ou have experienced in your life up to this point because you have this belief. Think of the relationships and enjoyment that you have missed and suffered due to this belief. Now concentrate on what will happen in the future if you do not change this belief. Where will you be in 3 years? Happier or Sadder? Lonelier? More bitter? Will you start to be more of a grump if you hold on to this belief? What will happen to you physically if you continue to cling to this belief? Will you be alive and excited? Or will you be dragged down by the heaviness of this belief? Now extend this out 5 years? Go through each of these meditations 5 years from now. How about 10 years in the future? 20 years? Is your heart feeling heavier and sick from all the weight and grief caused by this belief over the next 20 years?

Now, snap y

Have you ever felt exasperated when you were having a disagreement or discussion with someone and you just could not understand how the other person feels the way they do? You know your core beliefs and there is absolutely no way this other person could logically say what they are saying because it is just completely contrary to your belief.

When you point this out to the other person, they rebuke your argument as illogical. It just drives you so crazy. How could they ever think and say something so outrageous, so contrary to logic; so contrary to your truths and those beliefs that you hold so deeply.

Beliefs are not truths. Beliefs are beliefs. Our beliefs are based on our values and experiences. They are not based upon truth. Neither are they based upon lies. They are just based upon our values and experiences. And, just as you change your underwear daily, you can change your beliefs.

Before you start calling me crazy and ridiculous, just ask yourself a couple questions. Do you believe the same things today that you believed 5 years, 10 years, or 20 years ago? Were the ancients completely crazy when they believed that the sun revolved around the earth? Based upon their values and experiences, it was completely logical to believe that the earth was the center of the universe.

Recall the lessons taught by Charles Dickens’ classic tale, “A Christmas Carol”. Life’s extreme meany and mizer, Ebeneezer Scrooge, encountered three life therapists in the middle on one night. During the course of Scrooge’s three therapy sessions, Scrooge decided to change his beliefs, and hence, he changed the entire course of his life. Would the changes have been made if Scrooge did not want to change? I don’t think so. The evening started with Scrooge’s deceased partner, Philip Morley, visiting him and giving him motivation to change. He informs Scrooge, that if he doesn’t make changes, Scrooge will end up in chains and pain after death just as Morley had. Morley gave Scrooge the reasons to change, his leverage. The Spirits fed his leverage. Scrooge made the decision.

What does this mean for us, today, in the beginning of the 21st century? It means that we each have the capacity to frame our own future. Our future is shaped by our actions of today. Our actions are shaped by our beliefs. Our beliefs are our beliefs because we made the decision at one point that these beliefs were to be our beliefs. So, if we want to change our future, we need to frame and direct our actions of today. In order to shape our actions to change our future, we need to change our beliefs!

How do we change our beliefs? We decide to. Yup! We decide to change our beliefs. It’s that simple. And how do we do that? Create leverage on yourself. Create compelling reasons to change your beliefs. You create a deep gut feeling that you must change your beliefs. And how do you do that? You get leverage on yourself. You can do what motivational guru Anthony Robbins refers to as the Dickens Principle on yourself.

What is the “Dickens Principle”? Take 20 minutes or so (as much as you need) and go to a room where you can be alone and relax. Close your eyes and think of the belief you want to change. Think of where you are in your life because of this belief you have. Concentrate on what you have experienced in your life up to this point because you have this belief. Think of the relationships and enjoyment that you have missed and suffered due to this belief. Now concentrate on what will happen in the future if you do not change this belief. Where will you be in 3 years? Happier or Sadder? Lonelier? More bitter? Will you start to be more of a grump if you hold on to this belief? What will happen to you physically if you continue to cling to this belief? Will you be alive and excited? Or will you be dragged down by the heaviness of this belief? Now extend this out 5 years? Go through each of these meditations 5 years from now. How about 10 years in the future? 20 years? Is your heart feeling heavier and sick from all the weight and grief caused by this belief over the next 20 years?

Now, snap yo

s. And, just as you change your underwear daily, you can change your beliefs.

Before you start calling me crazy and ridiculous, just ask yourself a couple questions. Do you believe the same things today that you believed 5 years, 10 years, or 20 years ago? Were the ancients completely crazy when they believed that the sun revolved around the earth? Based upon their values and experiences, it was completely logical to believe that the earth was the center of the universe.

Recall the lessons taught by Charles Dickens’ classic tale, “A Christmas Carol”. Life’s extreme meany and mizer, Ebeneezer Scrooge, encountered three life therapists in the middle on one night. During the course of Scrooge’s three therapy sessions, Scrooge decided to change his beliefs, and hence, he changed the entire course of his life. Would the changes have been made if Scrooge did not want to change? I don’t think so. The evening started with Scrooge’s deceased partner, Philip Morley, visiting him and giving him motivation to change. He informs Scrooge, that if he doesn’t make changes, Scrooge will end up in chains and pain after death just as Morley had. Morley gave Scrooge the reasons to change, his leverage. The Spirits fed his leverage. Scrooge made the decision.

What does this mean for us, today, in the beginning of the 21st century? It means that we each have the capacity to frame our own future. Our future is shaped by our actions of today. Our actions are shaped by our beliefs. Our beliefs are our beliefs because we made the decision at one point that these beliefs were to be our beliefs. So, if we want to change our future, we need to frame and direct our actions of today. In order to shape our actions to change our future, we need to change our beliefs!

How do we change our beliefs? We decide to. Yup! We decide to change our beliefs. It’s that simple. And how do we do that? Create leverage on yourself. Create compelling reasons to change your beliefs. You create a deep gut feeling that you must change your beliefs. And how do you do that? You get leverage on yourself. You can do what motivational guru Anthony Robbins refers to as the Dickens Principle on yourself.

What is the “Dickens Principle”? Take 20 minutes or so (as much as you need) and go to a room where you can be alone and relax. Close your eyes and think of the belief you want to change. Think of where you are in your life because of this belief you have. Concentrate on what you have experienced in your life up to this point because you have this belief. Think of the relationships and enjoyment that you have missed and suffered due to this belief. Now concentrate on what will happen in the future if you do not change this belief. Where will you be in 3 years? Happier or Sadder? Lonelier? More bitter? Will you start to be more of a grump if you hold on to this belief? What will happen to you physically if you continue to cling to this belief? Will you be alive and excited? Or will you be dragged down by the heaviness of this belief? Now extend this out 5 years? Go through each of these meditations 5 years from now. How about 10 years in the future? 20 years? Is your heart feeling heavier and sick from all the weight and grief caused by this belief over the next 20 years?

Now, snap y

the changes have been made if Scrooge did not want to change? I don’t think so. The evening started with Scrooge’s deceased partner, Philip Morley, visiting him and giving him motivation to change. He informs Scrooge, that if he doesn’t make changes, Scrooge will end up in chains and pain after death just as Morley had. Morley gave Scrooge the reasons to change, his leverage. The Spirits fed his leverage. Scrooge made the decision.

What does this mean for us, today, in the beginning of the 21st century? It means that we each have the capacity to frame our own future. Our future is shaped by our actions of today. Our actions are shaped by our beliefs. Our beliefs are our beliefs because we made the decision at one point that these beliefs were to be our beliefs. So, if we want to change our future, we need to frame and direct our actions of today. In order to shape our actions to change our future, we need to change our beliefs!

How do we change our beliefs? We decide to. Yup! We decide to change our beliefs. It’s that simple. And how do we do that? Create leverage on yourself. Create compelling reasons to change your beliefs. You create a deep gut feeling that you must change your beliefs. And how do you do that? You get leverage on yourself. You can do what motivational guru Anthony Robbins refers to as the Dickens Principle on yourself.

What is the “Dickens Principle”? Take 20 minutes or so (as much as you need) and go to a room where you can be alone and relax. Close your eyes and think of the belief you want to change. Think of where you are in your life because of this belief you have. Concentrate on what you have experienced in your life up to this point because you have this belief. Think of the relationships and enjoyment that you have missed and suffered due to this belief. Now concentrate on what will happen in the future if you do not change this belief. Where will you be in 3 years? Happier or Sadder? Lonelier? More bitter? Will you start to be more of a grump if you hold on to this belief? What will happen to you physically if you continue to cling to this belief? Will you be alive and excited? Or will you be dragged down by the heaviness of this belief? Now extend this out 5 years? Go through each of these meditations 5 years from now. How about 10 years in the future? 20 years? Is your heart feeling heavier and sick from all the weight and grief caused by this belief over the next 20 years?

Now, snap y

and direct our actions of today. In order to shape our actions to change our future, we need to change our beliefs!

How do we change our beliefs? We decide to. Yup! We decide to change our beliefs. It’s that simple. And how do we do that? Create leverage on yourself. Create compelling reasons to change your beliefs. You create a deep gut feeling that you must change your beliefs. And how do you do that? You get leverage on yourself. You can do what motivational guru Anthony Robbins refers to as the Dickens Principle on yourself.

What is the “Dickens Principle”? Take 20 minutes or so (as much as you need) and go to a room where you can be alone and relax. Close your eyes and think of the belief you want to change. Think of where you are in your life because of this belief you have. Concentrate on what you have experienced in your life up to this point because you have this belief. Think of the relationships and enjoyment that you have missed and suffered due to this belief. Now concentrate on what will happen in the future if you do not change this belief. Where will you be in 3 years? Happier or Sadder? Lonelier? More bitter? Will you start to be more of a grump if you hold on to this belief? What will happen to you physically if you continue to cling to this belief? Will you be alive and excited? Or will you be dragged down by the heaviness of this belief? Now extend this out 5 years? Go through each of these meditations 5 years from now. How about 10 years in the future? 20 years? Is your heart feeling heavier and sick from all the weight and grief caused by this belief over the next 20 years?

Now, snap y

ou have experienced in your life up to this point because you have this belief. Think of the relationships and enjoyment that you have missed and suffered due to this belief. Now concentrate on what will happen in the future if you do not change this belief. Where will you be in 3 years? Happier or Sadder? Lonelier? More bitter? Will you start to be more of a grump if you hold on to this belief? What will happen to you physically if you continue to cling to this belief? Will you be alive and excited? Or will you be dragged down by the heaviness of this belief? Now extend this out 5 years? Go through each of these meditations 5 years from now. How about 10 years in the future? 20 years? Is your heart feeling heavier and sick from all the weight and grief caused by this belief over the next 20 years?

Now, snap yourself back to the present. Stand up and shake yourself loose. Good news - the future has not happened yet. Just as Scrooge was delighted when he asked the child from his bedroom window what day it was and was rejoicing that it was still Christmas Day, you can rejoice that it is still TODAY, and the future hasn’t happened yet! You can change the future. You can shed that limiting and hurtful belief you have. You see, now you have leverage. You have a reason to change that belief. Take that old belief you have had and just toss it out the window and replace it with your new belief.

You create leverage on getting rid of the old, limiting belief and that creates a vacuum. A vacuum sucks in a replacement. Have your new belief ready to fill that vacuum. Continue to reinforce that belief in your mind and then that belief will shape your actions that shape your future.

How do you reinforce the new belief? The Dickens Principle, of course. Do the same exercise – 3 years, 5 years, 10, 20 in the future, but this time with your new belief and now envision yourself as a result of the actions based on your new belief.

Repeat this process over and over until you have successfully eliminated your old limiting beliefs and replaced them with empowering ones. This is a never ending process. You must repeat it for each limiting belief you have and as often as it takes to replace them with empowering ones.

The only thing holding you back is you. The only thing holding me back is me. I am where I am today and you are where you are today because of decisions made in the past, which were based upon our beliefs. Now, many or most of those beliefs were and are limiting. But, as we now know, we do not need to continue with those limiting beliefs. We can make a decision to change our beliefs, and then we change them.

In the recently released movie, Dragonfly, Kevin Costner ends the movie with the statement, “If you believe, it will happen!”