Food For Thought: Are you living based on someone else’s beliefs?
So a few months ago, I along with apparently thousands of other people, purchased “You Are A Badass How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life” by Jen Sincero.
I was in the airport and looking for a romance novel to consume on the plane when a bright yellow book cover caught my eye. As the cashier rang my book up, I grimaced at the price but I was pulled in by the book’s title and happy go lucky yellow cover. I’m not quite sure why I haven’t sat down and completely finished it from front to back but I did enjoy the few passages I read. I love her discussion of the subconscious and conscious. Sometimes you have to say good bye to your mental flaws or hang ups that have been holding you back.
In particular, one quote from the book stuck out to me and I thought to discuss it because its the kind of mind blowing statement that can lead to long late night talks if you’re around the right crowd.
“Most people are living in an illusion based on someone else’s beliefs. “
I know some people are use to seeing seemingly deep quotes on their timeline daily but this really spoke to me. Beliefs. They are what people make life changing decisions based on. Many people base most of what they do on their own personal belief system. Lives are lost because of beliefs or the lack thereof of some belief. When I read this line it was liberating. I knew I needed to start operating outside of other’s beliefs and make sure my actions reflected what was most important to me. I also knew deep down that not everyone would agree with the changes I would make.
With the whole nation engaged in a frantic dance around President Trump and what he does and if it is right or even legal at times—I think many who were apathetic have begun to re-evaluated their beliefs. People bought in to what they thought Trump represented. He was a master at presenting what he wanted others to see during the election phase and now that we have are seeing more; many of us are dazed and confused.
In the social media space much of what we see is pre-packaged, prepared or filtered. An illusion. Often based on what we think people want to see or what drives our engagement up. For those living and working in the social media space, I think it is important to acknowledge this even if it is part of what you do to create or maintain your online narrative.
Live life. And live it well but make sure you aren’t spending your time trying to live out a narrative that is based on some one’s ideals of who you should be or what should make you happy. Only you know what really makes you happy. We’re often scared to admit it because we may not even truly want what makes us happy. Sometimes our happiness can make those around us less happy or even downright unhappy. Happiness in itself is complex. In our society most of us have to weigh responsibilities and the expectations of others with our pursuit of happiness.
No matter what route you decide to take at find your slice of the pie, at least be conscious of your own beliefs. It is never too late to begin to build your beliefs or even restructure them—especially if you began to realize that you have not taken time to identify what truly is important to you.
More on You Are A Badass:
The #1 New York Times Bestseller YOU ARE A BADASS IS THE SELF-HELP BOOK FOR PEOPLE WHO DESPERATELY WANT TO IMPROVE THEIR LIVES BUT DON’T WANT TO GET BUSTED DOING IT.
In this refreshingly entertaining how-to guide, #1 New York Times Bestselling
Author and world-traveling success coach, Jen Sincero, serves up 27 bite-sized chapters full of hilariously inspiring stories, sage advice, easy exercises, and the occasional swear word. If you’re ready to make some serious changes around here, You Are a Badass will help you: Identify and change the self-sabotaging beliefs and behaviors that stop you from getting what you want, blast past your fears so you can take big exciting risks, figure out how to make some damn money already, learn to love yourself and others, set big goals and reach them – it will basically show you how to create a life you totally love, and how to create it NOW.By the end of You Are a Badass, you’ll understand why you are how you are, how to love what you can’t change, how to change what you don’t love, and how to use The Force to kick some serious ass.
