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Beliefs: How to Challenge Them Now

When I was younger, I thought that beliefs could not be changed. My “belief” was that once I had a particular belief, I was destined to carry it my entire life. I then realized I was dead wrong on that matter. In fact, changing a negative, self-limiting belief can be changed almost instantly.

But before I dive into changing beliefs, let me give you a little background about beliefs and where they come from.

Beliefs are only thoughts held to be true.  They are not right or wrong, true or false, just VERY strong opinions. So, why is it important to constantly challenge your beliefs? The reality is that you will always act or not act in accordance to your predominate beliefs.

We need to distinguish ideas and beliefs so we can understand how to change them. Beliefs start out as just an idea that grows powerful as we put more focus and energy to it. Tony Robbins said it best; ideas are like a table with no legs while beliefs are the legs that hold up the table or idea. Remember that beliefs are not right or wrong so we can easily create beliefs that do not serve us. One other key thing to mention is that two people can have go through the same experience and leave with two completely separate beliefs.

What we need to do is become aware of when we are putting “legs” under that table. One quick way I have found is understanding the power of our vocabulary. The most powerful words we can speak are “I am.” You can say that confirming “I am” puts more legs under the idea (table) whether it is right or wrong. This means we can easily create powerful beliefs about ourselves that are completely self-limiting.

Here’s an easy four-step process I developed for changing those negative beliefs:
1) Awareness – become aware of what we are thinking
2) Thoughts – change our negative thoughts
3) Re-Program – re-write or re-program the thought
4) Vocabulary – change the words you are staying on a consistent basis

Most of the time we focus on what is not working, what is not right or what we feel we cannot change. By becoming aware of what we think, change negative thoughts to positive ones, re-program the thought or idea to empowering ones and this can be easily accomplished by changing a negative vocabulary to a more positive one.

With peace and gratitude,
Bill

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Daily Positive Points

Today’s Message
Forgiveness is one of the keys to happiness. I say forgive and live rather than use the diseased syringe of revenge.

Today’s Quote
“An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.” Mohandas Gandhi

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Positive Pathways February 2011

February’s Positive Pathways Newsletter has just been released!  It focused on Prevent Bullying and featured the incredible bullying expert Annie Fox. Checkout the online version by clicking here now or for future ones you can get it emailed directly to your inbox by joining our list link at the top of the page. 

Peace and gratitude,
Bill

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Still Bill

I watched an excellent documentary last night called, Still Bill.  It was about the life and times of singer Bill Withers.  He said something in the film that caught my attention.  Here it is:  “It’s okay to head out for wonderful.  But on your way to wonderful your going to have to pass through alright.  When you get to alright, take a good look around and get used to it.”

After hearing that it got me thinking.  I believe a lot of the people today want instant gratification.  They want all the glory but are not willing to do what it takes to achieve the success.  There are no shortcuts to success; however, there are ways to achieve your goals faster.  It is a simple process.  Think positive thoughts, visualize what you want, use a positive vocabulary, and act on your intuition.

With peace and gratitude,
Bill

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Positive Pathways Newsletter – Topic: Bullying

I am still working on my next Positive Pathways newsletter.  I am hopeful to get it out this week or next week for sure.  It is TOTALLY FREE.  All you have to do is sign-up by going to any page on idontstink.com and click on the “Join Our Email List” banner at the top of the page.  All I need is your name and email address.  Then you can sign up for the Positive Pathways list or the several others I offer.  It’s that easy!  PLUS, when you sign up, you will get some pretty cool FREE gifts.  Cha-Ching!!

Love and gratitude,
Bill

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Life is a Journey

Earlier today I was watching a YouTube Video of Srikumar Rao and he was discussing how to be happy.  He went on to state that we often put all our efforts in the outcome instead of the process.  But the interesting point is that we do not have control over the outcomes.  However, we do have control over the actions we take.  It is when we give our best at achieving what we want, more often than not, we will have a positive outcome.

Life is a journey.  Everything we do, see, and including what we think is a journey.  If you are at work complaining about your job, that is a journey.  If you watch 2-3 hours of television, that too is a journey.  The bigest question to ask yourself, “Is this the journey I want.”  Once we start making different choices in what we think, what we say and what we do, we are almost guaranteed to experience more outcomes that are to our liking.

With peace and gratitude,
Bill

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Daily Positive Points

Today’s Message
the world we see is a mirror image of what is within us.  If we look for things that displease us, chances are that is what we will experience.  However, the opposite is true.  If we look for peace, love, and happiness, we will tend to see the beauty that is around us all the time.

Today’s Quote
“Look at the world with the vision of peace, love, and compassion. Then the whole world will appear loving and peaceful.” Sri Sathya Sai Baba (Indian Spiritual leader, b.1926)

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New Premium Membership Site is COMING!

Look for details next week on my brand spanking new Premium Membership site launch.  There will be so many new and cool things to do and check out.  Look for details next week!

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Daily Positive Points

Today’s Message
Comparing ourselves to others only proves that we have a need to judge.  They offer zero positive benefits and often create conflicts in our relationships of others.  Today, the moment you have a positive or negative comparison thought, try this.  Say the following, “I am perfect just the way I am.  I am a powerful, positive person.  Since I am what I think, I choose to think I am SA-WEETNESS all over.”

Today’s Quote
“If we find ourselves always coming out on the positive or negative end of comparisons, we may eventually develop strong feelings of loneliness and isolation. This occurs because others (consciously or unconsciously) sense our assessment and, at some level, pick up on our belief of better than or less than. With either belief, we are inviting conflict or submission in our relationships. In such a case, intimacy never develops fully.

“Taking it a step further; if we compare ourselves to others, we are demonstrating a value driven by a desire to be the same as or different from someone else. Given that forward progress on our life’s journey requires discovering and valuing the true self (as we are) we can only imagine how much comparison can slow us down. The negative ego strategy of comparison limits the future by allowing others to dictate it. In other words, when we look to others for assessment of ourselves, we are, in essence, at the mercy o f their level of functioning.

“Confronting the negative ego and diminishing its effects can result in us being more fully present in our interactions with others as well as with our selves. In a sense, when we are successful in separating out the negative ego messages, we become the observer of our thoughts and take responsibility for them. This requires courage on our part to be in the moment. When we empower ourselves to be fully present in this way, we disempower the negative ego.” Exerpt from Who Am I?  How Do I Find Me  (Meda Killgore, Therapist and Author)

BONUS: Meda is offering you an incredible meditation for free.  Click here to download this forgiveness meditation.

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Daily Positive Points

Last Friday’s Message
“Find comfort in the arms of grace.  Let go of the illusion you hold on to that you’re in control.  Let God be God.  We’re only passengers on this crazy voyage called life.  Take 5 today to watch the great video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CZ0XJqWRr4. 

Quote
“When you realize you’re not in control of this, then you normally start doing what’s right.” – Betty Williams (Nobel laureate)

Believe it.  See it.  LOVE it!
With peace and gratitude,
Bill

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