Beliefs may just be thoughts but they often determine your actions and reactions – and they have the power to hold you back from doing what will make you happy.

Imagine that you have a belief that you don't deserve to be happy and successful. Such a belief would cause you to subconsciously sabotage any plans you make. Or it could cause you to not try at all because you believe it would be a waste of your time and energy.

You may find yourself resisting any opportunities that seem 'too good to be true' simply because you don't believe that good things will happen to you "just like that".

You might even go so far as to subconsciously create obstacles and difficulties along the way, just to 'prove' to yourself that your beliefs are true.

This may sound far-fetched, but the mind works in mysterious ways! It's amazing how easily we can trick ourselves into believing something, and how fiercely we will defend our beliefs when they are challenged – even by ourselves.

How do you know if you have subconscious beliefs that might be holding you back?

One simple way to find out is to grab a sheet of paper and a pen, and start writing statements like these:

'I deserve to be successful and happy.'

'Success comes easily to me.'

'I find it easy to make substantial amounts of money.'

'I am completely in tune with my passions.'

'I am clear about what I want in life.'

'I am ready to tackle any challenges that I may face.'

Then take a look at what you wrote and as you read each statement, pay attention to how you feel inside. If any statement conflicts with one of your existing beliefs, you will feel a twinge of guilt or fear inside, as if you are lying. It may be subtle, but if you pay close enough attention you will feel it.

Make a checkmark next to any statement that doesn't feel true to you. THOSE are the beliefs you need to work on changing if you want to make any progress.

How do you change existing beliefs? You replace them with more empowering beliefs.

Let's use this statement as an example: "I am ready to tackle any challenges that I may face."

If, when you read that statement to yourself you feel uneasiness or dread, then you know you have a doubt about your ability to handle challenges. Your job is now to convince yourself that you DO have the ability to handle challenges.

Think back to any challenges you have faced in your lifetime. How did you handle them? If you can recall even one challenge that you were able to handle and overcome, you have solid footing to change your belief!

You simply need to keep convincing yourself that if you handled one challenge successfully, you can handle others. The more frequently and passionately you can reinforce this concept in your mind, the more quickly your underlying belief will change.

But what if you can't recall any challenges you've overcome successfully in the past? Is it time to give up? Not yet! Instead, think about opportunities to tackle a challenge now. Pick one simple thing that would be challenging for you, and do it! That may sound intimidating, but you may surprise yourself. Most often, we are capable of MUCH MORE than we give ourselves credit for. You won't know until you try.

After you handle even one small challenge, you will feel your confidence growing and you'll be eager to take on more.

Remember that changing your beliefs is a process but if you keep at it, it won't be long before you start to notice a big change in your attitude. And like so many other things in life, the more you practice the technique, the better you'll get at it.