We all go through rough patches, some rougher that others. But there are times when one thing after another piles up and we start to fee like the universe is crazy-making, and we wonder when things will get better. We look for reasons why things are not going as planned. Are the stars out of alignment? Is it just not my year? Is there a curse on my house? Who is to blame?
An important thing to remember is, that to a certain extent, we have the ability to shift circumstances. We can do this by shifting our belief structure — the basic set of beliefs through which we view the world. There’s a saying that goes something like, “you’ll see it when you believe it.” It reminds me of a book I read a long time ago called The Mists of Avalon. Avalon was a place that you couldn’t get to unless you believed in it. Now there’s an idea to ponder!
Believing first, before seeing, is one way we get to shift our reality. Let’s say that we believe most drivers in our city are bad drivers. On our morning commute we see someone cutting someone off, tailgating us, changing lanes without signaling. On our way to work our vision is filled with all these bad drivers. We did not notice all the examples of good driving that were also part of the traffic flow. We viewed our commute through the lens of our belief structure. That’s not to say that bad drivers don’t exist but our belief makes it seem that the reality is that we live where mostly bad drivers are on our streets. And this belief can be reinforced by our conversations/complaining with others. We commiserate with co-workers about bad drivers. Our co-workers believe it too. They’re having the same experience. This ongoing conversation reinforces our belief. And yes, bad drivers may be a reality. But it’s not the only reality. It’s just the reality we choose to focus on.
When we focus on particular people, events, and experiences to the exclusion of others, we’re reinforcing our particular belief structure. We’re focusing on a particular view which shapes a particular reality to the exclusion of other realities. It takes conscious effort on our part to choose a different belief and to look for the physical evidence of that different belief. If we start our day choosing to believe that there are good drivers who are watching out for others and following the laws of the road then we are more likely to see them. If we choose to believe that people are kind and have our best interests in mind, we will see that those people do exist.
If we allow ourselves to believe in the goodness of others, to believe that wonderful things are happening all around us, we are more likely to see that. And as a result, we are more likely to experience our lives with more ease and peace. We can each bring awareness to our own personal belief structure, what we’re choosing to focus on and what that structure is creating in our personal lives. We’ve heard the saying “where attention goes, energy flows.” Perhaps focusing on kindness, generosity, peace, health, or any of life’s other wonderful gifts would be worth experimenting with in your own life. Start small, practice often, and watch for shifts in your reality.
Photo credit: Edi Libedinsky