We all create a belief system. Influenced by family, friends, religion, politics, life experience and the general perceptions of our lives. For some people their belief system is fixed, unyielding and without question. They might actually die to protect it. For others, there belief system is more flexible. More accommodating to the changing nature of life. Not so black and white. For some, those more introspective might actually be willing to admit that they are wrong. They might be willing to change a fundamental belief, especially if it provides a deeper sense of being. A deeper experience to the mystery that lives all things.

The chaos in the world today is to a large extent a result of people’s beliefs. An intractable belief that something, an idea, a concept is the absolute truth. Many of our beliefs influence our decision making. Many times on a very subtle level. A new idea we are presented with. A person we are introduced to that could be a potential friend or colleague.  Maybe even an investment opportunity. Maybe something as simple as a new food. Think about all the situations in life you initially turned away from that in retrospect was correct and supportive of your life. Many times our own negative unconscious often works against us compelling ourselves to make decisions that are not in our best interest. Yet we think they are. Sometimes, even some of our primary beliefs run contrary to what is actually meant to serve and support us.

I want to share two experiences in my life that I initially turned away from that could have and in once case did have a profound impact on my life.

I worked in computer industry when the IBM PC was first released in 1981. A coworker decided to quite what was a very lucrative sales position to start a PC based software company. He wanted to design a specific PC based applications. The initial program would sell for $35.00. My thought was, “you are going to spend a small fortune to create a program that would sell for $35.00. How could you possibly make any money doing that”. Needless to say he quickly sold his company for a small fortune. My built-in bias, my belief system blinded me from seeing what he could obviously see. To make matters worse, I had an opportunity to both invest in and work in this new company. But I knew better.

I have mentioned in several of my previous blog posts my relationship with my spiritual teacher, Brenda. This relationship developed over the course of 20 years. It was profound and spiritually intimate.  Brenda would often confront me about the beliefs I held that were getting in the way of my spiritual development and in living a fuller more complete life. Beliefs that stunted my growth as a human being. Beliefs that got in the way of a clarified version of myself.  I held a very well developed and intrenched belief about my need to earn a living. To grind it out. If I did not totally focus on building my practice, I would fail. I would not be able to financially support myself and my family. On occasion, she would verbally pound me. Blasting me about those seemingly intractable and entrenched beliefs. She could clearly see something that I could not. She took a hammer of love and tried to “crack open” my long held very inflexible beliefs. An ego that would not let go. It took 20 years for me to finally “get it”. To understand at both an intuitive level and practical level what she was trying to tell me. She whispered to me. Spoke to me. She yelled at me. I could not hear her.

Once I could grasp what Brenda was trying to tell me, my entire life changed. There was possibility where none existed before. The world opened for me. I was set free from my own limited thoughts about what was possible.

Again, so much more to write about this subject. More for later.