I’m not sure.

You may be the type who just read the title above and started nodding your head in agreement. You know, on a core level, that this is something true and important, and you’d like to go deeper to get some results from it. Or you may be the type of person who just rolled your eyes but decided to read on anyway- because there was one spark, one glimpse that there may be something important for you personally on this page.

This post is for both of you.

The truth is, your beliefs – whether you chose them consciously, picked them up from your parents and relatives, or even from friends and teachers in school – determine the results you’re seeing RIGHT NOW in every area of your life. There’s a large lie out there that whatever you’re experiencing right now is just temporary, and you’re “just on the tip” of breaking through in all of the areas you’d like to see more progress in. That feeling of being “just on the tip” of breaking through is a result of the beliefs you’ve held in the past and continue to hold now- and it’s responsible for the actual lack of results you’ve been noticing lately.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Whatever you’re currently experiencing right now IS temporary…but only if you choose to take up the initiative to change it. What happens is that most of us get caught in never-ending, vicious cycles that we always think are just about to end (day-to-day, week-to-week, year-to-year). It’s like your neighbor’s dog chasing after a car that you know it’ll never quite catch. Everyone on the outside can see it- just not the one “in the game” themselves.

Let’s take a look at this on a deeper level. Have you ever had a friend or relative who always talked about this being “the year” for getting healthy, fit and in control of their bodies? How many years did it take for this one to be “the year”? Did it happen at all? What usually happens is that while they’ll admirably set incredible goals for themselves and talk about it with friends and family, their behaviors never really change. As soon as they start getting more workouts in, the desire for sweets and “rewards” goes up. It’s like there’s an internal thermostat that won’t allow them to break free of their current body and habits. When they eat better, they suddenly can’t find the time to work out. So they either continue on the rollercoaster or call it quits and head back to their old comfort zone. Why does this happen?

Your actual behaviors – the actions you take, which give you the results you want – are driven by your beliefs about yourself and the world around you. If someone has a goal to become healthy and fit, but believes on a core level that “being healthy is hard” and “it’s hard to eat right”, or even “healthy people are strange”, how likely are they to achieve that goal? The beliefs that “being healthy is hard” and “it’s hard to eat right” will play out in their lives over and over again, making it incredibly challenging to be healthy. On top of that, if they knew an odd-ball health guru growing up and decided that “healthy people are strange”, they’ll never really allow themselves to become a “healthy person”. It’s a classic counter-intention that destroys their odds of success in achieving any of their health goals.

Keep in mind that all of this is concerning the problems we face in achieving our goals. The solutions come up next…

Here’s another example: have you ever had a friend who just seemed to “attract” drama and controversy? Who always talked about just wanting to be in a great relationship, but ended up creating arguments with all their friends and partners on a regular basis? What is it that actually drives this behavior and attracts so much drama, when all they really want on a conscious level is great friendships? Again, it’s their beliefs about themselves and the world around them.

They may believe that they don’t deserve the perfect guy or gal. They may hold the general belief (a fairly common one) that “people can’t be trusted”, passed down from family and friends. Or maybe they just grew up watching TV shows that faciliated them having unrealistic expectations about social situations and the amount of drama that’s “normal” in everyday life. It’s all a belief game- and it’s 100% our own responsibility to change it.

I’m sure it’s becoming clear that the beliefs you hold about yourself and others determine the actions you take (your behaviors), and following that, the results you see. This applies to your health, fitness and energy levels. It applies to all of your relationships. It applies to your financial beliefs, your intelligence, and your ability to learn new things and move forward progressively in your life. But with so many variables, how can we find out what beliefs we actually hold about ourselves and others? How can we “see” our current beliefs that are sculpting our daily lives?

I’ve discovered two powerful ways to become aware of your current beliefs:

1) What Are Your Expectations?

What you EXPECT to see in any area of your life lines up exactly with what your beliefs are in that area. Think about this for a moment. Some people expect more bills to show up, credit card debt, being tired and stressed out at work, coming home and passing out, etc. They fully expect this lifestyle because of the beliefs they’re holding about how life is supposed to be (usually passed down from parents, but also from any number of other sources and conclusions drawn elsewhere).

This isn’t a one-way street. Some people consistently EXPECT to see growing paychecks, surprise gifts, joy and satisfaction at work, and a lively, rich, dynamic atmosphere at home with the family. Funny enough, they consistently take the actions that bring them that kind of lifestyle in how they work, how they treat others, and how they treat themselves. Your beliefs in any area of your life (career, financial, health, relationships, mental performance, etc) determine the expectations YOU project outward in those categories; then, you take the actions that lead to the results you expected to begin with. This presents us with a unique challenge, but an even more incredible opportunity.

Many people go through life hardly challenging their current belief structures. They hold onto what their parents, grandparents, and their parents used to think- even if it serves no purpose in helping them to live the kind of life they really want NOW. The challenge? Becoming aware of your current beliefs so you can clearly see where you stand. The incredible opportunity? The chance to CHOOSE which new beliefs you’d like to entertain, and to watch them sculpt your life in new and exciting ways.

2) What Kind Of Actions Do You Automatically Take In Each Area Of Your Life?

This one is essential because we already know that our current beliefs are driving our behaviors…automatically. Some people are “tuned” to prosperity and can make incredible amounts of money appear on the spot, while they may be dumbfounded in the kitchen and at creating a state of health in their own bodies. Others are “set” to have passionate relationships that others would die for, but may find trouble choosing a career and bringing in money at the end of the day. What’s important to know is that you’re in control of the beliefs you have.

Take a quick assessment of your own life right now. What kind of results are you seeing in your career and financial life? Are you satisfied? How about your health? Your level of personal fitness and energy everyday? Now your relationships- both with any partner you may or may not have, and with friends and family. How about your mental performance? Are you an avid learner, always challenging yourself? Or did you develop the belief that “smart people aren’t cool” or something simliar in school (that you’re still living out today)?

We come away with all sorts of hurdles to be overcome by the time we’re out of school. All sorts of beliefs have been formed (whether useful or damaging), and we live out those beliefs on a day-to-day basis. It’s up to you to take 100% responsibility for the beliefs you’ve developed, the actions you’ve taken, and the results you’ve seen in your life.

…Next week, we’ll talk about how to literally hand-pick your beliefs, so you can start seeing the results you really want.

“What you truly believe is mirrored by the actions you take, not by what you say to others or what you’d like to think you believe”

Unleash Your Vitality,

– John Brackett

Leave a comment below and let me know what you think!

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]]> http://www.unleashyourvitality.com/2010/07/16/how-your-beliefs-determine-all-of-the-results-youre-seeing-in-your-life-and-the-2-clever-strategies-you-need-to-change-them/feed/ 3 http://www.unleashyourvitality.com/2010/01/28/longevity-anti-aging-part-13/ http://www.unleashyourvitality.com/2010/01/28/longevity-anti-aging-part-13/#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 23:55:29 +0000 John Brackett http://www.unleashyourvitality.com/?p=479

I couldn’t be more excited to be bringing you this special 3-part series on longevity and anti-aging! Longevity is one of the top, if not the top, interests and areas of research of mine that absolutely captivates me whenever I really start digging in.

We’re going to unearth several fascinating discoveries about longevity and living a long, healthy lifestyle – full of quality of life, just not years of aging. Parts 2 and 3 will come soon enough, so let’s take a look at Part 1 now:

What’s your reason to live?

That’s it. That huge piece of the longevity puzzle is now staring you right in the face. I see it over and over again when those vibrant, radiant 80 and 90 year olds get interviewed about how they’ve stayed so young. They’ll usually mention diet, but it’s never what they’re excited to share with everyone. What they’ll tell people, without hesitation, is that it’s all about having a reason to live – if you’ve got a powerful enough drive to stick around for awhile and make a difference, you’ll find a way to do it.

Interestingly enough, it’s this reason to live, this charge of the love of life, that actually keeps you healthy and vibrant now – as well as years down the road. It’s that huge factor that really determines your overall quality of life, affecting your body, mind, spirit, and emotional balance in every possible way. What is this reason to live? Can it be captured?

As I talk about in a chapter of my book “Why Is Weight Control So Difficult?” , intangible emotional comfort cannot be truly achieved through tangible means. You can’t take a yearning for love and connection to others and fill it with emotional comfort foods, no matter how much it seems to work in that moment. In the same way, your reason to live isn’t tangible – it’s an intangible feeling or experience.

For this reason, it comes down to relationships. It’s that relationship with your partner, with your family, with your friends…and with yourself. Your spiritual life, which many credit healthily to their longevity, really is about your relationship with yourself. From there, you’re able to truly enjoy your relationships with others.

But it’s also about doing what you love. Even with the best relationships, being stuck in a job you hate doing every day can take such a dramatic toll on your mind and body through unnecessary stress levels and so much more. It not only damages your own mind and body, but carries into all of your relationships. The best call for extreme longevity and anti-aging? Combining both for a driving, purposeful reason to live: cherishing your close relationships and doing what you love.

Check back next week for Part 2, where we’ll dive into more specifics on how to keep your mind and body in a state of peak performance…and stay years ahead of your peers!

Unleash Your Vitality,

John Brackett

Leave a comment below and share your thoughts, ideas and opinions on this post!