Do you ever feel like your own worst enemy? When you have a good idea or succeed at something, do you find yourself trying to rationalize it somehow? Are you sick and tired of not being able to live up to your full potential?
You’re not alone. Nearly every person in the world shares a vicious cycle. We all have them. You know what I’m talking about: those self-limiting beliefs that hold us back in life. They’ve become such an unconscious part of our everyday reality that we don’t even realize their existence. Worse, the adverse effects of these beliefs can linger for years without us even knowing it.
What are limiting beliefs?
Limiting beliefs are the blockades to our dreams, happiness, personal development, and the fulfillment of our full potential. It’s a negative thought, feeling, or perception that is subconsciously causing you to stop yourself from tapping a growth mindset and achieving your goals.
What are examples of limiting beliefs?
They’re the excuses we tell ourselves so we can’t live our dreams and we end up feeling lost or thinking we’re not good enough. As you take action and get closer to your goals, you might notice that some negative thoughts start creeping in and holding you back. You might begin to say things like:
“I’m not good enough.”
“This is too hard.”
“I’m never going to be successful.”
“This won’t work out the way I want.”
These are all examples of limiting beliefs. They might seem very real, especially when feelings of fear or doubt accompany them. But they’re just thoughts—not reality. These types of thoughts are usually just a reflection of your subconscious’ worries about success.
Let’s say that you have a limiting belief about money. You might believe that you never have enough and constantly struggle to pay the bills. This may be true in terms of your conscious thoughts. But if this is a belief that you’ve held onto for some time, it’s probably not true in your subconscious mind. This limiting belief is likely to be stopping you from attracting more money into your life and making more of it go further. It might even be holding you back from achieving other goals, such as getting promoted or starting a business.
Limiting beliefs can creep up on us without us even realizing it, or they can be passed down through the generations in either our family of origin or our peer group. It affects our self-awareness and self-esteem. Either way, we all have them, and we need to understand how they work if we’re going to change them so we can make our dreams come true.
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How to overcome your limiting beliefs?
Remember that these beliefs are not reality – they are simply false thought patterns that have become so much a part of who we think we are that we don’t even notice or question them. Here’s how you can overcome them.
Identify your limiting beliefs
The first step to overcoming a limiting belief is recognizing that it’s there. Trying to overcome a limiting belief without first identifying it is like trying to go somewhere without knowing where you’re going. Take a moment to reflect on your life, relationships, and goals, and ask yourself what you truly want. What do you believe about yourself? What do you think about others? What do you think about other people’s opinions of you? Are your beliefs positive or negative? Do they serve you? Or do they hold you back from growing into the person you want to be? Are you feeling lost? Or do you sometimes think that you’re never enough?
Recognize which beliefs are holding you back and decide what needs to change. Once you’ve identified your limiting beliefs, it’s time to change them.
Shift your beliefs
There are two types of beliefs: limiting and empowering beliefs. Limiting beliefs can keep you in your comfort zone while empowering beliefs will help you expand your horizons and boost your self-esteem. So which one are you letting control your emotions and perspective?
Change the way you think and talk about yourself—in both positive and negative ways. Stop using “shoulds” and instead focus on what’s true for you right now.
Believe in yourself
Believing in yourself means that you are aware of your abilities and capabilities. This self-awareness allows you to focus on your goals and the actions necessary to achieve those goals and success. When you don’t believe in yourself, you lose self-confidence, leading to anxiety and depression.
It’s important to remember that everyone has doubts about themselves at some point. These doubts occur because people tend to compare themselves with others who appear more talented or successful than they are. But truly believing in yourself is a necessary step to getting what you want out of life. If you don’t honestly believe in yourself, no one else will either, and you’ll never get the results you deserve.
Surround yourself with supportive people
Surround yourself with positive people. It makes sense that if we want to feel better about ourselves, we should spend time with people who make us feel good about ourselves.
Don’t waste your time on people who don’t believe in you. Surround yourself with those who are encouraging of your goals and have a growth mindset. If a friend, co-worker, or family member is constantly putting you down and telling you that you can’t do it, get rid of them! What people say and do matters. If someone doesn’t support you, don’t let them keep holding you back!
This goes for anyone in your life; even if it’s your spouse or parent, they should uplift you and encourage you to be the best person you can be. They will only bring negativity into your life and cause you to lose motivation. It is essential to surround yourself with people who believe in you and help you achieve whatever you want to achieve.
Constantly reframe your thoughts
The mind is a powerful thing. It’s capable of incredible things and also, unfortunately, can be a place where we store some pretty terrible thoughts. Our thoughts define us. The moment you believe something, you begin to attract experiences that match your belief—even if it’s not a conscious thought. If you think you’re unlucky, you’ll find yourself surrounded by misfortune. If you believe you’re destined for great things, you’ll find yourself amid opportunity.
Be aware of your thoughts, and then examine them. Are they empowering or disempowering? Do they serve your goals or distract you from them? Now ask yourself: “Is this thought helping me reach my goals?” When we change our thoughts, we change our lives. We can construct any reality we want with our minds. The more we focus on what we want, the more it shows up in our lives. If there’s something about your life that you’d like to change, don’t sit around waiting for it to happen. Take control of your thoughts and use them to create the life you dream of having!
Don’t be afraid to challenge the way you think. It would help if you never stopped questioning your assumptions and preconceptions, or they may interfere with your ability to learn and grow. Take what works for you and leave the rest.
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