Once upon a
time, there was a man, unremarkable among others. He didn't love himself,
unaware that it was both possible and necessary. Lacking firm beliefs and
knowledge, he couldn't consider himself a complete individual. He wasn't bad,
but his lack of willpower prevented him from taking decisive action. Though he
could help an old lady cross the street or rescue a kitten from a tree, he
lacked the courage to do something for himself.
For that,
he needed convictions, which he didn't have. Being relatively young, he easily
succumbed to influence, bought advertised goods, voted like the majority, and
read popular books without thinking about their value. He had no personal view
of the world. He considered only physical organs important, not understanding
the role of beliefs in interpreting life events.
He didn't
realize that a person can't live without beliefs, that a person with common
sense and critical thinking wouldn't want to. But our hero was no different
from others who didn't think so.
He didn't
understand that he had to consciously decide that he needed beliefs and choose
those that would work for him, like a lens through which he would view the
world. He didn't even imagine that he had unlimited choices in this regard.
He lived by
the principle of "what was, will be," existing in a kind of
"Matrix" where it was simple and comfortable, and there was no need
to make difficult decisions. He didn't consider himself capable of managing his
past experiences.
One day, he
fell seriously ill. The doctors gave him a choice: a complex operation with
subsequent disability or death. For the first time in his life, he experienced
fear - not of the illness, but of the need to choose.
The doctors
hospitalized him, preparing him for surgery. In the preoperative ward, he met
an old man who seemed to have lived a long and fulfilling life.
Curiosity
overcame fear. "What brought you here?" he asked the old man.
"I'm afraid of death," the young man confessed. The old man smiled:
"Although death is inevitable, it seems your time hasn't come yet. But if
you believe otherwise, so be it."
The young
man was intrigued. He felt that the old man knew more than he was saying.
"What do you know about life and death?" he asked. "About death
- not much, because it hasn't come for me yet. But I have a firm view on life.
If you'd like, I'll share my beliefs."
"Beliefs?
What are those? What do you believe in?" the young man was puzzled.
"For
example, that in order to live, you need to free yourself from the past and
limitations. Change your thoughts and beliefs, and you'll change everything
around you."
"Everything?!"
exclaimed the young man.
"Yes,
everything you have left - your present and future."
"But
aren't they predetermined?"
"Perhaps,
if you believe that."
"So, I
also have beliefs?"
"Of
course. Like everyone else. But the future isn't predetermined. You create your
own reality with your thoughts and beliefs. Your possible futures - and there
are thousands of them - are shaped by what you believe in today." The old
man yawned. "Forgive me if I've tired you. You probably need to
rest," he said, turning on his side.
"Wait!
I have one more question," the young man tried to stop him, but the old
man was already asleep.
The
conversation took place late in the evening, and our hero was left alone,
pondering the old man's words. One night remained before the operation, and he
couldn't sleep. For the first time in his life, he seriously thought about the
past, present, future, beliefs, life, and death.
In the
morning, after a few hours of restless sleep, he greeted his neighbor, but
there was no response. Going for breakfast, he hoped the old man was just
asleep.
Returning,
he realized the old man had died. The questions remained unanswered, and the
young man felt lost. Suddenly, he noticed a notebook peeking out from under the
pillow. He opened it and saw pages filled with neat handwriting. They described
a system - simple and fascinating.
He began to
read eagerly, as if quenching a long-standing thirst for knowledge. The
notebook opened his eyes to obvious truths, presenting the world in a
completely different light.
As he read,
new questions arose, which he had to answer himself. For the first time in his
life, he thought about how to change the future. The notebook taught that the
present is the soil on which the future grows.
It dawned
on him: the future already exists within him; he himself carries his destiny.
By changing his thoughts and beliefs, he would change the future.
With each
page, he realized the power of his own beliefs. By changing his limiting
beliefs, he could create new ones that would lead him up the ladder of life.
Beliefs are a tool that allows you to achieve any goal. Life is much richer and
more multifaceted than his previous dull existence.
He
understood that there is no predestination, only he decides what his present
and future will be. The system from the notebook gave him the opportunity to
manage his life, experience happiness, and become its creator.
The
notebook described three main methods that needed to be applied together. Of
course, one could start with one or two, but eventually, all three would become
an integral part of his new life.
Method one: Rethinking the
past
There's no
point in wasting time digging into the past, trying to understand where the
limiting beliefs came from. Why stir up the past if it will only reinforce old
negative attitudes?
With
anxiety, he realized that his consumer habits had formed against his will. He
was just going with the flow. For the first time in his life, he understood
that one could live differently.
Reflecting
on the past, he saw that it was distorted by his own perception. If he
continued to analyze the past from the same perspective, he would only
strengthen his limiting beliefs.
He realized
that many of his failures were related to fear and embarrassment caused by past
events. This led to a loss of faith in himself.
But he also
remembered his aspirations and ambitions, his athletic successes, and the
melody that led him to victories. These memories shook him. He remembered that
he knew how to win. And since he had succeeded once, he was capable of a new
victory - a victory over his illness.
From the
old man's manuscript, he learned that to change beliefs, one needs to learn to
see the world differently. Instead of dwelling on failures, one needs to look
for moments of strength and success in one's history.
The further
he read, the clearer it became: if one honestly looks at the past, one can find
a lot of evidence of one's strength and abilities. It's important to look for
them with the mindset of "I can." We perceive the world subjectively,
and it's up to us to decide what to focus on.
He
understood: to break the vicious cycle of negativity, one needs to reconsider
their past and find hidden resources and achievements in it. Use one's
experience as a source of inspiration. Rewrite one's story, remember one's
victories, and let them become fuel for new achievements. It's like finding a
treasure he never even dreamed of.
The
notebook clearly stated: whatever goals you set for yourself, there are surely
moments in your past when you've already demonstrated the qualities needed to
achieve them. Just change your perspective, and you'll see them.
The
Power of the Present
The young
man put the notebook down. The new information overwhelmed him. His head was
bursting with thoughts, his brain working at its limit. After drinking a glass
of water, he returned to the notebook and saw the next subheading: "The
Power of the Present: The Key to Rethinking the Past and Future."
The main
message was: "Realize that your most powerful tool is the present."
All your thoughts about the past and dreams about the future exist only here
and now. Every action you take, every decision, every change happens in the
present moment. That's why a conscious choice in the present has incredible
power - it can reshape the fabric of your past and create a new future.
As an
illustration, the old man told a story titled:
"The
Mirror of Perception"
It told the
story of a woman named Anna, who always considered herself kind, but, fixated
on her mistakes, began to doubt it. She became withdrawn and aloof, but,
remembering her kindness, she was able to change her perception and regain the
joy of life.
The young
man interrupted his reading. The new information overwhelmed him. His head was
bursting with thoughts, his brain working at its limit. After drinking a glass
of water, he returned to the notebook and saw the heading with the name of the
next method:
"Anchoring new beliefs "
The old man
compared this process to learning a foreign language. To speak fluently, you
need to constantly practice, repeating new words and grammatical constructions.
The same happens with new beliefs. Repetition plays a key role in their
consolidation. You need to devote 5-10 minutes each day to focused work on one
statement, feel it, visualize it, not allowing your thoughts to wander.
Repeated repetition activates neural connections in the brain.
After the
exercise, you need to let go of this thought until the next day. The present is
used to instill new beliefs in the mind, which will then naturally manifest in
life.
It's
important to experiment with the wording of the statement until you find one
that resonates. You may notice quick results, but don't stop there. For the new
belief to firmly take hold, you need to continue the practice for at least
60-90 days.
This
concluded the theoretical part of the old man's teachings. The next chapter was
titled:
"Action"
The sooner
you start acting in accordance with your new beliefs, the better. Otherwise,
you won't gain trust in them and in the possibility of effectively using the
present. If you're poor and want to have more money, and for this, you need to
form a belief in abundance within yourself, while you still continue to face
need, start demonstrating abundance. Take some symbolic action that shows
you're changing. Or donate some money to charity. Treat yourself to something:
good food, a new piece of clothing, a small gift.
Or, if you
lack self-confidence, start by rebuilding your past, searching for and finding
past examples of confidence, and focus on them daily. This way, you'll imprint
new beliefs in yourself that will support your sense of confidence, and then
finally, you'll start acting as if this belief is true. Bring action into your
formula.
No matter
how small or insignificant the specific action taken may seem, it's actually a
huge step. In essence, it's a manifestation of this belief in external reality.
When you
respond to your new beliefs in this way, you send a signal to your subconscious
that new facts are coming into play, that you want to change, that you're
participating in this process, and that it's all actually happening.
The
initiative should come from you. Challenge yourself to find a way to
demonstrate that you're truly changing reality.
Suddenly,
he realized that he didn't have to choose between surgery with disability and
death. That there could be a third, or maybe even a fourth option.
Thinking
about this, the young man realized that he had acquired a new prism. Passing
through it, the sun's rays refract, creating many new options - roads that we
choose. And we make the choice ourselves.
Driven by
this thought, he went to the head physician and asked: "How long do I have
to live if I refuse the operation?" The head physician replied: "Six
months. No more."
This
information didn't unsettle the hero. The new belief instilled hope in him.
Nevertheless, he was tormented by doubts, which he didn't have in the past.
They occupied all his thoughts as he returned to the ward.
Entering
the ward, he saw that the old man's bed was empty. For a moment, he was
overcome by a sense of loneliness and fear - remnants of old beliefs,
refractions of the old prism. He sat on the floor, took the notebook, and saw
the phrase "To be continued" on the back cover. He felt like a
character in a TV series that ends with this familiar phrase. But the new
belief told him that the continuation existed; he just had to gather his
thoughts and look around.
At that
moment, he saw another notebook under the old man's bed. He pulled it out and
opened it to the first page. The heading read: "How to Heal Yourself
from Any Ailment."
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