Deconstructing Your Beliefs: Evolve to fit the current version of you
Have your belief systems been unraveling and feel like they're being challenged? It can unravel from divorce, religion, death, or job loss. Is it time to reconsider what you believe and determine what is serving you and what is not?
Many of my clients are in the process of re-examining their beliefs, faith, or religion. All in all this can be a healthy endeavor. Many of us were raised in a religion which no longer meets all of our needs or instilled within us some beliefs or habits which, upon critical reflection, no longer serve our best interest. Whether or not you are religious, big events can make you question your life, job, relationships, or belief systems you gathered when you were little.
The challenge with re-examining your own beliefs comes when trying to separate the things that are positive and can still help you to grow from those things which no longer serve your future growth.
One of my lovely clients who grew up as LDS (Latter Day Saint) has allowed me to share her beautifully updated testimony which reconfigures her own personal beliefs from those her mainstream church pushed with its own scriptures. Her testimony is as follows:
“Adam fell that men might be, and men are that they might have joy” (Mormon Scripture). I was raised to believe that joy is a state of being. That if you did enough, you could be in a state of “never-ending” joy. The problem with this mindset is that joy is an emotion. And like everything natural- the waves of the sea, the erosion of rocks, the season- emotions wax and wane. They change.
So the “plan of happiness” actually doesn’t exist. But- the plan of knowledge does. Life is about knowledge. Knowledge doesn’t come and go. As we experience things, learn things, and feel emotions– every emotion, and honor each one - joy, sadness, pain, hurt, anger… all of them- we learn. And that’s growth.
I know that the plan of knowledge is true. And I know that by honoring every emotion in me, I appreciate joy that much more.
In the name of ME.
Amen! I truly appreciate her sharing this with me and allowing me to share it with you.
When we are raised in religions from a young age and phrases/scriptures are repeated frequently, we tend to forget to re-examine them to check if they still fit our lives and are even true at all.
A lot of our beliefs can keep us from growing and changing if we don’t look at them through lenses of maturity, growth, and critical thinking. Along with religious beliefs come the cultural beliefs and traditions that are often passed along to members of that religion without any basis in scripture or faith. Some, like providing exorbitant amounts of jello salads at gatherings, can be fairly harmless. While others may cause us to question our self-worth and reasons for existing.
I believe that we are all capable of growing and developing into the people that the world and those around us so desperately need as blessings in their lives. We all have gifts and abilities to contribute to society which can make our worlds better places. There is no need to carry around burdens from beliefs that do not fit your current or future story.
