Changing the Channel: Designing Congruent Belief Systems

We just completed the most recent Think Well™ workshop at the office. It is a fundamental component of our work‐shop training system designed to help you achieve your health potential.

One of the keys to improving your life and health is understanding that the majority of your stress is not CAUSED by other people or events in your life. It is CAUSED by your perception of these events and people. Your emotions, and how you react in life situations are actually CAUSED by your “self‐talk”. And your thoughts and self‐talk are CHOICES!

However, just simply trying to change your behaviour with regards to how you think is a very unsuccessful strategy long‐term. This is because how you regularly think is mostly automatic (subconscious). Your habitual thinking is in fact CAUSED by your belief systems (the wiring patterns in your brain).

Your belief systems formed throughout your life from the unique experiences you have had. And what is very important to realize is that your beliefs are not always accurate, AND they are very often not leading you towards where you want to go in life. They can limit you, CAUSE a lot of stress, and create problems in your relationships. Change them!

We now KNOW in science that your brain can physically change. You can actually change the wiring patterns in your brain (your belief systems). You can change your beliefs because you formed them. So how do we do this?

We can’t erase the wiring patterns we have in our brains, but we can create new ones. Through repetition of thinking differently, you form new, stronger connections. It is similar to creating a new path through a forest, and letting the old one grow over.

We have a unique ability as a human to “watch” or analyze our thoughts. So when you have a negative emotion or reaction to someone/something, take a second to figure out what thought created it, and what belief it was based on. Is it based on your values? Is it leading you toward happiness? Health? Or is it leading you AWAY from what you ultimately want in life?

Change the channel. Focus on what you can control (yourself and NOW), and focus on solutions. Focus on gratitude for what you have. Stop “reacting”. Practice catching yourself. Take 5 minutes at the end of the day to reflect on negative situations that occurred, and visualize what thoughts and actions would have better reflected the person you are striving to be.

Why do this? Who cares? The reason is because your health, and success with your true goals in life (happiness, good relationships, etc.) ACTUALLY rely on doing this.

Every time you have a negative emotion, you affect your physical health. Every time you act out of integrity (unconditional love for yourself and others, optimism, respect, fairness, etc.), you lead yourself AWAY from where you want to go in life.

Thousands of years ago, it wasn’t as necessary to watch how we thought, because we had much more accountability for our actions. Our survival largely depended on our ability to be a contributing member of our tribe/community. This relatively small, cooperative living environment required people to live and interact according to core values. Acting out of integrity, lying, cheating, stealing, unfairness, or treating someone poorly were simply not tolerated.

We now have unnatural emotional stressors like stressful work environments, toxic relationships, deadlines, money problems, etc. We are literally wild animals taken out of our natural environment and put into an environment that does not match our requirements for health. All animals develop illness when exposed to unnatural stressors like this for too long. And we (humans) are now the sickest animal species on the planet.

You can change this.

Don’t miss the next Eat Well workshop on Wednesday, August 3rd at 6:30 pm at the office. Call our office to reserve a seat. A please bring a guest. Let’s help others get healthy too.

With you on your journey to optimal health,

Dr. Mark

NOTE: Dr. Mark and Michelle will be traveling to Victoria, BC to attend a 4‐day lifestyle camp the last week of July, where they will learn the latest research on emotional health, innate fitness and nutritional health!