Often you consider your beliefs as facts, far too obvious for inspection. However, since you create your beliefs, you also provide the validation. You readily gravitate towards material that validates your belief due to the Law of Attraction. If you looked, you could just as easily find as much information that invalidated your belief. For example, you can just as easily find countless examples of people displaying rude behavior as you can easily find as many examples of people displaying kindness. What you think, you validate by seeking out specific examples that fit the mold of your belief.
We form our beliefs through our own self-imposed thoughts. We validate our beliefs by what we allow into our reality. The validation of the belief is secured through the choices we make, the books we choose or refuse to read, acquaintances, discussions we partake in, magazines we subscribe to. All that we attract that supports the belief is chosen by us through our thoughts, although we are quick on the trigger to congratulate ourselves on mastering the validation of the belief. However, we have really done nothing more than draw to ourselves our personally selected proof all while rejecting contrary material.
A rather obvious example of belief validation lies with both the person holding religious beliefs and the person who believes in science as our origin. Each person forms their beliefs and validates the belief from material exclusively selected. While a person with strong religious beliefs can have an awareness of scientific opinion, it is very unlikely that this person would have a home library full of studied resources on scientific origin of humanity. This person would likely have many friends with mutual ideas on religion and engage in conversation supporting religious points of view. Conversely, the person who supports a scientific origin of humanity would draw material that supported their scientific belief excluding from their reading material religious doctrines, forgoing church participation and bible study. While each person might encounter differing opinions (thoughts), it is through debate (repelling the other persons thoughts) not understanding of the other persons view point (beliefs) that discussion is approached. We choose what we allow into our reality. What we allow predominantly supports our belief. We reject what does not support our beliefs. It is that simple.
It is always easier to see beliefs held in religion or science since these beliefs are commonly held in opposition. It is harder to see the beliefs that we validate day to day such as our beliefs on the state of the economy, social prejudices we hold, or beliefs about ourselves. We are nearly blinded by most of our beliefs because they seem so obviously true.
Already you might be tempted to sputter several scientific beliefs as facts that govern your life. You can point to the formulas and equations and say with certainty that they are accurate. But their accuracy is reliant upon your beliefs. If you changed those beliefs, the formulas and equations would fall like the Roman Emperor.
Be aware, science (and religion to some degree) is a self-correcting system of inquiry, a collection of opinions as socially conditioned as the weathervane of Paris couture. It was not that awfully long ago that we believed ourselves out of a flat world, an earth-centered universe, and the planetary status of Pluto.
You can convince yourself that these changes are evolutionary and progressive. But are they? You might even think beliefs change through knowledge and understanding. Consider the story of Pluto. From its discovery in 1930 until 2006, Pluto enjoyed planetary status as the ninth planet in our solar system. In August of 2006, scientists with no real definition of what constituted a planet, finally agreed and voted in a definition. Unfortunately, this definition demoted Pluto to that of a dwarf planet.
According to this “voted in” definition, a planet must orbit the sun and must be large enough to have become round due to the force of its own gravity, both of which Pluto meets. However in addition, for an object to be considered a planet the object must dominate the neighborhood around its orbit. A planet must clear a path along its orbit sweeping up asteroids, comets and other debris. Here is where we find that Pluto is a bit untidy. Pluto has a bit of tail debris, thus, the demotion of Pluto.
Ultimately nothing really changed, did it? No ancient tableau was found passing this wisdom down. Pluto sits out there in outer space not really caring about any beliefs here on Earth, I assure you. Pluto is no more “a planet” or “not a planet” than it is a widget. Our beliefs do not thrust upon Pluto any sort of truth. Understand that. The only change that occurred was that of our beliefs. It is through the filter of beliefs, beliefs that we provide both the definition and the accuracy test for, that we view what is factual and what is fictitious. Now when we look at a text book and see the handsome new definition of a planet, we validate our belief that Pluto does not meet the criteria. Therefore, we believe it is true that Pluto is not a planet.
Consider how many planets there are. Doesn’t that necessitate that you believe in some definition of what a planet is? Does that definition hold truth? Of course not. Neither is it false. Truth is reliant upon a belief in something. However, we know believing in something does not make it true whether we are talking about a planet, money, poverty, religion, science, prejudices or you. We experience inescapably what we believe.
All of your beliefs are formed in much the same manor. There is virtually nothing you can point to and say conclusively that it is fact or fiction. Everything you consider factual or fictitious, you have provided both definition and validation. To see the fallacies of your beliefs, you have to have unbiased inspection and accept that your beliefs are neither true nor false.
Let’s take a look at a not so obvious validation of your reality. Consider a social studies teacher working in a rural school system located within a democratic belt of the Midwest. Already from that very brief description several images certainly pop into mind: this teacher more than likely supports social programs, probably believes in unfair social class divisions, more than likely thinks children born into economically challenged homes do not have the same opportunities as economically privileged children, probably believes in social barriers, caps and limits of opportunity.
This teacher will hold out his assumptions as fact. He will validate his belief through reading material, speaking with other “like-teachers,” and supporting political candidates he chooses to read up on. He will see his experience as proof of his belief and all that he seeks to read and people he chooses to engage in conversation with will also seem to support his beliefs. In turn, he validates the beliefs of others including his students that barriers to opportunity exist, that it takes money to make money, and rich people have special privileges. This belief sheaths those who validate it including teacher, co-worker and students until at some point, for example, a student breaks free of this belief (that he or she is limited in some way) and actually achieves outstanding success. Others still engaged in that framework of beliefs look at that successful student as the “one in a million.” However, the one-in-a-million student did nothing but shed limiting beliefs.
Beliefs are only thoughts you have on matters. Thoughts do NOT transmit truth, ever. For as many people who believe in limits and barriers there are equal amounts of people who believe that anyone can be whatever they aspire to be. Which is true? Which is false? Only your personal beliefs can determine that answer for you. Believing as this teacher does, experiences that exhibit limits will surely follow further validating his belief.
It is easy to understand how our beliefs direct the planetary status of Pluto and the color we use to describe the Sun. It is not so easy to see how our personal beliefs guide our lives and direct our experiences. They both limit and provide opportunities without our awareness. As we become aware of our beliefs, we can change our experiences.
For change to occur, you must not surrender to your beliefs. You must see your beliefs as nothing more than thoughts that breathe no truth. It does not matter what proof you think you have. All beliefs are thoughts. Thoughts are energy translated into form. The only truths are the truths we create, then.
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