Rise above limiting beliefs to discover your full potential
Are you constantly wondering why are you not where you want to be in your life? Like many, you are also struggling with limiting beliefs. Once you identify those limiting beliefs, you can thrash them and tap the unlimited potential within you.
Many of us constantly strive to grow in our lives either professionally or personally. We establish new objectives, new determinations, and roadmaps to achieve the things we want. We begin with a gush of willpower but as time passes, we become complacent and our goals lose their luster.
Recall how many goals you have set but were never able to achieve?
Of course, each one of us has so many excuses to tell ourselves that is restricting you from being who you want to be or where you want to be?
Tony Robbins says,
“The only thing that’s keeping you from getting what you want is the story you keep telling yourself.”
Broaden your mind and you will learn that some hidden beliefs are holding you from being successful. These are nothing but limiting beliefs.
According to Tony Robbin, a belief is an idea that a person holds as being true. Beliefs create the maps that guide us toward our goals and give us the power to take action. The challenge is that most of our beliefs are generalizations about our past, based on our interpretations of painful and pleasurable experiences.
Limiting beliefs are exactly what they sound like. My definition for limiting beliefs is: “beliefs that limit the use of your unlimited potential to achieve what you believe is possible”.
No matter what your limiting beliefs are, they restrict the scope of how you see the world. Limiting beliefs restrict you from seeing all that there is to the world.
Imagine there’s a peephole in the wall and you are allowed to see the outside world from that peephole. I say, the scope is limited and you are unable to see all that is there to see. Right?
If you were to look at life through that peephole 24/7, how much of life would you miss?
Exactly the Limiting beliefs act like that peephole. You may now be wondering why our belief system works against us?
The first thing to understand is to know the origin of our belief system.
Many limiting beliefs are developed in childhood when you aren’t always able to process what happens to you.
The impact of these is stored in our mind subconsciously comforting our mind to avoid any negative emotions like frustration, anxiety, anger, sadness. Whenever you face similar episodes where you might have suffered in the past then the stored belief system gets triggered. That means you subconsciously block the current happenings by changing your behavior resulting in negative outcomes like procrastination, traditionalism, overthinking, anxiety, impostor syndrome, so on. These are invisible feedback loops created by us that in turn act as false barriers for ourselves preventing us from fulfilling our highest potential.
Overcoming limiting beliefs is easier than you think
The way that you clear limiting beliefs are by recognizing them and letting go of them. Limiting beliefs are often so much a part of us that we don’t even realize they’re there. So, give yourself a lot of time to ponder and do the following exercise (given by Dr. Tomi White Bryan)
Step 1: Pick a topic you want to clear limiting beliefs around
Write on a piece of paper: “I want to clear limiting beliefs around ………”. The topic can be anything, maybe a job, finances, relationships, health, etc. I’m going to use my example, “Career Transition”.
Step 2: List out all limiting beliefs you have about that topic
Now make a list of all beliefs you have around that topic. With my example of career transition, I came up with a list of limiting beliefs running through my head easily:
- I’m too old to be seen as valuable
- I’m too young to be taken seriously
- My experience is going to scare off employers
- I’m too old to pursue my dream career
- I’ll never get a job with my experience
- Women aren’t taken seriously in the tech world
- My friends have it all figured out
- Taking a sabbatical is frowned upon
- I’ll never find a job that gives me flexibility as a mom
- Taking a gap year will ruin my chances of pursuing a career that I want
(Click to check the examples that help you in identifying limiting beliefs)
Step 3: Thank these beliefs for how they have protected you
It may sound senseless to thank the beliefs which limited you, Right? However, it’s important to respect these beliefs. They have come a long way with us, they do have a valid purpose protecting us from getting us burned again from the negative traumatic vibrations.
In Michelle Chalfant for a Podcast says,
“Thank the belief for being there to protect you, but tell it to leave… because you’ve got this!”
Thank them and move on saying you are big enough now to move past it and make the right decision at this moment without that running your thoughts.
Step 4: Forgive yourself & others for all the different beliefs you have developed
Now, after you thanked your companions (aka beliefs), you are going to give yourself permission to forgive and work past these beliefs. Forgive yourself for holding onto these beliefs longer than they were supposed to serve you. Permit yourself to move forward. Tell yourself, it’s okay, I am safe and secure and I am ready to let go of my limiting beliefs. It’s going to be okay.
You might even feel energetic. You might be feeling a few emotions while actively going through this exercise. That’s okay.
You can repeat this process with any area in your life that you have limiting beliefs.
As you undergo the process, you will begin to see different possibilities accessible to you, and you will be ready for any opportunity life presents to you.
Note: As limiting beliefs is habitual, so is to release them. It doesn’t happen overnight and you wake up the next day believing you’re rich. The process is slow. Over time with consistent practice you will realize that amazing opportunities present themselves before you, when you take action you feel empowered that nothing is impossible!
I suggest you burn (literally burn) the paper in which you wrote all the beliefs. This simple act will give an instant relief as watching the negative beliefs burn right in front of you will often help detach yourself from those beliefs (Cognitive Behavior Therapy). Try it out for yourself!
Now, it’s time to give yourself the gift of releasing your limiting beliefs. They are relatives that have overstayed their welcome. Help them pack their bags and leave.
Daniel DiPiazza says,
“Changing what you believe about yourself is the precursor to every other change you seek”
Did you find the steps listed in this article helpful? Is it now possible for you to re-program your mind and change into an amazing life that you always craved for?
Drop in the comment section to let me know if this works and if you have any suggestions.
Thanks! Signing off!
Megha B. Halasangimath
