Our beliefs are lenses through which we view the environment around us. And it's these beliefs that shape our thoughts, feelings and behaviours. If we've chatted before, you know I'm a huge believer in staying curious and not showing judgment - it's something I ground all of our training in. By being aware of our beliefs, we can intentionally change our thoughts and transform our experiences.
Try this for me. Take a moment and look around the room you're in and find everything that is black. Count how many items there are, notice the textures, shades, placement in the room. Go ahead now and try it. Then come back here.
How many items did you spot that were black in the room?
Now without looking around again, how many items are red in the room? You're probably struggling to recall any red items. Why? It's not because they aren't there, it's because I asked you to focus solely on the black items. In a matter of minutes, this exercise so powerfully demonstrates how we find things to support and reinforce our thoughts and feelings. When we concentrate on certain aspects, we may overlook others entirely. When we think about a situation a certain way, we may miss other factors.
Being intentional about changing our thoughts and feelings has the power to evolve us. This goes for both in the workplace and at home.
Instead of sticking to our pre-existing notions, we need to intentionally work to seek out new perspectives.
Think about work for a second. If you are only ever looking to catch people doing something wrong, that's all you will ever find. But if you are looking to build a strength based culture, you'll look for the strengths and greatness all around you.
Amy Lynch says, "You are not responsible for your first thought. You are however, responsible for your second thought and your first action. This is where your power lies."
Beliefs have immense power.
Fun little story: When I was in Jordan in June 2024, I was so fortunate to have climbed to the Monastery. It was incredible (but also incredibly hot that day and I was a 10/10 on the sore scale that night haha). But everyone kept talking about the millionaire dollar viewpoint. So of course I had to check out what they were talking about and made my way to the cave and wow it was breathtaking. It reminds me of these beliefs. If I stayed put, I would have missed out on the other perspectives. Challenge yourself, in everything you do.
Team Human Conversation
Fight workplace zombies in your organization and join Team Human! Gather a group of fellow workplace zombie hunters to discuss our most recent blog post. Use the questions below to kick-start your conversation.
How do your beliefs about team members' abilities affect your interactions with them?
What strategies do you use to challenge limiting beliefs in yourself and your team?
How do you recognize when your beliefs might be skewing your perspective on a situation?
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