Ten Steps to Uncover Your Core Beliefs

I once went out for a day with a prospector to look for gold. We arrived at a spot in a mountain stream and he pointed out a certain area for me to start panning. I asked how he knew this particular place had potential and he briefly explained he was looking at the type of rock, water movement, location, etc. He knew what to look for as a clue to where the gold was hidden. We did not strike it rich that day but we did leave with almost half an ounce of gold dust!

Uncovering your core beliefs and your Purpose is like panning for gold. You know there is gold, but where do you start to look?

Here's an exercise David Gordon shared with the participants on our recent TeleLecture. It may offer you a location from where you can start to pan for your own core beliefs of gold.

TIP
Strong emotions are the equivalent of the right terrain in which to find your gold. Strong emotions tell you whether your deepest core beliefs are either satisfied or being violated.

Step 1 - Identify five strong emotions you experienced in the past week or two. Write them down in a list (example: love, frustration, curiosity, excitement, generous).

Step 2 - Pick out one of the emotions and connect to the experience when you felt this emotion (example: felt generous with friends when they came to visit).

Step 3 - Answer the question "In that situation what were you ___________ about?" (Fill in the blank with your emotion, e.g., what were you generous about?)

Step 4 - Note your answer. Example: sharing myself, food, space

Step 5 - Next answer the question, "Why does it matter that _______?" Fill in the blank with your answer to step 4. Example: Why does it matter that you were sharing yourself, food and space?

Step 6 - Note your answer. Example: It was an expression of who I am.

Step 7 - Ask the question again, "Why does it matter that ________?" Example: Why does it matter that you were expressing who you are?

Step 8 - Note your answer. Example: I get to share my joy.

Step 9 - Ask again, "Why does it matter that ________?" Example: Why does it matter that you get to share your joy?

Step 10 - Again, note your answer. Example: That's who I am and how I manifest myself.

Continue asking the "Why does it matter?" question until you either keep answering it the same way or you see your nature revealed in your answer. Go through this exercise for each of the powerful emotions you identified in step 1. Notice what you come up with. I'll bet you will begin to see the patterns or veins of gold in your life. Two or three of your core beliefs will begin to emerge.

If you find this process challenging or confusing, you may want to work with a guide. I did not know where to start looking for gold in that mountain stream. My prospector guide made the experience a lot easier. Without him, I would never have known where to start.

If it is the gold of self-understanding you are after, you will have to step into the stream of your experience and do the work. You'll never get the gold if you don't put your pan in the water!

?2001, Robert Knowlton. All Rights Reserved.