Introduction
The reality we experience is the result of our beliefs. Our beliefs, in turn, are often shaped by those around us—our parents, our friends, and our teachers. But what if the people around you don’t share your values? Or they don’t inspire you to live up to your potential? For a long time now, I’ve been fascinated by how some people seem to know exactly what they want out of life and achieve their goals while others struggle or even fail at theirs. And while there are many factors that contribute to this difference—including intelligence and opportunity—I believe there’s another important factor at play: how aligned our beliefs are with achieving success in a given area (e.g., making money or starting a business).
Aligned beliefs
Aligned beliefs are the foundation of our reality. They shape our thoughts, feelings and actions. When we align our beliefs to match our values, they become a powerful force that can create new realities in our lives.
We can begin to change any area of life by changing just one belief.
For example: If you want more financial freedom so that you have time for yourself and your family, start by changing the belief “I don’t have enough money” into “I am rich with abundance!” This will cause other thoughts and feelings (such as happiness) to arise naturally in your mind when thinking about money or wealth creation activities, which in turn will lead to different actions (such as starting a business).
This process works because everything begins with thought, which is created by belief; then feeling follows suit based on these initial thoughts; finally action occurs due to emotion being triggered from those feelings (which were generated through thinking). Therefore if we change one thing—beliefs!—then all three parts come along for a ride too: thoughts → feelings → actions ==> results/outcomes We can also say this another way; if we want something new from life then we need only shift how we think about ourselves within those areas first before anything else will change because everything starts there at some level–and this includes reality itself!
Mission-driven motivation
Mission-driven motivation is powerful, and it’s a force for good. It can help you to achieve your goals and find meaning in your life.
On the other hand, if you aren’t pursuing a mission that’s aligned with who you are and what matters most to you, then it won’t have the same effect on your psyche. In fact, it may even have negative effects on how happy or fulfilled you feel in life!
Convictions and values
Convictions are beliefs about what is right and wrong. Values, on the other hand, are personal standards of behavior that guide you in all aspects of your life. They help create a sense of purpose and guide your decisions.
For example, you may have a conviction that it’s wrong to steal or cheat people. Your conviction might be based on religious teachings or just something you believe from experience because someone close to you was hurt by someone who stole from them. If this belief guides your actions—for example, when faced with an opportunity to steal—you’ll likely make a different choice than if it doesn’t influence how you live your life.
Figure 1: How convictions affect our daily choices
Role models and mentors
Mentors and role models can be found anywhere. They are not limited to your family, teachers, or coaches. Mentors and role models can be the baristas at your local coffee shop, a friend who is successful in their career path of choice, or someone else you admire who has accomplished something great.
The best way to find a mentor is by asking yourself what kind of person you would like to be around? Do they have qualities that you wish for yourself? How do they live their life? Once you have decided on what person would make a good mentor/role model for yourself – then simply ask them! It’s as simple as asking someone how their day was going before asking them if they’d be willing to mentor/role model for you.
Being a good mentee/apprentice is all about being open-minded when learning from others – especially those who may not agree with everything we believe in! If someone tells us something different than what we currently know then it’s important that we don’t get defensive about it but rather listen intently so that we can learn something new about ourselves without feeling threatened by another point-of-view.
Life-changing moments
Life-changing moments are events that permanently change our beliefs. They may be positive or negative, one-time occurrences, or a series of experiences that occur over time. Some life-changing moments come at the hands of other people—a mentor who inspires you to pursue your dreams, a parent who teaches you the meaning of sacrifice and selflessness, an acquaintance whose kindness inspires you to express gratitude more often in your own life. Others come from within us: A decision not to tell someone how much they mean to us because we know it would cost them their job; an unexpected diagnosis that forces us to reassess everything we thought about ourselves as “healthy”.
When these events occur, they alter our perspectives on what’s possible for our lives by creating new “realities.” They show us there are possibilities beyond what seemed possible before these events occurred. These realities can then motivate us toward goals and dreams previously out of reach because they offer proof that change is possible—in fact, it happens every day!
The operating system of belief
Beliefs are the operating system of our lives. They determine how we manifest and experience reality, and they’re shaped by our experiences. This is why it’s so important to identify what you believe about yourself and the world around you, as these beliefs will dictate your actions.
But just as a computer program can be changed or updated with new data, so can your core values and beliefs be altered through new experiences (or re-examining old ones). These changes can have a powerful effect on your ability to create success in all areas of life: career, relationships, health/fitness goals…you name it!
You may have heard motivational speakers talk about “changing your life” through positive thinking—but this isn’t just about thinking positive thoughts; it’s more about identifying what motivates you internally so that those motivations drive everything else in life. In other words…
Our convictions, role models, and life-changing moments shape our reality.
Our convictions, role models, and life-changing moments shape our reality.
Let’s start with convictions. A conviction is a belief that’s strong enough to act on. If you’re not sure if a particular belief is deep enough for you to consider it a “conviction”, ask yourself the following question: “How would my life be different if I did not hold this belief?” If the answer makes no difference at all in your life, then it’s probably not worth holding onto (but more on that later). On the other hand, if holding onto your current beliefs causes some kind of internal conflict or tension because they go against something else inside of yourself—like desire or intuition—then maybe those should be reconsidered as well. The point here is simply that we have certain beliefs which are so powerful within us that they affect everything else around us; these are our core beliefs about ourselves and how things work in general.
Conclusion
As you can see, our beliefs play a big part in how we approach life. The way we think about things is one of the most important aspects of who we are as people. And it’s not just about having strong convictions—it’s also about having those convictions aligned with each other and forming a coherent framework for decision-making. When you have this kind of consistency in your life, there’s less room for doubt or confusion because all your ideas are consistent with each other. This will enable you to make better decisions when faced with tough choices because your beliefs will guide you toward what will benefit everyone involved instead of just yourself alone!
