The Feel-Good Factor: No.5

Here is a simple method for raising awareness of the underlying beliefs that have helped to make you the way you are today.

In the last article for this series I spoke about how negative beliefs can contribute to problems such as low self-esteem. These beliefs are developed over time, but often have their origins in the experiences of childhood.

Choose a topic that is important to you. It may relate to some problem or issue you have been facing. Without thinking too much, very quickly make a random list of words and phrases that come to mind in association with that topic. It doesn’t matter if they seem ridiculous or unrelated, just note down anything that pops into your mind. Give yourself no longer than a couple of minutes to do this.

Look back over your list, preferably after leaving it for a while so you view it afresh. What does the list reveal? Are there any surprises? Can you identify certain themes? You may be intrigued by the combinations of ideas which emerge. Consider what the words and phrases tell you about yourself. Can you learn anything from this?

The ideas you have assocated with your chosen topic will sometimes be positive sometimes negative, but should tell you something about your attitudes and feelings - and may evoke memories from the past. This exercise can also help you to identify limiting beliefs where they exist. By identifying these limiting beliefs we can we start to overcome them and make changes.

JG