What do you believe?

A very simple definition of the mind is the activity of the brain. The activity of the brain manifests as thought. Thought comes in the form of beliefs, attitudes, perceptions and memories, which develop for each of us as a result of our life experiences. They can be so much a part of us that we cease to remain aware of these powerful processes that are running us.

What do you believe?

An important question to ask ourselves when life feels like a struggle: “What do I believe about myself right now?” When we develop the skill to slow our minds down, (see Learn To Meditate), we have a better opportunity to step back, identify our beliefs and question them. When we identify beliefs that no longer, or never did, serve us, we can begin the life-long process of retraining our thinking. If you find that anxiety and/or depression are interfering with your quality of life, chances are you have one or more damaging beliefs operating in the background.

A counselor can help

I approach all my clients from the perspective of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and incorporate Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) with those clients for whom it is appropriate. With CBT we look at what is happening in the client’s life, how it is impacting them and what changes we can make in thinking and behavior to bring about positive life changes. EFT helps us to reduce the emotional charge that is connected with the damaging beliefs so that they can be, more easily, released.

Damaging Myths We Should Not Believe

This Huff Post article reveals 15 Damaging Myths About Life We Should All Stop Believing. If you find yourself struggling, seek the help of a qualified mental health counselor, who can help you identify what you believe and how it is impacting your quality of life. From there, you can take on the challenge of managing your mind, cultivating the beliefs that serve you and releasing those that no longer do.

Looking inside the rubber band ball

For years, I’ve used an analogy of a rubber band ball to counseling. As kids, we would take golf balls apart. After you get through the tough, outer layer, you’ll come to a densely packed ball of thin rubber bands. If you start picking at the rubber bands, you can begin to peel them away, one at a time. At some point, when you’ve removed enough layers, the ball will unwind quickly, releasing a small explosion of rubber bands.

My analogy has been that people walk through life, holding their rubber band ball. As long as it remains undisturbed, it can be carried around, as if holding it all together, tentatively. Therapy gives us the opportunity to poke at the rubber band ball, to begin to examine the layers. When the ball starts to unravel in a little explosion, that represents the parts of therapy where things feel unsettled and frightening. If we allow ourselves to go through that part, what follows is a resettling as things fall back into place. As counseling continues, we have the opportunity to lay out the inner contents of our psychic rubber band ball, keep what works and set aside what no longer serves us.

Here is a dissection of an actual rubber band ball. Enjoy.