I usually listen to NPR’s “Weekend Edition” on Sunday mornings…

(I recorded and produced several segments for “Weekend Edition” several years ago with “The Montana Logging And Ballet Co”) There is a segment called “I Believe” that resonates with me.

It features recordings of people who state what they believe and the reasons for their belief. What makes it so interesting to me, is that you don’t hear those typical all to “common” beliefs. You know, the safe ones most people will profess in public. What you hear instead are the more personal life lesson kinds of things. Beliefs that are the result of living through an experience. It is the real deal coming from an individual’s very private place.

When was the last time you had a conversation with yourself?

How long has it been since you asked yourself what you belief and then questioned your own reasoning?

Too often we get caught up in our day to day lives reacting to the procession of events that come our way. It’s easy to forget that how we react to things is a reflection of what we truly believe.

You may “think” you believe something else but the bottom line is that your reactions are your true beliefs. For many of us this can cause an ongoing conflict within ourselves. On one hand, we “want” to be something other than what we are. So we intellectualize and attempt to convince ourselves that this new picture of ourself is our truth.

Yet, we are often surprised to find out that what we truly believe in the depths of our soul is not what we rationalize it should be.

Introspection

You need to make “what you believe and why you believe it” an ongoing conversation with yourself. It doesn’t matter whether you write it down, have an inner conversation or simply ponder “your truth” as a concept. Reflecting on what you believe is one of the healthiest things you can do for yourself.

It’s what the people I hear on NPR’s “What I Believe” segment had to do in order to present their beliefs. They serve as great inspiration for our engaging in the same process. Although it takes courage to “put yourself out there” in public, as they have done, it’s not necessary. What is important is giving yourself the opportunity to face yourself…

Getting honest with yourself on a regular basis could save your life!… Or keep you from wasting it.

-Bob Baran