"A belief is not merely an idea that the mind possesses, it is an idea that possesses the mind." ~ Robert Oxton Bolton
When you wake up to the fact that any belief is just a state of mind, it becomes a choice you make (whether you believe or not). As the mind is the foundation of everything you do (or do not do), it's ultimately that one thing that stands in our way.
Our beliefs are the filters we use to perceive life itself. It influences every thought, word, decision, and action. Through beliefs, we justify or condemn any action and we rely on our beliefs to explain everything.
To a large extent, our beliefs are tribal. By tribal I mean that you are more likley to share the beliefs you were born into. That is to say we were 'nurtured' by. You can argue our culture defines the beliefs based on past experiences.
Thus, while we possess a set of shared beliefs, it doesn't mean they are true for us. Waking up to the fact that beliefs are a mental construct, we can begin to challenge our beliefs.
The opinions others have of us are rooted in their beliefs about us. Seeking to meet the expectations of others, those beliefs can limit us or expand us.
I think about some of my clients & colleagues whose beliefs in me about my capabilities were beyond my actual experience. Because I want to meet their expectations, I expanded what I had done previously.
Beliefs are different than knowledge. Knowledge itself is data, and beliefs are what gives knowledge meaning. Data itself is meaningless. Our belief is what gives data meaning.
I have done a lot of writing (and thus reflection) on beliefs over the past few years. I started questioning by beliefs back in 2008. I had become disenchanted with my career in tech sales. I had lost all my aspirations. I honestly didn't want to be here anymore.
"All our truths (individual & collective) depend on time, place, and circumstance. What makes it true is our choice to believe that it is." ~ Timber Hawkeye
Any truth can be challenged given a different time, circumstance, and/or place.
It's our need to explain what is, that forces us to come up with stories.
How influential are the beliefs of others in what we do?
When you succeed at something, the world appears to clear a path for you to continue.
But before you do succeed, the world actually conspires against from doing the exact work it'll conspire to help you with later.
My point is... nobody else will believe in you when the work is first underway. You must believe in yourself before anyone else will.
We are programmed to define our beliefs, even when those beliefs are no longer in our collective best interest.