I will be writing a series of articles on “How to Move Towards a Thriving Life” that will each build upon the other though they can be read as stand-alone articles as well. This is the first article in that series.
In each article, I contrast what I call a Thriving Life Belief (a belief that brings thriving into life), or TLB, with a Languishing Life Lie, or LLL (a belief that leads to languishing in life –> the opposite of thriving). Here’s today’s set of contrasting beliefs to consider:
Thriving Life Belief #1 – We human beings all have underlying thoughts/beliefs that impact how we think, feel, communicate and ultimately live.
Languishing Life Lie #1 – We can’t know or don’t have to know what our underlying beliefs are to live a good and thriving life.
So, here’s the question: In the fast-paced, internet-saturated world we live in, how often do YOU take time to think about what your own underlying beliefs and thoughts are? How would YOU answer that?
As someone who works in the mental health field, I realize that even I haven’t always consistently taken the time to really think about my beliefs. When I think about why, it probably comes down to time, willingness and knowing how to do this in a healthy way. And let’s face it…it’s not always easy or fun, is it?
Maybe another good question to ask first is “Why even bother to ask a question?” Some of you may be thinking, “Sean, my life is busy enough as it is..I don’t have time to think about my thinking! Are you kidding me? Self-analysis and introspection is a luxury I simply don’t have time for….I mean, after all, things are working fairly well right now anyway.”
And to be fair, that may very well be true in your case.
If that’s not you – or even if it is – I would posit that it’s this very attitude, or way of thinking, that can prove to be a barrier against the kind of self-awareness and self-knowledge required for us to really learn to thrive in life.
Think about it (after all, this article is about thinking, eh? :). Everything we do, whether it’s how we brush our teeth or comb our hair or any part of our morning routine, the way we act with loved ones at home, how we conduct ourselves at work, or how we engage in friendships/community, it’s all based upon what we think and believe. And that’s the truth, whether we like it or not!
So, what beliefs are we talking about?
Well, really ALL of them. Beliefs about reality. About the purpose and meaning of life. About the nature of the self and who we are. About others. About how to live life. About who to vote for. About values. About whether or not there is a Creator. About how best to spend time. I could go on and on…you get the point.
All of these beliefs -whether conscious or subconscious – play some kind of role in the way we think, behave, speak and act in the world..
Here’s an example. You may be reading this…thinking, “What does any of this have to do with me?” Well, ask yourself this question. Are there any areas of your life where you aren’t living the way you’d like to? Why or why not? Maybe it’s that you’re not as physically healthy as you’d like. Or maybe there’s that New Year’s resolution you’ve forgotten or been putting off. Or maybe there’s that person you are avoiding and haven’t forgiven. On and on, I could go!
If you track that behavior back to where it comes from, what I believe you’ll find that is that it’s rooted in some kind of thinking or beliefs that you either have yet to uncover, confront, or deal with. And until you and I can do that, it’ll be hard to change behaviors and move forward in our lives.
Question:
Having read this article, do you buy into TLB #1 -or this idea that we all have thoughts/beliefs that impact us and how we live?
Application challenge:
1. Take some time thinking about your thinking here. Write about what your underlying beliefs are as it relates to an area of struggle. Next, ask yourself: are these beliefs helpful and do they promote thriving in your life OR are they causing you to languish?
2. Then ask yourself: what are other beliefs you can embrace that would lead to a better outcome for you?
2. Practice noticing when you struggle and whether those same old beliefs are rising up. If so, remind yourself of the new beliefs that you are choosing to cling to and see if and how that begins to change how you think, speak, and behave.
If this is challenging or you’d like to learn more about this, reach out to me and set up a discovery call. Let’s see what we can discover that will help you get unstuck and move forward so you can move towards thriving in your life!
