The other day I was stuck in a reoccurring pattern. It wasn’t my favorite.
So I spent some time in my “underworld” to discover what belief was active and how it was playing out. I looked to see where it began, how it appeared over the years, and how it served me. I saw the protective intent in its formation and the limiting hold it had over me at present.
By the time I was done looking, I felt kind of muddy and tired.
Like I had grappled with a sea monster who lived hidden beneath the waters. Before I moved on, I identified a belief that would better serve my life. I planted that firmly in my mind and looked to see where it was already true. When that sneaky monster of a bad idea next swam to the surface, I turned away, no longer willing to reinforce its hold on my reality.
This practice of exploring murky spaces within isn’t a lot of fun.
It can be sobering, disheartening, and, at times, downright frightening. Yet, you can’t expect to enter a new year and create new dreams if you’re living an old, disempowering script.
Know this, you’re a magnificent story teller.
Since you’ve been young, you’ve been creating stories about yourself, how the world works, and what is possible. The plot lines were borrowed or absorbed from the larger story tellers in your life. Parents, teachers, friends, and societal instructors. All ideas tunneling into your little mind to plant those belief seeds, many of which are holding you back today.
All humans borrow stories from one another.
Often installed at a young age, they vary according to the unique path of human experience. The helpful stories invite self-acceptance, wellbeing and life satisfaction. The disempowering stories disrupt a sense of worth, innate goodness, and potential for growth. When those scary tales whisper that you can’t be happy, healthy, wealthy, creative, and meaningfully connected to others, they point you toward a path of suffering.
All because you think the story is true.
They’re simply the result of growing up human.
Today’s limiting belief made sense to your child mind and often served as protection or helped you navigate challenging circumstances.
When you cultivate an unwavering commitment to explore the beliefs you hold, they arise from their hidden depths.
Thus, making it easier to recognize what belief is running your daily existence. Start by asking yourself what story you’re telling yourself about a current struggle. Then seek the belief is hidden within that tale.
“I can’t do this or deal with this because …
I’m not worthy of happiness or not smart enough to succeed. I’m lacking time, money, experience. I’m too old, young, weak, or alone. Happiness isn’t possible for me. I have to suffer. The world is dangerous. I need rescue. I don’t have what it takes to succeed.” You get the picture.
Find the belief that fuels the disempowering story.
Limiting beliefs aren’t true, yet they may look like that in the present moment. If you want to be free, look for evidence of falseness. Look at the time, money, and experience you do have. Recall moments of happiness, positive social relationships, or the skills you’ve developed. When you notice the small pleasures, gains, and connections, you loosen the hold of that old rule.
A new year naturally invites you to choose new plot lines. Good thing you’re a brilliant story teller.
Peace be with you and with all. No exceptions.
Research has shown that cultivating positive beliefs contributes to prosocial behavior. You know that ‘feel good’ way of being kind, understanding, and compassionate toward your fellow humans. All of whom have an underground of conditioned beliefs. It also has been found to improve social connections. Committing to a positive mindset takes some work but it impacts your relationships, health, work success. Choosing and reinforcing positive beliefs supports wellbeing, resilience, and your potential to actually enjoy your life.
Learn the one essential skill that allows you to face any challenge with confidence, sturdiness, and inner calm.
More than a technique. It’s a game changer.
ia Sophia has arrived. This “Way of Wisdom” offers an invitation to step upon a Living Spiral Path and discover a new understanding of what it means to embody the Mystical Feminine.
For the past fifteen years I have lived and taught within the Mystical Feminine. I have sat within many circles and immersions with women as we explored how to practically and powerfully engage Feminine wisdom in everyday life.
When my daughter was in eighth grade, she and her Girl Scout troop were beginning to explore ideas for their individual Silver Award projects.
Around our dinner table, we tossed around possibilities. Nothing landed. Nothing stirred real interest. So we encouraged her to do what we have always trusted. Stay open. Listen. Pay attention to what people are talking about in the world.
Driving into Soul Sanctuary last weekend, I noticed the trees were engaged in a wild dance.
I should have paid closer attention as I got out of the car, because the wind nearly took me with it. Walking to the door, I had to lean in and brace myself for a moment just to stay upright. The cold whipped through my clothes and found every uncovered space, sharing its bone-numbing chill.
We recently had a big snow in my neck of the woods.
Everyone was hunkered down. The fridge was full, chicken soup was bubbling on the stove, and my book pile sat patiently on the coffee table. As the snow covered the neighborhood and the plows dumped fresh mounds over our carefully shoveled walk, we took turns peeking outside.
As a kid, snowstorms were pure joy.
“I think we need to be friends.”
Those were the first words out of my mouth when I introduced myself to Rev. Hilda Covington. We’d just finished a county meeting of nonprofit mental health and social service agencies. She was the presenter that month. We almost didn’t meet because Hilda arrived an hour and a half late to a two-hour meeting.
Life has a rhythm. It speeds up and slows down according to mysterious forces.
Your personal rhythm dances with the celestial bodies, seasons of the year, developmental phases, and the pulse of your Soulful evolutionary process. Living in harmony with these rhythms is in many ways hard to understand as it is a complicated and deeply personal process. Your rhythm dances with everyone’s rhythm in the grand Cosmic Dance.
