Jan 14, 2022
Do You Have “Limiting Beliefs”
Do you have limiting beliefs?
I guess you’re wondering what limiting beliefs are?
Well, they’re beliefs that prevent us from pursuing our goals and desires, not allowing us to live the inspired life that we deserve. Taking it back further, a belief is an idea that is accepted as truth without any facts to back it up.
Limiting beliefs can typically follow three types:
Limiting beliefs about yourself that make you feel that you can’t do something because there is something inherently wrong with you.
Limiting beliefs about the world, that make you feel that you cannot do something because no one will let you.
Limiting beliefs about life that make you feel that you cannot do something because it is too difficult.
These limiting beliefs can come from a number of sources like:
Family — which can be from parents, siblings, or extended family, where they instil their own morals, values and beliefs.
Education — we usually find a lot of our limited beliefs are formed here as there are a plethora of people who all impact on what you adopt as truth, as they are in a position of authority telling you how the world works.
Experiences — when you have life experiences and make decisions we usually draw a conclusion from it afterwards. If it is a negative experience, it can strongly shape your limiting beliefs, especially if it is repeated and forms a pattern.
For me at the age of eight, I was called an idiot because I struggled with some math problems and wasn’t able to learn my times tables, even though I worked hard at school, as I’ve said before, I only came out with one “O” level before joining the army. I was told that I would struggle on the technical course I’d applied for and I failed a number of exams, though I did eventually pass the course at this time, I believed I was not academic, which I held as a limiting belief all the way up to 46.
It was only when I decided that I wanted to change my life, that I was able to dispel this fear. I started university at 42 doing a part-time law degree while working full time.
Even during my studies, I feared the exams as I was told and had experienced that I was not good at them. I worked hard to learn, and it was only when I was awarded a two, one bachelor of laws that was able to overcome my limiting belief, allowing me to go on to attain a master of laws.
I had not been able to identify this limiting belief for many years, which had meant that I had not been able to follow some of my dreams.
Having taken responsibility for myself, I was able to overcome this limiting belief, allowing me to go on and study so much, much more.
Here are four questions that can help you overcome your limiting beliefs.
- Ask yourself what if I am wrong? The limiting beliefs can lose their power when considered as not true.
- Ask yourself, how is this belief serving me? We generally hold on to limiting beliefs to protect ourselves from struggle and failure, but they may have served their purpose many years ago.
- Create alternative beliefs. There is nothing stopping you other than your own mind, with repeated practice in noticing your beliefs and imagining new ideas to replace them, you will find that you’ll be amazed how you’re able to identify with new beliefs that will empower you and allow you to grow.
- Test the alternative beliefs until we are willing to actually see if these alternative beliefs play out in the real world, we cannot be certain of what is true and what is not.
I’ve helped many people in the past with dispelling their limiting beliefs and helping them take responsibility for their life, allowing them to make changes they require to live an inspired life that they deserve and desire.
Also, please feel free to contact me on any of them, as I would love to hear your thoughts on any limiting beliefs that you have had or might have and how you’ve been able to overcome them, or if you’d like help overcoming them.
Thank you.
