Our current beliefs place us in the exact
circumstances we find ourselves in life today, or at least in the perspectives we carry about where we are.
Are we optimistic? Our life has more hope than despair.
Are we trusting? We receive more goodness than what we could create with our own hands.
Are we kind and loving? We probably have many friends.
Are
we confident and feel deserving of good things? We are actively pursuing our visions and goals.
If that doesn’t describe how we’re currently experiencing life, than we need to look at our belief system. Do we believe we
deserve goodness? Or do we feel somehow we don’t measure up to everyone else, and therefore, don’t deserve all that life has to offer? Maybe fear of the unknown holds us back?
How do we change our beliefs?
First, we have to know what our beliefs are. Then we have to evaluate if those beliefs are working for our good. Are they serving us, or restraining us? Where are we letting unbelief keep us chained to a life that is far from
what we can ask, think or imagine?
In my very first module of A Life Worth Having, dissecting and reconstructing beliefs is the intensive work we do. Our lifelong beliefs are deeply rooted and have been the internal software running our lives for decades. These beliefs determine how we show up to big and little things.
My husband and I have been trying to build a forever home in the country for four years, but have encountered obstacle after obstacle. It’s easy to explain all of the delays and attribute those to other people.
There have certainly been significant issues outside of our control, but recently, I've looked inward to take a spiritual inventory of the situation. With curiosity, I'm askng myself, Have I ever fully been ready to move forward? I have thought so, but it hasn’t happened yet, so it’s a fair question to ponder. If not, why not?
As we explore our next steps, I am inviting curiousity about how I can be more spiritually prepared for downsizing and moving to a home that’s an hour outside of Nashville, away from everything we know.
Hmm… Even as I type that, I feel some resistance that I still need to work through in order to accept this big change. Do you see why it’s good for us to turn inward and ask how we could be holding things up? Even the things we say we want?
My spiritual readiness is something I can be working on to facilitate my reality reflecting my hopes and dreams, regardless of what is or isn’t happening with our home construction.
In a time where things feel stuck, what else can I do to show that I am really ready to make this move?
I can significantly condense our possessions (ugh!). We will be downsizing by at least one third less space. Now is a great time to reinforce my intentions by steadily working to downsize our possessions. (Micro Magic to the rescue! Who else needs daily
accountability for avoided tasks?)
With the warmer weather upon us, we are resuming landscape work so that when the home is finished, the entrance and one-acre-long driveway are welcoming. We will plant flowers and grass,
pull weeds, and remove undergrowth.
There’s a scripture I have found encouraging in a literal way, regarding what my husband and I can do now, despite building delays. But this also encourages each of us to examine
our priorities and take the actions NOW that ARE within our control:
Put your outdoor work in order and get your fields ready; after that, build your house. Proverbs 24:27
To be honest, we have encountered so many obstacles that I probably need to cultivate a stronger belief that our dream home is really going to happen (sometime in the near future). We've experienced a lot of frustration and doubt over the last four
years, but it's pointless to sit in that negativity.
The best way to dig out of the hole of discouragement is to take actions that demonstrate faith, hope, trust, confidence and movement toward our desired outcomes. So I
will be down-sizing possessions, working our fields, visualizing the benefits of life in the country, and preparing myself spiritually for an exciting new chapter.
If something isn’t working the way you hope, it’s time to
get curious about it. If you don’t have the career, the relationship, the home environment, or perhaps the spiritual fulfillment you long for, ask yourself what in you would need to change for that to happen? What can you do now to better prepare yourself for your hopes becoming a reality?
If you are carrying around an unconscious belief that you don’t deserve it or are not ready for it (whatever it is), then you may not be properly positioned to receive it, which may very well prolong the arrival.
While we can’t immediately change our life circumstances, we can always be working on preparing ourselves to receive the abundance that is available when we believe we are worthy of the desires of our hearts.
Pick one area of your life that isn’t flowing exactly as you would like. Explore with curiosity how you could possibly be blocking good change from happening. Are you harboring a hidden belief about what you deserve, or what you think you’re ready to embrace?
Curiosity is such a delightful state to live in. We can always learn more about ourselves and how we’re showing up to (or resisting) our beautiful lives.
