We are constantly bombarded by beliefs that are presented as true. Our discrimination is taxed to the max. To really live in this world, but not become a victim of it, requires discrimination that is as finely tuned as a classical piano.

The ultimate proof that it is time to let go of a belief is when it doesn’t feel good, and when it is not win-win for everyone. When you learn to apply these two criteria honestly, you find that there is not much real truth in your mind. It is a humbling experience. I’ve been there.

Beliefs are slippery because they pretend to be true. One day a woman called me for mentoring and said, “I want some pizza; but I can’t have it. I’m vegan.” I replied, “You think you are vegan, but you aren’t vegan in your mind if you want pizza.” She was proud of her vegan label and saw eating pizza as a failure. She was not willing to let go for her own good, so I appealed to her love for others.

Having just returned from Alaska, I realized that Eskimos live on salmon strips for much of the year. I said to her, “Imagine that you are God; you love all your children. You want them all to thrive. Would you make a law that said vegan is the only way and then stick some children in a place where it is impossible to grow vegetables?” She got my point. Then I said, “So your belief is not only making you miserable, but it would not be win-win for Eskimos.” The fact that we have labels about what we eat shows just how insane we’ve become. Here’s a good label: I eat! Feel free to borrow it.

Letting go of beliefs is about oneness. Labels divide us into competing groups. The best labels are inclusive. For thousands of years, power-hungry leaders have divided people so they can conquer them.

So here is my top ten, at least for today. None of these are win-win for everyone if you open your heart wide enough. Some people will be relieved to find out that these are just beliefs. Those who argue that they are true are standing in self-righteous shoes. I suggest they get some new shoes.

The reason I know that these are all beliefs is that when you let them go, you don’t miss them at all. In fact, letting any of these beliefs go will probably be remembered as one of the best days of your life.

1. God causes problems to punish us. God in the ancient world was a metaphor for perfection. Humans invented the punishing old man on the sky throne and borrowed the label. They created the cranky God after telling us we were bad and flawed, which was yet another belief. If you don’t believe me, recognize that you would not do the mean things that this so-called God has done. But God as perfection and unconditional love works for everyone.

2. If it happened to them, it can happen to me. You can see this as false once you realize that all problems are caused by beliefs. If you share the same beliefs as another, you get the same problems. Get rid of the shared belief in your mind, and you won’t see other people’s crap in your life.

3. Love is not enough. When we let go of enough beliefs, we can dissolve problems with our unconditional love. So our love is enough. But if we have beliefs that tell us the solution is medicine, another belief, or an army, we forget that we have the most powerful cure/weapon inside our hearts.

4. Emotions are worthless, and we need to suppress them. Emotions are our greatest asset. They were designed to keep us on our path. When we think a thought that is false or win-lose, we get an emotional shock treatment. Emotion is simply the cry of our inner goddess telling us to ignore the thought we are hearing or thinking. But most people killed that goddess bitch along time ago so her warnings fall on deaf ears.

5. Diseases. One of my greatest challenges was to let go of diseases because I had so much fear. Diseases are beliefs that make pharmaceutical companies and doctors rich and the masses poor. Thus they are win-lose, which means they are beliefs. Sounds simple, but I recognize it isn’t easy. When our body is producing scary symptoms, it is hard to see the disease as a belief. But it is possible. My advice is to take your medicine while you let go of the belief.

6. We need to fight our enemies. “Love your enemies,” isn’t just spiritual; it’s practical. The truth is that unconditional love is infinitely more powerful than hate. So if you can find some unconditional love inside and direct it to your enemy, you win. And they win too because being an enemy is really not much fun. Now I’ll be the first to admit, this ain’t easy. But then neither is playing the piano. You have to practice until you become a master.

7. It takes lifetimes to become enlightened. Children are born enlightened, and then adults screw them up. It didn’t take a lifetime to get screwed up; it took a few years. So it shouldn’t take a lifetime to get back to your Self. Anyone can do it once they want freedom more than money, power, approval, or false love. In truth, most gurus and religious leaders aren’t free. If they were, they’d get some damn pants and stop making everyone give them money.

8. You can’t get your rewards until you die. Ahhhhh, that would be, “Those who want other people’s rewards for themselves for $200, Alex.” Have you ever seen a starving priest or guru? Any starving politicians in Washington? To create slavery, you have to convince people that there is a greater reward. No one can prove you wrong if you say the reward comes after you die (or in the next life if you are from the east).

9. If you find your true Self, you die. What good does that do? That would be like studying to become an architect for years and dying on graduation day. Power-hungry false selves lose all their power to a real true Self. So they want us all to stay clueless; and if we do happen to get free, they put that little gem in our minds so we’ll commit mental suicide on the spot. It doesn’t feel good so it’s not true. Let it go before you find your true Self, and you’ll be fine.

10. You need someone else to save you. Okay, I saved the best for last. Every time I speak publically some cute little cabbage patch type guy or girl wants to save me. The truth is that someone stuck in beliefs can’t save anything or anyone; I have yet to find a member of any clergy that didn’t have beliefs. We all are infested with beliefs. We can barely save ourselves. We let clergy save us for the same reasons that we buy cars on impulse, we’re afraid of the future.

These beliefs all serve the rich and powerful inner circle because they have the audacity to take advantage of these beliefs in others. These are collective beliefs that some people will fight to death to defend. Actually, they are beliefs they send their minions to defend to death. Why do we hold on to something that doesn’t work? Why do we hold on to ideas that harm others and separate us? We do it only because we are trained to do so. It is not natural.

We don’t have to force another to let go, but it doesn’t hurt to suggest it. And the beliefs won’t work when enough people no longer believe them. Even those who benefit from these beliefs will enjoy life more when they are free from them.

Now if you still aren’t sure how to decode a belief, I’ll give you two more pieces of solid advice. If you want to find the cause of any belief, just follow the money. Find out who is buying a mansion or private jet from your loss of health, money, or freedom. Once you find that source, ask yourself what they believe that gets you to pay them the money. You’ve found the shared beliefs. Let them go in your mind then go buy your own mansion.

The second piece of advice is don’t think too much. Just let go of any thought that feels bad. You can’t let go of the truth; so you can’t screw up. And most important, never forget that the word belief has the word LIE within it because that is exactly what it is.

Author's Bio: 

Cathy Eck, Ph.D. writes about ancient mysteries, the true meaning of ancient stories, and letting go of beliefs on http://gatewaytogold.com. She also mentors people who want freedom and have a sense of humor.