Core Beliefs: The Hidden Barrier to Success

I have worked with, studied and helped others with discovering their barriers to the success they would like to achieve. I would like to impart an example of how the formation and process of core beliefs happens.


My expertise has been on memory and how it affects how one thinks, acts and feels. I have discovered that during the time the brain is recording a life event a core belief forms that develops a belief about the person simultaneously. So with every event that is record there is a corresponding core belief forms and over time the core belief roots its self to the memory and sits in the shadow of the memory. Now flash to the present, when you are experiencing a life event the association triggers a past rooted core belief and it is the rooted core belief that determines how the person will react, think or feel unknown to the person. 


For example to help you understand: I am in elementary school and I am waiting for my grade for a test I studied hard for and I thought I did well on. My teacher comes to my desk, drops my test on the desk and I see that I got a D on the test (that is the memory). My teacher looks at me and says “I do not think that you can pass my course because you are not smart enough, so the core belief that forms is “I am not good enough (the #1 core belief for majority of people) or I am not smart enough or I cannot perform as well as others”. Flash to the present and I am at my job, I produce a report and a co-worker looks at me and says, “why did you not go to college, you are so smart” (the trigger). The memory of elementary school does not surface, but unknown to me the rooted core belief surfaces in my mind and out of my mouth I say “I am not smart enough”. To make a long story short rooted core beliefs from the past rule how a person functions in the present. The coaching I do, I guide individuals to examine their rooted core belief s, examine how the belief can be a barrier to their success and then assist them to shift their rooted beliefs to positive and open them to reach their maximum potential in their life today. Shifting core beliefs is possible, powerful and can be a reality. 

Results on Rooted Core Belief Survey

I wanted to share the results of the survey I conducted on Facebook. The question was “When doubt surfaces in you due to problems or stress in your life, what you think first?” I wanted to know the first thought that surfaced when a person was faced with stressful or overwhelming life events. I wanted to compare it to other surveys and what I was noticing in people I have been coaching. I though this knowledge was very important to increase understanding of why some people experience barriers when attempting to be successful in their life.

The people who participated had three choices: 1. “I am not good enough”; 2. “I do not deserve to___” or “I do not measure up”. The results were very interesting. The number one rooted core belief reported by the individuals who participated was “I am not good enough”. This rooted core belief was found to be the #1 in many other surveys and the number one reported by people I coach. This rooted core belief reflected the person’s self-perceive weaknesses or the skills they think they are lacking. The second most common was “I do not measure up to ____”. This one reflects that under stress people tend to compare themselves with others. The last reported was “I do not deserve to ____”. This rooted core belief tends to reflect the issue of permission or the right to heal old wounds, be rewarded or succeed. 

The good news is that all three can be shifted and no longer be a barrier to personal growth or success.