Core Beliefs — The Hidden Truth About Yourself

This article was inspired by What Are Your Core Beliefs and Why Are They So Important to Uncover?

Do you think that you perpetuate your self-abuse? Well, there is a huge change you need for your dysfunctional core beliefs. Continue reading to understand the significance of your core beliefs.

The unfortunate truth is that self-awareness and self-growth are never part of a journey that feels good. The entire process involves breaking down our current perceptions and realities and forming new ones, preferably healthier ones.

We all want instant gratification, an aspect that has become prevalent in our current post-modernist lives. We want instant inner-peace. But nothing in life works like that, except fast food — and fast food kills us.

We all experience a form of disorientation, frustration, and disillusionment many times throughout our lives. Just as we feel that we are starting to understand who we are, something comes up and shatters everything that we have built.

The reason why this happens is because we take an external approach towards self-healing. For example, we will change our diets, start to exercise, maybe even quit smoking; practically do everything we can to improve our health and still end up experiencing that cognitive dissonance.

I believe that this is mostly because of the single minded approach we take towards self-healing. There is more to ourselves than our outward experiences.

There is an inner aspect of who we are and an outer aspect. Most of us don’t even realize the importance of our inner being and simply keep focusing on our outer self.

No matter how good we become physically, unless we heal our internal self, we will continue to feel miserable due to the guilt, shame, self-pity, and our self-destructive tendencies.

Here’s a simple, practical advice:

The key to attaining the truest form of serenity is to heal yourself from within. Once you go down this path, you will realize how easy it is to heal your external being. However, despite the difficulty, it is significantly more rewarding because it helps you ease the cognitive dissonance you experience, which is the ultimate form of suffering.

Before you can head down this road, you need to understand and be willing to endure a great deal of discomfort. You must be willing to face all of your fears, including every buried aspect of yourself that you simply didn’t want to acknowledge.

Understanding who you are and what your core beliefs are

Our core beliefs are usually the cause for most of our suffering and, unfortunately, most of us are completely unaware of these beliefs. Instead of understanding them, we tend to create justification so that we can live with them, rather than confronting them.

Here are some examples of core beliefs that people create about themselves:

• I don’t deserve joy and happiness

• I am unlovable

• I deserve to be punished

• I am irredeemably flawed

• I am a loser

• I am a failure

• I don’t matter

• I am evil or sinful

• I am ugly

• I will die alone

These beliefs are just some of the examples people may harbor about themselves, as we are capable of having more than one self-defeating belief.

Discovering your core beliefs

Before you can start your journey to rid yourself of all your dysfunctional beliefs and begin your inner journey of healing and growth, you must first understand what your core beliefs are.

The following are a few things to help you take your first step to self-awareness:

• All of your core beliefs will start with the letter “I”

• You will create justifications for your harmful beliefs and they will sound something like this, “He or she never loved me” – I am unlovable, “I am sorry I keep making the same mistakes” – I am a failure, “They are always ruining everything” – I am helpless.

• Recording our thoughts is one of the best ways to understand one’s self. Keeping a journal or anything to record your thoughts will help you understand your core beliefs. After every recorded thought, question it until you venture deep enough to find your core belief. For example, “I hate being interrupted” – Why is that so bad? “Because I want to be heard” – Why is that? “Because I want to be cared for” – Why is that important? “Because I feel worthless and alone” Now, this helps us understand that your core belief would be that, “I am alone” or “I am worthless”.

• Honesty is extremely important here. You can lie to fool everyone around you, but you can’t really fool yourself. Remember, honesty is extremely important.

• Try to be aware of your thoughts before sleeping. That is when our thoughts dwell on our core beliefs.

• Pay special attention when you experience a flux in emotion, as the emotional state brings out our core beliefs.

When you start to investigate your core beliefs, remember some beliefs are more dominant than others. It is also common for our beliefs to be closely related with our emotional state.

Also, be aware of core beliefs that emerge when you aren’t feeling emotional, as these core beliefs can be far more deeply rooted into your subconscious mind.

This article was inspired by What Are Your Core Beliefs and Why Are They So Important to Uncover?, which was written Aletheia Luna. She is the co-founder, editor and author of popular spiritual website LonerWolf.com. As a transformational mentor and holistic writer, she has helped to guide thousands of people throughout the world on their paths of self-acceptance and wholeness. You can follow her work and private updates on Facebook.