Limiting beliefs are just preconceived notions about life situations that come straight from your own perceptions. These are typically formed over a sustained period of time and are frequently informed by personal experience. Because they are so firmly entrenched in your psyche, changing them is a very difficult proposition. It is even more difficult when you try to get your new limiting beliefs accepted by your brain. Only when these are confronted and eliminated will your life begin to change.
Limiting beliefs can keep us in touch with the world around us but they prevent us from experiencing truly amazing opportunities in life. It’s not our fault that limiting beliefs about the world work their way into our subconscious. The conditioning of these ideas has been going on from pretty much our birth. So it’s up to us to be aware of how these ideas are keeping us from enjoying greatness.
One of the most common limiting beliefs about the world we live in is the idea that good things only happen if we allow them to happen. It is an appealing idea, and one that keep many of us busy yearning for the ideal. Unfortunately this ideal rarely comes easy. And most of us are content to accept that good things only happen if we are happy and lucky. This is a tough road to walk on, but it is certainly a necessary one.
Another common example of self-limiting beliefs is the belief that you must have enough money to enjoy the good life. When life knocks you down financially, you tend to lean towards a pessimistic outlook on life. The thought of never being able to buy the things you want to enjoy and want to escape from can quickly begin to take a hold of you. This can lead to a pessimistic outlook on life, which can keep you from ever having sufficient funds to meet your needs.
Yet another common limiting belief is that we should do what we have to do to get what we want. This usually leads to a sense of dissatisfaction with our lives and the circumstances we are facing. The thought of living an unsatisfying existence can easily lead to depression, anxiety, and a feeling that life is out to get us. This can make us feel like we have to put up a wall to keep ourselves safe. The thought of having to wall post keep us from everything we want to escape from can easily drive us to despair.
One way that many of us limit ourselves is through the ideas we hold about the world and ourselves. For example, many of us believe that the rich and famous are the only ones who really get what they want. We often feel like we need to work harder than everybody else just to be seen, heard, and appreciated by these individuals.
When you start to examine your limiting beliefs, you may find that they are based on something you’ve previously accepted. This could be a religion that you grew up with or even something you were told by a parent or another adult in your life. Once you begin to look at the belief as being something that has been taught to you repeatedly throughout your life, you can begin to break it down. You can discard those limiting beliefs and replace them with new ones that make you feel more comfortable and secure in the world you live in.
Changing limiting beliefs doesn’t have to be difficult. Simply decide that you are willing to try a different belief system until you find one that works for you. Then practice each belief to see how it feels before taking it on in your life. As you practice each belief, you will slowly begin to see changes around you and your life.