So, this thread is inspired by another conversation that I started elsewhere, but which I think could be really helpful to people. Its all about how we create our future through belief on a regular basis. And how we can take control of that to direct our lives.
Basically, your identity and outlook influences both your state of being and the world around you, through your belief. Many, among those of us who are highly intuitive about the future, are often already aware of the idea of the 'self-fulfilling prophecy,' since we are constantly looking into the future and trying to get a good idea of it. When we are right, it seems that there is a good chance that we made our choice of outcome more likely by believing in it.
The idea that I am putting forward is like a "Self-fulfilling Prophecy," but with an empowering spiritual realization (I think). If you think that you are beautiful, then you will become beautiful. If you think that you are horribly flawed, then you will gain flaws. If you think that someone is going to be difficult around you, then you will influence them to be difficult. Self-fulfilling prophecies. We like to think we base these observations on facts, and often we do our best to, but is that all there is to it.
So, here is my take, with some rational considerations added in. We are all creating reality together, therefore your thoughts, and even actions, are not the sole cause of anything. Even if your belief is fueling an outcome, it may not be enough to make *that outcome* a reality. This is why you have to approach your thoughts responsibly. Yes, you can be duped into believing in something that isn't healthy for you to believe in. What is the solution to this, if you are creating a self-fulfilling prophecy? Well... you need to balance belief with present reality. Realize that you are simply contributing to a whole. But also realize that your contributions matter. By changing yourself to suit the highest ideal that you want, rather than the lowest fault of your doubt and imperfections, you are making an attempt at changing your attitude, emotional health, and even physical reality. Does the world revolve around you? Absolutely not. But can you change the world? Absolutely! This is all about changing yourself so that you can change the world. Or not. Whichever you prefer.
By the way, I absolutely think that recognizing self-flaws has value when put into the canvas of finding a solution. Self-awareness is golden as far as awareness standards go. I think the area where this becomes an issue is when we fixate on the problem that we identified. Are you really finding a solution at this point, or are you just empowering this problem in your mind, making it bigger, perhaps worse than it was? You then continue to "prove" to yourself just how bad it is, as it grows and grows. This is where my idea could potentially change things! You can see your thought process itself as the problem and correct it. Every problem needs a solution but once you know what you need to do, focus on the end result. If you don't feel confident in your end vision, maybe that is a hint that you still need to add to your solution. When you feel confident, live as if it has already happened, because you have predicted it. When you align with your belief, and you know that it is reality, I think that you will feel the positive growth that starts to occur within yourself. For me, I actually feel as though it has given me clarity. It is as if I see how we put our minds inside of these negative perspectives and then it is as if we "observe" the negativity happening in a "potentiality."
Here is an example of what I mean. Ever since I was a young teen, I knew pretty much what was going to happen in my life, especially concerning my body. I believed that over time I'd get older, gain weight slowly, lose vigor, etc. Well, what happened? Yes, so these are natural effects of age, you might say. But are they? Everyone experiences this differently, I've seen super old people who act and look like they haven't aged past thirty. You see this happen sometimes with certain celebrities. When I saw myself, I just saw this fact of life, this inevitability of time. Is that healthy? I've been dieting and exercising for some time. But now I've had this idea... am I actually making myself the way I am through my belief? When I feel myself align with the idea that I am perfect in my malleability/ability to change to be whatever it is that I want, suddenly it is as if a light comes on. I literally seem to 'see' something different. My automatic impression of myself changes to a perception of extremely high potential, and I can feel it. Perhaps this sounds crazy, but I really feel like it is life changing. I wanted to kind of share some of that. If we can control how we influence ourselves, our lives, how much better would things be? That is what I'm aiming at. :)