The Belief Backpack
What's Inside Is Shaping Your Life
Recently, I came across some old notes I took on beliefs.
One particular idea caught my attention.
It's a metaphor worth remembering.
The Belief Backpack
Imagine you're on a hike carrying a backpack.
This hike? It's your journey through life.
This backpack? It's a backpack full of beliefs.
Many people had a hand in packing this backpack for you. Some beliefs were packed by your parents, some by your teachers, and some by society. Others you've picked up along the journey.
These beliefs determine how you experience the journey - which paths you take, how you handle obstacles, and what you notice along the way.
Here's the thing that we so often forget: This is YOUR hike.
YOU get to decide what stays in the backpack.
That limiting belief about your abilities? It's weighing you down. It's not useful. You don't need to keep carrying it.
Those empowering beliefs about how resilient and determined you are? They are useful. They’re like power bars that keep you climbing. Feast on them!
So, what's in your belief backpack?
Ask yourself, "Is this serving me on this part of my journey?" “Is this useful?”
Make it a habit to regularly inspect what's in that backpack.
If you find something that isn't serving you, Psst, guess what? You can leave it behind.
It's your backpack! It's your journey!
Different beliefs will serve you better at different times.
Don't be afraid to dump out old content and replace it with more useful content for the section at hand.
Remember: "Useful" doesn't necessarily mean true. True isn't always going to be useful.
Focus on whatever belief helps you do what you need to do, be who you want to be, or feel at ease.
Routinely and repeatedly ask yourself questions like:
“What beliefs will serve me right now?”
“What beliefs are useful right now?”
What’s a more useful belief?
Pack and REPACK wisely. The beliefs you carry determine the life you live.