Beliefs
...
From the
Introduction
I believe we develop beliefs
throughout our lives which become
our truths.
Over the years of exploring
my beliefs as well as those
of thousands of shoplifters-in
person, by e-mail, letter, and
phone--I have found a string
of commonly held beliefs:
- Life is unfair
-
The world
is an unsafe place
-
Nobody
will be there to take care
of me
-
Nobody’s
really honest
- I’m entitled to something
extra for my suffering
-
Nice people
finish last
-
There’s
not going to be enough money
to live
-
It’s a
‘dog-eat-dog world’ out
there
-
No matter
how hard I try, things never
work out
-
It’s not
worth my speaking up about
anything
These beliefs fuel shoplifting
and stealing. Most people are
unconscious of their thoughts
or they may be prone to “stinking
thinking.” All behavior--whether
freely chosen or stemming from
an addictive-compulsive mind
set-originates from our thoughts,
beliefs, and values. Strong
feelings bolster this foundation
and, eventually, we act out
habitually or with hell-bent
righteousness.
I know a woman whose father
shoplifted. “He used to tell
us: ‘It’s there for the taking.’”
What beliefs would you guess
are behind that statement? Would
it help to know her father was
a war veteran who felt less
than heroic, was discontent
with his own life choices, and
felt powerless, passionless,
resentful?
How about the well-to-do woman
who has been arrested twice
for shoplifting dolls twice
in the last year since her child
died?
This book is a call to action-not
about making excuses! We’ve
lost our compass. We need to
look at ourselves in a new way.
We point the finger at the world,
everybody else. Or we point
our finger at ourselves.
“Thou shalt not steal” is more
than a commandment. It is a
prerequisite to a life that
works: for each of us and all
of us, individually and collectively.
With most addictions, we focus
on dishonesty as a by-product
of the addictive lifestyle.
Here, we go to the core: we
explore dishonesty-in the form
of shoplifting and stealing-
as the primary manifestation
of unresolved issues and erroneous,
destructive beliefs.
This book is like no other.
Hopefully, there is something
here for everybody: shoplifter,
family or friend, therapist,
judge, probation officer, attorney,
police officer, store or business
owner, minister, or student
of human behavior. I ask you
to take your new insights and
apply them to make a difference
in the world.
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