Believe It ... Or Not?

Happy end of July, dear Reader! Another month done in 2026 and the summer is winding down. Last weekend was a BIG birthday celebration for me, and it was delightful. A warm, but not too hot, sunny day, poolside with friends that have been in my life for over 65 years -- who could ask for anything more?!?

Now, as I was sitting down to write this post, the stars and planets aligned and the topic of today came to me with ease and grace. As I was thinking about how much our lives are influenced by what we believe, a podcast popped up on my feed with Oprah and Shawn Achor. Shawn is an author and speaker whose byline is "Bringing the science of happiness to life". His latest book is The Power of Beliefs. This is a subject near and dear to my heart. 

Research says that a belief is a lens through which we view the world. Think about it ... if you don't believe something can happen, do you even bother pursuing it? For example, if you think it's impossible for you to lose weight, will you even try? Probably not. Which leads me to the next part of Shawn's investigation. Beliefs are how we see the world and they predict what will happen next. This is exciting. What this means to me is that I can change an outcome by changing my belief. If I can wrap my brain around the idea that something is possible, then I can invest in it happening. 

How can we go from impossible to "most likely"? One way that I manage that is by looking for evidence around me. I love reading and watching Ted Talks, especially when I hear about someone achieving something they didn't think they could. Or, listening to a person tell their story about overcoming huge odds. During the podcast, Oprah mentioned how, as a young girl, she "knew" she wouldn't be taking in laundry like her grandmother when she grew up. She believed there was something bigger and better for her. At the time, there wasn't much in her life to predict that, yet she couldn't believe that was all there was for her future. 

What's really intriguing is how once we have our belief, we start making all our decisions based on it. If I believe that I can be more healthy and live a fuller life, I will probably start eating better, looking into supplements, find an exercise plan that works for me, stop behaviours that don't serve me. On the other hand, if I don't believe it's possible -- perhaps I believe it's all genetics or "my mother couldn't lose weight so neither can I" -- then I'll go for the junk food with abandon, skip the gym, and sabotage myself in every way. When we have a goal in mind that we believe we can achieve, we eliminate anything that doesn't support that objective. 

Shawn lists seven core beliefs

in his book:

• my behavior matters

• I am not alone

• I matter

• this work is meaningful 

• I have something to give

• there is something greater than me

• I have something to be grateful for

The last two are especially significant for me. I've never made it a secret that I don't have much faith (pun intended) in organized religion. If a "church" operates as a source of support in a community, that's great, but my observation is that it's mostly man-made contrivance designed for manipulation. Fortunately, I believe that there is an energy that I can't fully understand that is vibrating in my favor, if I can tune in. When I get quiet and listen to my soul, things fall into place. I also believe in the power of like-minded souls getting together to create positive change. That's why I support animal rescue, feeding the hungry, and protecting the underserved, just to name a few. 

Gratitude is huge. As Oprah mentioned in the podcast, she started a gratitude journal around 1992. I remember her talking about it on her TV show, and I'll be honest. I was not having my finest life moments back then. I pushed back against a lot of advice that really could have helped me. Unfortunately, I was in my "defiant" phase and it did not serve me well! Fortunately, a few years later, I dipped into it fully. To this day, I usually review what I'm grateful for just before falling asleep, and I also stay aware of gratitude throughout most days -- those are the best days! When I'm grateful, it's easier to recognize that things are going well and only going to get better.

So what do you believe, and how is that working for you? How have your beliefs kept you down or got in the way of living better? I believe that we can change our beliefs and that might be the best of all. 

Sending Sparkles and Love Your Way,