Don’t Believe Everything You Think: 8 Steps to Personal Freedom!
*Updated July 2024
Don’t believe everything you think! This may sound counter intuitive at first, but there’s good reason for it. Recent research shows that most people think about 70,000 thoughts per day, with many being repetitive and negative. These egoic-based thoughts can trap you in the past or cause you to worry about the future. If left unchecked, they can stifle your joy for life.
Don’t Believe Everything You Think: 8 Steps to Personal Freedom!
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Ego-Based Behaviors
So, let’s identify common ego-based thoughts and behaviors:
- comparing yourself to someone
- feeling resentment or jealousy
- wanting to “one up” others
- giving material wealth an exaggerated importance (or needing it to be happy)
- thinking you’re not good enough
- looking for love, acceptance, and happiness outside of yourself
Giving attention to any of these ego-based thoughts will trap you in a futile cycle of soothing and bolstering your ego. And, this will pull you away from being your most authentic self. And, without a mindfulness practice to break this cycle, you may be left feeling stuck and unhappy.
For example, you may pursue greater material wealth, put an emphasized importance on looks, or do anything that gives you the edge over someone else, even if it doesn’t make you happy! And, although the ego may give you the extra incentive to go after what you want, it’s important to recognize how much you actually need these things to feel good about yourself.
Fear and the Ego
You can’t expand your life without taking risks. Doing things that scare you is an essential part of personal growth and it boosts your confidence. However, the ego creates fear and stops you from pushing past familiar boundaries. Here are some common fears that limit life’s possibilities:
- The fear of failure.
- The fear of change.
- The fear of looking foolish in front of others.
- The fear of not measuring up.
Limiting Beliefs and the Ego
Ruled by the ego, limiting beliefs drive your inner critic. Limiting beliefs are deeply ingrained thoughts you have about yourself that prevent you from reaching your full potential. In childhood, parents and other trusted adults are responsible for teaching you who you are. And, for any number of reasons, you may have internalized false ideas about yourself that didn’t truly reflect your capabilities. As a result, you made a series of life choices based on your limiting beliefs, or what you believe you can’t do.
But, now it’s time to challenge them. So, when the negative voice in your mind rears its ugly head, remind yourself that it’s just the ego in action. (If you want to learn more about limiting beliefs, click here.)
Overcoming Challenges
Change is challenging for sure. But, life is not actually meant to make you happy. In actuality, life and challenge are one and the same. And, the word challenge implies something positive. It’s synonymous with perseverance, hard work, and the determination to overcome obstacles.
Doing difficult things builds resiliency and gives you a deeper insight into who you truly are. So, when you don’t believe everything you think, and start doing what scares you, you can push past self-imposed limitations to experience a new reality.
Don’t Believe Everything You Think!
Don’t believe everything you think! Instead, focus on these two principles:
- Everything I need to create my ideal life is within me.
- Whatever I want, I already have! It just hasn’t manifested in my outer reality yet.
So, how long it will take to get what you want? The Universe doesn’t work in time the way we do. However, if you consistently vibrate at the frequency of what you want, and align your life with your vision, it will manifest in your reality at the right time. (If you want to learn more about your vibrational frequency, click here.)
8 Steps to Personal Freedom
Here’s an activity you can try in order to quiet your inner critic and manifest what you want!
1. Write one limiting belief that you have about yourself. What thoughts keeps you stuck? For example, “I’ll always be heavier than I’d like to be.” Or, “I’m not smart enough to get that promotion or new job.” You get the idea.
2. Now, cross it out. Then, crumple the paper and throw it away or, even better, shred it!
3. On a clean sheet of paper or in your journal, write a new belief. For example, “I am at my ideal weight.” Or, “I’m capable, experienced, and effective at what I do.”
4. Create positive affirmations that support your new belief. Now, it’s time for you to write your own positive affirmations. (And, there is an effective way to do this, so check it out here.) For example, “I am so happy and grateful now that I am at my ideal weight and I enjoy an active, healthy life.” Or, “I am so happy and grateful for my new job that respects my contributions and pays me well.”
5. Create a vision board. Building a vision board is an activity backed by neuroscience. When you look at visual representations of what you want and feel the joyful emotions that result, you actually change your brain. This will send a clear message to the Universe, accelerating your manifestations. To learn more about creating an effective vision board, click here.)
5. Repeat this exercise every morning and every night, and engage your heart. Repetition and strong emotion activate the heart-mind connection which is key to manifestation.
7. Continue until you’ve achieved your goal. Perseverance always produce positive results and builds character while strengthening mental resilience.
8. Then, focus on a new goal and begin the process again. Once you see progress, you’ll be motivated to continue! Remember, the secret to manifestation is to live as if you already have what you desire. Be confident in this knowledge and move forward with joy.
Good Vibes
When you think high energy, powerful thoughts and use words like love, abundance, wealth, miracles, prosperity, kindness, joy, compassion, and health, your energy will shift. And, these words, along with the feelings they inspire, have the power to align you to the life you want. It’s time to stop believing everything you think, move beyond the ego, and thrive. You deserve it and the Universe is waiting!
What would change look like in your life? Are there areas of your life that you’d like to change? Do you have specific beliefs about yourself that no longer reflect who you really are? What is most difficult thing about change for you? Feel free to comment below and let’s get the conversation started!
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Melissa Damiani
Melissa Damiani has a BA in Psychology and an M.Ed in Education. She is a wellness blogger and a personal coach who lives in New England with her husband and three fur babies. She enjoys reading, writing, practicing yoga, being in nature, British and medieval history, and all things Italian.
29 Comments
Krizzia Scollon
I love this post so much! So motivating and inspiring! I love the fact that we should not compare our journey to others cause really, we live in our own pace. Life is not a competition!
Melissa Damiani
Hi Krizzia, I’m so glad you enjoyed the post and that it resonated wit you! We all have our own unique and individual paths, but sometimes we need a reminder! Thanks for reaching out! Sincerely, Melissa
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jade goddard
wow great tips!! saving this!
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Melissa Damiani
Thanks Jade! Glad you found it helpful. Melissa
Britt
Great advice! I think we often forget about the power of our own thoughts and intentions, but they have the power to completely revolutionize our lives.
Melissa Damiani
Hi Britt, Thanks so much! We sometimes need to be reminded that we are more powerful than we realize! I’m so glad you enjoyed the post! Thanks for reaching out. Melissa
Cori
This is very thought provoking. I’ll try the 8 steps you listed above. I’m always looking for ways to become a more positive, and happy, version of myself.
Melissa Damiani
Hi Cori, I’m so glad you enjoyed the post and found it helpful! You have a great attitude…that’s a wonderful way to live! Thanks for reaching out! Melissa
Rick Lowe
This was a really well-written, well thought out post.
I try to be mindful as much as possible. My problem is, when I keep visualizing, and keep doing it, and it doesn’t work out forme within a few months, I get really discouraged, and believe it doesn’t work.
Then I go back to my own old traits of believing that hard work produces everything. If you work your ass off, things will come to you.
Other people get discouraged when they work hard and don’t achieve what they want to, and quit. I don’t have that switch. Having competed at a worldwide professional level in my sport, and having been successful in business, I know that it will come around, and I just keep working hard.
SO, my point is… this is a great mindset, but for me, i get frustrated with this when you see no results. With hard work, and a positive mindset, you see progress. Also, at least while you’re working, you feel like you’re REALLY DOING SOMETHING.
Something proactive, instead of having hopes and dreams, and ‘knowing it’s going’ to work out.
I guess I’m just wired differently than most.
Melissa Damiani
Thank you Rick! Your response is really appreciated and thoughtful. I agree that hard work is an important factor in the equation. And, I think the positive mindset creates an opening for us to allow some flexibility in our plans. Sometimes, the Universe has other plans for us! But, whatever works for you is great! Keep it up! Thanks so much for reaching out! Melissa
Ajay Sharma
A very well thought about blog. The analysis are great, very thought provoking. I am new to blogging and these kinds of blogs will only help I believe. Explanation is spot on!
Melissa Damiani
Thanks so much Ajay! I’m so glad you found it thought provoking. I appreciate your thoughtful comment! Good luck blogging. I’m about a year in now. 🙂 Melissa
Heena
I love the 8 steps mentioned above, they are key to achieving any thing that we think we are incapable of. For years I struggled with overweight issues due to PCOS and Hypothyroidism, and everything change from when I started practicing gratitude, affirmations, positive self talks, cutting down toxic relations . I not only manage to lose weight but also explore hidden strength of doing adventurous hiking. Thanks for sharing.
Heena.
Melissa Damiani
Hi Heena, I would’ve never thought you struggled with weight issues, you are so active! I’m so happy that you were able to use positive affirmations and gratitude to make positive lifestyle changes! And, I think distancing ourselves from toxic relationships is more beneficial than we realize. Thanks for reaching out! Melissa
Krisy
This is really helpful! As an overthinker myself, it’s pretty easy to gain self-doubt. However, I found out that the process of manifestation really helped. And writing everything on my journal changed my life!
Melissa Damiani
I agree Krisy! Writing things down was a game changer for me as well. Thanks you for reaching out! I’m so glad you found the post helpful. Sincerely, Melissa
Amy
Such a good post! Very thought provoking! I truly believe that unwavering belief in your success is the key. Being the person you need to be NOW! 🙂
Melissa Damiani
Hi Amy, Thank you for the thoughtful comment! I’m glad you found it thought provoking! Believing in yourself is truly the key to success. Sincerely, Melissa
Vonetta
Pinning this for future reference. I know I’ll need to read it several times to truly digest it all! Thank you for this! I need it!
Melissa Damiani
HI, I’m so glad this post resonated with you. And, sounds like it came at the right time! Thank you for your thoughtful comment! Melissa 🙂
Sheri
This is a well thought through article and I’m blessed to have come across it. I’ve taken away good suggestions that I’ll be applying to myself. Thank you!
Melissa Damiani
Hi Sheri, You’re very welcome! I’m so glad you found it helpful! I always want to provide my readers with things they can use in their daily lives! Thanks for reaching out! Melissa
Ashley
I really needed this. I was fit and lean when I got married in 2014. I gained 65lbs when I got pregnant with my first son. Lost 40 and then gained it all back with my second. No I cant get the last 25lbs off because I stress eat a lot. I am going to do this paper trick because my mind always tells me I will just fail and it is only limiting me from being my absolute best.
Melissa Damiani
Hi Ashley, I’m so happy that you found this post helpful, and that you’re going to apply the 8 steps! Sometimes we have to change on the inside and the outside will follow! Best of luck! Sincerely, Melissa
Dee
I love the positive affirmations in the 8 steps to personal freedom and will continue to do this as I grow my business
Melissa Damiani
Positive affirmations can be very powerful! I’m sure they’ll be beneficial in helping you grow your business! Best of luck! Melissa
Andrea Arceneaux
This was a very thought-provoking post. I am a firm believer that you live what you believe about yourself. If you speak death over your life, you create a self-fulfilling prophecy ending in failure. I love the practical steps you presented to help eliminate the limiting beliefs in our lives. I will apply your steps to my own limiting beliefs.
Melissa Damiani
Hi Andrea, Thanks do much for your thoughtful post! I totally agree with you about living what you believe about yourself! I always try to give some action steps that people can use. Best of luck working through the 8 steps. Lmk how it goes! Sincerely, Melissa