Many people come to a realization that they are under-achieving in their lives and that this is due to deep-seated beliefs which form part of their life scripts. These beliefs undermine any attempt at conscious improvements. It is usually a problem with relationships or, very commonly, financial relationships that bring people to this realization.
A desire for financial success may be thwarted by a deep-seated belief that money is evil or rich people are crooks or you have to climb over others to succeed or some similar belief often deriving from childhood.
These conflicting beliefs are enough to sabotage efforts to become wealthy, and they can result in behaviour which, in retrospect or to an impartial observer, is very obviously counter-productive but which serves to preserve a self image of being a very nice person and therefore not wealthy. Similar examples can cause relationship difficulties. How often doesn’t a woman who finally divorces an abusive spouse promptly marry another abuser?
An attempt is then made change these beliefs to allow the desired change to come about. With some effort, the underlying belief may even be identified. But changing such self sabotaging beliefs is a very difficult task. They and their associated scripts have worn very persistent neuronal pathways. At best, you can try to replace them with other beliefs, but you then simply end up with another set of conflicting beliefs without getting rid of the dysfunctional ones. Any person is capable of simultaneously maintaining several conflicting beliefs on the same topic, each part of a different script.
Unfortunately the oldest scripts seem to have priority, perhaps simply because they were first, and other, later beliefs are simply veneers which have very little effect on the deep-seated beliefs. In terms of one’s survival mechanism these beliefs have proved their survival worth. After all you’re still alive, if slightly dysfunctional, and this might give them precedence over later beliefs. Despite strenuous efforts you may have very little improvement to show. The old rules still hold and liberation from these beliefs is difficult to achieve.
Despite the fact that you are aware of the problem, you still tend to sabotage yourself. This can be a very frustrating business indeed.
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