KEY INSIGHT: Beliefs are not passive observations – they’re active creators of your reality. Your brain uses beliefs as filters, seeking information that confirms what you already believe while dismissing contradictory evidence. This means limiting beliefs about your health, body, and capabilities become self-fulfilling prophecies. If you believe “I’m not athletic,” you avoid physical challenges, never develop capability, and use your lack of fitness as proof. If you believe “healthy food is boring,” you approach it with that lens, don’t give it a fair chance, and confirm your expectation. Breaking free requires recognizing that these beliefs are interpretations, not facts, and deliberately gathering new evidence.
PERSONAL REFLECTION:
What are the core beliefs you hold about yourself, food, exercise, and your body? Write down the first thoughts that come to mind when you complete these sentences:
Now ask yourself: Are these statements objectively true, or are they just stories you’ve been telling yourself for so long that they feel true?
TODAY’S EXERCISE:
Choose one belief about yourself and your health that might be limiting you. Examples:
Today, actively look for evidence that contradicts this belief. If you believe you’re not a morning person, notice any morning this week when you felt decent. If you believe you hate vegetables, think of one vegetable you don’t mind. If you believe you have no willpower, recall something difficult you’ve stuck with.
Write down this contradictory evidence. You’re beginning to challenge stories that have been running your life unchallenged for years.