Importance of Lining Up Your Beliefs and Expectations

What role do your beliefs and expectations play in shaping your life? And how much should they influence your actions?

A belief is a thought pattern that you hold, either consciously or subconsciously. It could be something that you were taught, something that people around you or the media espouses, or an ingrained way of thinking formed from your own experience. An expectation is just that- what you expect to happen even before it does. People generally have a positive or negative set point when it comes to their expectation. And your set point probably varies depending on a given subject (for example, you could have a positive expectation when it comes to relationships because you have had good experiences in the past, but have a negative or somewhat lower expectation about what is possible for you in your career).

Your expectations are really, really important when you are trying to create change in your life. If you desire something, and are taking action steps towards it, but don't at your core believe that it can happen, then you will always be disappointed in the results you achieve. The universe can only deliver to you as much success as you think is possible for you.

That's why it's critical that your beliefs and expectations be in line with your actions. Take the issue of losing weight for example, which is something a lot of people struggle with. Most people have certain set beliefs about what they must do to lose weight (cut calories, work out more, etc), and their expectation is that if they do these things for an extended period of time, they will indeed lose weight. The problem comes in when you don't follow through on the action steps that are in line with those beliefs. When you slip up on the action, then your belief and your action are no longer in sync. You inadvertently set up your own struggle.

But if you ever watch a thin person eat, you will notice that they have a different set of beliefs and expectations. They don't see food as the enemy that is making them gain weight. They eat with relish, because their belief is that the food is nourishing them - there is no internal struggle or angst between what they think and what they are doing. Their energy is perfectly aligned on the subject of food, so their body follows through for them in a variety of different ways - efficiently metabolizing calories, sending them a strong signal to stop eating when they are full, attracting them to healthier foods and less cravings, and naturally controlling their appetite.

These physiological differences in people aren't mere coincidence or good luck! They are a direct result of aligned energy. When you have positive thoughts, beliefs, and expectations about food and your body (or any other subject for that matter), you are allowing your own energy source to work in your favor in more ways that you can consciously ever coordinate. All of the action (drastic dieting, killer workouts, etc) in the world will not make up for misaligned energy in the long term. You will find that when you stop or lessen the action, the weight will pile back on even quicker than before. Taking action before aligning energy is like putting the cart before the horse.

Just like everything else, you have to change your thoughts and expectations to be more positive in a way where you can love and trust your body, and then follow through with easeful, inspired action (a healthy meal you can savor, exercise you really enjoy, etc). The positive action then aligns you with your energy even more, which automatically raises your vibration, and automatically (without your conscious effort) helps guide you towards more inspired action, which picks up more positive energy, and so on - until you have a strong momentum going in your favor. After a while, being able to eat what you want and maintain your weight becomes a habit - just ask your skinny friend!