What do you believe in?
There’s a very important reason why I’m asking you this question.
Let’s start though with a definition of the word ‘belief’. There are some differently worded definitions, but the primary is that a belief is the mental acceptance of and conviction in the truth, actuality or validity of something.
Unfortunately, most of us use the word ‘belief’ in a context other than its proper definition. In fact, we use the word so often most of us aren’t really sure what it means anymore!
Then we get ourselves muddled between one of our core beliefs and something we simply have an ‘opinion’ about at this moment. You see, our brains will hold on to something in a much stronger way if we call it a belief, yet having an opinion allows us to be open to new information because an opinion is just a personal viewpoint that can be built upon.
We see this all the time – people who hold a belief that it is inappropriate for someone else to behave in a particular way will actually get into a fight to defend that belief!
But holding something as an opinion is a softer, gentler way to be in the world. And you are less likely to become completely stressed out if someone doesn’t have the same opinion as you.
Yes, you may well have firm beliefs about God, the value of integrity or the standards of behavior you hold for yourself. Yet I would suggest that many things you currently call beliefs are just opinions du jour.
Action – On a sheet entitled “I Believe”, list off all your current beliefs. Put the list away for a day and then go over it again, picking out only those things you can truly identify as an internal belief. Everything else is an opinion upon which you can gather more information, adjust and evolve as you wish.
Do not get drawn into believing in something that really only ranks as an opinion.