The Science Of Why Beliefs Are So Powerful
Written by: Raeesa Mahomed, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
In my last article on the power of self-belief, I mentioned to you that there was a reason why beliefs are so powerful and can effect change and promised I’ll talk more about this in my next article. Why do you need to know this? The thing is, until I became aware of why beliefs were powerful before I understood the mechanics of it, I wasn’t really convinced it would work, and I didn’t try to use it to achieve my goals. When I studied my life coaching course and other books and material on our minds, thoughts, energy, universal laws, and all things wondrous, that changed.
"Faith can move mountains."
Have you heard the saying, "Faith can move mountains"? And that prayer is all-powerful and can achieve miracles? Well, what is faith? It is deep, unwavering conviction and belief in a higher power that will give us what we pray for. It is not religion specific and holds true for anyone who is deeply spiritual. Personally, I have seen it work in my life, over and over again.
Belief is the same thing. It is a deep sense of knowing, and when we have that conviction, we bring about our desires.
How?
Beliefs are ideas and concepts you accept as truth, and these beliefs are ideas that have been programmed into your subconscious mind by the outside world and your experiences. From the time we are tiny babies, we are being programmed. (In fact, we start absorbing information unconsciously from the womb!) Then as children - first from our parents, then siblings, then friends and teachers. This information eventually gets organized into our belief system. These programs are always running and operating from our subconscious mind. It is our reality. That is why everyone has their own interpretation of the world because we all have different experiences and programming. We make sense of the outside world based on what is already in our minds.
It Gets Better
I’m sure you’ve heard of the laws of attraction and vibration. The law of attraction states that like attracts like. The law of vibration states that everything in the universe vibrates at different frequencies, including emotions, thoughts, and states of being. When we firmly believe that something is true, when it is our reality, we align ourselves with the vibration of that state. When we believe we can achieve our goal, we align ourselves with the vibration of that goal. Like attracts like, and so we attract that goal to us. It might sound too be good to be true, but it is. And it works.
"But it doesn't work for me"
I’ve heard this time and again from my clients. And I’ve said it myself. It’s because we humans are frail, we overthink, we get despondent, we are at the mercy of the vicissitudes of life. Life is complex, and we have good days and bad days. Even for those who know about how powerful belief and faith are, we have days of hopelessness and doubt. Ah, doubt. Who has not been its victim? It’s because life shoves us around a bit, gives us a few knocks. But it’s supposed to - so that we can summon the resources that every single one of us has within us and use it to get back into the fray. We need to constantly fight against negatives – thoughts, emotions, and beliefs and replace them with positives. If we do so, we learn, grow, develop and become better versions of ourselves. It is through life’s struggles that we get stronger and build character. We need to conquer doubt because this is the opposite of belief and draws our goals further away.
Consistency is the key
So the reason we find that belief doesn’t always bring about one’s goal is that we’re not consistent. We give our subconscious mind confusing messages. In the morning, we do our positive, motivating affirmations, and then a few hours later, when we are having a bad day at work, we start doubting and thinking negatively. This undoes the good work of the affirmations. A few negative thoughts are not going to do lasting harm, but they can become a habit, and that’s the problem. So work at bringing yourself back to a happier, more confident mindset.
Mindset
Our minds are the tools we must use to fight this fight. Mindset is key. This is because thoughts, if given validation, lead to beliefs. Negative mindsets give us a bleak outlook on life and create negative beliefs, which then lead to negative outcomes. Our thoughts can be our friends or our enemy. We get to choose.
Oh Ye of Little Faith
You don’t have to do it. But it’s in your best interests. Only you can change your life for the better. Only you can create your own success. The power is in your hands. You do it by believing in it and then acting on it. By the way, you have to take steps to achieve your goals, just sitting back and believing is not enough. But, if you don’t believe you can do it, you might not even get started, or you might be half-hearted in your efforts which will render them less effective. So believe. Believe in yourself and the change you can bring about through it. Believe that you can overcome any obstacle if you put your mind to it. If you fall down, get up and start again. Never give up and never give in.
Want to learn more from Raeesa? Follow her Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, and visit her website. You can also email her at info@raeesamahomed.co.za.
Raeesa Mahomed, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Raeesa Mahomed is a transformational life coach, and her tagline 'Be the best you' aptly describes the results she gets with her clients. Raeesa has helped hundreds of clients remove negative programming from the subconscious mind and take them to a place of positivity and empowerment and, in so doing create the life they want. She comes from a decades-long award-winning international career in radio, TV, and film, and her path to deep self-reflection and life coaching began when she faced a life-threatening illness a few years ago. She now also helps others heal from disease by addressing their emotional health and spirituality. She is also a writer and motivational speaker.
