In order to start over we have to let go of our past beliefs: conflict between new and old can be one hell of a battle, with past beliefs being the strongest of the two. Changing can be hard work – that goes for most things that need change, and it takes time, effort and patience to do anything correctly. Our past beliefs have an upper hand over our new ones because they already know us, they know how we work, they have a direct line to our fears and doubts and call them up as soon as they see competition on the horizon. To get behind the new guy we need to play clever; if we truly want to change then we need to be willing to stay strong, be bold and take charge of conflicting situations between the old and the new. We need to show that the new is not a threat but an ally, that it’s not replacing, but upgrading an out of date view of life. We feel loyal to old beliefs because they have always been there for us, they know us and we know them, but they may not always be serving us well. We need to learn to adapt if we are to grow as humans. As children we take on the beliefs of our parents or guardians, at school we take on the beliefs of teachers and government bodies. As we get older we start taking on the beliefs of our social groups and the media, it never stops. When was the last time we stopped and analysed our beliefs? Seriously, when did you last stop and think whether your beliefs are something that may be holding you back and keeping you from achieving your goals? Do you believe in what you live your life by? I asked myself this question and if I’m totally, honest with you, I didn’t like my answer. I had no true beliefs of my own, they were all someone else’s. Life is all about experiences – good and bad – and it’s through our experiences that we should be building our beliefs and not our beliefs dictating our experiences.
Written by Geraint Rhys Benney.