How Helpful Beliefs and Impeding Beliefs aid Mental Fitness

In the last two essays, I have tried to share with you what Mental Fitness is all about.

First, I began by sharing with you How Improving Your Mental Fitness Can Help Boost Your Productivity and Success. I listed areas that could help you improve your mental fitness. In my last essay, I beamed the light on Personal Accountability as a Mental Fitness Muscle sharing with you how this can be a game changer for anyone.

We will be beaming the light at another path to improving mental fitness today and this path is focus on your Belief System.

We must however begin by looking at what the word ‘belief’ means. Below is a definition for you to ponder on.

A belief is an attitude that something is the case, or that some proposition about the universe is true.

The real deal here is that you have to decide if what you believe is true or false and this is very critical because your belief drives your choices, decision and emotions. What you believe in, you push for or run after as you would agree with me that you won’t pursue what you don’t believe in neither would you live by the tenants you find unappreciable.

So you have helpful and impending beliefs-I guess the names are revealing of their roles and responsibilities already but let me still help you.

Helpful beliefs are empowering thought process that propel you to be what you can and want to be. They are always motivating, encouraging, inspiring you to go for it and be all you can be.

Impeding beliefs on the other hand are damaging, degrading, discouraging (you can add yours) thoughts. They hinder you from seeing the possibility of a task or achieving a goal.

Interestingly and as you would have experienced, there is a tendency of a war between this two fellows right in your head or mind. It is also important that I mention here that Impeding Beliefs is another name for Limiting Beliefs

A limiting belief is a state of mind or belief about yourself that restricts you in some way. Everyone experiences limiting beliefs, but learning how to identify them can help you proactively prevent these beliefs from limiting you.

Suffice to say that you cannot always have helpful beliefs because limiting beliefs will always come out to play on the same field as helpful beliefs but you have a responsibility of spotting it and sending it back to where it came from.

Let me ask you here, what is limiting you?

What belief do you hold that you think is helpful to you and aids the achievement of your goals?

You know the painful thing about beliefs? Only you accept that they are helpful or unhelpful, you will be stuck. Sadly, you may need the help of an external personnel howbeit a professional to see this sometimes.

Let me give you some examples on belief while letting you decide if any applies and what role they have played in your life.

1. There is a way.

If you don’t believe you can succeed at a particular task or goal, you’ll never get started. It just wouldn’t make any sense. You’re much more likely to chase those big goals if you believe a path that works for you exists.

2. Everyone is doing the best they can.

It’s easy to take things personally when people are cross or let us down. In many instances, you aren’t the issue. The other person could just be having a bad day. 

• This doesn’t imply that everyone is always operating at the upper limit of their potential. Given a person’s past experiences, present circumstances, and belief system, they’re usually doing the best they can at this moment.

3. Failure is a learning tool.

At some point, it’s necessary to stop learning, thinking, and planning, and take action. Your results determine your next step. See what happens and adjust your aim. The only way to avoid failure is to never do anything. Failure is part of success.

4. I can do anything, but I can’t do everything.

There are few limits to what you can do. You could climb Mount Everest, be a movie star, astronaut, or neurosurgeon. You can do one or two of these, but it’s unlikely you could do all of them. Select the most important objectives in your life, and let the others go.

5. Small improvements are enough.

Fast results require big changes, but those big changes can occur over a long period of time. Trying to change too much, too fast, often won’t work in the long-term. Introduce changes slowly. A small change that’s maintained and built upon has a large effect over time.

6. I don’t need to be the best.

Your lawyer, third-grade teacher, doctor, and mechanic are almost certainly not the absolute best in their respective fields. You can achieve a high-level of success without being the best at anything. Without the pressure to be “the best”, you can also enjoy your achievements more. 

7. It will all be over someday.

No one lives forever. A time will come when you’re gone, and there will be no one left that remembers you. This realization can be very liberating. None of your mistakes will matter in the end. Enjoy your life, and take a few chances.

8. Good things often take time.

Our society is often impatient. Most good things take time to create. If you want something spectacular in your life, be patient. It’s important to work hard, but temper your expectations with regards to the timing of it all. Learn to enjoy the process.

9. I already have everything I need to get started.

Getting started is perhaps the biggest obstacle in life. For whatever reason, we have 100 excuses why we should put things off. Some of us wait to start diets on the first day of the month. Or we always need to acquire or learn one more thing before the time is right to get started on something. 

• You already have what you need to take the first step today. You can make adjustments, and learn a little more tomorrow.

A few, simple changes in beliefs can make all the difference. Enjoy your life more and celebrate more success. Consider the impact your beliefs are having on your life, and fine-tune any beliefs that limit your potential for a more fruitful, fulfilling life.

Do you manage your beliefs? If you’re not getting the results you desire, your beliefs may deserve some examination. Your beliefs are the core of your results. Life and success are both easier and more consistent when your beliefs are supportive of the things you want out of life.

Our beliefs determine our actions, and our actions determine our results.

So what are you going to do about your belief system to attain mental fitness?

I leave that for you to decide while urging that you go make your life a masterpiece till I come your way again.

P.S. I apologize this article took long as I thought I posted it two weeks ago.

Credit: some excerpts from Swingle Clinic