Beliefs:
Stepping Stones to Wellness
It is the
second week in Lent of 2005, and during church service
this morning I was so gently and graciously reminded of
the greatest gift I have: always
having choice. In every moment of my life,
I make choices that either reveal the abundance and benevolence
of the Universe or the apparent lack of it. Either
decision creates my life experience. It
is up to all of us which one we choose. If you are currently
experiencing “dis-ease” at any level, then
I challenge you to reflect
honestly upon what beliefs motivate you to make specific
choices and take specific actions, remembering that inaction
is in fact an action in itself.
Webster’s
New World Dictionary defines belief as: “The
mental act, condition, or habit of placing trust or confidence
in another; something believed or accepted as true.”
When we believe something we are placing our energy in
the object of the belief and thereby
creating our identity in association with that object,
both on a conscious and unconscious level.
Disease
in any form is a manifestation of misbeliefs being played
out
and energized through our physical body.
The gift, then,
is that in becoming aware of what our beliefs are, we
can redesign our life scripts and heal ourselves.
According to A Course in Miracles*, a
miracle is a change in perception. The
choice to see things differently is always ours!
I have come to
know that our dominant beliefs
drive our behaviors. The beliefs we are
holding—whether consciously or unconsciously—are
creating our life experiences. To
experience well-being you must become aware of your strongest
beliefs, for only in this awareness lies
the power of transformation and peace. Identifying
our dominate beliefs automatically places us in control
of our lives; it awakens us to the truth
that we always have had, have and will have choice in
every situation we are in.
When
we truly know we have choice,
we no longer are in the energy of feeling powerless or
victimized.
We no longer have
the feeling that life is happening to us rather than through
us. It is in this moment
that we experience the truth of our being, which is manifested
through lived freedom, unconditional love, serenity and
empowerment. It is in this moment that
we are able to experience our magnificence.
Wellness, though natural, is for many an unfamiliar
state,
whereas “dis-ease” is familiar, but unnatural.
So
how is it we become familiar with that which is unnatural?
I believe the answer to this question lies in the fact
that inherent in the human experience is the challenge
to remember our nobility: our
worthiness to be joyous, peaceful and content.
What if you knew you deserved to have the inner peace
and the fulfillment of the heartfelt desires that have
been with you your entire life?
I challenge
you to seriously consider the following two beliefs.
The first, that you are
enough just as you are in this very moment, regardless
of the story of all your past moments;
and secondly, everyone you
meet is enough just as they appear in each moment, regardless
of all their past choices. I ask you to
take a moment to breathe these in and allow these attitudes
to flow into your heart and embrace your soul.
Our lives
are transformed from “dis-ease” to “ease”
when we live from the belief that we are truly enough,
no matter what circumstances are present in our lives.
The transformation that manifests is demonstrated through
acceptance, unconditional
love, and an unwavering confidence we
can handle whatever we are challenged by. Our lives become
a demonstration of the abundance and benevolence of the
Universe. What is actually being manifested is the truth
that it is not ours to determine how our problems get
resolved, but rather it
is ours to allow the grace of life to be expressed through
us into the difficulties. We learn to
trust that the stepping stones to our goals are present
and our job is simply to step onto them in a forward
direction.
One last thought:
As within, so without.
If you passed by a mirror and the image you saw made you
feel like you were having a “bad hair day,”
would you touch the glass
to change the reflection? Of course not.
What is required to change the image is to directly touch
your own hair. The change is made upon ourselves before
the outward reflection shifts. To experience a
deeper sense of well-being in our lives we need to place
our hands upon our hearts and minds, and explore our personal
perspectives. We must be willing to allow the
inner transformation before we will experience its healing.
It is in having the courage
to do this personal exploration that we come to know beyond
all doubt our magnificence as children of God, and the
abundance of life.
*1975. Mill Valley,
CA: Foundation For Inner Peace.
Deb
Brown is a Licensed Professional Counselor/Life Coach with extensive counseling
experience with grief and loss, death and dying, relationship issues,
addictions/anxiety/depression and spirituality issues. Born and raised
in Buffalo, New York, she graduated from Niagara University in 1977 with
a BSN degree, and has had a varied nursing career, including past director
of the Hospice Inpatient Unit in Cheektowaga, New York for over four years.
She also possesses a master’s degree in Transpersonal Counseling
(Holistic) from Southwestern College in Santa Fe, New Mexico. While in
Buffalo, Deb established a successful private counseling practice, called
Heart to Heart counseling.