The Groundhog Day Effect

January 26th, 2010

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BeliefWorks Special

It’s only a few more days until Groundhog Day! What? You don’t care? To be perfectly honest neither do I.

I do love the movie, Groundhog Day however. I recommend it to everyone in my Power of Belief Programs.

The idea for the movie comes from ‘The Gay Science’, a famous book by Friedrich Nietzsche. In his book, Nietzsche gives a description of a man who is living the same day over and over again. In the movie, a sour, arrogantly self-centered TV weatherman is sent to the small town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to cover the Groundhog ceremony held every February 2nd. He despises the assignment. Somehow he stumbles into a time warp repeating Groundhog Day over and over again. He tries to take advantage of the situation (because he knows what will happen next) from a selfish view point, but no matter what advantage he gains every morning it is the same day all over again. Only when he embraces the situation in a positive and unselfish way is the time warp broken.

The movie, Groundhog Day, has spawned the term.: The Groundhog Day Effect. It is defined as: an unpleasant, unchanging, repetitive situation that leaves one feeling powerless.

Everyone who has ever tried to change limiting beliefs and transform their lives in a significant way is stymied by The Groundhog Day Effect. The effect usually appears like this: When we are forced to change, or realize we must transform old self-destructive patterns, we leap into action.

I’m starting the New Year with a new attitude; it’s time to loose weight; I resolve to be kinder this year; I’ll be a better listener to my kids; I’m going cut back on my alcohol consumption; I’m not going to worry anymore.

Any of this sound familiar?

But even with the best intentions, armed with motivational DVD’s and CD’s, the old patterns eventually creep back in. After all that positive thinking wears thin our unconscious behaviors rear their ugly little heads. It’s Groundhog Day! Again!

Although we go through the motions to change we sense that real change will propel us is far beyond what feels familiar and safe. So we change, sort of. Just enough, but not too much. We bargain with ourselves, make deals, and look only at what doesn’t make us too uncomfortable. We examine at ourselves with honesty, just as long as we’re not too honest. The result? Yep, you guessed it - Groundhog Day!

So how do you loosen the grip of The Groundhog Day Effect? If you’re feeling powerless, faced by unpleasant, unchanging, repetitive behaviors that seem to be more powerful than your resolve to change, you’ve decided you’re a victim. But wait…, the perception that you’re a victim is self-delusion; a lie. It’s always a lie.

The Groundhog Day Effect unravels when you stop believing that lie. There is no deal, or going half way. The bargains you make with yourself to “sort of” change are like the statement: “I see your point, but….”

The “Yes, but” is an unconscious defense of the old, and the protector of what has always been.

The Ground hog Day Effect dissipates when you fully accept that every belief you have is a point of view that YOU agreed to. To experience real change requires that you take full, unfettered responsibility for what you have created. At that moment you will break free, and empowered, you CAN make another choice.

Happy Groundhog Day!
BeliefWorks,

Ray Dodd
http://www.everydaywisdom.us

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Tips for the Holidays - Dealing With Difficult People

December 13th, 2009

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BeliefWorks Special

The holidays are coming up fast along with the added stress of trying to get just the right gift, crowded shopping malls, traffic jams, holiday parties, and the obligation to show up at family get-togethers. With all that running around chances are you’re going to run into someone who pushes your buttons. You know, one of those difficult people.

Many times the struggles we have with other people boil down to who’s right and who’s wrong. But isn’t right and wrong just a matter of perception? Perhaps the conflict is not always about their behavior but about the way we react to their behavior. We each have the unique ability to assign meaning to someone else’s behavior that leaves us offended. It is our interpretation that defines them as difficult. Think about it. The most difficult person in your life could be someone else’s confidant, lover, or friend.

Each of us has a slightly different take on reality. If there are twelve jurors listening to the same arguments, hearing the same evidence they often have a hard time reaching a verdict because they rarely perceive what goes on in exactly the same way. Keep that in mind when dealing with your brand of difficult person.

Difficult people abound, sometimes only for you….. and yes I’ll admit…sometimes they are perceived as difficult by everyone around them. Perhaps the way they act is off-base. You’re right, they ARE difficult – but is that helping you feel better?

Here are ten useful tips you can use this holiday season (and beyond) to help you meet the challenge of dealing with the difficult people in your life.

  1. Give Up The Need To Be Right. What you perceive maybe accurate, but protracted battles and arguments that go nowhere are all about being right. Agree to disagree with respect. Take action that supports what you want to accomplish. If you need to establish boundaries do so but give up your need to be right. Why? Because it feels good.
  2. Don’t Assume Anything. Whether you have know someone for a long time or you just met, you really don’t know exactly what motivates them,or precisely how they bend their reality moment to moment. Give up assuming why they did or said something. Ask questions and don’t assume ANYTHING.
  3. Let Go of your Expectations. Having expectations about who should do what and how it should be done is a recipe for crisis. Let go of your expectation that one specific outcome is the only way you will be satisfied. If you hold on to the belief….Every thing will be okay when they…….. you may wait an awful long time for when. An expectation is your assumption about what is SUPPOSED to happen. We gave up assumptions in tip number 2, remember?
  4. It’s NOT Personal. Everyone lives in a unique virtual reality created by his or her beliefs, experiences and agreements. You are only a minor character in their movie and how they react to you is NOT about you. No matter what anyone says or does, remember - it’s not personal.
  5. Ask for What You Want. Ask for what you want rather than telling that difficult person what they are not doing right. Use “I” statements rather than “you” statements. When you accuse, defend or criticize you sound like a victim. A victim is powerless faced with a “difficult person.” Is that what you want?
  6. Listen Effectively. Do you ever formulate what you are going to say next while the other person is still talking? Are you really paying attention to what is being said, or half listening and filling in the blanks? Do you frequently interrupt others before they finish speaking? In order to avoid conflict, listen and acknowledge what the other person is saying. If they recognize they are heard it can go along way to diffusing a conflict.
  7. Be Detached. Let’s say someone is difficult. No doubt about it. Everyone agrees. That perception may be accurate but now what? If you have done all the right things Steps 1 thru 6 above) – and nothing changes be prepared to walk away. All communication is by agreement. Engaging in an argument is a choice. Rather than argue or defend, if you don’t agree move on and focus your attention elsewhere. Do this not because you’re right, but because it feels right.
  8. Respect Their Story. Like you they have a story too - a unique perception of how everything is. It’s their story. And they have a right to it and deserve your respect even if you totally disagree. Respect their story and don’t try to change it. Enjoy them just as they are. That’s what you want too, isn’t it?
  9. Put On Their Shoes. By not making assumptions, giving up expectations, asking questions, and listing effectively you can start to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes. Each response they have is really about what they believe. The literal meaning of they say might not be as important as the driving belief behind the response. Once you see that (and it’s not about you at all) any conflict will begin to evaporate.
  10. Give Up the Need to Be Right (again). What one person does to irritate you may not bother others. Is it possible that YOU are the one being difficult? This tip is so powerful it bears repeating. To diffuse the conflict, give up your need to be right. Why? Simply because it feels so good.

BeliefWorks,

Ray Dodd
http://www.everydaywisdom.us

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Positive Thinking - A Dangerous Delusion?

November 10th, 2009

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BeliefWorks Special

 There is a new book making its way through the talk-show circuit - Bright-Sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America. Bright-Sided invites a provocative conversation and at the same time promotes a dangerous point of view – that positive thinking is pure fantasy. 

The book has a singular intent according to author Barbara Ehrenreich - to take on the current plague of positive thinking. Self-proclaimed as the nation’s reality checker, she says that positive thinking is a kind of delusion infecting nearly every realm of American culture. On a personal level, it leads to self-blame and a preoccupation with stamping out “negative” thoughts. On a national level, it’s brought us an era of irrational optimism resulting in disaster.

As one book reviewer writes: “ We’re always being told that looking on the bright side is good for us, but now we see that it’s a great way to brush off poverty, disease, and unemployment…..The people who are sick or jobless—why, they just aren’t thinking positively.“

Bright-Sided exposes, as it should, the fallacy of ignoring reality and the time-tested principals of science and finance. Über optimism can be an illusion, but only when deeply held negative beliefs are obscured by the opinion that you should be positive. Bright-Sided assails positive thinking itself overlooking its benefits and failing recognize the core issue creating the illusion - that what is always more powerful than positive thought is belief.

What you agree to believe dictates your outlook impacting every thought you think, every word you speak, and every action you take. Persistent action in sync with that outlook will always produce a perfectly aligned result, positive or negative, despite what you’d like to think you believe. Thus what drives our actions is not always something we are conscious of and can be in direct conflict with what we outwardly proclaim we want.

The ultimate power of belief is simply this: no matter what you get to decide what everything that happens to you means.

This is potent stuff - especially when things fall apart. The unavoidable reality of life is that things don’t always go well. Economies stumble. People get sick. And so a preoccupation with stamping out negative thoughts is not a waste of time. Because we have the power to decide what every event means, (what story we tell ourselves about it), a positive viewpoint embracing gratitude and potential growth is always more nourishing than negative thoughts heaping abuse on an already challenging situation.

It’s important to distinguish the right use of powerful thought; apply it to what is in your life right now, rather than what is not. For example, if you are in a relationship you can interpret what’s happening in a positive way (empowered), or in a negative way (victim). If you are not in a relationship at present, and want to be, the right use of positive thinking is to apply it to the actions you can take right now to help you move toward that goal.

To reap the real benefits of positive thought first requires an awareness of what you have decided is true at the deepest level. That realization goes far beyond willing yourself to have the “right” thoughts (a practice that always leads to self-abuse). Positive belief emanates positive thinking - not a delusion, but rather a deliberate “what does this all mean” choice that can nourish the human soul in the most challenging of times.
 

BeliefWorks,

Ray Dodd, author, The Power of Belief

http://www.everydaywisdom.us

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  • Try a complimentary 30 Minute Telephone Session: Change the World - Change Your World - One Belief at a Time. Explore the advantages of working one-on-one with a BeliefWorks Mentor.

  • The Power of Belief: In this best-selling book Ray Dodd reveals how hidden beliefs create barriers to success and true happiness. An inspiring guide based on everyday wisdom, The Power of Belief offers four simple steps to re-create any belief that stands in your way.

  • Beliefs about Money Course: Positive thinking may not lead you to greater wealth, because MORE POWERFUL than THOUGHT is - BELIEF. Check-out our on-line mentoring program about using the power of belief to unlock the door to greater financial abundance.

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The Power of Belief: Eliminating Prejudice

October 7th, 2009

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BeliefWorks Special

Over the years we have been asked about changing beliefs of every kind – money, love, family, health, how we look, the state of the world – the list goes on and on. This month we received a question about changing racist beliefs from South Africa.

Gerrit B. from Cape Town, South Africa writes:

I am of European descent, living in an African country. My forefathers came here 350 years ago. Our country is rife with racism, and although I don’t see myself as a racist, quite often a racist thought crosses my mind. Especially with regards to the running of the country . Having read The Power of Belief, now realize that I have a racist core belief. Which is difficult to accept, as I love so many people of colour that I either work with, or just know. I don’t want racist core beliefs. How can one get rid of them?

This heartfelt question brings up a memory for me. My mother was heavily involved in the civil rights movement of the 1960’s in the United States. Prejudice of any kind made her very angry. And yet, I remember that when she was approached by a black person that she didn’t know it made her nervous. As a child I always thought that, despite what she professed to believe, she was afraid of people of color.

Ninety percent of the process of changing beliefs is awareness of what you truly believe. Without that awareness it’s hard to make different choices.

So let’s practice a little awareness.

Generalizations or stereotypes, no matter how innocent, are a form of prejudice. At their core thay are just stories we tell about how things are. By definition stories are full of untruths.

If you listen closely racism and prejudice have a voice. Notice what that voice is saying. Does it whisper things like:

They’ll ruin everything.
I don’t want my children exposed to that.
She’s just not capable.
They don’t belong here.
They are hardworking but not very intelligent.
They are not very intelligent but hardworking.
Things have gone to hell since they took over.

Even more important is the theme behind the words. What tone, what point of view is in effect here? What dream does it spin?

If you listen closely racism and prejudice proposes an all encompassing principle: there is something wrong with them.

That judgment - there is something wrong with them - can not exist unless we believe the very same thing about ourselves. Unnoticed, the inner judge points the finger at everyone else obscuring the fear that comes from the possibilty that someone might judge us in the same way too.

Thus to change racism, prejudice, and discrimination we have to start withourselves. The voice of: there is something wrong with them - can be oh-so subtle. Nuture an awareness of that voice and how it reflects the very same judgement that you are afraid of. Heal the beliefs you have about yourself and you will never sit in harsh judgment of anyone again.

BeliefWorks,

Ray Dodd, author, The Power of Belief

http://www.everydaywisdom.us

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  • Try a complimentary 30 Minute Telephone Session: Change the World - Change Your World - One Belief at a Time. Explore the advantages of working one-on-one with a BeliefWorks Mentor.

  • The Power of Belief: In this best-selling book Ray Dodd reveals how hidden beliefs create barriers to success and true happiness. An inspiring guide based on everyday wisdom, The Power of Belief offers four simple steps to re-create any belief that stands in your way.

  • Beliefs about Money Course: Positive thinking may not lead you to greater wealth, because MORE POWERFUL than THOUGHT is - BELIEF. Check-out our on-line mentoring program about using the power of belief to unlock the door to greater financial abundance.

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The Power of Belief - Wealth, Work and Love

September 22nd, 2009

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BeliefWorks Special

The Power of Belief - Wealth, Work and Love 

Dear Power of Belief… I was just reading a comment on your blog that talked about earning more money. You said that you have to be realistic - being a preschool teacher won’t make you a millionaire. That’s true, but what if you are totally dedicated to that profession and you don’t want to make millions! What if you want to be more financially sound but really believe in what you are doing, and don’t care if you are totally wealthy? How do you go about doing that? One of the things that makes me crazy about all this financial wealth stuff is that it seems the prevailing thought is if you don’t make millions, you are doing all the wrong things with your thoughts and beliefs. Everyone should want to be incredibly wealthy and if they don’t, there’s something wrong with them. Can a person do what they love and be satisfied with that? Is there anything to be said for dedication, and something good and profitable coming out of that? Or should we all get on the bandwagon of getting more wealth with a new scheme or a complete change of careers. Patti from Colorado 

 

Dear Patti,

Thank you for such an insightful question. We will be sending you a free Power of Belief Practice e-book as promised for participating.

Your comment: the prevailing thought is if you don’t make millions, you are doing all the wrong things with your thoughts and beliefs….. is revealing. Is that line of thinking really true? JK Rowling tells a story that when she told her publisher that the Harry Potter tale was 7 books, her publisher would only commit to one book until they saw how the first one sold. No one, certainly not Ms Rowling who was on Welfare and suffering from depression, could predict the outcome. Were her thoughts and beliefs at the time supporting abundance? Perhaps, and perhaps not. But the simple fact is that she followed her hearts desire and is an extraordinary storyteller. The same rule applies to her as to everyone else: You will only receive value for labors or products that people value. And, that value will be exactly what they perceive it is. How that value arrives - as money, goods, opportunity, knowledge, or synchronicity…no one can predict.

You ask: Can a person do what they love and be satisfied with that? Is there anything to be said for dedication, and something good and profitable coming out of that? Or should we all get on the bandwagon of getting more wealth with a new scheme or a complete change of careers.

Ultimately my definition of wealth is this: abundance encompasses all things that life has to offer, not just money. We all know (or know of) someone who has lots of money and wallows in a poverty of spirit. I agree that abundance in sprit, love, satisfaction, and laughter is worth more than you can imagine.

So the question remains: How abundant is your life? Could it be better? How? And are you, in the same breath as you answer that question, fully grateful for what you have?

As we have been asked about applying The Power of Belief,  three main themes have arisen: love, work and money. And so this series focuses on what limiting beliefs do to the flow of wealth. In truth, limiting beliefs affect every thought you think, every word you say, and every action you take. This is why we suggest to people who are serious about changing beliefs that stand in their way to take advantage of our offer to have a sample session with one of the BeliefWorks Mentors and see what the Power of Belief Intensive is all about. It’s a program that invokes extraordinary change, one belief at a time.

BeliefWorks,

Ray Dodd, author, The Power of Belief

http://www.everydaywisdom.us

If you like our article, please tell a friend.

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  • Try a complimentary 30 Minute Telephone Session: Change the World - Change Your World - One Belief at a Time. Explore the advantages of working one-on-one with a BeliefWorks Mentor.

  • The Power of Belief: In this best-selling book Ray Dodd reveals how hidden beliefs create barriers to success and true happiness. An inspiring guide based on everyday wisdom, The Power of Belief offers four simple steps to re-create any belief that stands in your way.

  • Beliefs about Money Course: Positive thinking may not lead you to greater wealth, because MORE POWERFUL than THOUGHT is - BELIEF. Check-out our on-line mentoring program about using the power of belief to unlock the door to greater financial abundance.

Property of BeliefWorks.net 2009. All rights reserved. Reprint rights are granted to all venues so long as the article and by-line are reprinted intact.

 

 

 

 

The Power of Belief: Beliefs about Wealth

September 8th, 2009

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BeliefWorks Special

The Power of Belief: Beliefs about Wealth

A common question I get goes something like this… There is an old saying: “Do what you love and the money will come.” Well, it isn’t. I have taken, what used to be a hobby, and made it into a full time business. I’ve watched The Secret numerous times and applied every positive thinking technique I can find. It’s not working! I’m not achieving the prosperity I desire. What am I doing wrong

The power of belief creates, first and foremost, opportunity. It changes the way you feel about yourself, tones how you see the world, and supercharges the energy you project into every situation you’re in. Make no mistake about it - that’s very powerful. But if you are interested in creating greater wealth it’s vital to consider another simple fundamental principal that many people underestimate: You will only receive value for labors or products that people value. That value will be exactly what they perceive it is.

Jack Canfield, author of The Success Principals, puts it this way in his blog: “………. if you want to make a lot of money, you have to play a game where lots of money is made. You will not become a multi-millionaire being a preschool teacher. You can argue that preschool teachers are more valuable than professional baseball players, and you would probably be right, but it doesn’t matter. It is what it is. As Byron Katie teaches, when you argue with reality, you always lose.”

When you insist on being right, even if you are right, it doesn’t matter. When you argue with reality, you always lose. So, if you are interested in using the incredible power of positive belief to assist you in creating greater abundance don’t forget the “doing” part. Do your research. Are others getting the feedback (results) that you want doing what you are considering as the new path to your happiness and prosperity?

Align your intent, and the power of belief, with what gets results.

BeliefWorks,

Ray Dodd, author, The Power of Belief

http://www.everydaywisdom.us

If you like our article, please tell a friend.

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  • Try a complimentary 30 Minute Telephone Session: Change the World - Change Your World - One Belief at a Time. Explore the advantages of working one-on-one with a BeliefWorks Mentor.

  • The Power of Belief: In this best-selling book Ray Dodd reveals how hidden beliefs create barriers to success and true happiness. An inspiring guide based on everyday wisdom, The Power of Belief offers four simple steps to re-create any belief that stands in your way.

  • Beliefs about Money Course: Positive thinking may not lead you to greater wealth, because MORE POWERFUL than THOUGHT is - BELIEF. Check-out our on-line mentoring program about using the power of belief to unlock the door to greater financial abundance.

Property of BeliefWorks.net 2009. All rights reserved. Reprint rights are granted to all venues so long as the article and by-line are reprinted intact.

 

 

 

 

 

The Power of Belief: Your Beliefs at Work

August 9th, 2009

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BeliefWorks Special

Lay-offs or massive restructuring are a common occurrence these days. If it happens to you how can you deal with it in a positive way that FEELS better? 

PD writes:
We were just informed that our work function will be taken over by a different level of government. There are approximately 500 of us in total from heads of departments right the way down to the stock boys. We only just heard the news, so we are all in the shocked angry phase right now. To say it is a challenge to stay motivated on the job right now would be a mild understatement. Some of the words co-workers are using are; helpless and betrayed. I don’t want to feel this way.

Dear PD,

This seems to be a common occurrence these days. But a big shake up or lay-off is something that almost everyone will experience at least once during their working life. So, if it is inevitable, how can you deal with it in a positive way that feels better (you did say: I don’t want to feel this way.)

One of the statements you made is that people felt betrayed. If so then they are offended and taking it personally. In their minds this is personal - about their abilities and worth as viewed by the organization. I say, Au contraire!

Work for money is simply an exchange of value. A business proposition: I have a problem and I need you to solve it because the solution has value to me. No problem (or solution) is ever permanent.

We feel helpless and betrayed in a lay-off or massive restructuring because what we believe about ourselves. Our sense of worth and need to be accepted by others is exposed. The fear and bad feelings reveal what we really believe.

Remember, regardless of the circumstance, you decide what this means. Using words like: helpless and betrayed will create emotions that align perfectly with that story.

The gift here is to notice what comes up for you and make the effort not to make it about others. If you don’t want to feel this way then you must change no matter what is happening around you. If this exposes some negatives beliefs you have then this is good. Awareness of what is true is ninety percent of the process of change.

BeliefWorks,

Ray Dodd, author, The Power of Belief

http://www.everydaywisdom.us

If you like our article, please tell a friend.

Home - Free Stuff - Store

  • Try a complimentary 30 Minute Telephone Session: Change the World - Change Your World - One Belief at a Time. Explore the advantages of working one-on-one with a BeliefWorks Mentor.

  • The Power of Belief: In this best-selling book Ray Dodd reveals how hidden beliefs create barriers to success and true happiness. An inspiring guide based on everyday wisdom, The Power of Belief offers four simple steps to re-create any belief that stands in your way.

  • Beliefs about Money Course: Positive thinking may not lead you to greater wealth, because MORE POWERFUL than THOUGHT is - BELIEF. Check-out our on-line mentoring program about using the power of belief to unlock the door to greater financial abundance.

Property of BeliefWorks.net 2009. All rights reserved. Reprint rights are granted to all venues so long as the article and by-line are reprinted intact.

 

Belief at Work: How your beliefs affect the work you do

July 19th, 2009

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BeliefWorks Special

Belief at Work: How your beliefs affect the work you do.

One common problem people perceive they have at work is that they are not being recognized, or appreciated for the job they do.

JKR from the UK writes: “I just got passed over for a promotion in favor of a brown-nosing self-promoter. I spend my time working, rather than playing around and playing politics, but apparently that doesn’t matter any more. I have to admit, I’m feeling a whole range of very painful emotions. Is it possible to get ahead without sucking up?”

Arriving at a real solution to a problem like this requires that you look at your beliefs about your situation at work.From what she wrote, it appears that JKR believes she is doing her very best and it’s not good enough. Her interpretation of the situation, believing people perceive her inadequate, is understandably very painful. It hurts because it reflects the way she feels about herself.

Belief is a filter we see the world through populated by our personal laws about how things are. What I suggest is start using the power of belief, consciously. There are two elements required to invoke the power of belief - action and being.

Let’s start with action: Move forward in a calm and assertive manner in the direction of what you’re trying to accomplish. She wants a promotion, right? Well, moving into a position of greater responsibility takes people skill and greater skill at the work. If you got passed over for that promotion, be honest with yourself about where you are today in your personal and work skills and stop blaming others. Remember, a victim never has any power.

Next, let’s look at the part about being: The only thing you have total control over is what you decide is true about what happens to you. You will NEVER be able to completely control how others react to you. If you expect them to behave in a certain way you’ll find yourself in constant reaction and crisis. The belief that - I do my very best and it’s never good enough- is an old lie that will never get you what you want. Watch within yourself for stories (created by what you believe) that aren’t helping you to achieve what you really want and change them.

BeliefWorks,

Ray Dodd, author, The Power of Belief

http://www.everydaywisdom.us

If you like our article, please tell a friend.

Home - Free Stuff - Store

  • Try a complimentary 30 Minute Telephone Session: Change the World - Change Your World - One Belief at a Time. Explore the advantages of working one-on-one with a BeliefWorks Mentor.

  • The Power of Belief: In this best-selling book Ray Dodd reveals how hidden beliefs create barriers to success and true happiness. An inspiring guide based on everyday wisdom, The Power of Belief offers four simple steps to re-create any belief that stands in your way.

  • Beliefs about Money Course: Positive thinking may not lead you to greater wealth, because MORE POWERFUL than THOUGHT is - BELIEF. Check-out our on-line mentoring program about using the power of belief to unlock the door to greater financial abundance.

Property of BeliefWorks.net 2009. All rights reserved. Reprint rights are granted to all venues so long as the article and by-line are reprinted intact.

 

The Dog Whisperer

June 22nd, 2009

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BeliefWorks Special

The Dog Whisperer

We have been enjoying a television show on the National Geographic channel: The Dog Whisperer. It’s worth watching.

You may be thinking: if I’m not having problems with my dog, or I don’t have a dog, what does this have to do with me?

On the surface the show appears to be about how to handle problem dogs. But pay close attention and you’ll discover The Dog Whisperer is really not about dogs at all, but about how your beliefs impact everything (and everyone) around you.

The Dog Whisperer, Cesar Millan, has a simple premise that he repeats over and over: dog problems are not really about the animal but rather about how the humans respond to the situation with the animal. When he visits the home, Cesar seems only mildly interested in what the dog is doing. He’s much more focused on what the humans are doing.

In one episode a dog is traumatized by the sound of an air compressor and tools making loud noises in the garage. Whenever the man is in the garage working, the dog hides behind the couch, or in the bathtub, and whines. The animal is a friendly golden retriever, a great family dog, but the people are baffled at her behavior.The Dog Whisperer comes over and interviews the couple to understand what the problem is. Then he asks the man’s wife, “Do you like the garage?”

She looks at him like he’s crazy. But as the conversation deepens it is revealed that she hates the garage. In fact she is resentful and angry at her husband because he is gone all day at work and right after dinner he goes into the garage to work on his motorcycle and cars. She feels abandoned and ignored.

The Dog Whisperer has them all go into the garage and asks her, for the moment at least, to enjoy being in the garage. Then he asks her to visualize and emotionally experience something she enjoys. Within 30 minutes they are all in the garage together, with the air compressor running, and the dog is lying on the floor calm and balanced.

The core of Cesar’s teaching is this: when trying to get an animal to repeat a certain behavior it is important to realize that they will respond to the energy you project.

Each person broadcasts energies based on how they see the world, and what they decide about the situation they’re in. That energy is their intent. The energy of their intent is their personal dream of life - in that moment. And the dog, the animal who does not think, will be a perfect reflection of that dream. An unblemished mirror if you will.

I talk to many people who struggle with the little things (and sometimes big things) in life – money, kids, work, and relationship. Any struggle has a feeling component of being overwhelmed, stuck, or in emotional reaction. We all have moments like that. But try and notice: In those moments what flavor of energy are you projecting?

The energy you project will always be reflected by the small world around you. If you are taking things personally, reacting, complaining, insisting that people behave differently, or needing to be right, what do you suppose your small corner of the world will reflect back to you?

This is the true beauty of Cesar’s teaching. If you want an animal (or any group that you’re leading)to repeat a certain behavior you have to be the leader. Practice conscious intent by being calm, assertive, knowing what you desire, and moving forward - instead of reacting - and you will become a consummate leader. Think of the possibilites!

See, I told you this was really not about dogs……

BeliefWorks,

Ray Dodd, author, The Power of Belief
http://www.everydaywisdom.us

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The Weirdest Belief of All

June 7th, 2009

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BeliefWorks Special

The Weirdest Belief of All

At the end of June, BeliefWorks.net is giving away an autographed copy of Ray Dodd’s book, BeliefWorks, to the person who sends in the best submission for our WEIRD BELIEFS contest.

Our readers have responded from all over the world. Here is a sampling:

In Northern Thailand and also in Korea is the belief that twin births are evil. Twins in Thailand have been suffocated. Parents that refuse this tradition are banned by the rest of the culture and must live in solitary if they chose to raise their twins. In Korea the twins are sent to the U.S. for adoption.

When I was a child we I thought the cracks in the dirt was where the Devil was trying to get out. And when my cousin and I would dig and we hit a rock we thought it was the roof of the devils house and we would hurry and put the dirt back and run back into the house. I was terrified of the devil.

A little boy, looking up at an airplane in the sky asks his mom how people can fit inside such a tiny thing. She tells him the plane is much bigger on the ground than it looks in the sky. A few months later, he gets to go on his first airplane trip. Sure enough, the plane is huge when it’s parked outside the terminal. They get on and are soon airborne. After a little while the young child turns to his Mother and says, “When do we get small?”

These weird cultural and childhood beliefs from all over the world are enlightening and often entertaining. Yet there is a very common belief, one that we have uncovered over and over again in our work with people, that is by far the most powerful (and weirdest) belief we may have. To illustrate Mary from the USA writes:

I think my weirdest belief has been that I’m not whole, and I need to be healed so as to live a full life. I have believed this most of my life, at least since I became aware of God and searched to find who I am.

To quote Ray Dodd’s book, The Power of Belief:

“The most powerful beliefs you can choose are the ones that rest on a solid foundation. The most solid foundation of all is the truth. The truth is that the belief I’m Not (you fill in the blank) is a lie. Before we ever agree to believe I’m Not, it was someone else’s opinion and probably someone else’s opinion before that.

If we believe we are small and insignificant, or that we don’t deserve abundance, or that we will never realize our most precious dreams, then we agree-I’m Not. If we play roles and wear masks to protect ourselves so we can’t be seen, then we agree-I’m Not. If we accept the notion that persistent sadness about the past or constant anxiety about the future is normal, then we agree-I’m Not. Regardless of our accomplishments, if we capitulate to a life of little joy and don’t believe we can achieve success in the full circle of living, then we agree-I’m Not.

Withdrawing our investment of faith in I’m Not reveals what is, without effort. I Am. I Am okay. I Am good enough. I Am capable. I Am in this moment, perfect. I Am peace. I Am able to love myself without limits. I Am human. I Am Divine, as is all the creation I see around me. Allowing yourself to invest your faith in I Am reveals the true power of belief.”

Thanks to everyone for their submissions. There is still time to enter. Just send us your strange, unusual, and weird beliefs by writing your entry in our blog: http://beliefworks.net/wordpress/

BeliefWorks,

http://www.everydaywisdom.us

If you like our article, please tell a friend.

Home - Free Stuff - Store

  • Try a complimentary 30 Minute Telephone Session: Change the World - Change Your World - One Belief at a Time. Explore the advantages of working one-on-one with a BeliefWorks Mentor.

  • The Power of Belief: In this best-selling book Ray Dodd reveals how hidden beliefs create barriers to success and true happiness. An inspiring guide based on everyday wisdom, The Power of Belief offers four simple steps to re-create any belief that stands in your way.

  • Beliefs about Money Course: Positive thinking may not lead you to greater wealth, because MORE POWERFUL than THOUGHT is - BELIEF. Check-out our on-line mentoring program about using the power of belief to unlock the door to greater financial abundance.

Property of BeliefWorks.net 2009. All rights reserved. Reprint rights are granted to all venues so long as the article and by-line are reprinted intact.