The Practice of Examining Our Beliefs

By Leo Babauta

There’s a practice that I find to be really valuable, and I call it “Examining Beliefs.”

If you regularly engage with this, it will transform you.

Let’s say there’s something you want to do but you feel stuck — maybe you’re procrastinating a lot, maybe you’re stuck in an old habit. The practice starts with trying to discover the thought or belief that causes your action (or inaction).

For example:

• I don’t want to do this because I’m going to do a bad job (belief: I’m going to do a bad job)
• I’m dreading doing this because it’ll be boring (belief: it’s going to be boring)
• I don’t want to do this because it’ll be really hard and uncomfortable (belief: it’ll be too hard/uncomfortable)

As you might expect, these beliefs don’t help you to achieve your goals.

You might also examine any beliefs that cause you to be frustrated or resentful with someone else:

• They shouldn’t behave that way
• They don’t love/respect me
• They don’t support me

These beliefs cause you to feel unhappy with someone.

So what can we do once we discover the belief? Examine it, and then if we like, practice letting it go.

How to Examine the Belief

If you can’t uncover the belief that’s holding you back or making you unhappy … get into a conversation with someone else who can help you see what you can’t see. (If you’d like to work with me as a coach, ​apply for my 1-on-1 coaching​.)

Once you’ve uncovered the belief, here’s how to examine it … ask these questions:

1. What effect does the belief have on me and my life? Does it make you take action, take care of yourself, or act in line with your intentions? Does it make you avoid, or look for faults, or get frustrated? If you think something will be boring, are you more likely to see it as boring (i.e. seeing through the lens of your belief)? Get clear on what effects this belief has on you.
2. Is the belief really true? It might seem really true … but is it true? And if you say, “Yes, it’s true” … then ask yourself, “Can I be absolutely sure it’s true?” The idea is to question the absolute truth of the belief … because if we can see that there’s even the possibility that it’s not true, then maybe we can begin to consider letting it go.
3. What would it be like without this belief? Imagine what it would feel like if you didn’t have this belief. Can you imagine it? If so, what you’re experiencing is a moment where you’re free.

Once you’ve gone through this practice of examining the belief … ask yourself if you’d like to practice with letting the belief go.

How to Practice Letting Go

First, you have to notice when you are being influenced by the belief — when it’s operating on you. If you’re frustrated with someone, or avoiding something, for example … then the belief is operating on you. Notice that it’s happening.

Now ask yourself: what would it be like in this moment without the belief?

Imagine that you could just … “Poof!” … have the belief disappear. Imagine that you are free right now. It should feel more peaceful, more liberated.

Now try to take action from this freedom. Try to live life, with this freedom.

This is the practice of Examining Beliefs. If you seriously engage with it, you will unlock your life.