Many of us hold negative beliefs about ourselves.
Our internal voice tells us we're not good enough.
To an extent,
This self-criticism,
Which stems from self-awareness,
Might be normal and natural.
But often,
Beliefs do take hold that are real in that we really think them and they really have an impact on our lives.
But they're not necessarily true.
What is true is that most of the time we are doing the best we can with the resources we have available.
But it might be helpful from time to time to examine and question our beliefs.
Because frankly,
Talking down to ourselves is rarely useful.
Negative thoughts that persist and circulate round and round can stunt us and keep us stuck.
And that is not to ignore areas where we could make some positive changes,
Not at all.
But it is just to be a little bit kinder and more gracious and a bit less damning.
So let's sit together today and explore this.
Let us question our negative beliefs in the shared pursuit of development and upliftment.
Let's hold each other's hands.
So find a comfortable position,
I don't mind what position you're in,
And allow your body to settle.
Feel the weight of your body against the surface you're resting on.
We're safe in this moment.
No one needs anything from you in this moment.
And you might want to take a few deep breaths.
And let each exhale help you sink a bit deeper into this moment,
Help you arrive.
Then allow your breath to come back to its natural rhythm,
No effort needed.
Perhaps consider a challenging belief you hold about yourself.
It might be a thought that you're not good enough in some way,
Or that you're lacking in an area where you feel you should be different or better.
And whatever belief arises,
Allow it to come forward.
You're safe in this moment,
Allow it to come forward.
And as this belief becomes clear in your mind,
Notice how true it feels to you right now.
There's no need to change anything,
But simply observe how completely you believe this thought.
And notice what happens to your body as you bring this belief to the surface.
You might not notice anything,
But you might sense a tightness,
A shrinking,
A feeling of becoming smaller,
Perhaps there's a rigidity,
A tension,
Bubbly tummy.
How does your body feel when you think this thought about yourself?
And how does this belief affect your sense of self,
Affect your sense of who you are in daily life?
How does it impact you?
Just pause to consider that.
This thing that you believe about yourself,
Where you're not good enough,
Where you need to be different.
How does it impact you?
Perhaps there's a sadness,
A heaviness.
And now with great gentleness and care,
Let's bring in a question.
Ask yourself,
Do I have to believe this?
I ask because we often live with the assumption that our beliefs are truths.
And as I said at the start of the meditation,
They're real in the sense that they are happening in our minds,
Creating genuine patterns of thoughts and feelings.
And the suffering they cause is real,
The impact on our lives is real.
But being real doesn't make them true.
So ask yourself,
Maybe placing a hand on your hand,
A hand on your belly,
A hand on your heart.
Sending yourself some care,
Some physical contact and ask yourself,
Do I have to believe this?
And that's not saying some things might not benefit from some change or adjustment.
It's not saying that at all.
It's just saying that perhaps by gripping,
By holding on tightly to negative beliefs that cause suffering and have such a negative impact on our experience of life,
Perhaps that doesn't give us the space to grow and evolve.
And perhaps that tightness and that contraction and that absolute way of thinking is unhelpful.
Perhaps.
Can you hold the belief more lightly?
Remember that underneath these difficult beliefs,
There's often something asking for attention and care.
And with practice and patience,
We can learn to meet whatever we find with an open heart and with a bit more softness and a little bit less judgment in the knowledge that we're all having an earthly experience that we are woefully unprepared for.
And actually most of the time we are doing the best we can with the resources,
Information and support we have available.
May you be kinder to yourself.
May you live with ease.
And may you know that you are loved.
May you be kinder to yourself.
May you live with ease.
And may you know that you are loved.
One more time for those at the back that didn't hear me the first time.
May you be kinder to yourself.
May you live with ease.
And may you know that you are loved.
And as we bring this meditation to a close,
Know that this type of practice of examining beliefs does take time and you can return to it whenever you need.
Bringing the same gentle light of awareness to any thought that causes suffering is helpful.
So you be open with yourself in practice about what the thought is,
What the persistent thought is.
You are open to how it makes you feel physically and the impact it has in your life.
And you slowly,
Slowly,
Slowly,
Over time,
Open to the possibility of a softer perspective.
Not to cover over,
But to make space.
Take a few deep breaths and when you're ready,
Slowly return your attention to your surroundings.
And thank you so much for practicing with me today.
Thank you.
Thank you.
