Many of us want more than we have in life. We want more health, happiness and even wealth. However, very few of us actually get what we want. One of the reasons why we don't is because of limiting beliefs. A limiting belief is anything that you say to yourself so as to justify why something is not working out for you. Limiting beliefs often take the form of negative self talk. Most of them begin with the phrases, "I can't" and "I'm not". They are based on our dreams, emotions and relationships. Limiting beliefs are irrational and prevent us from living our best lives! Do you want to live that life that you admire and dream about? Here are 20 powerful ways to stop the limiting beliefs that are holding you back.
1. Stop wondering when and start appreciating now
This is one of the most effective ways to destroy the limiting belief of desperation. Many people walk through life wondering when the desires of their hearts will arrive. They live hoping that these desires will show up and then feel hurt when it does not happen as fast as they wanted. They blame their sadness on the lack of the things that they want. This is a limiting belief that can be eliminated simply by appreciating exactly what you have at hand. Instead of wondering when something will come, appreciate what you already have. Feel good about your current situation and you will be surprised by the things that you will accomplish.
2. Don't compare yourself to others and celebrate your own success
One of the most damaging limiting beliefs is self-validation by comparing ourselves to others. For example, someone may say, "If I am not as rich as they are, then I am unsuccessful." This limiting belief leads to insecurity, inferiority and jealousy. These are highly negative feelings that can even lead to suicide. To beat this belief, simply accept that everyone has their own form of success. Remind yourself that you have done some amazing things in your own unique life. It does not matter if the things that you have accomplished are different from the ones that are celebrated by society. They are yours, accept and be happy about them.
3. You didn't get lucky, you deserved it
Many people believe that any good thing that happens to them is as a result of luck. They believe that their current skills or ability could not get it for them. Thus, they attribute the progress to some higher, unexplainable power. This is form of limiting belief can lead to perennially unsatisfactory results. To overcome it, believe that you are as good as you need to be. Own your success and be confident in it. Dispute any negative energy around you with waves of positivity. Believe that you are a master and soon enough you will be.
4. You can do it no matter how hard it seems
A popular limiting belief is that something is simply too hard to be done. Many people hold back from achieving greatness because it is too hard. They live mediocre lives as a result of this form of thinking. Break away from it and believe that you can. All that it will take is the effort to begin and the consistency to stay on the path. Take small steps one day at a time and you will finally accomplish the task that you thought was too hard to do.
5. Nothing is guaranteed, you get what you work for
One of the motivations for pursuing certain plans of action is a guaranteed return. Once you don't get this return, you get demoralized and feel as though you didn't get what you deserved. This can lead to apathy and low self esteem. This is normally caused by the limiting belief of guaranteed returns. You should know that there are no guarantees in life. You simply do as much as you can and wait to see the outcome. If your effort warrants reward, then you can enjoy it. However, if you don't get the reward, you were not guaranteed to get it so relax and keep trying.
6. Life is unfair but you are in control of how you feel
Sometimes you might experience some unfortunate incident through no fault of your own. In some cases, you suffer due to the action or inaction of other people. At this point, we turn to our favorite false belief, "It's their fault and they are to blame!" This may be true. However, it is your fault that you let yourself suffer so much. No matter what happens to you in life, always remember that you are in complete control over how you feel. When you embrace this power, you find that your perspective of life will change dramatically.
7. You did not fail, you learned
The most devastating false belief is where you say that you are a failure. One of the experiences in life is success and the other is failure. When we invest too much emotion in something and it fails, the impact can be crushing. When this happens, you can literally believe that you are a failure. Don't let this happen. Instead, accept that there is no such thing as failure, only lessons. Relish in the struggle. When you begin to enjoy the pattern of success and failure, then your life gains a meaning and a purpose.
8. Believe that you can
Many limiting beliefs begin with the phrase that says, "I can't." After that, we try to justify why we can't. An example of a limiting belief with this structure is, "I can't find love because I am not attractive enough". The moment you justify why you can't, the false belief becomes a fact in your life. When you accept it as such, you simply stop trying to make an effort. Don't let this limiting belief become a fact in your life. Change it to, "I can" and witness the positive changes that will happen in your life.
9. Hope can save your life
Life can be hard. It can hit us with challenges that we never anticipated. Sometimes they can knock us so far off the track that we find it almost impossible to gain our footing. When this happens, many people lose hope and say, "I'm hopeless." Losing hope literally kills your soul slowly. This is because you lose the will to try and save yourself. You become helpless and lose faith in your own abilities. For as long as there is breath in you, don't lose hope. Survive the trials and live to tell a story of redemption.
10. Every experience is useful
We may find ourselves in undesirable situations. While suffering these conditions, we can state the false belief that our efforts are useless. This is because we see as if we can't save ourselves. Actually, undesirable situations normally have both short term and long term consequences. If you focus on the short term ones, you can see only doom and gloom. However, the long term consequences are often much brighter and show the usefulness of the situation that you are in.
11. Stop the blame game
People are quick to blame others for their misfortune. They tell themselves that they can't do something because of an external condition. For example, they say that, "I can't get any employment because companies are not hiring." This is simply blaming other conditions for your own sad situation. This is a limiting belief that quickly escalates into a habit. The way to eliminate it is to stop it cold turkey. Hold yourself accountable for your situation and if you don't like it, do something about it.
12. You are good at something, focus on it
Everyone is good at something. Most of them just ignore it and try to do what is popular or seems to bring in a good income. What many don't know is that if you try to do what you're not good at, you can only go so far. You will make a mistake and it will feel like a total failure. You can end up stating the false belief that you don't deserve what you went out to get. When you do this, you don't even notice what you are good at. Therefore, do what you are good at and you will not regret it later.
13. Don't believe anything negative that you say or feel
Many of us believe that we are incapable of some things. This prevents us from accomplishing what we desire. We see other people achieving our dreams and this gives rise to emotions like jealousy. Sometimes, the limiting beliefs that we hold were given to us as children by our parents. Therefore, we have grown up with them and they now limit our capability. If you have any limiting beliefs from your childhood, dispute them and do exactly what they say you can't. This will break you out of the chain and help you to live a fulfilling life.
14. Change your thoughts to change your reality
The way we think affects the way we see the world. Any limitations in our minds result in limitations in our reality. Sometimes, mental limitations are a result of the institutions that we attend. For example, many college graduates complete their studies with the belief that the only way to make a living is by getting employed. Thus, they spend many hours and lots of money going to interviews. When they emerge unsuccessful, they feel as if they are not good enough. They forget that there is always the option of self employment. The limiting belief that causes this states that, "If many people go this path, then it is the right one." People who followed the beaten path never made history. Be brave enough to chart your own trail and you will find fortune there.
15. Be who you want to be, not who you are told to be
Society is generally apprehensive of people who are too different from what is considered as normal. They feel insecure around them and can even shun them. As such, those who find that they are drastically different from everyone else are normally afraid to be themselves. They adopt the accepted public image and live a lie. This leads to a series of disappointing decisions and eventually depression. They fall for the limiting belief that indicates that, "If i show my true colors, they won't like me." So what if they don't like you? At least you will like yourself and that is all that matters. Be you, whoever you are. It is not your responsibility to please the society and it is not their responsibility to please you.
16. Open your heart and experience true love
Many people end up single and alone or in bad relationships because of one limiting belief. They believe that they cannot fall in love because they are afraid of getting heartbroken. As a result, they live life unwilling to open their hearts to anyone else. Even when they do get into a relationship, their unwillingness to open their hearts causes them to hold back and thus they are unable to trust or be trusted. This breaks the relationship. This limiting belief can cause a lot of emotional pain. Therefore, it should be disputed by opening your heart and experiencing the good and the harsh parts of love. Eventually, you will find a soulmate.
17. Ask and you will receive
Majority of people lose opportunities because they fail to ask for what they want. They tell themselves that even if they ask, they will get rejected. This results in regrets and dissatisfaction with one's life. Instead of accepting this belief, make it a habit to ask for exactly what you want. If you get it, that's great. If not, at least you asked. Rejection does not mean you don't deserve it. It only means that you are moving in the wrong direction. Simply change trajectory and keep asking. At the right moment, you will get it.
18. Trust without reserve and learn from betrayal
Few things in life hurt as much as betrayal. Knowing that someone you trusted betrayed you is a painful feeling. Some people deal with this feeling by shutting everyone else out. This leaves them with very few friends. They can also develop cold hearts that don't trust anyone or anything. They constantly tell themselves that they can't trust people because they are afraid of further betrayal. This is not the way to respond. Instead, one should trust even more while applying the lessons learnt from the betrayal. Eliminate this limiting belief by embracing others and you will meet people who will be more loyal than family.
19. Chase your dreams and don't be afraid of failure
Many people die with their dreams still in their hearts. They did not pursue them due to one limiting belief, that they could fail at it. Failing to chase your dream kills you even before you are laid to rest. It robs the happiness out of your life. You accept mediocrity and it hurts to get up in the morning. Avoid this type of life by embracing the chance of actually achieving your dream. Failure is only part of the process. When you fail, get back up and try again. Eventually, you will achieve what you desire.
20. Strive to be as successful as you can
Many people fail to achieve true success by telling themselves that they don't need to be successful. This is one of the most dangerous limiting beliefs of them all. They say that they can live on a meagre income so that they don't have to work to get a fortune. This limiting belief is so powerful because it is supported by the ego. The ego can find a variety of ways to justify itself. Thus, they live through their lives believing that they don't need to strive for success. Break this belief by working to maximize your potential. Work to achieve what you want and you will get it.
The Important Take Away
Limiting beliefs can cause you to experience substantial pain in your life. You can lose hope or get yourself into situations that make you unhappy. Choose to dispute these beliefs by taking positive action towards the desires of your heart. Believe in positivity and you will achieve it.
