Writing Prompt – Find Your Beliefs to Create Change

A belief can be something that you accept to be true or something that you accept exists. There are some commonly held beliefs, and some that are less common. Some of your beliefs may be specific to you and your situation.

Take a few moments to consider some things that you have a belief in, and write them down. These will be things that you accept as truth. Think about what you believe to be true about yourself, your world, and others around you. These things that you accept to be true effect the way that you interact with each of these categories (yourself, others, and the world), and effect your actions as a person.

For example, do you believe that other people are good by nature? You’re likely to trust people, open up to others and form relationships, start businesses with others, trust others in group work, etc. However, if you believe that other people can’t be trusted, then you’re less likely to trust, less likely to open up to others and form relationships, start partnerships, trust others in group work, etc. Any other beliefs that you have about others will affect how you interact with the world around you. The same goes for your beliefs about yourself and your world around you.

Your beliefs have a strong impact on your life. They’re also strong indicators for how you’ll act. Take some time and consider these and write them down.

Now that you’ve written them down, ask yourself why you believe these things. What caused this belief to grow? Consider for a moment that your beliefs were created by and strengthened by things that have happened, or that are happening, in your life. What happened in your life that has caused you to have these beliefs? Write this down too.

Now, identify limiting beliefs – beliefs that limit you. Identify your negative beliefs. Your beliefs belong to you. You may or may not change them, based on what they are. The goal isn’t to change them though, the goal is to identify and understand them. When you start to come in contact with a limiting belief, think of it as a lighthouse. If you have a negative belief about others (even if it’s not your ONLY belief about others), be able to feel when you’re getting close to it. When you get close to it, instead of acting in a way that reinforces that belief, take action that doesn’t limit you or the people around you.

Write down the things that you can do to take action when you start to feel those negative beliefs creeping up. Something happened that caused you to have your beliefs. When you start to feel the limiting beliefs come up, what are some things that you can do to limit those negative actions that you take when you start to come in contact with that belief? The goal isn’t to change that belief, but to limit the problems caused by them.

Now write down the positive beliefs that you have. What things do you have a positive belief in? Why? What can you do to reinforce those beliefs? Take some time to journal this too.

The point is to be aware of your beliefs, and to take action that takes you closer to where you want to be. Maybe over time those limiting beliefs change, maybe they don’t. Either way, you’ll use them to grow.