Our life is a combination of stories and beliefs that our society has told us through years of evolution and progress, and we are but a mere reflection of those countless perceptions. The story that you tell yourself is what you believe in, and those beliefs that you carry with you through the years have a significant impact on your life today.
What is a limiting belief?
A limiting belief can be a thought, an opinion, or a simple perception that tends to harm your life and can stop you from achieving personal and professional development.
Tony Robbins once said:
“The only thing that’s keeping you from getting what you want is the story you keep telling yourself.”
Taking the time to unpick our limiting beliefs and replace them with empowering beliefs can free us up to live a more fulfilling life with confidence and less stress. Open your mind, be honest with yourself, and explore the negative anchors pulling you down in life.
Once you discover a belief that’s preventing you from being successful, you can then start the process of replacing it with the empowering point of view that lifts your spirit and mind.
How to find your limiting beliefs?
Question everything
Keeping a journal is one way to pick out those beliefs that are holding us back. I like to keep a two-column table; I write my limiting beliefs on the left. Then I try to question this belief and ask myself questions that examine and doubt those views. I raise questions like; is this always true? Does this belief help me in my journey of living a life that is worth living? Or it’s pulling me down? Can I think of one or two cases where this belief is not valid for me?
For example;
Limiting belief: Everyone is successful but me.
How to undermine this belief?
Ask yourself the following questions: Is this belief objectively true?: Success comes in different forms; in which fields do you feel other people are more successful than you? (family, money, influence, etc.) When do you think you are on top of your game? What counts as success to you? Does this belief get me a bit closer to my goals? And so on.
Now it’s the time to do a mind shift by thinking of a reflection of a positive and empowering belief.
Empowering belief: I am proud of my accomplishments and successes in life. I am a goal achiever, and there is nothing I can’t do. Here is a list of achievements that I am incredibly proud of..(and write them down)
You have the control over your mid and destiny.
Your close circle of trust
Try talking with people you trust and look up to them. I try to avoid toxic people in any way I can, as they tend to have the most negative impact on your life and will even sabotage your chances of success and personal development. However, I was lucky enough to pick them out, and I managed to collect a small group of people I can trust. I then ask them questions like; From knowing me for years, what do you think would be one limiting belief I have that holding me back?
Does it serve me?
Every time you encounter a situation that makes you feel discomfort, ask yourself what your beliefs are on this subject. Are they empowering or limiting? This simple question will adjust your brain to start thinking critically rather than focusing on the negative. Beliefs only stick if they serve us in some way; try figuring out how your limiting belief is helping you and ask yourself if it’s worth it or not.
Stop comparing to other people
As social beings, we are confined to particular social rules. It is a direct transcend of our premial brain to get well and fit your clan’s social environment. One of the most harmful habits of the human brain
is the habit of comparing to other people and grading yourself by this imaginary competition.
You will see that you will start feeling less stress and focus on personal development rather than negative and limiting beliefs once you focus on how you are performing compared to yourself rather than others.
Recommended reading about this topic:
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