Recognizing and Transforming Beliefs – Keys to a Freer Life

Recognizing and Transforming Beliefs – How Our Thinking Shapes Everyday Life

Beliefs are deeply ingrained convictions that influence our thoughts and actions, often without us even realizing it. They shape our inner world, our "inner reality," and determine how we react to situations. In this blog, I want to explore how beliefs are formed, the role they play in our lives, and how we can actively question and transform them.

What Are Beliefs?

Beliefs are convictions that we often develop early in life. They are based on experiences, upbringing, and societal norms. While many beliefs help us navigate daily life and make decisions, some can limit us. Beliefs are individual, but there are some that nearly every adult carries around. Classic examples include: "I am not good enough," or "I am not heard or seen."

Here’s an example from my own life: The belief “We always eat at a fixed time!” caused me years of stress and immense pressure. I was completely fixated on the time I had set for dinner and felt extremely stressed about ensuring the meal was ready on time. If someone were late, I’d get very annoyed. At the same time, I didn’t understand where the stress and frustration were coming from. So, where did this belief originate? It stemmed from my childhood, and it no longer made sense in my present life.

The Iceberg Model: Why Beliefs Are Often Hidden

One reason we don’t always recognize our beliefs is: they reside in our subconscious. The iceberg model illustrates that only 5-10% of our thoughts and actions are consciously controlled. The rest (90-95%) runs on autopilot. Like an iceberg, we only see the tip, while the largest part remains hidden beneath the surface. Many beliefs exist in this subconscious realm, making them difficult to identify.

Questioning and Transforming Beliefs

The key to change lies in consciously questioning our beliefs. When we encounter a limiting belief, we should ask ourselves:

• Is this belief true? Are there any proofs that it is accurate?

• Is it important to me? Does it still make sense in my life today?

• Why am I holding onto it? What purpose does it serve?

If we discover that a belief no longer fits, we can let it go and replace it with a new one. For example, I replaced my old belief, “We always eat at a fixed time,” with the new belief, “We eat when the food is ready.” This new belief takes the pressure out of the situation and aligns better with my current lifestyle.

Establishing New Beliefs – The Path from Footpath to Highway

Replacing an old belief with a new one requires practice. Initially, the new belief is like a narrow footpath, barely traveled. Over time, through repeated awareness and application, this path becomes broader and more stable, until it eventually turns into a highway. At the same time, the old highway loses significance because it’s no longer in use.

Hypnosis can accelerate this process by giving us direct access to the subconscious. In hypnotherapy sessions, old beliefs can be identified and reframed more quickly. However, even without hypnosis, this process is achievable—it just requires a bit more patience.

Discovering Beliefs in Everyday Life

Beliefs often emerge in stressful or challenging situations. If you notice that you’re reacting to a situation differently than you’d like, this could be a clue to an underlying belief. Observe your thoughts during these moments: What sentence comes to mind? What do you believe to be true? Write these sentences down—they offer valuable insights into your inner convictions.

Having a list of beliefs can also be helpful if you’re working with a coach. Coaches assist in analyzing these beliefs, questioning them, and finding new paths forward.

Conclusion: Beliefs as Keys to Transformation

Recognizing and transforming beliefs is an exciting process that can reveal a lot about ourselves. It takes courage and openness to let go of old convictions and establish new, supportive ones. But this journey is worth it: it leads to greater ease, freedom, and a more conscious life.

I invite you to embark on this journey. Feel free to share your experiences with me. I’m curious about the beliefs you discover and transform.