LENSES TO SEE THE WORLD:

Our beliefs ‘tint’ the lenses we’ve created to see the world…and to see ourselves.  Each of us has a variety of lenses to use, depending on our feelings and the situation.  Each of us can decide which lens to use in any situation, but most of the time we simply react, using whatever lens is triggered by our subconscious.  We believe our assumptions, and even assume that others see the same things that we see. This is why is it is vitally important to ask others how they see a situation!  We hope that others will be generous when they view us. Perhaps we could also use our curious, or our ‘rose-colored’, lenses with them as well.

Tom Asacker, author of Your Brain on Story, describes how our beliefs are formed:

“Everyone has been conditioned to think in certain, scripted ways. What you see today as ‘you’, wasn’t consciously crafted by you. It’s a product of unquestioned learning and unconscious assimilation – including limiting beliefs which were woven into you by others, especially by people you trusted. Those ‘knots of beliefs’ are everywhere and most of the time you fail to notice how they affect your emotions and your decisions, and how important they are to maintaining your story. Like our favorite sweaters, our identities are very precious to us.” 

But we can outgrow beliefs that were given to us.  When we reflect on how we became who we are today, we might find beliefs that are inconsistent with who we have become.  We can let these beliefs go, and we can adopt new ones.

“If you want to change your perspective, change your behavior – and your behavior will change your mind.”    – Tom Asacker 

See it to believe it?  Not so fast!  Here are some common, age-old phrases to ponder:

We see things as we are, not as they are.                                Don’t believe everything you see.  

The absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.                Don’t believe everything you think.   

BELIEF IN YOURSELF: also known as Self-Efficacy        Affirmation: “I can do this!”

Your “Agency” is your sense of power to determine – and to drive your life toward – your destiny.

“Our belief in our ability to succeed plays a role in how we think, how we act, and how we feel about our place in the world.”  – Albert Bandura

Signs of Self-Determination, Self-Efficacy and Agency:

• You feel like you can handle problems if you are willing to work hard
• You feel confident that you can achieve your goals.
• You feel like you can manage unexpected events when they arise.
• You are able to bounce back fairly quickly after stressful events.
• You feel like you can come up with options when you are facing a problem.
• You keep trying even when things seem difficult.
• You stay calm even in the face of chaos.
• You perform well, even under pressure.
• You can focus on your progress, chipping away, rather than getting overwhelmed by all you still have to do.

Do you need to build your feelings of Self-Efficacy? Here are some things to try:

+ Celebrate your achievements!  Reflect on the hurdles you surmounted and how much more you know.

+ Observe others.  See how they progress and then see if you can do the same, or in your own style.

+ Have positive affirmations ready when you start something new. Develop a ‘positivity bias’.

+ Pay attention to your thoughts, your emotions, and your cues from your body.

Bridging Our Beliefs

Have you ever talked with someone who believes things that don’t make sense to you? Our mind creates stories to make sense of what we know when new information comes in. It also creates shortcuts to connect information, save energy and reduce confusion. The mind will create bridges between beliefs that might not clearly connect. Some of these bridges are helpful, some are not good for us or for others. Some of these bridges are called ‘magical thinking’. We make ‘sense’, or meaning, based on our beliefs and the way we connect them.

We also believe in others. We trust them to guide our sensemaking abilities. The level of trust we give them will contribute to the arch of assumptions that connects our beliefs. For instance, if we believe in one type of news source over another, the news source that we trust becomes part of the foundation of our assumptions; the things we believe to be true.

Questioning claims, statements, experts and evidence is not an attack. It is healthy.

Questions support critical thinking, wisdom, reflection, dialog and discovery toward the truth.

Obedience is not belief.

Skepticism: Curiosity or questioning of beliefs. It is very important for us to consider building a healthy level of skepticism since our information channels are being flooded with ‘fake’, and misleading information.

“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” – Albert Einstein

“The repetition of affirmations leads to belief. Once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen.” – Muhammad Ali

“The difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas as in escaping from old ones.” – John Maynard Keynes

“She believed in nothing. Only her skepticism kept her from being an atheist.” – Jean-Paul Sartre

POSSIBILITARIAN BELIEFS: important to build the future

Self-Determination + Self-Efficacy + Self-Reflection + Intention + Opportunity + Agency + Respect

Questions are crucial! Everyone is valuable and important! Yes, We Can! Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

No super-hero is coming to save us.   Together, we can be the superhero we have been hoping for!