Replacing Negative Beliefs to Experience More Happiness

Do you have any negative beliefs (those which usually deliver an unwanted outcome)? Have you ever thought about why you believe some things and not others? Did you learn them at school, or are they the result of your experiences? Do your thoughts and ideas create positive or negative outcomes? It's worth taking the time to look at your beliefs, as they make up a fundamental part of your ability to experience happiness and have a powerful influence over your life, and replacing negative beliefs can be beneficial.

Beliefs are ideas we consider in agreement with facts and reality. We accept our beliefs as true and go to great lengths to defend them. But the fact that so many people have such vastly different beliefs proves that "true" is often a fabrication of our minds. It isn't absolute. Therefore, assessing our beliefs based on whether they're true or untrue isn't helpful.

A better way to evaluate beliefs is to look at the results they produce in our lives. If you have organized your thoughts and ideas in a way that effortlessly creates happiness and success, you don't need to alter them. But investing time in replacing your negative beliefs is worthwhile if you are unhappy and suffering.

Replacing a Negative Belief

Developing a more beneficial way of thinking starts by identifying the belief that produces a negative outcome. You then replace it with a positive one. Sometimes this process is relatively simple. For example, when I first arrived in Japan, I believed I couldn't speak Japanese. But after I found a teacher, studied the grammar, and began to use the language, I eventually reached a point where I believed I could speak Japanese. This new beneficial belief replaced the old negative one. It is much more difficult to change the deeply ingrained beliefs about ourselves that we developed as children.

Growing up, we unconsciously absorb information about the world and who we are from those around us, our surroundings, and our interpretation of various events. As a result, we form ideas and beliefs that help us decide what is safe and not safe, how to interact with others, and pretty much everything else that determines who we think we are. The subconscious mind accepts these ideas and beliefs as facts, and it takes considerable effort if we try and replace these negative beliefs in later life.

Where to Begin Replacing Negative Beliefs

When working on your beliefs, the most helpful thing to do in the beginning is to notice negative thoughts whenever they appear. Then, all you have to do is create an image of the opposite. For example, if you repeatedly tell yourself, "I'm a failure," your subconscious mind will take that image of failure and accept it as valid, making you act in a way that only creates more disappointment. If you can replace that thought with, "I'm a success," your mind will focus on being a success instead. It will start looking for ways to create satisfaction in your life and is a much more beneficial way of thinking.

Experience a Blissful Transformation

Although this is a simple process, it is far from easy. Your subconscious mind will not want to give up your old way of thinking, and it takes a continuous effort to replace your negative thoughts with positive ones every time you notice them. You might feel as if you are being dishonest by telling yourself something you don't yet believe. But the only other choice is to keep your old, detrimental way of thinking, in which case everything will always stay the same. Take the time to construct a positive system of beliefs, and you will experience a blissful transformation inside and out.