How and Why You Should Overcome Your Limiting Beliefs

One of the biggest reasons people give up on their dreams is fear or f.alse e.vidence a.ppearing r.eal. All of us are afraid to fail to some extent. All of us at some point in our lives have planned pretty picnics that we hope don't get rained on.

This fear is created by limiting beliefs. These are ingrained beliefs in our unconscious mind which tell us what we should and shouldn't do, or what is “right” or “wrong”. These limiting beliefs tell us what is good and bad for us and influence doubt within us. 

Limiting beliefs start from a very young age, inherited from our parents, guardians, schoolyard friends, and authority figures in primary school; then we learn more beyond adolescence, at college, in our community, and in the workplace. 

A belief is something that is regarded as truth. The conundrum is just because something is regarded as true, doesn’t mean it is. One time we thought the world was flat and that witchcraft caused famines and diseases.

But if you seek to live out your dreams, discover your passion, true meaning, and mission in this world, part of that is having to overcome the limiting beliefs that hold you back.  A belief becomes limiting when it prevents you from actively participating in life in a healthy way that promotes further growth.

In this blog post, we will dive deep into how beliefs are created, how healing our limiting beliefs can help us live more authentic and fulfilled lives, and simple strategies to transform old beliefs into more empowering ones. 

How Beliefs Are Actually Created

Society tells us the rules of life. When we internalize this, all these things that we “should” be doing, we take on these rules of what we “right” and “wrong” to do in our unconscious mind. 

Think about how many kids are encouraged to follow their dreams? At young ages, we are questioned by family and the community around us:

"Are you good enough for that?"

"You need a better job than that."

"You're not smart enough to do that."

"You have to work extremely hard and be lucky to be successful."

All these beliefs of others start to become ours.

“When you control a [person’s] thinking you do not have to worry about [their] actions. You do not have to tell [them] not to stand here or go yonder. [They] will find [their] “proper place” and will stay in it.” – Carter G. Woodson

But we must move from what we have inherited to what is inherent to us. What we have inherited is based on fear. These rules, structures and beliefs are fear rooted. 

Why Is It Important To Be Liberated From Limiting Beliefs

Limiting beliefs create a mental prison in which our fears and insecurities keep us from taking chances on ourselves.  We become easily triggered as our fears keep us in a chronically anxious state. Procrastination, stagnation, and self-sabotaging behaviors thrive where limiting beliefs live.

"When we untangle and free up these limiting beliefs and turn around going, 'Okay, I can actually do this', it feels lighter, it feels freer, and we're more able to do what we want to do. And we have less negative emotions attached to things. So we raise our vibration, we actually feel happier, we feel more content." – Leah Marmulla. 

When we remove the bars, we take away those emotional triggers. Instead of having a reaction or shutting down internally, you can differentiate between what is a personal attack and what is just sharing their truth. 

Instead of reacting or responding in anger, we can think, “that's interesting,” which is a growth mindset. You can open up that conversation instead of shutting it down. 

Removing limiting beliefs is removing the scales from your eyes to return again to what is inherent to you (what you naturally love to do and are passionate about) and shed away the dead skin of what you have inherited (expectations from friends, family, culture, and behaviors that are the overcorrection to traumatic events) so that you can fully be free. 

Freedom exists on the other side of our fears. 

Simple Strategies to Help Shift Away From Limiting Beliefs 

How can you free yourself? There are many ways to explore shifting ways from limiting beliefs. Here are some simple strategies to help you. 

1. Self-reflection/ Guided Meditation – have a lot of conversations and dialogs with yourself, your abuser, and the restricted part of yourself to see the beliefs that were created there.  Understand why they are there, and then forgive them.

2. Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) – Take a look at the words you are saying to yourself and then flip them – all our beliefs are self-talk. 

Think about some of the things you were told growing up. Maybe it's something your parents said, school, or your religion. Then you need to question it: is it inherently good or bad?

"Everything really is just is, it's only when we judge it and label it as good or bad that it is so. So it's, having self-awareness... and being mindful, being present, asking good quality questions, being very compassionate to yourself." – Leah Marmulla. 

3. Tapping – This helps to rewire the brain, as you can access your body's energy and send signals to the part of the brain that controls stress. It can reduce stress or the negative emotions you are feeling.   

4. Hypnotherapy – This allows you to bypass the logical and go into the emotional. You can have dialogs with the past and rewrite them, meaning your future will be brighter. 

Want to Overcome Your Limiting Beliefs?

LAW OF BELIEF - Whatever you believe, you will become 

“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” –Alice Walker

There are many ways to explore shifting away from limiting beliefs but also understand the unexamined life is not worth living. This blog post should have helped you understand better how beliefs are actually created, why you should heal your limiting beliefs, and taught you some simple strategies to transform old beliefs to allow you to live a more fulfilled life. 

Be intentional with your healing and make a value-based decision always to choose you. Remember that indecision is a choice in itself, and that too has consequences.

Want to hear more from someone who has single-handedly overcome her limiting beliefs? Listen to the full podcast episode Healing Limiting Beliefs with Leah Marmulla.

Ready to dive deeper into understanding your limiting beliefs and uncovering them? Check out the guided meditations to help you discover yourself, level up your life and become more resilient. 

Remember, sailboats are safest in the harbor, but they were never built to be docked. 

Take a chance on yourself. You are worth it! 

Agape

Doing Shadow Work

1. When was that last time you felt triggered and why?
2. What personal goals have you procrastinated accomplishing and why?
3. Was there some event during childhood that really hurt your feelings? How did that change the way you see yourself? How did that change the way you behaved?