John Morgan Newsletter – S P A C E S

BELIEFS

We talk about the formation of beliefs in every one of our seminars. Beliefs are patterns that run our lives and many of them we got by accident without our permission. Do you have the same religion as your parents? Did they ask your permission? I’m not about to quibble with anyone’s beliefs – just notice how many of them were given to you and then notice if they’re working for you or not.

I have a strong belief in gravity. It’s one I can validate as a citizen of the earth. If I were an astronaut and experienced weightlessness, I may be able to put a question mark next to my strong belief in gravity. This question mark may lead me to a less absolute position on gravity and may become a stepping-stone to other exceptions to the rule. If enough exceptions start showing up, I may stop blindly leading my life by a belief that’s not entirely accurate. Just by noting the exceptions, I create the capacity for growth. Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” I think an unexamined belief is a padlock on a self-maintained jail cell.

Beliefs are serious and silly. If you have a belief in one of the staple topics of talk radio (gun control, birth control, abortion, capital punishment, etc.), you consider that to be a serious belief. If you’re willing to argue with someone about the right way to hang toilet paper, I consider that a silly belief. Whether serious or silly, they got into your mind the same way. You got some information in your head, with or without your permission. Then this information got some water and fertilizer and with some frequency you developed a belief. What was once a glorious repast, may now be a decaying leftover.

Beliefs are like cars. You may currently be sitting behind the wheel of one that doesn’t run. You can pray, push, curse, or bemoan and the car still won’t take you where you want to go. It may be enough to notice you need a new car. The good news is new beliefs don’t cost anything. They’re abundant and free. You may begin to wonder how soon you can discover a belief that’s not working and get curious how quickly you can outgrow the old way and grow into a new way.