What are limiting beliefs? We all have them – beliefs that we consciously or subconsciously hold to be true at all times. Often these beliefs can be a very limiting experience in our lives and in the world as a whole. However, what is also true is that they are merely your mind’s way of protecting you from higher energy, whether it comes from a spiritual guide, an angel, or from your own conscience.
So why do limiting beliefs keep coming back? Basically, limiting beliefs keep you stuck and in pain. They are not letting go, but rather protecting you from allowing any emotions to come forward and make you feel lighter. What are those emotions? They are your natural defense system against any threats. For example, when you are scared, your heart rate speeds up, you breathe faster, and your hands get sweaty… All of this sends out a ‘signal’ to your mind that something isn’t right, and your mind responds by… staying put, suppressing your emotions, and blocking out the ‘peripherals’ that are making you feel bad.
What’s the result of all of this? That’s right: You block yourself off from true happiness, joy, and progress. You feel like you don’t really have control of the situation, and you may even feel like you have no choice but to live with that negative feeling. This is why limiting beliefs often make us resist change, because by not changing, we are allowing ourselves to continue to suffer with our beliefs until we get help for them. Why would we want to suffer more? (It’s also why most people want to change careers… Why wouldn’t we want to serve ourselves better and advance our careers?
So where do you start to take responsibility for your thoughts and feelings? Most of us start with limiting beliefs such as: I am just not good enough, I can’t do this, I won’t be good enough, this will never work, and so on. These beliefs are the results of unhelpful memories, thoughts, or beliefs that are self-reinforcing. They are like a thick wall which we build up around ourselves. Yet, these same limiting beliefs can be a very powerful support once you understand how they work and how to flip them around! In this article, we’ll take a look at the 3 main ways in which limiting beliefs can be flipped, so you can get a new perception of yourself and a new way of looking at your life.
The first way in which limiting beliefs can be changed is with a new belief. How do you know which limiting beliefs are holding you back? There are several easy ways to do this. Some of the most common are: – You are afraid of failure, so you won’t even try. – You believe that you are worthless, so everyone will reject you.
This brings us to our second point, which is to challenge those limiting beliefs. One of the most powerful ways to do this is to use a simple metaphor. Imagine flipping a big, tall, fence post. If you have been stuck in it for years, it may be difficult to simply flip it over — you need to climb over it! Similarly, you need to challenge your limiting beliefs by asking yourself, “How can I change my opinion of myself so that it’s better than this?,” or “What would be different if I did this?”
Here’s the third point, which is an extension of the second and first: by changing your negative self-limiting thoughts into positive affirmations, you can actually change your reality! When you focus on changing something, it becomes something different. By changing what you believe about yourself, you change your reality. You can choose to believe that you are worthless, unlovable, or less than, or you can choose to believe that you are a valuable, special person. The choice is yours. No matter what you believe, the outcome will be different when you focus on changing one little fact: your thoughts, feelings, and emotions.
The fourth point relates to the previous paragraph. By challenging your limiting beliefs, you also challenge your false beliefs. If you believe that you are worthless, no one will ever want to spend time with you, much less have sex with you, so this will change your reality. Similarly, if you believe that you are too fat, then this could very well change your reality. By choosing to focus on one aspect of your life at a time, instead of focusing on all of the aspects of your life, you are in effect eliminating all the false and limiting beliefs that you hold about yourself and your life.