What is reality?
It is a fascinating question, and one that has been explored for thousands of years.
In 600 BC, Buddha famously said:
“We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world.”
Think about that for a moment.
What if reality is not only about what happens to us, but also about the meaning we assign to what happens?
In many ways, our experience of life is shaped not simply by events, but by the thoughts, beliefs, and interpretations we bring to those events.
As discussed in How The Words You Use Frame Your Life, the language we use internally often becomes the lens through which we interpret reality.
This is one of the core principles behind hypnotherapy Los Angeles and NLP Los Angeles, where changing subconscious interpretations can dramatically change emotional experiences.
Two people can go through the exact same experience and walk away with completely different realities.
Let me give you an example.
Imagine two students receive an A-minus on an exam.
One student might feel devastated.
“I failed.”
“I should have done better.”
“I am not good enough.”
Why?
Because perhaps a classmate received an A+, and somewhere along the line this student developed the belief that anything less than perfect means failure.
As a result, that A-minus becomes emotionally painful. The student may spend the rest of the day discouraged, lose sleep over it, or even experience stress-related physical symptoms like headaches or stomach discomfort.
For that person, the experience feels very real.
Now imagine the other student who received the A-minus on the same exam jumps up and down with joy and can’t wait to call her parents to tell them the GREAT news!
She is thinking to herself:
“Wow. You are amazing!”
“You crushed it.”
“You are a rock star.”
Same exam.
Same grade.
Completely different interpretation.
Completely different reality.
This is what in NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) is often called a person’s “model of the world.”
We each move through life with our own internal lens, shaped by experiences, beliefs, childhood conditioning, expectations, and emotional memories.
This concept closely relates to The Purpose of the Subconscious Mind, which explains how the subconscious stores experiences and uses them to protect us—sometimes long after those patterns are helpful.
And here is the important part:
Most of these beliefs were not created yesterday.
They were formed long ago.
The student devastated by an A-minus likely did not suddenly develop perfectionism after one exam.
More often, beliefs like these begin in childhood, when we unconsciously create rules about ourselves and the world.
Perhaps somewhere along the way, a child internalized:
The challenge is that beliefs formed years ago often continue running quietly in the background, shaping emotions, decisions, confidence, relationships, and self-worth long after they are useful.
These are examples of limiting beliefs that often operate automatically throughout adulthood, a topic explored further in Rewire Limiting Beliefs With NLP Coaching and Hypnotherapy.
So, the question becomes:
Can you shift your reality?
The answer is yes.
But lasting change begins with awareness.
The first step is recognizing whether a belief is empowering or disempowering.
Is the story you are telling yourself helping you grow, feel confident, and move toward happiness?
Or is it creating unnecessary suffering?
Often, this awareness begins by paying attention to your internal dialogue.
As explained in How Hypnotherapy and NLP Coaching Reveal the Hidden Power of Self-Talk, the conversations you have with yourself shape your confidence and emotional responses every day.
Next, we explore where that belief began.
What early experience or emotional event caused you to reach that conclusion about yourself?
And perhaps most importantly:
What can be learned from that experience?
In hypnotherapy and NLP, we often work with the subconscious mind to uncover old emotional patterns and reframe them in a way that promotes healing and growth.
The goal is not to erase the past, but rather to understand it differently.
To take what once felt painful and find meaning, wisdom, resilience, or strength within it.
As the saying goes, turning lemons into lemonade.
Changing the meaning you assign to an experience is one of the ways your subconscious can begin creating a new reality, similar to the concepts discussed in Hypnotherapy: Harness The Power Within.
The truth is, there is nothing “wrong” with continuing to live with old beliefs.
The real question is this:
Are those beliefs helping you create the life you want, or are they keeping you stuck?
Because when you change the lens through which you view yourself and your experiences, your reality often begins to shift as well.
And that can change everything.
If you are curious about uncovering and releasing limiting beliefs that may be holding you back, I invite you to reach out for a complimentary 30-minute phone consultation. Together, we can explore whether hypnotherapy and NLP may help support the changes you want to create in your life.
Jayne Goldman, MBA, C.Ht., is the Founder and Principal of Best Life Hypnotherapy in Los Angeles. She is a Certified Hypnotherapist and NLP Master Practitioner and Coach who helps clients overcome limiting beliefs, reduce anxiety, build confidence, and create meaningful, lasting change through hypnotherapy and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP).
