Limiting Beliefs Can Be Challenged And Overcome

Key Messages:

I can't ..." "I have to ..." "It's impossible to ..." are statements that could be holding you back
If you are in conflict (either with your self or someone else) check your beliefs
You have many possibilities and choices available to you about how you can think and act

How You Got Your Limiting Beliefs. We are each born into a community. Obviously your most important community is your immediate family, followed closely by your extended family, your local society, your state and then your country. It is your community that dictates to you in so many ways you what to believe and the rules around what you have to do in order to be 'accepted'.

Beliefs, therefore, are very much based on conditioning. You are not born owning the beliefs, values, opinions of your community, they simply become a subconscious part of who you are.

Limiting Beliefs Can Cripple Your Life.

You can hold on to a belief long past its use by date. There are two prime reasons for this:

Because you don't want to be rejected by the community that you have worked so diligently to be accepted by; and
Because it has been embedded so deeply in your subconscious you are unaware of its existence and its control in your life.

How to Recognise a Limiting Belief

You'll recognise a limiting belief whenever you start a sentence with the words like "I can't ..." "I have to ..." "It's impossible to ..."

Here's a few examples:

You can't give workers financial information they'll....
I can't speak in public, I go red
I couldn't be rich, rich people are mean
I'm too fat for anyone to find me attractive
It's impossible for to get people to agree to pay cuts

Whenever your limiting beliefs have become restrictive to your performance you need to challenge that belief. Ask yourself: "Am I acting on past conditioning, that is no longer relevant?"

Limiting Beliefs Cause Conflict

The vast majority of conflict arises because of differing beliefs. When in conflict ask yourself "What are my beliefs about this situation?" You may be surprised by what comes up (if you dig deep enough). You may discover something that has been locked in your subconscious for a long time; a limiting belief that is driving your decision-making today in an inappropriate way.

Challenge & Overcome Your Limiting Beliefs

Regularly challenge your beliefs and eradicate those that are getting in your way of achieving the results you want. Develop a sense of knowing - knowing whether you are acting on past conditioning or acting on the present information. Whether you are making the decision/choice based on present circumstance or unuseful history.

If you hear yourself (or someone else) use a limiting belief, you can challenge and start the change process by asking questions such as:

Who says?
What would happen if you did/(didn't)?
What's stopping you?
Have you ever seen someone else do it?

The idea of using questions such as these to help you (or the other person) to see that there are other possibilities and there are choices about how you think and act towards life circumstances/situations.

You have a choice. Challenge your beliefs and allow yourself to operate at your highest capability - or allow them to remain unchallenged and maybe live out less than your best.

Raising Your Awareness Opportunity

List four of the most important beliefs/values you learned from your community (parents, family, school, other influential adults, society at large) when you were a child. Are they limiting your performance in any way today?
List the major beliefs you have learned at work. How are they impacting you - hindering or helping?

Go to Articles Directory from the Limiting Beliefs page

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