Are you aware of how important your convictions are in your life? They rule what you do. They can be conscious or unconscious. They have the power to decide between healing or illness, success or failure, great relationships or mediocre ones. The power of conviction is tremendous, and we all exercise it, to varying degrees.

Mahatma Gandhi changed Indian politics forever and inspired global civil rights movements through his practice of non-violent disobedience. Adolf Hitler’s convictions changed the face of the Earth forever through totalitarian terror. The power of conviction itself is neutral – it works the same, for good or ill. We all carry the potential of a Mahatma Gandhi and an Adolf Hitler within us.

I would like to share an example of how powerful convictions are. Then, I encourage you to take stock of your own, and to see how they help or hinder your life experience (relationship, work, healing, etc.).

Conviction & the Mind Body Connection

Mr. Wright suffered from advanced cancer. With tumors the size of oranges and having received maximum treatment, time was running out. There was only one untried option: a brand new drug, still under testing, and only open to people with a life expectancy of at least three months. Mr. Wright besieged his doctor – who thought his patient was not going to last another week – to make an exception and let him try the drug. All of his hope hung on receiving this new treatment, of which he was thoroughly convinced that it would help him. The doctor finally gave in and injected the drug on a Friday. When he came back to the hospital the following Monday, Mr. Wright walked about the room. His tumor masses had shrunk to half their size. Only ten days after the first injection, Mr. Wright left the hospital, apparently cancer free.

His bliss lasted for two months – until he read an article about the inefficacy of the drug he had received. Believing in what he read (and not in his own factual healing, regardless of the written words!), Mr. Wright fell into a deep depression. His cancer returned.

This time, recognizing that Mr. Wright very competently engaged his self-healing ability without realizing it, his wise doctor gave him a placebo (something without medicinal capacity) – he injected plain water under the guise of a very pure form of the drug used previous. He also told his patient that the drug they used the first time had deteriorated during shipping and thus was nowhere near as effective as this highly-concentrated, very pure form they now had available. Mr. Wright took to the well-intentioned bait and healed himself – again – only by way of conviction that the ‘high quality drug’ would help.

Two healthy months passed. Then, sadly and much to his detriment, the American Medical Association announced that a nationwide trial proved his wonder drug ineffective, once and for all. This time, Mr. Wright lost all faith, the cancer returned, and he died within days.

It is the belief in the method we apply that heals us, and not necessarily the method itself (and there are good methods, don’t get me wrong). The unequivocal belief in something helping engages our innate healing capacity.

Now It’s Your Turn: What are YOU Convinced Of?

It helps to define the term: while a belief is a thought you keep on thinking, a conviction is that belief chiseled in stone. Pretty much. Once that happened, we may even become unconscious of our convictions and just act them out… until we sit down and ask ourselves a few questions:

What am I convinced of in the context of _______ ?

What do I believe around _______ ?

What benefits might I experience when I let go of this belief / conviction?

What would I rather believe (and live)?

It is fun to explore your own biography for patterns of thought/belief/convictions – it may be one of the most valuable exercises you ever undertake. Because once you found those patterns and made them conscious, you can act on that insight and change your beliefs and convictions from something detrimental or hindering into something supportive. And that may make all the difference!

Remember: our life is what our thoughts (beliefs, convictions) make it. Choose your convictions well. They drive your actions or inactions. As we have seen, convictions can help you accomplish the ‘impossible’, regardless of what others think. What YOU think matters most in your healing process, and in your life.

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Author: Katrin Geist – Wake up World.