Change

Overturning a belief system is a challenging task. We are hard-wired to our beliefs from an early age. They come from a variety of sources, but mainly, they come from you, dear parent (or your parents and their parents before them). We could go back as far as you like, but we’re still inheriting a small package of beliefs. You put the original beliefs in play. If you’re a grandparent (like me), you’ll know the experience of one belief system rubbing shoulders with another. That is, your kids uploading a belief system onto their kids.

Sometimes, courtesy, consideration, and cooperation mechanisms don’t align. Simple things like breakfast time may be done differently. You’d know this if you’re in a busy home with work and school days clashing. It’s breakfast on the run; grab what you can and head out the door.

Hopefully, you’ve grabbed all you need for the day. Breakfast at Gran and Pop’s place is more leisurely. (Forget that it might be school holidays.)

So, why do we need to overturn a belief system? Mostly, we don’t need to. But there are times when we do need a system reset–a change. Oh dear, there’s that word: change. It's such a small word. But it carries more baggage than a luggage carousel at an airport.

Why is change so difficult? Because our brains love repetition. Once they’ve done something a few times, it’s time to move on to something else. But change is not only about breaking habits or forming new ones. Our belief system steps in and takes charge. We don’t change because of a long-held belief. (Check out the post about swimming immediately after eating. You’ll find it here.)

If you’re looking to change something for yourself or your child, you need to challenge your beliefs about it first.