Possible and Impossible
When we believe in something, our mind will look for evidence to prove this to be true. Unfortunately, this does us the disservice of limiting the awareness of other potential possibilities.
I once considered myself to be a conservative, to a certain degree. I found everywhere the evidence to support my beliefs that it was in fact, the best possible way. However, there came a time, when I questioned my beliefs about it, and I opened myself to the possibility that there are other ways that are equally viable. In fact, there are any number of ways in which a government may be structured, and there is evidence to substantiate these other ways. Democracy is every bit as feasible a system as feudalism, or communism, or socialism. Now one may be better for a society based on the multiple variables, but they are all simply “ideas”, or “beliefs”; and nothing more. There may be an idea that we have not considered yet that is better than anything we have tried so far. But I am not trying to make a political statement. I am attempting to show how our mind works.
When I was a conservative, I saw the opponents as corrupt, ignorant, and even possibly “evil”. I could not comprehend how people believed other than my point of view. Then, when I switched my beliefs, I saw the other way as corrupt, ignorant, and possibly “evil”. Keeping an open mind, I no longer see it this way.
Ideas are simply ideas and not evil in and of themselves. Whether that idea is a political structure, a science, or a religion makes no difference.
Now, how do we keep ourselves free of limiting beliefs? We must be able to look at our beliefs without judgment. That means we must deconstruct our beliefs on a regular basis. We must question the very foundations of every idea we subscribe to. We must, in essence, destroy our beliefs. Break them apart and see what the basis for our conviction is. This is what I call “looking deeply”. When you look deeply into a matter, you must be non-judgmental. Then, when you are able to see clearly without judgment, you begin to see there is unlimited possibility. This is the birthplace of creativity.
It’s difficult for us to believe in things that seem impossible. There are ideas that are so ingrained into our psyche, that it is even painful for us to try and oppose them. But thankfully, history has shown us that people who question these beliefs, and work at proving the contrary position, can achieve a certain amount of success.
Take for instance the Wright brothers and their opposition to the belief that sustained flight was impossible. Every feat of modern engineering is possible only because someone was brave enough to go against the grain, to look without judgment, and believe in a different possibility. These brothers not only changed their own beliefs, but also changed the way that society believes, and ultimately changed the very world they lived in.
How is your world limited because of a belief you have? Where did this belief come from? From mom and dad? From school? From the government? From society or from yourself? Why do you believe it? What is the opposing view? By regularly deconstructing ourselves, we recreate ourselves anew. This is of course the symbolic dying to the self, and being reborn that is described throughout all the world’s religions. Even our idea of God should be destroyed and recreated. We must continually destroy our God and recreate Her again and again. Do not be afraid of destroying your ideas of God, for if God is in fact incorruptible and omniscient, then the truth of God will always remain despite our fallible beliefs.
Tim Ely
