Limiting Beliefs: Break free From What’s holding you back
What Is a Limiting Belief?
A limiting belief is a deeply ingrained thought or conviction that holds an individual back from realizing their full potential or achieving their goals. In other words, they are beliefs that you accept about your life, yourself, the world or the people around you but they limit you in some way.
Where Do They Come From?
They are usually formed during early life experiences and are influenced by society, family, peers, or traumatic events.
Why Does It Matter?
These beliefs often create barriers that can hinder personal growth, success, and happiness.
When people believe they are incapable or unworthy, they may subconsciously avoid taking risks, shy away from challenges, or self-sabotage their efforts, leading to the very outcomes they fear.
When I was younger I used to pour my heart and soul into poems and short stories. I loved words and their ability to create a mood or evoke an emotion so, I decided to take a creative writing class. My professor definitely had a specific type of writing he admired. He liked grit and dark realism. I was more light and comedic. Needless to say he was not a fan. Although I liked what I wrote, I quickly started to think that my writing was not as good as I had once thought. A persistent limiting belief had taken root deep within me, whispering that my words were immature and that I was not good enough. Every time I sat down to write, a paralyzing fear gripped me, convincing me that my ideas were mediocre. This belief manifested as a constant weight on my shoulders, that eroded my confidence and sapped my motivation. The joy I once found in cleverly crafting sentences was gone, replaced with doubt and frustration. I still wanted to share my perspectives and my way of thinking with the world but the limiting beliefs erected a barrier that made me feel trapped in my inadequacy. So, I stopped writing.
For years, I blamed that professor for taking away something that I loved but the truth was he never took it away. I gave it to him. I surrendered it without a fight. I let go of the love I had for something because of someone else's opinion. I don’t remember his name, or his face but the impact that I allowed him to have lasted a long time.
Does this sound familiar to you? Is there something that is holding you back from accomplishing the thing that you have dreamed of doing? Have you clung to a belief that you need to let go of. The truth is that there are times that what we believe to be true, actually isn’t. The professor's feedback did not mean that I was never a good writer. It just meant that he was not the right audience for what I had to say. Regardless, there is always room for improvement but at the time my feelings wouldn’t let me believe that.
I encourage you to look at the things that you have aspired to do that you have not done. Is it possible that the barriers that are hindering your advancement are actually tied to limiting beliefs? If so, I want to help. Below are some insights to help you overcome those limiting beliefs.
These beliefs often create barriers that can hinder personal growth, success, and happiness.
Try the following to break free from limiting beliefs:
Acknowledge the patterns that have held you back and challenge them. Examine the origins of the thought patterns. At times, our limiting beliefs stem from misconceptions or insecurities that we hold.
Question the beliefs that no longer serve you. Past ways of thinking may have protected you in the past but are no longer relevant for where you are now. Let them go.
Be determined. Understand that limiting beliefs are usually deeply ingrained thoughts or convictions. They will not disappear overnight. It will take time to adapt to a new way of thinking.
Adopt a growth mindset and cultivate self-compassion. Mistakes are an inevitable part of life. They teach us valuable life lessons.
Explore the ways that limiting beliefs have held you back. If you could go back, what would you do differently?
After envisioning what you could do or become if you could get past your limiting beliefs. Write down the possibilities. Chose something from your list to work on. Start taking steps now.
Be proactive. Come up with a plan of what you will say or do when these limiting beliefs resurface. Find a way to keep yourself accountable. This could be support from a person, a mantra or some type of positive reinforcement.
We hold the power to transform our mindset. We can reframe challenges as stepping stones and setbacks as opportunities for growth. By acknowledging our limiting beliefs without judgment, we are able to learn from them to become more insightful, authentic and resilient.
Discover a life without limits! If you've been inspired by our exploration of overcoming limiting beliefs, it's time to take that inspiration to the next level. Imagine a world where your potential knows no bounds, where self-doubt no longer holds you back. With guidance, you'll learn how to reframe challenges into opportunities, develop a growth mindset, and step confidently into the life you've always envisioned. Don't let limiting beliefs dictate your future any longer.
