Given enough time, everyone will become aware that what they believe has a direct consequence on their lives. Unfortunately, most children do not get this discovery time and are bombarded from an early age by what they should believe. The result is that what they sometimes say they believe (their indoctrination) obscures what they truly believe.

The real dilemma of existence is deciding what to believe. Entire lifetimes are spent side-stepping this decision. The majority of us are already deeply patterned and indoctrinated by the time we realize that deciding for ourselves is an option. Deciding is fundamental to creating!

Eventually we learn that the beliefs we truly hold, the ones we’ve decided to believe, our faith, will cause us to create or attract experiences that will verify them. The beliefs we have merely accepted as part of our indoctrination may sustain an existing reality, but they will never create a new one.

Reality consists of the experiences you believe are real. What is real may or may not be the same for everyone.

Fantasies are the experiences you believe are not real.

Pretending is resisting what you decided to believe.

Doubt is a conflict between new decisions and old decisions.

What you believe and how you believe determine your reality. To make something real you must believe in it. For it to be real to others, they must believe in it. To the degree that you fail to manage your beliefs, reality will remain beyond your control.

Excerpt from Chapter 15 of Living Deliberately.