You’ve likely heard someone suggest that you “listen to your own truth”. But what does that really mean?
Isn’t there only one truth?
The reality is that you don’t see the world the way it is. You actually see it the way you are. It’s your beliefs that shape your experiences which in turn defines the way you interpret your world which ultimately becomes your truth. When you change your beliefs, you change your truth.
But what if you’re not sure what your truth really is? Perhaps you’ve let others define it for you. Have you let others blow your candle out?
Time to take back your power. And the starting place is through self-exploration. Here’s a great exercise to help you dig a bit deeper into the beliefs you hold and whether they elevate or diminish your self-worth.
On a sheet of paper, draw three columns. In the first column, make a list of the top 10 beliefs you hold about yourself and the world around you. Be honest.
For example:
“I’m a good listener”
“I have a poor sense of direction.”
“People always take advantage of me.”
“I get a cold every winter.”
“I always find a good parking spot.”
“If I give money to a homeless person, they are just going to buy drugs.”
“I can’t drive at night.”
You get the idea.
Then in the next column, write down where that belief came from. Did someone say something, and you decided to make this your truth? Did that experience happen once or twice, and you have now accepted it as the way things will always be? Or is it an innate belief that you’re not really sure of its origin but it just feels right?
Then in the third column, write whether you feel this belief elevates or diminishes your sense of self and overall wellbeing and whether this is a belief you would like to change.
You see, most of our beliefs are formed when we are very young. As children we model the behaviour of those closest to us. And then as we mature, we continue to take on the beliefs of our peers in order to fit in. The thing is, the soul knows the truth. So when you’re not living in alignment with your soul’s truth, you’re not living authentically. You’re allowing other’s beliefs, or your own past conditioned experiences to define your future. It’s what you already know, and it feels safe. However it’s the opposite that’s true.
You see, when you push against your own truth, inside you know it. And it doesn’t feel good, in your body or in your heart. That’s how physical and emotional imbalances take hold. You then reach out for other things to fill the void, often to excess.
This quote from the Ask and it is Given perpetual calendar by Esther and Jerry Hicks makes my point so succinctly, “Most people do not believe that they have control over what they believe. They observe things happening around them and evaluate them, but they usually feel that they have no control whatsoever about the belief that is formulating within them. They spend their life sorting events into categories of good or bad, wanted or unwanted, right or wrong – but rarely do they understand that they have the ability to control their personal relationship with these events.”
So take back your power over your beliefs. Questioning their origin is an essential step in your self-development journey. It’s how you can move from simply observing life to co-creating a future full of love and joy.
I’ll leave you with a beautiful quote from my favourite poet Mark Nepo who wrote, “As a seed buried in the earth cannot imagine itself as an orchid or hyacinth, neither can a heart packed by hurt imagine itself loved or at peace. The courage of the seed is that once cracking, it cracks all the way.”
Let your inner seed crack open. Examine it. Love it.
And until next time, keep your frequency high, your mind open, and your joy ever expanding!
Love from your Joy Mama,
P.S. If you haven’t already read my book Being Joy™, it’s a simple 40-day practice of replacing old self-defeating beliefs with new empowering joy habits. As your vibrational frequency increases, you’ll not only experience more joy, but you’ll also be a beacon of hope for others who have forgotten their own joy. Please join me on this important Joy Revolution by ordering your copy today!
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Image courtesy of Unsplash.
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