Logic tells us that our beliefs follow reality. We have experienced a certain situation or a friend has told us about an event from their own life, and so we have become convinced of the truth of a particular statement. But in fact, this is just one person’s experience, and if that experience was negative, we can fall into the trap of limiting beliefs that can hold us back throughout our lives: success can only be achieved through connections, happiness is a myth, women are only after money, friends will always betray you in the end, rich people are always liars, etc.

But if we delve deeper into quantum knowledge of the universe, we will realize that in fact the opposite is true and reality follows beliefs. Those who believe that success comes easily are actually able to achieve their goals with ease. Those who believe they deserve happiness and respect in their interactions with others are actually able to build strong relationships.

Inventory of beliefs

To understand why certain things happen in a certain way in our lives, one of the first things we need to do is take inventory of our beliefs. This is especially true if we notice that we often find ourselves in similar, recurring situations. Doing an inventory of beliefs means thinking about what our core underlying convictions are in each area of life and assessing whether they are useful to us and lead us to success, or, on the contrary, hinder us from acting and limit our worldview. 

Take some time and embark on a journey within yourself. What do you believe about life and the world? What do you believe about yourself and those around you? The more questions you ask yourself and the deeper you go, the more answers you will receive about your own path so far and going forward.

What do I believe about myself? Do I deserve love and happiness?

What do I believe about people? Are they good, and do I expect them to treat me well?

What is important in life and what makes life meaningful?

What do I believe leads to success in love? What do I believe leads to success in my career? What do I believe leads to a healthy and fulfilling daily life?

If our beliefs are constructive, all we have to do is stick to them and positive results will follow naturally. A person who is respectful and open to others will receive mostly good treatment in return. A person who believes that hard work, perseverance, and calculated risks can secure a better life will progress at a steady pace. A person who eats well and exercises regularly will feel better in their body and be healthier.

Subconscious beliefs

Of course, in our emotional world, not everything is quite so simple. Some of our beliefs are very easy to recognize and identify, but others lurk in our subconsciousness and hinder us without us even realizing it. The way to resolve this is to always be on the lookout for any nonsensical explanations we might give ourselves when a situation arises.

An example of such a belief is “Success is possible, but only after many difficulties and obstacles.” This is an attempt to set realistic expectations, but in fact it is an unnecessary psychological barrier. In some cases, this is certainly true, but there is no logic in it being valid all the time, and one must be open to achieving goals more easily when the situation allows it. Furthermore, formulated in this way, the belief sends a message to the universe to place obstacles in the path to success.

If we ask ourselves why we are afraid to do something in our lives that we really want to do, we will most likely answer that it is because we believe we will fail. Once we realize the main reason, we can try to overcome it—with arguments that refute it, or with additional actions that reduce the chances of failure to a minimum.

If, on the other hand, we subconsciously believe that we will succeed in something, no matter what happens, we have already made the decision that we will overcome every difficulty along the way, and thus the chances of achieving our goal increase dramatically.

How can we change our beliefs?

After everything that has been said so far, the logical question follows: If I have negative and limiting beliefs, how can I change them? At first glance, this seems impossible because if we are sure of something, we have our reasons for it and our mind will resist abandoning them.

The good news is that with a little effort, the brain can be persuaded to believe something it did not believe before. At one point, many people did not believe that space travel was possible, but then they had to accept that it was. The same is true for everything else.

If you notice that you have a belief that is holding you back, first refute it with as many arguments as possible. If, for example, you think that people don’t like you, challenge the validity of that belief. Make a mental or physical list of all the people who actually like you, those you made a good impression on from the first time you met, social situations where you showed confidence and charisma, etc.

Another trick is to start repeating the belief you want to acquire until it sinks in and becomes reality. Fake it ’till you make it, as the popular saying goes. If you have an exam, an interview for your dream job, or a first date with someone you are excited about, prepare for them with the affirmation: Success comes easily and naturally. As long as you really maintain discipline, within a few months you will find that this new belief has become part of your core.