Why Beliefs Are So Important | Breaking Free from OCD, Anxiety & Stress
Oct 06, 2025
Why Beliefs Are So Important – Insights from Matt Codde
When it comes to personal transformation, whether it’s overcoming anxiety, improving relationships, or chasing business goals, there’s one common thread that shapes our experience: our beliefs. In a recent episode, Matt Codde from Restored Minds dives deep into the power beliefs hold over our perception, emotions, and growth. Here’s a closer look at why beliefs are so important and how they affect every area of our lives.
The Hidden Influence of Beliefs
Matt Codde emphasizes that most of us move through life assuming our beliefs are simply “the truth.” This unconscious acceptance locks us into a particular way of seeing the world—and, as Matt explains, often leads to defensiveness or even conflict when others don’t share our perspective.
We often double down on our beliefs, convinced we can’t be wrong. As Matt puts it, “That pride causes us to double down on our beliefs and then defend against anything other than that.” This can stall our personal growth and blind us to new possibilities.
Belief Shapes Perception—Not the Other Way Around
One of Matt Codde’s central insights is the idea that “believing is seeing.” Instead of believing what we see, we see what we believe. Our beliefs influence how we interpret events, interact with others, and even experience emotions. This is why, when major events occur, people can have dramatically different reactions—even to the point of celebration or anger over the same event.
Matt encourages listeners to recognize the underlying beliefs driving their reactions: "Your dominant emotional experience to the event itself is not actually about the event, but it’s about your beliefs,” he explains.
The Trap of Unquestioned Beliefs
The real danger, Matt says, is when we are unaware of the beliefs driving our behavior. If we see our beliefs as unchangeable truths, they secretly control and limit us, even as we think of ourselves as free thinkers. “If you’re unaware of your beliefs, then you’re really just operating unconsciously,” Matt warns.
He encourages becoming conscious of limiting or destructive beliefs—especially those rooted in lower emotions like fear or anger. This self-awareness is the first step to positive change.
Changing the World Starts With Yourself
As Matt Codde sees it, real transformation begins at the individual level. “The way to actually change the world is not ever about changing the world. It’s about learning to change yourself.” This means:
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Surrendering pride
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Letting go of limiting or divisive beliefs
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Challenging your current perspectives
By doing this internal work, you create the conditions for new experiences and outcomes—whether in relationships, business, or personal well-being.
How to Break Free From Limiting Beliefs
Matt explains that real change doesn’t come from just shifting external factors or behaviors. Instead, it starts with transforming the underlying belief structure. If you keep operating from the same beliefs, you will keep generating similar outcomes.
To start the process:
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Become aware of your beliefs: Ask yourself, what belief is driving my reaction?
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Challenge your beliefs: Are they serving your growth or holding you back?
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Be willing to change: Recognize that beliefs are not immutable truths.
As Matt says, “Once you understand that belief is just that—it’s just a belief—you can change, you can adopt a different belief. We do it all the time.”
Final Thoughts from Matt Codde
Everyone thinks they’re right, Matt notes, which makes changing others difficult. The best path to a better world is to look inward. “If you really want to help the world change in a positive way, then you as an individual need to look at your own beliefs… assess whether they’re leading towards positive, loving creation or destruction.”
Transforming your life starts from within. By becoming conscious of your beliefs and letting go of those that no longer serve you, you unlock the door to growth, freedom, and a more fulfilling experience.
