Beliefs are generalisations about how the world is. Your beliefs are so powerful that they do in fact determine your life! They are the presuppositions that we have about the way the world is that either create or deny us personal power. In effect, they are our on/off switch for our ability to do anything in the world. It is important to understand our beliefs as they explain why we

Beliefs are the second set of internal filters. Beliefs are convictions, what is held to be 'true' in life. For instance, if someone believes that she can learn anything that she puts her mind to regardless of age, then her experience of life is going to be very different from someone else who believes he is not that smart and can't possibly learn something new.

Beliefs often form the boundary conditions of thinking. Depending on how much individuals are unwilling to believe is possible, beliefs can either keep them boxed in, or allow them to live a bigger life. Small possibility thinking has little chance of providing anything other than small results, just as big thinking can often lead to gaining big results. When transformed, beliefs allow people to fulfill their highest potential.

What are Beliefs?

Beliefs are generalisations about how the world is. They are the presuppositions that we have about the way the world is that either create or deny us personal power. In effect, they are our on/off switch for our ability to do anything in the world. It is important to understand our beliefs as they explain why we choose to do what we do.

What Beliefs are sometimes based upon?

1. Experiences in the past, therefore, Your Past = Your Future
2. Personal or professional perceptions
3. Habitual stories you continue to tell yourself
4. Religious, professional, legal, social, political dogma and doctrine
5. Your Rules for life
6. An 'Aha!' or an Epiphany
7. What your parents or significant role models told you was true

Taking Action on a new Belief

Once a belief is changed, the first thing that needs to be established is an action plan to apply the belief in the environment it is intended. In other words, apply the knowledge by taking the very first step in order to convince the client that the belief has taken hold. For example; if a person changes their belief around exercise, that is; "exercising is fun" instead of the limiting belief that "exercising is hard", have them state the first thing they will do to prove the belief. The question to ask is, "What one action will you commit to, to prove your new belief?" As Robert Anton Wilson said, "What the believer believes, the prover proves".

Beliefs Become Your Destiny

The potency and power of a belief can be seen in the wise observations of Mahatma Gandhi when describing the evolution of a belief.

Beliefs become Words

Words become Actions

Actions become Habits

Habits become Values

Values become Destiny

Tips on Choosing an Empowering Belief

Coach your client to choosing a belief that will best assist their goals and dreams. You can achieve this by making certain that the new belief includes a powerful criteria; The Desired Belief is: -

1. Specific and Focused
2. Resonates with the client (not you)
3. It has a Clear Outcome
4. It Stirs Desire
5. The Belief is Ecological and Causes Positive Change
6. It has enough personal 'Why' within it.

How to Do a Belief Change

This is two processes only linked by the beginning and end result and is similar to changing from Like to Dislike.

1. Elicit the submodalities of the limiting belief (this is so that you can identify the drivers)
2. Calibrate the belief in the limiting belief – Totally believe 10, totally disbelieve 0.
3. Elicit the submodalities of a belief that the person believes is no longer true such as someone who used to bite their nails, who no longer does so.
4. Change the submodalities of 1 in to 2
5. TEST (what do you think of that old belief?)
6. Elicit the submodalities of a belief, which for you is absolutely true such as that you breathe, you live in ... country now or you are alive.
7. Can you think of a belief you'd like to have which is the opposite to 1
8. Get a picture of the new belief
9. Change the submodalities of 3 into 4
10. Recalibrate to see if the shift has taken hold

It is best to use a Submodalities Sheet

TIP: The only submodalities you're changing are the "Limiting Belief" and the "Desired Belief".