Limiting beliefs are just limiting assumptions about life experiences that arise from our own perceptions of the world. They can be caused by our early childhood experiences, the media, our family, friends, education, etc. There is a simple remedy for limiting beliefs that is quite simple. All you need to do is be open minded and challenge all your limiting beliefs. As a life coach, you will have to support, challenge and even help your client every step of the way until they fully understand that limiting beliefs are not true and can not be true. Here’s why…
How many times have you heard that it is “impossible” or “inexpensive” to change someone’s behavior? This is where limiting beliefs come into play. When we say something is impossible or expensive, what we really mean is that it will not work. We believe that if it doesn’t work, it will be so difficult that no one will ever try. Limiting beliefs about behaviors often mean that if you don’t act your way into success, you will lose and thus be unworthy.
The truth about limiting beliefs is that they often originate in an immature brain. An immature brain is programmed with incorrect beliefs about the world and the people around us. The brain is also programmed with a false understanding of what is possible and what is not. Because of these two things, an immature brain limits itself to thinking that only certain behaviors will result in results. These behaviors are usually short term ones and are designed to get us to quickly return to our comfort zone.
Limiting beliefs often come about when a person is either too young to learn new beliefs or is not old enough to do so. Young children are not old enough to understand why they shouldn’t throw their toys out or why they shouldn’t run off in front of a speeding bus. Limiting beliefs about behaviors often begin in a child’s formative years. Fortunately, it is possible to get a child to make healthy decisions by teaching them empowering beliefs first. Once these healthy beliefs have been established, children are old enough to make their own healthy decisions about life.
Another form of limiting belief is one that keeps us stuck doing what is familiar or what is less than good enough. There is a form of this belief called the “availability theory.” Basically, the availability theory states that we should do what is familiar because it will make us feel safe and secure. It also says that if we aren’t familiar with something, it makes us less stressed and therefore, safer. If there is nothing new under the sun, then there is nothing to feel threatened about. This could explain why we become so attached to our daily routines, jobs, friends, and things we are very good at, while rejecting new ideas and things we are not so good at.
A third form of limiting belief is one that resists change and believes everything must be exactly the way we thought it would be. We all know this is not the case. We can find an abundance of information, including scientific fact, in books and on the Internet. By making changes to our thought process and replacing some of our limiting beliefs with more empowering ones, we can create a happier, healthier life. Two of the main alternative beliefs that are essential to creating a more fulfilling life are:
The first step is to eliminate negative thoughts. Negative self-talk and fears hold us back from moving in a positive direction by convincing us we are right not wrong, and that our fears are real and need to be handled. Thinking is a wonderful thing, but when the brain is filled with negative thoughts, the conscious mind becomes a prison cell and the subconscious mind cannot function properly. By learning to focus on empowering beliefs such as: You are unique, you are important, you are in charge of your mind, you are an intellectual being, you are an empowered individual, and so on, you can begin to break free of your negative mental prison cell and move forward in an empowering manner.
The second step is to replace your ineffective negative self-talk and limiting beliefs with intelligent and relevant alternatives. By doing this, you will free your mind to take more optimal actions and live a fuller, happier, and more successful life. Following these steps will get you on the right track to becoming smart enough to face what could be an overwhelming emotion.