What We Believe Shapes Who We Become

“we need to be intentional about the messages we allow into our minds”

Parashat V’Zot HaBerachah is the final parashah of the Torah. Moses is standing at the end of his life, looking at the Children of Israel and giving each tribe a blessing. He knows that his journey is coming to an end, but his words will continue to live on through the generations.

When I think about V’Zot HaBerachah, I see a connection to something Orrin Woodward discusses in Resolved: 13 Resolutions for Life, the importance of bringing our conscious thoughts and our subconscious beliefs into alignment.

We often think about what we want in life. We consciously set goals. We tell ourselves that we want to be successful, healthy, positive, confident, or financially secure. But sometimes there is a difference between what we consciously say we want and what we subconsciously believe we are capable of achieving. That difference can affect our actions.

The conscious mind may say, “I can do this,” while the subconscious mind may be saying, “I'm not good enough,” or “This isn't possible for me.” When those two parts of our thinking are not aligned, we can find ourselves working against ourselves.

V’Zot HaBerachah reminds me that words have power. Moses didn't simply say goodbye to the Jewish people. He spoke words of blessing over them. He recognized different qualities in the tribes and spoke to their individual strengths and destinies. There is something powerful about hearing positive words repeatedly. Eventually, those words can become part of how we see ourselves.

This is where I see a connection to the subconscious mind. What we continually think about, hear, say, and believe can influence the way we see ourselves. If we constantly tell ourselves that we are incapable, eventually that belief can become part of our identity. But if we intentionally fill our minds with positive, truthful, and constructive thoughts, we can begin to change the beliefs that guide our behavior.

The Torah begins with creation through speech, and V’Zot HaBerachah ends with Moses using his words to bless the people. There is something meaningful about that connection. Words can help shape our reality because they can shape the way we think, and the way we think influences the way we act.

But positive thinking by itself is not enough. The real challenge is getting our beliefs and our actions to agree. If I consciously say that I want to become a better person, but my subconscious beliefs keep telling me that I cannot change, I may continue repeating the same behaviors. However, when my thoughts, beliefs, values, and actions begin moving in the same direction, I become more consistent. That is what I see as alignment.

Moses was preparing the Children of Israel for the future. He was giving them something they could carry with them after he was gone. His blessings were not simply nice words. They were reminders of who they were and what they could become.

Perhaps this is one of the lessons we can take from V’Zot HaBerachah.

We need to be intentional about the messages we allow into our minds. We need to examine the beliefs we carry about ourselves. Are those beliefs helping us become the person we want to be, or are they holding us back?

The subconscious mind does not change simply because we make a decision one time. It takes repetition. It takes consistent thoughts, words, and actions. That is why the Torah's message of blessing is so important. A blessing is a reminder of potential.

As we come to the end of another cycle of reading the Torah, V’Zot HaBerachah gives us an opportunity to think about what we are carrying forward. What beliefs are we taking with us? What thoughts are we repeating? What kind of person do we believe we can become?

The goal is not simply to think positively. The goal is to bring our conscious intentions and our deeper beliefs into alignment so that our actions reflect what we truly value.

Moses' final message was one of blessing and possibility. Perhaps our responsibility is to take that blessing into our own minds and lives, and then live in a way that makes those beliefs visible through our actions.