Your Beliefs Are the Foundation Upon Which You Build Your Life

“Thoughts lead to feelings, which lead to actions, which lead to results.” T. Harv Eker

Your beliefs are nothing more than the opinions of others you have accepted as fact. Most of your beliefs are shaped by those who have had the most significant impact on you, such as your parents. But beliefs can also be passed down to you from grandparents, teachers, coaches, bosses, your environment, and other individuals who have had a significant influence over you.

Once a belief is accepted as fact, it becomes part of your unconscious programming. Your beliefs are always the starting point. They are the springboard to everything: your habits, feelings, emotions, behaviors and your actions. That last one, actions, creates the outcomes for your life: rich, middle-class, poor, happy, unhappy, fulfilled and unfulfilled.

So, your beliefs are either helping you move forward in life, helping you create the life of your dreams, or your beliefs are holding you back, unconsciously creating a life of misery.

We form beliefs around certain cores:

• Money – What are your beliefs surrounding money? When you think of money, is it a good feeling or a bad feeling? Do you see money as good or bad? If good, you will save and invest it prudently. If bad, you will spend it and invest it unwisely.
• People – What are your beliefs surrounding people? When you think of people, is it a good feeling or a bad feeling? Do you see people as good or bad? If good, you will develop long-lasting and strong relationships with others. If bad, you will struggle with your relationships. You will not devote the time and effort to maintaining and improving existing relationships and you will avoid creating new relationships. Since relationships are the currency of the wealthy, having a negative belief about people becomes an anchor, holding you back from becoming rich.
• Wealth – What are your beliefs about wealth? When you think of wealth, is it a good feeling or a bad feeling? Do you see rich people as good or bad? If good, you will see the pursuit of wealth as a good and noble thing. If bad, you will see the pursuit of wealth as a bad and evil thing.
• Health – What are your beliefs about health? When you think of health, is it a good feeling or a bad feeling? Do you see healthy people as good or bad? If good, you will devote your life to being healthy. If bad, you will ignore your health.
• Work – What are your beliefs about work? When you think of wealth, is it a good feeling or a bad feeling? If good, it will be reflected by a hard work ethic. If bad, a bad work ethic.
• Family – What are your beliefs about family? When you think of family, is it a good feeling or a bad feeling? If good, you will have strong family ties. If bad, you will ignore your family.
• Friendship – What are your beliefs about friendship? When you think of friends, is it a good feeling or a bad feeling? If good, you will have many friends. If bad, you will few friends.
• Luck – How do you feel about luck? If you believe you are lucky, good luck will follow you wherever you go? If you believe you are unlucky, bad luck will shadow you your entire life.

Each one of us has the power to change our beliefs. But, as I’ve often said, all change starts with awareness. You must first become aware of the beliefs you have before any change is possible.

Tom Corley

Tom Corley is an accountant, financial planner, public speaker, and author of the books “Effort-Less Wealth: Smart Money Habits At Every Stage of Your Life” and “RichKids: How to Raise Our Children to Be Happy and Successful in Life“.  Corley’s work has appeared on CNN, USA Today, The Huffington Post, SUCCESS Magazine, and many other media outlets and podcasts in the U.S. and 27 other countries. Tom is a frequent contributor to Business Insider and CNBC.