“I’ll believe it when I see it” is how the old addage goes. But what modern neurscience is discovering more and more, is that this statement is backwards. The reality is, you’ll see it if you believe it.
Your brain absorbs around 11 million bits of information every single second — from every sight, sound, and sensation around you. However, your conscious mind can only process around 50 bits per second. What do you think let’s in that 50 bits? That’s right… your belief system. Your beliefs are your filter for life. They filter what you see. They script what you feel. They set what your body can do. Your beliefs about your life actually determine your life. In other words, you are what you believe.
I rarely read books twice. That said, this is one I’ve read twice, and I’m now reading it a third time. It’s probably one of the most important contemporary books on LIFE that I’ve ever read. If all humans could get these concepts into their heads and live them out at work and at home, the world would be a better place. Marriages would be saved. Careers would be salvaged. Lives would be improved. Nir Eyal has masterfully explained how two people can participate in the exact same event yet have 180º differing experiences and viewpoints around that same event. Understanding and mastering your belief system is such a critical life skill that it should be mandatory in schools. It should be right up there with Reading, Writing and Arithmetic. Do yourself and favor and don’t just read it, but digest and assimilate the content of this soon to be classic book, Beyond Belief.