Periodically I take a moral inventory of my life up until that time in my journey. I call it “my check up from the neck up.” I do this as a way of course correction when I feel as though I have made some poor or ineffective choices or if my attitude is not what it should be.
This check up usually entails being very blunt and honest with myself and taking stock of what I have done right and where I have gotten off track.
Some time ago, I found the following quote by Mahatma Gandhi. I recently discovered it again among my favorite quotes collections as I was entering another self-discovery phase:
Your beliefs become your thoughts.
Your thoughts become your words.
Your words become your actions.
Your actions become your habits.
Your habits become your values.
Your values become your destiny.
Mahatma Gandhi
These 30 little words strung together can be powerful and life changing for us when we study, understand and incorporate them into our lives. When we evaluate some aspect of our life that is or is not working, we can look to our underlying belief system to ascertain why this is so. Asking the question “what do I really believe” (and not “what am I supposed to believe”) may shed some light on why our lives are working and why they are not.
Asking the question “what is my belief in this matter that is affecting my attitude?” may provide a surprising revelation.
It is never easy to undergo a self-evaluation, especially if it means facing and dissecting some thoughts, beliefs or attitudes that are preventing us from living a joyous and peace-filled life.
However, the feeling of power and being in control of our lives, rather than being controlled by our choices and decisions, can make even the most painful excisions of bad habits and non-productive beliefs heal faster and reduce the pain that we may be experiencing.
Affirmation for the Week:
“I am taking control of my life by being aware of and taking control over what I believe.”
Have a “believing” week!”
Mary “Motivator” Rau-Foster