Aspire Magazine: Inspiration for a Woman's Soul.(TM) Aug/Sept 2016 Aspire Mag Full Issue | Page 33

What’s an Underlying Commitment? Underlying or unconscious or hidden commitments are the commitments we made to ourselves when we were very young as a result of the limiting beliefs we developed. We don’t know about them because they’re in the shadows of the unconscious, underlying our conscious knowledge. When we get stuck in a pattern that we can’t seem to change no matter how hard we try, it’s almost certainly the result of an underlying commitment. We think we’re committed to one thing, but we’re actually committed to something else. For example, let’s say you think you’re committed to starting your own business. But your underlying commitment is actually to stay safe and small right where you are. So even while you make efforts to start your own business, some part of you is sabotaging those efforts and ensuring you fail. Underlying commitments cause us to take actions that lead us away from the direction of our dreams. To get stuck in patterns that we can’t seem to change no matter how hard we try. To create results that are inconsistent with what we say we desire. But the truth is that we’re always getting what we’re actually committed to—our underlying, hidden commitments. Let’s explore our example in more detail: Say you want to start your own business, but you grew up in a family that always struggled financially. So at a young age, you formed the belief that in order to fit into your family— and thus, stay safe—you would need to struggle with money as well. Because of that belief, you made a promise to yourself that you would avoid your finances in order to avoid pain. In fact, you spent years doing just that. You’ve been to seminars, you’ve practiced manifesting meditations, you’ve written abundance affirmations. You’ve even worked on discovering your limiting beliefs and your excuses. Maybe you’ve even gone so far as to finally start that business…only to have it crash and burn. What’s going on? Because you formed the belief that you’ll always struggle with money—and promised yourself that you’d avoid your finances—you’re creating a reality characterized by struggle. You’re actually committed to struggle and avoidance. Now, why would anyone stay committed to such a thing when it comes at such a high cost? Because to the little girl inside, it feels safe. 33 WISDOM & SELF-GROWTH Underlying or unconscious or hidden commitments are the commitments we made to ourselves when we were very young as a result of the limiting beliefs we developed.