When it comes to personal growth, what matters more; belief or discipline? How important is talent? Where does willpower fit into the picture?

Granted, all of these things are important for moving towards your goals. The process typically goes like this; you choose an area to improve and set a new standard for yourself.

“I’m going to start waking up at 5 AM!“ “I’m going to run 5k every day!” or “I’m going to write five pages before breakfast!”

Lofty ambitions, all. Setting new standards in front of you is like looking at a dartboard in hopes of hitting the bull’s-eye.

But here’s the thing, standards are like a building that you begin constructing in your mind. Without the bedrock of belief, you may as well be building on quicksand.

Few things are as fickle as the beliefs we inherit. The limiting ones don’t show up as fully formed statements in our mind. They hide behind hesitations and small slips of self-sabotage. Avoidances, aversions, and annoyances.

They stick to us like cockleburs throughout our development. Who do we inherit them from? Parents, peers, or your middle school gym teacher. They slip in through the cracks of our most awkward moments.

So where does that leave you? Understanding that beliefs are like system level programming for your consciousness may make it easier to be intentional with them.

However, editing your beliefs isn’t as simple as tapping the delete button on your keyboard. The sticky ones that are holding you back have to be kindly nudged out of the way by new empowering ones.

How might you go about that? Work your metaphysical muscles the same as your embodied ones. In other words — make it a practice. A limiting belief will stop you from ever getting off of the starting line.

Ignore that and invite your inner child to come out to play. What do little kids do best? Pretend! So go ahead, dance right onto the floor of your dreams and allow yourself to act ‘as if’ … Fake it till you make it, indeed.

Belief will follow action if you give it a chance. Discipline and willpower are much easier to sustain once your beliefs are in order. Talent has a way of emerging like the luster of a gem once it’s polished.

The metaphor I heard recently that sparked today’s note is that belief is like scaffolding. It’s not there to support the building indefinitely, but without it the construction can’t even begin.

And with that, let’s build a great week together! Much love till next Monday 😉

Merci et à bientôt!

M+

ML #647

Mark Metz
Monday Love Movement Calendar