Have you ever experienced wanting to try or do something, only to give up on it? Or perhaps an opportunity was knocking on your door, and you shove it off by saying, ‘Nah, I don’t think that’s for me” or “I’ve never done that before, and maybe I’ll just mess it up.” As valid as these reasons may sound, they’re just excuses and they get in your way of achieving your goal or reaching your full potential. These are called limiting beliefs.
What are Limiting Beliefs?
Limiting beliefs are false thoughts or a negative state of mind that prevents you from pursuing your desires or achieving your goals.
Everyone has their own limiting beliefs, and it’s normal to have them from time to time. However, if you let these limiting beliefs overcome you, they’ll restrict you and adversely affect the quality of your life.
How to Break Your Limiting Beliefs
Here are the following tips to help you overcome limiting beliefs one day at a time.
1. Identify Your Limiting Beliefs
Before you overcome your limiting beliefs, you must first identify them. Many of you may have difficulty identifying them, and that’s OK. You can seek professional assistance to help identify these beliefs. You may check out any recommended site that offers Kinesiology treatment, Ayurveda consultation, or other holistic therapies to recognize your limiting beliefs and clear the stress.
Then, identify the root cause of that limiting belief. Your limiting beliefs may come from any of these origins:
- Family values and beliefs: For example, your parents taught you that pursuing a white-collar profession is the key to a better life. Thus, you grew up with that belief and closed yourself to the idea of seeking any other job than those professions.
- Life experiences: For instance, you joined a dance group and got scolded once for missing a step. And so, the next moment you were invited to join again, you refused because you believed it wasn’t for you.
- Education or influence: Your teachers, friends, or the people around you can impose standards that could generate your limiting beliefs.
- Religious beliefs: Sometimes, your religion can spread limiting beliefs through preaching.
Knowing the source or origin can make it easier for you to eliminate these beliefs.
2. Challenge Your Limiting Belief
After identifying your limiting beliefs and their origins, try to challenge them instead of following them. You can ask yourself these questions to challenge your limiting belief:
- Is this belief valid?
- Are there facts to support this belief?
- Is this belief helping me grow?
- How is this belief serving me?
- What if my thoughts are wrong?
These questions may sound strange, but they’re meant to help widen your point of view on this subject. They can help you practice out-of-the-box thinking.
After you’ve answered the questions, you may realize that these limiting beliefs aren’t serving you any good, and it’ll be easier for you to let them go.
3. Adapt or Create New Beliefs
At this point, you can start adapting or creating new beliefs. Get creative and find something new to believe in that can improve the quality of your life. It may be easier said than done. But even if the transition isn’t easy, remember not to give up.
Here’s an example of how you can adapt or create new beliefs.
Suppose you’ve always believed you’re too old to start a new career or pursue your dream job. But if you challenge it, you can ask yourself:
“Is there evidence proving that old people can’t pursue this job? Is this belief helping me achieve my goal or desired career?”
With that, you may realize there’s no age limit to starting your new career. Some people become successful entrepreneurs in their 50s or 60s. Others landed their dream jobs during their 40s. Eventually, you can conclude that no one is stopping you from achieving your dream job but your own mind.
Switching to a new belief isn’t as easy as just creating it. It’ll take several practices until you finally get used to it. But don’t worry, as sooner or later, you’ll feel more in control over what you choose to believe, and one of that is to see the positive of everything.
4. Use Positive Affirmations for Your Self-Talk
One of the great ways to overcome limiting beliefs is to change your self-talk and focus on using positive affirmations. When you constantly use positive affirmations during your self-talk, you’re reframing your limiting beliefs and combating any negative thoughts that invade your mind. You can either say positive affirmations out loud or write them on paper.
Examples of changing your self-talk to positive affirmations:
- From “I’m too busy to explore new hobbies” to “I can manage my schedule and make time to pursue the things I love.”
- From “I’m not good enough for this role” to ‘I can do and succeed in anything I do if I put my mind to it.”
Try practicing this daily, and it’ll train your mind to see the positive in every situation instead of sticking to your negative self-limiting beliefs.
Key Takeaway
Self-limiting beliefs are not grounded in facts; they are just that — beliefs. When you continue to hold on to negative ideas because of past disappointments, fear or societal standards, you prevent yourself from achieving your life’s goals.
So look at the root of the negativity. Challenge it and adopt a new belief that’ll allow you to shine and flourish. And pursue a life with endless possibilities and potential.