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10/25/2016

What Beliefs I Hold About Myself

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"Suffering is our call to attention, our call to investigate the truth of our beliefs"
~Tara Brach  


What are some of the beliefs we hold about ourselves that get in the way or limit us from feeling open-minded and open-hearted?

We can begin to understand what beliefs are limiting or empowering us as we reflect and experience the way the beliefs live and feel in the mind-heart-body. To inquire a bit more deeply, let's reflect on the following questions:  

How do we know if a belief is limiting or empowering us?
By pausing to notice how the mind-heart-body is directly experiencing the belief through underlying thoughts, feelings and sensations.  A limiting belief contracts the mind-heart-body as tightness, heaviness, irritation, judgment, shame, anxiety, isolation, fear, anger, jealousy, inferiority, etc. An empowering belief creates a feeling sense of expansion in the mind-heart-body as lightness, spaciousness, open-ness, joy, clarity, connectedness, trust, acceptance, compassion, wisdom, etc.

How do we know if a belief is true? 
We have thousands of thoughts throughout the day. Sometimes these underlying thoughts come from beliefs that we hold as absolutely true. Some examples of deeply rooted beliefs that I've heard when working with parents of children with a special need is that the child will never speak, behavior appropriately, go to college or have friends. Other beliefs I've heard from working with children and teenagers are "I am not good enough to hang out with typical kids or "I have no control over my anxiety or anger."  These are powerfully limiting beliefs! Are they true?...Are they absolutely true? Let's inquire: 

**Take about 5 minutes (for deeper mindfulness practice, sit in a quiet, distraction-free space for about 45 minutes daily) to pause whenever you notice a limiting belief that is standing between you and feeling neutral or good. Experience what comes up for you as you investigate with gentle curiosity about where the beliefs is rooted and if they are true/absolute.  In the process, there is no need to judge or criticize yourself or others. Be as compassionate and at ease with yourself as able. If we allow for spaciousness in the mind, we may find that there is a continuous flow of change, a coming and going of all phenomena - thoughts, emotions, sensations, etc. and that nothing is static, fixed or bound or limited.  Let's simply sit and be with it all, just in this moment. 

Author, Nina Bhatty
Feel free to share your comments about this article or your experience - either below in the comments section or via email in the 'contact' tab in the menu. 

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7 Comments
Sonya M.
10/25/2016 12:20:43 pm

I've never stopped to think about my beliefs and where they come from and if they are really mine. Thank you for this article - I am hoping to inquire more about this
Blessings!

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Omar
10/25/2016 03:29:41 pm

How chalenging and painful it can be to really stop for minutes and see ourself. . Can you email me privately to discuss further. Tanks you.

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A.J.
10/26/2016 09:24:05 pm

I have been a long-time meditator and feel that the identity has really been slowly dropping off, leaving a clearer lens through which to live a more non-attached (rather than de-tached) life. I still have struggles, yet am more easily resilient when there is suffering. The greatest challenges have been with relationships and the craving for attention and reflection of self-worth. With time, I've observed myself desiring less and less and accepting whatever the outcome (not always easy to sit with that pain). The teacher, for me, has been the dharma and sangha - ever so grateful for this! Thanks so much for sharing...hope to continue reading your blogs!

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Chitra
11/9/2016 10:35:11 pm

Great information, will try but am anticipating it being very challenging to sit with this kind of deep beliefs that are rooted...

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Sam M.
11/19/2016 01:56:47 pm

I've begun this process - I think when practicing Mindfulness, looking within at what comes and goes, we naturally looking deeper...beliefs are buried deep, right? Mindfulness is like peeling layers of our superficiality that has been so conditioned over time, some lifetimes (?)...wow, what a process of self-discovery...thanks for all your insight and support..
Sam

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Shelli P
11/26/2016 04:33:35 pm

We've only just begun this journey and looking forward to exploring so much more about myself and everything I relate to/with....Thank you!!!!
Shelli P

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Jake Ludolp link
6/17/2023 08:21:46 pm

Thank you for being youu

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