If you think back to your earliest childhood memories, chances are you will remember times when you were fearless. Most likely, curiosity has taken you to places you would not dare to go, and sometimes you have probably thrown caution to the wind.
However, as you began to age, you were introduced to an endless list of rules about what you should say, how you should be, and what you should do. This likely led to you limiting yourself and perhaps not even realizing your full potential.
Although you must live by some rules, it is important that you do not hold yourself back from living a fulfilling life.
If you feel like you want to reach great heights, but feel like you stand your ground, then keep reading. In this article, you will learn how you can identify your limiting beliefs and overcome them.
What are limiting beliefs?
Have you ever made statements like "I'm not good at math" or "I have two left feet and will never be a good dancer"? These are examples of limiting beliefs that put you in the corner of your own creativity and often falsely define you.
A limiting belief is a state of mind, belief, or belief that you think is true that limits you in some way. [1] This limiting belief may be about you, your interactions with other people, or the world and how it works.
Limiting beliefs can have a number of negative consequences for you. They can prevent you from making the right choice, seizing new opportunities, or reaching your potential. Ultimately, limiting beliefs can keep you negative and prevent you from living the life you truly desire.
Reasons for Limiting Beliefs
Now that you understand what limiting beliefs are, do you know what causes them? Where do they come from and how have they influenced your choices in life?
Some argue that people don't tend to be open-minded because our prejudices make us want only positive and pleasant information.
However, there are other things that cause limited beliefs besides their inherent prejudice and inability to be open-minded. Below you will find a few that you may resonate with.
Family Beliefs
Growing up, your parents probably had morals and values that they tried to instill in you. They often stem from their own family beliefs and ideas about how you and the world should be. It could be things like the career you have to choose, how to behave and how to interact with others.
You may end up forming your own limiting beliefs based on the beliefs they instilled in you. An example would be your parents reinforcing the belief that authority should never be challenged.
As a result, you may believe that being treated unfairly by authority figures is something that should be accepted, not challenged. You may not even be able to recognize this behavior.
Education
Education also plays an important role in the formation of limiting beliefs. Whether you are learning from family, teachers, or friends, they all influence what you perceive to be true. This is because they are both endowed with authority and are constantly exchanging information, ideas and beliefs about how the world works.
When you learn from authorities you respect, you are even more inclined to conclude that what they tell you is the truth.
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When you make decisions or have life experience, you usually draw conclusions later. If, for example, you fall in love and it ends in heartbreak, you might conclude that love always ends in pain.
This kind of negative experience in particular can greatly shape your limiting beliefs. It is important to remember that the conclusions you draw from a bad experience are only temporary.
How to identify your limiting beliefs
So how do you define limiting beliefs? There are several ways you can do this, and most of them require personal thought.
Seeing as they are difficult to identify, here are a couple of methods you can try to bring to the surface.
1. Define your beliefs
To identify the beliefs that are limiting you, start by writing down your general beliefs.
Write down beliefs about how you feel strongly and what influences your daily life. Group them into different categories such as finance, family, relationships, or health.
Once you've done that, explore which ones help you grow and which ones can limit you.
2. Assess your behavior
Another approach you can use to identify limiting beliefs is to evaluate your behavior.
Think about scenarios in which you acted negatively or toxicly and think about why.
If you take a close look at your toxic behavior, you may find that limiting beliefs are the root cause.
For example, if you find it difficult to speak your mind when someone hurts you, you may have a limited belief that conflict is bad. This, in turn, can keep you from truly intimate relationships, as you can't speak your mind and have a healthy confrontation.
3. Write down the areas where you are having difficulty.
If you notice that you are having recurring problems in certain areas of your life, this may be indicative of a belief limitation.
Perhaps you can't find a well-paid job or you're never lucky when it comes to love. These problems may simply be the by-product of misguided beliefs that you have taken to be true.
As you complete each challenge you write down, also write down which of your beliefs are related to that challenge. So if you are always trying to make enough money, find out what you think about money and how available it is to you.
7 ways to overcome them
The good thing about limiting beliefs is that you can change them at any time. This does not mean that it will be an easy process, but commitment and a higher level of self-awareness can make it possible.
The guidelines below can help you successfully overcome any of your limiting beliefs.
1. Organize the Environment
Believe it or not, your environment can influence your beliefs. A well-organized and spacious environment can improve your mental health and encourage positive thinking. When your surroundings are neat, they give you space for reflection and more clarity.
To create a better environment, get rid of the clutter you may have accumulated at home. You could even go so far as to redesign your space to improve the flow of your home.
You may even consider using feng shui techniques. [3] The basic premise is to direct the flow of energy by placing objects in a certain way.
This is a good way to keep the positive energy in your home and get rid of the negative ones. I hope this will influence your thinking and help you focus on positive thoughts and beliefs.
2. Try Minimalism
Using minimalism can help you let go of the false beliefs that are holding you back.
The foundations of minimalism are clarity, honesty, and detachment from material things. [4]
For example, if you find yourself in the habit of cluttering up your wardrobe with new pieces of clothing, this may be due to limiting ideas about your appearance. An example of such a belief would be "I'm not attractive unless I'm wearing the latest fashion."
Seeing that minimalism is all about your mindset and resisting peer pressure can help you change limiting beliefs and adopt a more meaningful lifestyle.
3. Learn More
As mentioned earlier, limiting beliefs can be the result of being limited. To help open your mind, learn to lead your curiosity. When you give in to curiosity, you are more likely to explore the world around you and step out of your comfort zone. It can help you broaden your horizons and make you challenge your beliefs.
Curiosity also creates opportunities for you to learn about other people's beliefs and see new ideas. Some ways to explore this might be by talking to people who are from different backgrounds than you.
Traveling is another effective method that gives you the opportunity to experience different cultures and ways of life.
4. Consultation
If you are struggling to change your limiting beliefs, you may want to seek the help of a therapist or counselor.
In the event that your limiting beliefs are causing other conditions, such as anxiety or depression, you may need to seek even more professional help. This is because counselors and therapists have the resources and knowledge needed to help you overcome challenges and live a more fulfilling life. They can also help you track down limiting beliefs and give you the tools you need to overcome them, such as gamification-supported CBT.
Thanks to technology, it has become much easier to get consultations and medical services. This is because you can download health-related apps and keep in touch with your therapist or consultant without leaving your mobile phone.
There are also mental health trackers that you can use to track anxiety triggers, emotional states, and your progress over time. All this makes it so that you are not alone in your journey to eliminate limiting beliefs.
5. Meditation
Beliefs often come from the thoughts of others that infiltrate our own, so addressing your own thoughts can help you change negative beliefs.
To better control your thoughts, take a few minutes a day to meditate. When you meditate, you clear your mind of negative or unwanted thoughts and ideas.
The purpose of meditation should be to allow thoughts to pass through your mind without being occupied with them.
Meditation helps you calm your mind and connect with your inner self. Once you can get past all the clutter in your head, you can then focus on the positive beliefs you want to embrace.
Over time, these beliefs can replace negative ones. Before you know it, your mind will be filled with positive beliefs that will help you become the best version of yourself.
6. Personal Development
If you want your beliefs and choices to be guided by better beliefs, you must work on yourself. This means actively seeking opportunities for development and growth in all aspects of your life.
Self-improvement is important as it can increase self-awareness and help you overcome your weaknesses. Because it requires action, you are forced to do something about your limiting beliefs rather than hoping they magically disappear.
Ways to develop yourself include:
Reading books by authors who share the beliefs you hope for
Podcasts are also a great way to consume information that can make you a better person.
Set practical goals so you can measure your growth.
Journaling is another tangible way to keep track of your progress, especially when it comes to your thoughts and beliefs.
7. Positive Affirmations
If you're struggling with low self-esteem, it can be difficult to establish positive beliefs. However, positive affirmations are a great way to help boost your self-esteem. They force you to speak positively about yourself, and hopefully, over time, you will begin to believe their statements.
If you have a limited idea of how attractive you are, it can limit your ability to attract loving and kind people into your life.
To change this belief, you can write down a statement that says, “I am valuable, amazing, and sweet.” By saying this every day, you can build self-esteem over time. [7]
Your positive affirmations should also highlight your strengths. Use your successes and your strengths to write down affirmations that remind you how incredible you are. It can also give you the courage you need to stand out and achieve more.
Final Thoughts
The world is full of beliefs, and as long as there are different people, this will not change. However, you must find out what beliefs help you live the life you have always dreamed of.
All the beliefs that prevent you from living this life are limiting you and you must get rid of them. By doing so, you are giving yourself the chance to create a life that will exceed your expectations.