The mind and what we believe in are truly powerful. We do ourselves a disservice not to recognize that.
One of the most powerful structures the mind is capable of is belief. Those considered hypochondriacs show us an example of just how powerful an effect beliefs can have. Hypochondriacs have a deep belief in their symptoms, thus becoming their symptoms.
Many of the symptoms that hypochondriacs feel are often physical sensations caused by anxiety or depression that can go along with hypochondria. The constant worrying brought on by these symptoms can release harmful stress hormones and do real physical damage. Simply believing in something harmful can - and most of the time does - bring about harm where no risk of harm previously existed.
It's no secret that the mind can manifest physical responses. Whether we look at Hypochondriacs, people who experience immense stress, or even phantom pregnancy (though very rare). There are countless examples of those who can create and prolong their pain by believing in it or having a negative attitude about whatever ailment they may be experiencing. Studies also show those of us who maintain a negative attitude age faster and are sick more often. A negative attitude is nothing more than attachment(s) to negative thoughts, and attachment(s) to thought(s) without flexibility is essentially what a belief is.
To hold a belief is to assert a truth, yet truth does not require our assertion to be true; it just
is. An example I like to use often is gravity. Gravity is an objective truth, meaning that gravity applies to all life. Whether you believe in it or not, if you walk off the roof of a building, you and everyone else with you will still fall regardless of your belief or not in gravity.
Another objective truth is that the mind wants to make what it thinks true. This means that if you think yourself to be sick, you are more likely to become sick, and if you think yourself well, you will more likely be well. A great example is those who recover from medical procedures or hurtful accidents. Much of their recovery is tied to their state of mind.
One of the biggest challenges I've seen people come up against with mindfulness growth is their beliefs. Some of us will struggle to experience the wonder of mindfulness and the benefits it offers simply because we have limiting beliefs about it, so we unconsciously or consciously self-sabotage in order to create a self-fulfilling validation of our limited beliefs. All beliefs we carry are inherently limiting, and it is only natural to want to defend them. Examples I've seen are those of us who experience (and maybe even are diagnosed with) anxiety and depression. If we believe that anxiety and depression are a part of who we are or this thing (like a virus) that we "have," then we will most likely always have it. Those who stake their identities so deep into the ground of "This is who I am" have the most difficulty with growth and transformation.
I've learned that belief takes away our ability to think about what it is we believe in. So, in place of belief, I have learned to foster trust and faith. If you find that I am merely playing with semantics, I assure you I am not. Belief and trust are not synonymous, yet trust and faith are. We don't call it a belief fall; we call it a trust fall. We don't like partners who believe us; we look for partners who trust us and who we trust in return. We don't believe in the process; we trust in the process. One of the scariest things we can experience isn't not believing in ourselves; it is not trusting ourselves.
If there is one thing I hope you take away from this blog, it is to inspect your current beliefs and notice what happens if you attempt to think about them in a way that challenges them. Notice if your beliefs have ever held you back or caused you harm.
Notice how the phrase we use isn't "limiting trust" or "limiting faith"; it is "limiting beliefs."
Trust your highest self and surrender to the process; all will be well. Trust and faith open our minds and allow for growth. It allows us to challenge our thought process and either confirm or disprove our thoughts. The more angles we can view a thought, the stronger it becomes when confirmed. And if we discover a thought untrue, we are better for it. When we allow for such an inspection, we become truth seekers, and as the saying goes, the truth will set you free. Mindfulness is about the freedom of judgment. This is how we discover what and who we truly are. Only when we release the cage of judgment can our true (authentic) self emerge.
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