Choosing What You Believe

In previous blogs, I have emphasized how what we believe, we have been programmed and indoctrinated to believe. While this may sound like the "conspiracy theory, to end all conspiracy theories," it is a simple statement of the fact of our existence.

The major early programmers and indoctrinators are our parents, and relatives, and, therefore, what we are initially programed with are their beliefs.

In Western/European society/culture, when we are born, it has been generally believed that we are, figuratively, little more than lumps of clay which must be shaped and molded into a human being. During Victorian times, it was believed that a child's will must be broken, for his/her own good. Most are familiar with the term of using the "rod" on children. The origin of this is the Bible:

"He who spareth the rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him correcteth him betimes" (Proverbs 13:24) and "Withhold not correction from a child: for if thou strike him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and deliver his soul from hell." (Proverbs 23:13-14)

The Bible (and the books of other religions), we have been taught to believe are God's words--not to be questioned, but obeyed. Many, in addition to our programming and indoctrination, have chosen, at some point, to take in large bodies of beliefs, such as these books which are the foundations of religions. Others, often former believers, on the other hand, have chosen to reject large bodies of beliefs, such as these, and they become non-belief in them, i.e., new beliefs. This is known colloquially as, "Throwing the baby out with the bath water."

As I have indicated previously, most of us, in the process of "getting an education," take in, in large blocks, vast amounts of information which we are encouraged to believe are "Facts." I have a recently published book, (1995--I guess not so recent now) written by James W. Loewen, with the title, LIES My Teacher Told Me: Everything your American History Textbook Got Wrong.

I have advocated, in this blog, the examining of all beliefs. This is a major undertaking; I speak from personal experience. I do not advocate, "Throwing out the baby with the bath water," however. I have also discussed the idea that, "We all stand on dead men's shoulders."

These beliefs in our minds, amount to "Truth," "Facts," (actuality, authenticity, basis, bottom line, certainty, certitude, concrete happening, evidence, law, etc.) We live our lives, and create our reality, by them. The idea of giving them up is obviously very threatening to the intellectual part of ourselves, which many believe is all there is to "who we are." Most who change such beliefs use the, "Throw-the- baby-out-with-the-bath-water," method. One has to admit that substituting a whole mass of non-beliefs for beliefs is decidedly simpler than rethinking the whole lot.

What I wish to substitute for this method is to switch our thinking of these beliefs as "Truth," to "as if true." "I will believe the sun will rise tomorrow, until it doesn't." "I will believe the Earth revolves around the Sun, until someone gives me evidence to the contrary, or some other explanation that fits better is given." "I will believe in species Evolution, until I am convinced by evidence otherwise."

How about, "I will try believing that I create my reality, by using some of the techniques, to see if my reality changes"? How about, "I will pretend that I believe I can create my reality, and try it"?

In changing your Belief System's beliefs, it is helpful to read material put out by people who are on, "the other side of the fence." For example, many people have recently seen the movie, or read the book, the Secret.

Maxwell Maltz, M.D., in his books, (I say "books," because, as I indicated in an earlier blog that he published the same book under more than one title.) gives many suggestions in applying what he calls, "A New Technique for Using Your Subconscious Power." The book I have was published in 1960, (you can probably find a copy of one of them by searching the Internet used-books sites). This is an, "If you read no other book this year, read this one," book. It is more useful, as far as I am concerned, than the Secret.

A friend of mine now has her "dream job" because of applying what was in the Secret. This is a case of, "I'll try this technique, and see if it works." She has, over the years, made herself an authority on nutrition and various other alternative healing techniques. She was working in a store which carried many such products, but was not particularly happy there. What she wanted to do, she told me, was to talk about, and give away, these kinds of products, and be paid to do so. So, using the methods advised, she set about creating this job for herself.

When she told me this story, she was in one of the natural foods stores at a table with a display of products, and information about them, which she was giving away. She said that, after having applied the methods for a time, she was contacted by one of these companies, who asked if she would be interested in doing just what she wanted to do, and they would pay her to do it. She now has a number of companies she represents, and is doing well, as of the last time I ran into her.

I leave you today with this positive story as encouragement to choose to believe something different.

Shirley Gallup