Believing New Things
In the Wine Free Work Week Challenge last week, I talked about the importance of belief in creating a life you wouldn't dream of numbing out of with alcohol.
Most people just want me to tell them how to make cravings go away. Yes, this is definitely a piece of the puzzle.
But this is surface level work because if we don't address the underlying beliefs, then you will just boomerang back to old patterns.
This is why people can lose the weight and are not able to keep it off. They have identified as an overweight person for so long that those beliefs are familiar. Even though they want to have a right sized body, they don't yet believe that it is right for them. They go back to their familiar eating patterns and gain the weight back.
Or why people win the lottery and in lightning speed, have little to show for it. If they believe, for example, that "money is the root of all evil," then it makes sense that they would want to get rid of it! They will go back to their familiar pattern of living from paycheck to paycheck.
Or why people will have a stretch of 72 days during which they feel really good about their drinking, and then fall back into the familiar pattern of a bottle a night. They can't picture being happy without alcohol, and they go back to nightly drinking.
Most people's lives generally stay the same because their beliefs generally stay the same.
There is safety in thinking these things because they are familiar. And of course, as long as they continue to believe the same things, they will continue to get the same results.
In order to break out of the cycle, I teach my clients how to believe on purpose.
We figure out what belief resonates for you. We are all unique individuals, so using a generic belief is pointless. You just end up feeling stupid and frustrated and want to drink to get away from "there must be something wrong with me" thoughts.
You will know when a belief resonates for you when you say it and you feel a positive emotion. Everyone is different- it takes a little fine-tuning to figure out what will work for you.
Then you practice this belief. You spend a couple of minutes each day literally sitting in belief. This means spending a couple of minutes each day saying the new belief to yourself.
Believing on purpose means directing your brain towards what you want to believe. It can sound like "No, I don't want to believe that I can't do this. I believe that this is working."
You don't make the discomfort of holding two beliefs mean that anything has gone wrong. This is part of the process. You plan for it and accept that this is a signal that something is changing just like feeling sore after you have had a good workout.
Rinse and repeat until the belief that you have been practicing feels as familiar as the old belief.
In the amount of time that it takes to brush your teeth you can practice a new belief. It will make all of the difference for you in achieving your goal to drink less and create a life that you love.
Why wouldn't you want to believe in yourself?
Honestly spend a little time with this question. What comes up for you? Do you like what comes up?
If you would like my guidance to help you work through this and create a life that you love, schedule a consult today here. I love working with clients one on one because of the personal attention I can provide to everyone. You are unique so it only makes sense that your path will be as distinct as you are!
Take care,
Caroline
PS- We had a great time at my Wine Free Work Week Challenge last week. And if the timing didn't work out for you, we missed you!
PPS- If you would like some help in your journey, I would love to help you out, click on the green button at the top of the page and schedule a time on my calendar.
