Myths
I was knocked over by a pound of feathers last night when I got the idea that beliefs are myths, with one notable exception.
I looked up the definition of myth and found this: A widely held but false belief.
How many beliefs do we own that we have no evidence for? They’re myths – ones that we believe in.
This doesn’t mean that beliefs aren’t useful; just mythical.
I did note one exception. What’s the one thing you can believe in that’s not a myth? The answer is reality – what’s actually happening, not what you believe is happening.
“Reality is not a Myth” is a bumper sticker that sticks forever, not just until a new belief comes along.
For example, how many of us believe in the notion of positive thinking? That’s one of the biggest myths ever perpetrated on mankind. Thinking positive does nothing to change reality. It may make you feel better about a reality that you’re dealing with, but it’s a myth to believe it changes anything.
People will emphatically cite examples of when they thought positive and something “good” happened. They conveniently ignore all the times they thought positive and something not so good happened. To credit positive results to positive thinking ignores the “odds of reality.”
I prefer positive thoughts to negative thoughts because they make me feel better, but believing they change anything other than our demeanor is a myth.
I could go on and on and slay more mythical, sacred cows, but it’s not my intention to set up endless debates with firm believers. My intent is to have us examine our myths.
Most of them are harmless, but there are some that impede our progress. They’re worth looking into. A simple test to find a limiting myth is to find a belief that you have that isn’t working for you. You won’t have to look far. And you don’t have to stand up on a soapbox and announce that it isn’t working to the world, just admit it to yourself.
In that moment of admission you will discover reality – the biggest myth buster of them all. Reality takes off the blinders and lets you see the whole landscape. It’s from this vantage point you can make a choice as to which way to go rather than be limited by the maze of myth.
Final thought: The following is not a myth: Reality is something you can believe in!
All the best,
John
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