All Human Behavior Is Belief Driven

Your brain is similar to a computer. Your beliefs are the programs you have loaded into your brain. Human beliefs fall into two categories. These are; beliefs about what will create pleasure and beliefs about what will create pain. We try to achieve those things which we believe will create pleasure. We try to avoid those things we believe will create pain. Any two people can have vastly different beliefs about the same thing. One person believes skydiving results in pleasure. Another person believes skydiving results in pain. One person believes smoking is cool. Another believes smoking is a nasty habit that brings early illness and death. One person believes a seat belt prevents severe injury and death. Another believes a seat belt is confining and restrictive.

The programs you choose to run will determine your outcome. If you are running a spread sheet program in your computer a series of key strokes will produce a certain outcome. If you are running a word processing program, those same key strokes will produce a different outcome.

We all have things in our lives we would like to change. Temporary change can be accomplished through disciplined change of behavior. Real lasting change requires a change of beliefs. Unless you change the program your brain is running, you will revert to your old behavior. We have all done this over and over in our lives. We have vowed to practice our instrument everyday. We have done so for a period of time, but lapsed back into laziness. We have went on diets and lost weight, but later reverted to our old behavior and gained the weight back. We have fought an addiction to tobacco, alcohol, or some other chemical. We have kicked the habit for some period of time, but returned to our old behavior. In short, we have tried to improve ourselves one way or another, but failed to create lasting change.

We will continue to try and fail until something causes us to change our beliefs. When we change the programs running in our brains, we will create lasting change. Most of us have had a life-changing experience. An experience when something we had struggled with for months changed in the flash of a moment. In that moment, one of our beliefs changed dramatically. We knew we should fasten our seat belts, but just couldn't remember to click it. Then something happened. We got a ticket or a friend was in a car wreck. Suddenly, we believed not using a seat belt creates pain. We knew we should quit smoking, but just couldn't make it last. Then a close friend was told he had lung cancer or had a stroke. Suddenly, we associated pain with smoking. We were in a bad relationship, but just couldn't seem to leave. We kept thinking it would be better in the future. Then something happened. Suddenly, we believed it was painful in the past, it was painful in the present, and it would be painful. At that moment, our beliefs changed. As soon as our beliefs changed, the struggle was over.

Real lasting change is never a matter of ability. It is always a matter of motivation. Link enough pain to the old belief and enough pleasure to the desired new belief and lasting change will happen in an instant.

We have to decide. We can decide to sit back and wait for life to hit us with some nasty belief-changing event. Or, we can take a hard look at our beliefs. Most of our beliefs are not carefully thought out and chosen. We pick them up unintentionally the way we accidentally load a virus into our computer. Our beliefs can empower us or they can disempower us, by creating artificial limits.

If we believe in ourselves and in our dreams, we will take massive action to make those dreams come true. We will set definite goals and devise ways of reaching them. We will seek out ways to meet other music people and build networks of personal relationships. We will look around ourselves everyday and ask, "What can I do today to move closer to those goals and aspirations?" If we believe our lives are created by the thoughts we think, the words we speak, and the actions we take, we will live rich and fulfilling lives. If we believe success comes only to the lucky few, we will live lives filled with bitterness, despair, and failure.

The choice is ours. Our creator empowered us with free will. The good book says, "Without a vision man shall perish." We can choose to be visionaries. All that is required is a dream and the unstoppable determination to reach it.

The day Disney World opened hundreds of reporters were present. Walt Disney had died before the grand opening ceremonies. His brother was there in Walt's place. A jerk of a reporter walked up to Mr. Disney and said, "This must be a really bittersweet day, for you." Mr. Disney looked around at the beautiful buildings, rides and grounds. He saw the crowds of people enjoying themselves and marveling at the beautiful park. He told the reporter he did not understand the question. What could be bittersweet when everything was going so well? The reporter said, "Sure, everything is going well. The park is beautiful and everything is working fine. But, it's got to hurt you to know Walt never lived to see this."

Mr. Disney was cool. He remain centered. He said, "Young man it is clear to me why you are only a reporter and Walt accomplished so much. My brother dreamed of this. Because he envisioned it years ago, you get to see it today. Walt was a visionary!"

I hope you enter the the next chapter of your life with a vision of your dream shining brightly before you and the belief that through your thoughts, words, and actions you have the absolute power to make that dream come true.