Why You Must Challenge Your Beliefs?

The greatest of challenges are usually found in your beliefs so it makes sense to every now again challenge your beliefs. But who goes looking there?

What we see or experience determines our reality. Though is it truly reality? After all, a snake can see colours that you cannot. A dog can smell aromas that you obliviously walk past. A medium can hear voices that you never will, particularly while you believe that speaking to the dead is impossible. Does this mean that anything other than what you experience exists? The answer is yes… and no.

The snake and the dog have stimulated and built neurological pathways that you can too access, but don’t. Dogs for example have developed, over time, millions more neurological receptors that connect their sense of smell to their brain. Why? Because they rely on food to survive, while we relied on mum and dad. While speaking to the dead may too require a neurological pathway to exist – this leads more into the realm of beliefs.

I’ve been a coach since 2002 and trainer since 2004, and one thing that I’ve learned in those 20 years is that “We believe what we see and so, we see what we believe.” That doesn’t mean that anything we don’t believe doesn’t exist. When I’m coaching someone to achieve something they as yet have not, for example, I must first help them to see the path of possibility – or they will never take that first courageous step.

So it could be said, “Our consciousness is defined by what we believe is possible.” Therefore, to expand what is possible for us, we must open our minds to previously unbelievable possibilities in order to expand our consciousness. Let me give you a personal, real life example.

Prior to 2004, my financial world could be described as a roller-coaster. I would go from having more money than I needed, to no money. Healthy bank balance to nil bank balance. Now nothing new truly happens until we make a new decision. So in 2004 I made a decision to change my mindset – and I mean go deep and change it for good. So I journeyed to find out ‘why’ my financial world was so limited and decided to study NLP. After all, my NLP Trainer sounded a lot like the broke version of me, yet he had solved his financial problems, I had not.

NLP couldn’t have come at a better time.

It was 2004. I was $70,000 in debt and I had $27 in the bank. I was desperate. If there was every a time to challenge your beliefs, it was now. I began working out what I needed to sell to get myself out of this ridiculous situation. This crazy consciousness cycle. However, in studying NLP, I learned that our belief system is like an ON or OFF button. If we believe something is true, our button of possibility is ON. If we believe something is untrue, then our button of possibility is OFF and we will never take any action that is counter-intuitive to our beliefs.

So I began exploring what I truly believed about my situation. How did I feel about the relationship between money and me? What was I conscious of when it came to money? What did I believe? My answers saddened me and I could see why I never truly wanted to answer those questions.

My beliefs became my stories; I would never succeed at making a lot of money. I was that poor kid. I am the guy that was always at the end of the queue when anything was being doled out. Ouch! That hurt.

Then and there, I decided to change all of my negative money beliefs. I soon discovered that there were many beliefs and I changed them all using a technique I learned in my NLP Training in Melbourne. Here are just some of them…

Money doesn’t grow on trees

(the nut and fruit industries beg to differ)

You have to work hard to make a lot of money

(While Richard Branson, Warren Buffet and Bill Gates and friends may have worked hard at some stage, they certainly don’t today)

I came from a poor family, therefore I’m more likely to be poor

(Many of today’s billionaires, came from humble beginnings)

People like you and me weren’t meant to wealthy

(Beliefs like that will ensure you’re right)

I’m sure you’re getting the idea by now. So there I was, listing as many of my crappy money beliefs as I could and changing them one by one. In no time flat, I started to feel much better about money and myself. This might sound strange, but it seemed as though I was taller, smarter and certainly more hopeful. These were the keys to my prosperity to come.

“All is possible for he who believes – Jesus Christ”

Now sayings like the one above used to have me being a tad cynical, until my NLP Trainer told me that “Cynicism and skepticism are just fear, intellectualised to sound intelligent.” I began to realise that changing your beliefs to bring about more hope are not stupid. They are in fact, courageous. While most people thought my new beliefs around prosperity were preposterous! I knew, they were just being fearful. My new beliefs actually challenged or aptly threatened their logic. Though what I realised was that beliefs unchallenged is a life unchanged.

Beliefs unchallenged is a life unchanged

Our beliefs are simply designed to keep us safe. Though a safe life (in my view) is not really a life at all. Where there is no challenge there is no growth. Our very ‘firsts’ are naturally scary. Our first steps; our first kiss; our first day on the job; but each of those firsts expand our consciousness of what is possible. Challenges lead to change.

So how did I go changing all of those beliefs?

We’ll remember my money issues? We’ll I recall four things that happened after changing my beliefs that literally blew my mind! The first happened in a phone call I received while at work where I earned half a year’s salary in that one call. That happened twice in a row. Then I got another phone call where I earned an entire annual salary in that call! Then I started my Life Beyond Limits and in one talk, in less than an hour, I earned 3 months income! These were not the results of the man who before learning NLP couldn’t earn more than five-figures in a year!

Today, I can make in a day, as much money as I used to make in a year! Seriously! This was once impossible for me. My beliefs wouldn’t even let me risk the opportunity to earn more. If you’re finding this hard to believe, then the truth is I am not the person who you should question. Perhaps you should question yourself? Will I challenge myself to reach higher, to go further and challenge my beliefs? Will I risk being scared? The answer “Yes” offers you the possibility of a new prosperous life. The answer no? Well, you know the answer to that one.

Today, my greatest joy is to teach and coach people to go beyond their consciousness. It’s a great buzz to see your clients and students do today what they couldn’t yesterday. I guess it’s like the joy that parents get when their children do something they once couldn’t.

To go way beyond what is currently possible and into a world of hope, imagination and where dreams begin. Each time I do that for others, I’m a little scared, because it’s not just about me stretching the limits, I now have a client, a partner who is courageous and willing. Though anything worth experiencing, usually has an element of overcoming fear about it.

That’s why I believe in teachers, coaches and mentors. People that will take you beyond where you’ve been. To stand at the feet of giants is courage. To be at the doorway of infinite opportunity is at times overwhelming. But better that, then living an underwhelming life, a life of limits.

If you want more from your life? You must challenge your beliefs… 

Let’s face it, few people are ready to live a life beyond limits. Few have the courage and that is why it’s a small percentage of the population that live extraordinary lives. But they’re the ones I work with. If that’s you, let’s talk. It will cost you nothing but the time it takes to have a chat with me, to see what is truly possible for you, if you are willing to stand at the feet of giants, go ahead, let’s schedule a call here or check out our most transformational course ever!

Rik

Rik is The Brain Untrainer with over 38,000 brain untraining hours. He is a master of helping his clients create a life beyond limits and is a multiple best-selling author, a world-class Master NLP Trainer, a leading Life Coach and Life Coach trainer, a radio host and a passionate and articulate force for good in the world. R!k’s books include: “A Life Beyond Limits,” “7 Beliefs That Will Change Your Life,” “ROAR! Courage – From Fear To Fearless,” “The Life Coach Millionaires,” “A Richer Way to Think” and “5x5 To Thrive.”

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