“If we can see past preconceived limitations, then the possibilities are endless.” ―Amy Purdy, 2018 Paralympics silver medalist and motivational speaker
I saw something the other day that reminded me of how human beings are negatively influenced over time. More about what I saw in just a second.
Remember when you were five or six and someone would ask you what did you want to be when you grew up? You would not hesitate to say whatever it was that you thought you wanted to be. For you it could have been a fireman, a doctor, a lawyer, actor, pilot, astronaut, police officer, or any number of things.
The point is, you did not feel constrained in expressing what and who you wanted to be.
It seems and research supports the theory that as you become more educated, you put more constraints on yourself. You become aware of what could possibly happen that could keep you from being who you said you wanted to be.
The other day I was walking for my daily exercise. I saw a family walking together. There was the husband, wife, and three children. The youngest child appeared to be about 18 months old. She was intent on keeping up with the rest of the family. She would fall down and before you could say “oh no”, she was back on her feet going again. I had the opportunity to observe her do this several times.
I was trying to figure out what could be going through her mind when she would fall. I concluded that she thought of nothing else other than to get up and go again. I was reminded of a great lesson. It is not how many times you fall, it’s about how many times you get up.
What keeps us from getting up to start or keep going is our limiting belief. We become constrained by these limiting beliefs and we can no longer be who we say we want to be.
These limiting beliefs hold you back. They damage your belief in your ability to make the necessary transformation that will lead you to success and a fulfilled life.
Here are five common beliefs that you may be holding onto. Look to see if any of these beliefs are holding you back!
1. I Don’t Deserve Anything Good
When you believe that you aren't worthy of anything good in your life, you will subconsciously turn down any reasonable opportunities that come your way. You will sabotage those opportunities that you've already received. This limiting belief disrupts the balance of giving and receiving.
2. I’m Not Good Looking Enough
While appearance does play a role in delivering an excellent first impression, how you “show up” to other people has less to do with physical attractiveness and more to do with your confidence. It is hard to appear confident if you always doubt your physical looks.
"How you “show up” to other people has less to do with physical attractiveness and more to do with your confidence."
3. I Will Only Fail in My Dream
When you trap yourself in a failure mindset, you minimize your chance to achieve success. The more you fear failure, the more difficult it will be for you to move on. Train your mind to look at failure as a process for achieving success. Learn as much as you can from each mistake and failure you’ve encountered and move on quickly.
4. I Can’t Find Happiness
If you don’t know where to look for happiness, the quest for happiness in your life can be an eternal journey with no destination. While you will always encounter negative emotions, even when you are bursting with confidence, happiness is a state of mind that you can develop. Start by being grateful for all the little things you have in life. When you start with the “little things,” you begin to see how big those “little things” are. Your happiness is not determined by your circumstances. Your happiness is determined by how you view your circumstances.
5. I Can Never Turn This Around
When you experience setbacks and challenges in life, you may end up feeling anxious or depressed. When you think you have hit rock bottom, you can’t see anything good happening to you in the future. If you continue to strengthen this belief, it will eventually turn into your reality. Create a future that inspires you. Don’t be held back by what you think can’t happen. Be inspired by what you can make happen. And, you can make anything happen.
What are your limiting beliefs? Don’t continue to allow limiting beliefs to hold you back from being a confident person and living the life you want.
What limiting beliefs have you encoutered in your life? How were you able to overcome them? Please share your experiences in the commenets section below.