Ask yourself if there is any proof that your belief is true? Which of our beliefs are behind the challenges or struggles that we face in our daily lives? Were we taught these beliefs and if so, by whom? Did you consciously decide to have these beliefs, if so, what was your intention or purpose for holding on to that belief? What do you see as the advantage to having this belief? Who would you be without that belief?
These are great question for us to answer and can bring great awareness and insight to ourselves and our clients.
One of the important skills we can bring to coaching is to help our client identify their limiting beliefs and to reframe them so that they become empowering beliefs. These are examples from Richard Bandler books, one of the founders of the NLP
Swapping your beliefs exercise:
- Think of a limiting belief you don’t want to have anymore. Something that you believe you’ve had your entire life, and don’t believe you can change.
- Think of a more beneficial belief you wish to have. For example that you are a happy, resourceful, creative person.
- Note the qualities of your thoughts of certainty and uncertainty that you have already studied.
- Image the limiting belief you want to get rid of flying off into the distance and clicking into the qualities of uncertainty.
- At the same time, image the beneficial thought flying off into the distance and clicking into the qualities of certainty.
- Mentally do this as fast as you can, over and over again a few times.
If you do this you will have accomplished training you brain to think differently. Try putting the strategy to the test. Do it with other limiting belief you think you have and start swapping them for beneficial beliefs. Practice makes perfect so give it a go. 5:
Our lives are what we believe, and beliefs are just thoughts we keep thinking. Those thoughts create the energy that we put out into the universe and that is what is reflected back to us. The end result being change your thoughts, change your reality! In my own life I have always found this to be true. Whenever I spot a struggle, I know there is a belief that needs changing. When I change the belief, my reality changes almost instantly.
We are power-full human beings and we exercise that power when we choose to think particular thoughts and we also exercise that power when we choose not to interrupt the thoughts that we do not want to have.
Another way to look at it is; what is in my mind is mine, my love, my hate, my anger, my compassion, my love, etc. All of it is mine. I have the power to keep what serves me, and replace what does not serve me. But first I must take ownership and responsibility for it all. This is not to say that I should be judgemental about any of it, only that it is mine. The great thing about it being mine is that I am not stuck with it! I no longer have to stay attached to it. I have the power to get rid of any of it at any time.
As a coach, we can encourage and acknowledge our clients for the power-full human beings they are. Encourage them to recognize their power when they are choosing what thoughts serve them as well as when they choose the thoughts to let go off. Similar to the inspiration provided by the author, we as coaches have the ability to inspire our clients.