise you have beliefs
that are causing you to be held back. If you’ve watched person after person
succeed at something that you want to do, are you able to identify how to
improve it or are you not able to accept that a core idea or belief you have is
holding you back?
Are You Willing to Change?
If you want to embark on a journey of personal
development, you need to be willing to challenge your core beliefs, ideas, and
even the vision you have created for your life. Until you know what’s true,
accurate, and based on facts rather simply on opinions or false beliefs, it’ll
be hard to envision how far you can go towards the advancements you want to
make. It may be the difference between deciding to become a Doctor or a Nurse.
Neither career is a wrong choice. However, one might be better for you, when considering
your likes, dislikes, existing skills, your health, and your interests, goals,
and other preferences.
As you work through your development plan in all aspects of your life, you’ll come to many surprising realisations. Some of them will be a surprise, others, not so much. The critical point is to realise that the ideas you have right now, even your most core beliefs and values may change once you find out it’s not true. For instance, it’s not true that you can’t lose weight. It’s not true that you cannot start your own business. It’s not true that you aren’t good enough. If you find that you have limiting core beliefs and values, you will want to work on those first. Without the inside taken care of, it’s hard to fix everything else.
