Episode 85: Belief Discipline

Sometimes there is a misunderstanding that thought work should be easy. But all of our current beliefs are deeply ingrained thought patterns that have been strengthened through use. They are the result of well-used, powerful neural pathways. And it takes effort and discipline to work to change them.

Just because it’s hard to believe new things doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong and it doesn’t mean you should stop working at it. Belief is a discipline. And since belief is the key to creating the life you want, I think it is a discipline worth developing. In this episode, I’m sharing my thoughts on how to increase your discipline and commitment to believing new things.

We call it thought work for a reason.  There is work involved.  One of your brain’s primary goals is to save energy.  Your brain likes to be efficient.  And so it takes work to reprogram our brains.  

Thoughts to Help You Build Your Belief Discipline

1. You are not doing it wrong if it’s hard and if it takes effort and energy and work.  That’s how it’s supposed to be.
2. Just because the old thought shows up while you are doing that work, doesn’t mean you are doing it wrong either.  The old thought is easy, it’s the default.  It’s not a problem that your brain still knows the way to it.  Nothing has gone wrong.  This is how brains work.
3. Belief is a discipline.  And when our brain has a hard time believing the thoughts we want it to belief, the problem is not the thoughts.  The problem is our adherence to the discipline of believing.  It’s hard work and most of us aren’t trying hard enough.  
4.  Our old thoughts feel truer than the new ones, but that’s only because of the massive neural circuitry behind the old thought.  Truer just means more efficient.  It feels true because the brain has to use almost no energy to think it.  
5.  Notice the difference between expectation and belief.  Expectations change with our circumstances.  Belief is independent of circumstances. Nothing outside of us changes it.  We are trying to create beliefs that are independent of circumstances.  

Why Belief is More Powerful Expectation 

• Does your belief go up and down depending on things outside of you?  
• Does your belief seem to be confirmed or discounted by things in the world?  

When we are just using expectation we are more likely to give up and we don’t do the hard work of creating the life we want.  Expectation withers in the bright light of reality.  It disappears and changes with the circumstances around us.  Belief is the force we use to create.  

Belief isn’t the easy way.  When I say thoughts create your results, I never mean to imply that it’s so easy.  Just believe, and you get what you want. Having belief discipline means that you use the energy in your brain to think new things and interrupt your old thoughts and not just take them on default.  

Belief discipline requires you hold your belief even when outside circumstances don’t support it.  You exercise your discipline to use those thoughts to create the feelings you need to do all the things you need to create the life you want.

This is where the power is in thought work for each of you.  To move out of expectation and the hope that what you want will just appear—and move into belief, the kind of belief that will fuel you to keep creating what you want when things are hard.

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