Limiting beliefs are thoughts, ideas, and opinions that we have about ourselves, others, life, and the world. If you don’t know your self worth then limiting beliefs about yourself can hold you back in life.
Our self image forms a foundation for how we view the world around us and how we interact with it the people in our life.These beliefs can be formed from what we’ve been told by our parents as children through words or actions, or they can come from experiences that have shaped our perspective of the world from a very young age.
The danger is that the limiting beliefs, that we develop from a young age, can become so ingrained in our psyche that it’s difficult to see them clearly – which means it’s easy for them to hold us back in life without even realizing it. The good news is that it’s possible to change our limiting beliefs. The first step is to recognize them, because once you see what’s holding you back, then you can take action to change it. The more you understand how limiting beliefs work, the better equipped you’ll be to identify them in your own life – and then let them go!
HOW TO KNOW IF YOU HAVE LIMITING BELEIFS
Limiting beliefs can be conscious or unconscious thoughts. They can be conscious (“I am not good enough”) but more often they are unconscious (“I guess I am just a failure at life”).
Unconscious limiting beliefs often lead people to engage in self-sabotage because of a fear of not being able to succeed at something important or meaningful in their lives
So how do you know if your thoughts are keeping you back in life?
To start, the first step is to be aware of your thoughts. What are you thinking about? Are your thoughts focused on how things should be or how they aren’t? Are you focusing on what someone else has done that “shouldn’t” have happened?
Next, look at your actions. How often do you procrastinate when it comes to difficult tasks or projects in life that matter most to you? Do you put things off until later because they don’t seem possible now, but will seem possible some other time down the road?
Next, look at your feelings. When you are upset with another person, do you tend to blame them for making you feel that way? Or are you able to see that your feelings are not necessarily caused by another individual but rather an internal process within yourself – something which no one else can control or change but you?
DANGERS OF LIMITING BELIEFS AND SELF SABOTAGE
Your limiting beliefs can affect your health, career, and self worth. They tell you that it’s impossible for you to lose weight or get in shape. They tell you that you’ll never be good enough at your job because everyone else is smarter than you are. It’s very common that someone who is not confident in themselves will have the following thoughts and self sabotage positive events in their life.
How to know if your thoughts are self sabotaging
- You don’t believe that it’s possible to succeed at something.
- You think everyone else is better than you and always has been, so why even try anymore?
- You have trouble making friends because you think no one will like the real “you.”
- You don’t think you deserve to be happy or healthy.
- You believe that no one could ever love the real “you,” so why even try to find someone?
You’re afraid of trying anything new because it might fail and people will laugh at you.
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The only way to overcome these limiting beliefs is by challenging them. You have to question your assumptions and test their validity with reality. You may find that some of your assumptions are wrong. You may realize that you’re capable of things you never thought possible.
WHERE DID THESE THOUGHTS COME FROM
The truth is that many of your limiting beliefs were created without your consent or even knowledge. Our self worth is a result of what we were taught or what was instilled within our subconscious minds through interactions with others. Sometimes our beliefs feel like they come from within ourselves but rather it could be from external sources such as friends or society at large.
Check out the School of Greatness podcast episode: How to let go of negative emotions…and truly love your self
There are so many factors that can influence your self-perception and thus your behavior. For some people, their parents have them believe they’re not smart enough to succeed in life. You may have been told as a child that you’re not good enough or pretty enough or strong enough.
For others, the source of their limiting beliefs can be traced back even further: family history and cultural expectations shape our belief systems in ways we don’t realize until we start looking for answers about why we act the way we do.
Many people find themselves struggling with limiting beliefs because of past experiences that left them feeling inadequate or unworthy: bullies from childhood, relationships that went wrong, and the influence of mainstream society are all factors that can negatively impact how we see ourselves
“We’re addicted to our beliefs; we’re addicted to the emotions of our past. We see our beliefs as truths, and not as ideas that we can change.”- Joe Dispenza
Limiting beliefs also come from what we hear other people say about themselves, how they act out certain situations in their own lives, and how they talk to each other in our society. These things can all impact our own self-image and how we see other people in the world around us. This is why it’s so important who we choose to spend our time with, we are communal creatures and will adjust our self image to fit into the pact.
Related: 13 effective ways to protect yourself against negative people
But whether these limiting beliefs originate externally or internally doesn’t matter because all it takes is awareness and understanding in order for them to no longer hold power over you!
NEGATIVE BEHAVIOUR HOLDING YOU BACK
Let’s take a look at some of the most common types of negative behavior that are holding you back from living your best life:
Staying in bad relationships. If a relationship is toxic, it has the potential to poison your life. If you’re not happy with this situation, now’s the time to change things up! You deserve better than that.
Not setting goals and achieving them. Instead of talking about what you want out of life and then doing nothing about it, take action by setting clear goals for yourself so that when others ask how things are going or what your future plans are, they will always hear good news instead of disappointment.
Not being accountable. It’s easy to blame others for your problems, but doing so is a negative behavior that won’t lead anywhere good. You’ll always be at a disadvantage if you don’t take responsibility for your actions and learn from them.
Not taking action: When something isn’t right in our lives, it’s easy to let these things go unchecked and continue being unhappy. The first step to doing something about it is taking action. Start by asking yourself, “What’s not right in my life?” Once you figure that out, take one small action towards making it better. By doing this over and over again, you’ll see a huge difference in your life over time.
Not being positive: Positivity is key to achieving happiness in life. When you’re happy, it’s easier to find the good in things and stay focused on your goals. If there is something negative going on around you right now, try focusing on what makes that situation better instead of focusing solely on what makes it worse.
Not being grateful: Appreciating all blessings is an important part of living a good life and not taking them for granted. When you’re grateful for all the good things in your life, you are more likely to appreciate the people around you and be more compassionate towards them.
Not forgiving yourself: Holding onto guilt and shame can be toxic. It can make you feel worthless, preventing you from living a good life. If there is something you regret or wish you could change about your past, try forgiving yourself for it and moving on instead of dwelling on it forever.
Not forgiving others: Holding onto anger and resentment will not help you live a good life. If there is someone who has wronged you, try to find it in your heart to forgive them instead of holding on to these negative feelings.
NEGATIVE THOUGHTS HOLDING YOUR BACK
There are many types of negative thoughts that hold us back from living our best life. Some of these limiting beliefs include:
I can’t do it: This is the most common one and often comes from a lack of self confidence. We think we are not good enough, smart enough, or talented enough to achieve our goals in life and business. This belief often leads to procrastination, fear of failure and self doubt which will keep you stuck in your comfort zone forever!
I am not good enough: Therefore no one will love me/ find me attractive/ hire me/ promote me etc… These types of thoughts come up when we have low self esteem or low confidence because they cause us to believe that others are better than us at everything – which is simply not true!
“The only difference between those who succeed & those who fail is that those who succeed BELIEVE in what they do” – Bo Bennett
I am not talented enough: This can lead us into thinking we are not good at anything except maybe one or two things and therefore should avoid trying new things because it makes us feel insecure about our abilities; which means that we won’t grow as an individual either! Instead of dwelling on what you aren’t good at, focus on your strengths and how you can use them to improve your life
I am not rich enough to pursue my dream. The most successful people in the world all started out with nothing but their dreams and made it happen because they were willing to work hard and take risks.
I am not pretty enough: No one is perfect and being self-critical will get you nowhere in life. Instead of thinking that you’re not pretty enough, embrace your uniqueness. Looking at yourself with more positive thoughts will make it easier to accept the things you don’t like about yourself while also giving your confidence a boost
I am not smart enough for this: Being intelligent doesn’t come from school or years of reading books, it comes from being able to learn new things and applying that knowledge in real-life situations. It’s about being curious, having a thirst for knowledge, and the desire to learn something new.
6 STEPS TO OVERCOME YOUR LIMITING BELIEFS
Just for a little while, say to yourself: " Iwant to be aware of how I feel. and then, I want to do something about improving how I feel" Thats's it--That's the secret to living happily ever after~~~Abraham
1. Be aware of them.
In order to do this, you should look at each area of your life and ask yourself these questions. This may take some time, but it’s worth it when you see how much better off you’ll be.
- What are the negative views you have of yourself?
- When did these thoughts start ( and by whom)
- Which negative beliefs are limiting you in life?
- What steps can you take to heal from them?
The answers to these questions will help you determine where your limiting beliefs are and how they can be overcome. You might find that the answer is simple Or it might involve making changes over time. In any case, being aware of your limiting beliefs can go a long way towards helping you get rid of them!
2. When do you have these thoughts
Sometimes it is our environment that can trigger these unworthy feelings. You might find that when you’re feeling down and depressed after spending time with a certain person or even after a day at the office. This could mean that it’s time for a change in who you spend time with, or maybe even a job change. Either way, being aware of what’s going on in your mind around certain people or places can help pinpoint where these beliefs originated
3. What habits contribute to these thoughts
You might find that the way you’ve been doing certain tasks or activities has led to these beliefs developing over time. If so, then changing them can help get rid of these negative thoughts. For example: eating an unhealthy diet and not exercising versus eating healthy and exercising will change the way you feel about yourself.
4. What are your emotional triggers
We often respond emotionally to situations that we don’t realize have triggered a negative response in us. Taking some time for self-reflection or a change in scenery may help you evaluate why you get triggered by certain situations or people in your life.
5. Accepting these are just thoughts and not fact
The more you’re able to distance yourself from your thoughts and recognize their true nature (i.e., that they are merely a product of your past experience), the better equipped you’ll be to rise above them and transform them into positive thoughts.
6. Change how you respond
When you feel a negative belief popping up, take a pause and try to look for a positive response to the situation. By asking yourself questions like “what is a more positive way of looking at this situation?” and “how can I alter my perception so that it aligns with reality (instead of being clouded by negative thinking patterns)? Over time this will re-train your mind and subconscious to have a more positive outlook when something goes wrong or when self-doubt kicks in.
CHANGING YOUR MINDSET
Your mindset is a combination of your thoughts, beliefs and past experiences. You can’t just focus on one aspect and expect it to change everything else in your life. There’s no silver bullet or magic solution that allows you to perfectly change your thinking overnight, but by focusing on all aspects at once, little by little things will be different for the better.
When you acknowledge that certain thoughts or beliefs are holding you back, then you have conquered a major hurdle in changing your mindset for the better. Once you know your thoughts are just that thoughts you can then take steps to change your internal dialogue and work to improve your life.
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4 ways to help you move on from your limiting beliefs
Be goal-oriented: setting goals for yourself every day and working towards them as much as possible. As you achieve the goals you set for yourself, you will gradually improve your self confidence. Having a personal goal means you have to be accountable to yourself and have confidence in your abilities.
Being kind to yourself: you shouldn’t be hard on yourself, because everyone makes mistakes and gets sidetracked in life. Instead, try to see what good can come from that mistake or what wisdom you gained. Never dwell on past mistakes, learn from them and use your experiences to help improve your life rather than dwelling on them.
Being positive: This doesn’t mean that you have to be happy all of the time or fake being happy, but instead it means trying your best not to get too stressed out over things that don’t matter in the long run. Looks for the positive in any situation and how you can learn from it.
Be grateful: Focusing on what we are grateful for, puts the focus off of the negative and onto the positive. Being grateful helps us realize that there is always something to be thankful for, even in the most difficult situations. It also trains our minds to recognize our blessings in life instead of our lack.
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THE TAKE AWAY
So what’s the takeaway from all of this? You should never let your beliefs dictate the way you live your life. If there is something that challenges these beliefs and makes you uncomfortable, then it’s time to change them! It doesn’t matter if someone thinks differently than you do, it only matters what YOU think about yourself and how far you will go for those beliefs.
You are in control of your life, and no one else. You have the power to change your beliefs and make them more positive, but it takes work and dedication. The only way to get over something is to go through it!
