You may think you are alone in your struggle to overcome self-limiting beliefs but, in all probability, you are not. It is estimated that as many as 10 percent of the population may have some sort of personal belief holding them back from reaching their full potential. This, of course, does not mean that they are stupid, uneducated or inappropriate in their conduct; just that their subconscious has created a self-limiting belief system that is holding them back. Self limiting beliefs can hold anyone back from realizing their full potential in every aspect of life.
It’s important to recognize and understand these self-limiting beliefs because, in many cases, they are a direct result of previous experiences. Maybe your mother always believed she was too small or stupid to succeed. Or, maybe your alcoholic father always thought you should be grateful for what you have now. These beliefs are usually a result of previous negative experiences. In time, your subconscious mind creates these limiting beliefs, much the same way it creates other negative beliefs. The good news is that by learning how to break these self-limiting beliefs, you can move toward becoming your true self.
Self-limiting beliefs are usually accompanied by a negative self talk, negative thinking, and negative social behaviors. You tell yourself over again how inadequate you are, how incapable of doing anything great, how you will never amount to anything, etc. As a result, you feel this way about yourself. However, the truth is, if you just take the time to honestly examine your situation and your beliefs, you will see that nothing is really as bad as you perceive it to be. Your limiting beliefs are actually a direct result of what you tell yourself.
So, how do you get over self limiting beliefs? The first step is to look within yourself to determine the reasons you hold yourself back. Have you ever been guilty of telling yourself over again that you are not good enough, or that you cannot achieve something? If you have, then you probably hold yourself back because of this inner voice – a voice inside your head saying all the things over again. It’s almost like a “constant nagging voice” that says to you, “You Can’t Do It!” Here are some ways to release self negative beliefs about yourself:
If you really want to change your beliefs about yourself and the way you look at yourself, the first thing you need to do is to get rid of any negative messages you hear from a loved one, a friend, a relative, or a stranger. Focus on the good things you have done in the past, and see them with happiness rather than negativity. Remember that no matter how wonderful and amazing your actions are, they cannot change who you are. Focus on all the times you have succeeded instead of dwelling on what you have failed.
When you start to get a grip on your negative behavior, begin to notice and take pride in your accomplishments. When you see yourself succeed at doing great things, your self-talk will be more positive. When you begin to see yourself fail, you can learn from this experience and try harder next time. You can improve your self-talk so that it becomes a positive self talk and you can begin to have success, even in things you may never have tried before.