The Belief Filter - the Negative side

Your belief is conditioned by your perception of the world around you.

That perception is from information that your brain filters through from the world and presents to you in a form you can understand. Filters do exactly what they say they do. They filter. The brain obeys the filters it imposes and this, in turn, constructs the reality around you.

Your perception of the world is put together by the information the filters allow.

Let’s have an example of this.

How many times have you lost your keys? You’ve put them down somewhere but where are they? You have no idea. So you go on the usual well tried route around the house. Search and find. Hallway, kitchen, dining room, bathroom, bedroom, lounge. Nothing!

What do you do next? You go on the same route but with more energy! Again, still no joy. Nothing! They have disappeared. In comes your partner, or flatmate.

“What are you doing?” they ask.

“I’ve lost my keys,” you tell them, “Where have you put them?”

(Apportioning blame seems to make some people feel better!)

Why is it, after you have told someone you have lost something, that they can look in a place you have checked three times and find what it was you were looking for?

It’s because their mind is tuned in to finding rather than losing.

You, on the other hand, say to yourself: “I’ve lost my keys, I’ve lost my keys!” and embark upon this manic search.

You could walk past the table your keys are lying on and your eyes say to you, “They’re on the table.” You say to yourself, “I’ve lost my keys.” Your brain says, “Ok then, you’re the boss!” and goes with you, not your eyes.

It refuses the information your eyes give it.

You go on the circuit. No joy! You go on the circuit again and, as you pass the table with your keys, your eyes say, “On the table, on the table!” but you ignore it, believing that your keys are lost.

Your eyes see the keys and say to your brain 'There they are'. The process is: key’s -eyes - eyes - brain. In the brain is the Reticular Activating System. This decides what comes in and what stays out. Your eyes spot the keys and tells your Brain but the RAS says, “Ssshh! The keys are lost!” This is your filter. Your eyes say 'Oh OK then, let's do another circuit' and off you go again.

Think about when you buy a car. Say for instance you decide to buy a brand new Arctic Silver Range Rover Sport series. And why not? What happens when you start to drive around in it? What do you see in front of you, in your rear view mirror and coming the other way? Range Rover Sports! Everywhere. They are all over the place.

Now you have got one, your mind says, “Look over there, there’s one. Look, there’s another!” Now you have one, your mind starts to filter in the information. Before you bought one you were under the impression that there weren’t many around so your brain believed it. Now you have one, your mind is open for information and here it is!

Belief is a make or break. It can shape your destiny or destroy it. Belief in yourself is the most important factor in the make up of success. Belief in what you do is the overriding factor in whether or not you are successful. Strength of mind and purpose is the main ingredient in your battle with the odds. If the odds are stacked against you, belief is the one thing that will carry you through.