We all go through life with limiting beliefs, it’s natural to believe the things we’re told growing up, that’s why they’re called beliefs. But this doesn’t mean we have to live with them. In this article, I’m going to be sharing with you a personal story of how I worked to overcome limiting beliefs and share actionable steps to help you overcome yours.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but at some point in your life you’ve said the words: “I can’t”. You may have even tagged a ‘reason’ in the end. Perhaps something along the lines of: “I can’t speak in front of a group of people because I’m an introvert.”
Well, this, my friend is a limiting belief, and yes, it was one of mine.
What is a limiting belief?
A limiting belief is a thought you have about yourself that you believe to be true but is actually holding you back. This belief is called a belief because you believe it. It’s that simple.
Here’s another one of mine:
“I can’t be a person to look up to, because there’s nothing special about me.”
Let’s just get one thing straight, limiting beliefs are not excuses, they are genuine reasons you have created – probably without realizing it – for not achieving something. These are not flippant, they are real.
How to overcome limiting beliefs
I’ve given you a few examples of my past limiting beliefs. They sound harsh and honestly, a little ridiculous from an onlooker’s perspective. But in reality, this was my truth, I was living these limiting beliefs every day and they were stopping me from doing the things I wanted to do.
I wanted to talk in front of people. In fact, I wanted to do workshops and presentations but truly believed I couldn’t because I’m an introvert. I also wanted to be a person to look up to, but I thought this wasn’t possible because there was nothing special about me.
These limiting beliefs manifested as my inner critic. This voice would stop me from taking opportunities, from progressing and trying new things. It was only when I realized it was happening, that I started to take action.
The following steps are ones I took to overcome my limiting beliefs:
- Write down your limiting beliefs. Get all your “I can’t”, “I won’t”, “I’m not meant to” statements down on paper so you can see them for what they are – words.
- Re-frame them. Change your negative statements into realistic positive ones. “I can’t speak in front of a group of people because I’m an introvert.” Then becomes: “I can talk in front of a group of people and with practice, I will get better at it.”
- Take action. This is the most important step. Changing the way you talk to yourself and the words you use is one thing, but taking action is where you start to see real change. Take the easiest, smallest step you can to start making this change a reality. For me, I booked a venue to speak at within the hour.
Your Limiting Beliefs are Waiting to Be Broken
After I wrote down my limiting beliefs, flipped them and started taking action, everything started to fall into place.
By simply talking to myself differently, I felt empowered and full of energy. I was no longer constrained by my limiting beliefs. In fact, I realized that my stunted progress in life had nothing to do with my introversion, but everything to do with my mindset.
I used this energy to create my website Limit Breaker, did numerous workshops, connected with people and grew the business I wanted by finally listening to myself.
Now it’s your turn, your limiting beliefs are waiting to be broken so you can finally live the life you’ve always wanted. Don’t let words get the better of you. Change them, break past them and achieve great things because it’s absolutely possible.
photo source | pexels