Beliefs for a Fulfilling Life
For most people, including myself, the topic of beliefs can be a little overwhelming. There are so many different beliefs and you can spend a lot of your time thinking about how they all fit together. But of all the beliefs out there, there are a few that I found to be the most important to our success as individuals in living our best lives possible. They’re what I like to call the five to drive. They include identity, values, vision, impact, and possibility.
What are the Five to Drive?
1. Identity
Tony Robbins says, “The strongest need in a human is to remain consistent with how we define ourselves.” The opinion you have of yourself sits at the foundation of everything you think, feel, and do. This is serious and we need to be intentional about our identity. How would you describe the type of person you are? What’s the story you tell about yourself to yourself when you’re by yourself? How do you define yourself? Who do you believe you are meant to be?
All of these are great questions for you to figure out where you are now and where you want to be. Don’t buy into the lie that who you are is fixed. Part of life is discovery and part is design. You have the ability and birthright to design exactly who you want to be.
“Do not overestimate the competition and underestimate yourself. You are better than you think.”-Tim Ferris
“You cannot consistently perform in a manner which is inconsistent with the way you see yourself.” -Zig Ziglar
2. Values
Values are basic and fundamental beliefs that guide or motivate attitudes or actions. They determine what is ultimately important to us and act as our internal GPS. What’s important to you? What are your principles? What is the code you choose to live by? Ultimately, this will bring you closer to your definition of success and keep you focused on the things that really matter to you. When you become aware of your values, you’ll find that your daily life and decisions will be more purposeful. Use this guide to find your value system.
3. Vision
My favorite question to ask around vision comes from American Poet Mary Oliver and it goes like this “What do you plan to do with this one wild and precious life?” Take that one to your journal with a timer set for no less than 15 minutes and see what answers come out of you. Look for the patterns of your answers. Keep in mind you are searching for more of a direction than a destination.
You don’t have to envision the rest of your life. Sometimes that’s just too overwhelming of a task. Chunking it down can be super helpful by focusing on a specific timeline. Try this question on for size “What do I plan to do with this one wild and precious life for the next 90 days?” We don’t always get clear or concrete answers to vision questions, just find solace in the fact that you will never stop asking the question. If you want a lot more information on building your vision I would suggest checking out our page on Finding Your Why.
4. Impact
Who do you want to help most? What problem do you want to help them solve? How does it make you feel when you help solve those people solve that problem? Impact is truly about how you intend to leave the world a better place. How do you want the world to be different based on you being a member of it? Think BIG here. Think Legacy and don’t limit yourself. Once you are clear on your impact never stop working on it. The best in the world never stop refining their impact.
“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do make a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” -Jane Goodall
“Could anything be better than this Waking up every day knowing that lots of people are smiling because you chose to impact lives, making the world a better place.” -Anyaele Sam Chiyson
5. Possibility
What you deem is possible will ultimately govern your actions and results. In fact, I believe our relationship to possibility drives our programming and programming drives our performance. What is the description of your full potential? You will never outpace what you believe is possible for you.
“If I’ve learned anything in life, it is that if you believe something is possible, you tend to focus on the constructive means necessary to make that possibility a reality. I’ve also learned to believe the opposite. If you don’t think something is possible, then you will be blinded to the ways it could be done. It’s like a self-imposed blind spot.”-Gary Keller page 181 in The Millionaire Real Estate Agent
The fastest way to redefine possibility is to get around people who are already achieving what you want. Read their books or listen to their podcasts if you have to. The means to learn anything is more abundant now than ever and when you surround yourself with people who are doing the “impossible” you will rewire your brain.
What beliefs can you use to live your life by design?
What thoughts or beliefs will give you the best chance of living the most fulfilling life possible? It might sound strange to be “intentional” with what you believe because beliefs are something we usually feel we don’t have a lot of control over. But when you begin to examine your beliefs, what they say about you, and how they align with your goals in life, you’ll realize that many of these beliefs are already by your design.
When we design a space in our homes, like bedrooms, we do it intentionally. There’s a bed for sleeping and maybe a side table with your alarm to start the next day. Shat we fill the room with allows it to fulfill its purpose. Be purposeful with the beliefs you fill your mind with, and it will decide how you live your life.
We are our thoughts, our goals, ideas of the world, what we think is possible or impossible, and the story we tell about ourselves when we are by ourselves. These thoughts govern our actions, but we can govern our thoughts.
