Belief is something that we all share. It is also something that varies greatly from person to person even those who share the same faith or spiritual belief system each have their own unique perspective and way of believing. We all view the universe from the perspective of our own unique perceptual filters.
Whether you believe in an organized religion, a purely spiritual existence, or the secular rationality of science you still believe in something. While it is good to have an organized supportive structure of beliefs there are also beliefs that can limit your ability to realize your full potential. I often refer to these as self-limiting beliefs. These are the types of beliefs that you want to avoid becoming attached to.
Ideas, theories, and conceptualizations about how the universe works and where we fit into the grand scheme of things are good only up to a point. Nowadays many people like to dwell on the “insignificance” of humanity and earth. While it is true that the planet Earth is just a tiny speck amidst the whole of the cosmological model, there is something very limiting about dwelling on this point of view.
Reality as I see it is far different from this pessimistic model of scarcity and individualized isolation. While it is very easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the universe in comparison to that of our own world. It is also easy to see it as how we are actually a part of something that is so massively huge and reaching out into all directions from where we are standing. We are part of this expanding evolving entity of matter and energy. We are formed out of the very essence of its existence and it is within us.
Every single particle of matter and resonating wave of energy in existence shares the same equal and ultimate potential. Every single particle of matter and wave of energy in the universe has equal significance to every other. Insignificance, isolation, separation, and scarcity are all illusionary concepts created out of fear and doubt. Everything is interconnected through a substructure of interlacing energy that binds everything to the source energy from which all things originate. Simply put everything and everyone is connected.
It is quite possible for someone to live their entire life without ever realizing this to be true. While it is very important for us to believe in ourselves and our own ultimate potential, it is also important for us to release the things that hold us back. Any belief that tells you that something is completely impossible or that you are incapable of anything is a belief that needs to be released. By shedding outmoded and self-limiting beliefs and belief systems we can come to more fully realize our ultimate unlimited potential.
It is very easy to distinguish between supportive beliefs and self-limiting ones. Self-limiting beliefs are the ones that we cling to out of fear and doubt. Self-limiting beliefs rely on and facilitate the perpetuation of fear and concepts of scarcity. These beliefs tend to generate negative emotions and encourage negative actions and feelings toward others.
Beliefs that encourage hate, violence, oppression, greed, and egotism can seem innocent and pure on the outer surface. It does not matter if they are connected to a spiritual or religious affiliation of one kind or other. If they are limiting they are obviously the product of an unenlightened mind and should not be seriously heeded. They can be as simple as a basic philosophy of self limitation. You must ask yourself if the belief in any way makes you feel as though you are oppressed or limited in your abilities. If it does, then ultimately it is a self-limiting concept that needs to be released.
I like to use the analogy of releasing the heavy burden of sandbags from the basket of a hot air balloon. As you release these negative self limiting concepts and beliefs, you begin to feel lighter and purer of essence. You will begin to find that emotions like love and joy are more easily accessible and you will discover the true abundance of happiness that surrounds you.
True, pure supportive beliefs are ideas born from personal experience and intuitive insights. They generate feelings of universal joy and unconditional love within you. These are enlightened beliefs that serve to strengthen the connections between ourselves and our power within.
We can easily gain proper intuitive insights into the nature of ourselves and the universe that manifested our very existence, through meditation and mental discipline. When we open our minds to the truth it easily comes pouring in without resistance. The key to seeing and knowing the truth of things is simply learning where and when to look as well as how to listen. Love is the primary force that turns that key.