The Rundown On Limiting Beliefs

Do you ever feel like there's something holding you back from achieving your full potential? It's possible that you've developed limiting beliefs, which are beliefs about yourself or the world that keep you from striving towards self-improvement. Unfortunately, these limiting beliefs often stem from hurtful comments made by people we care about. Maybe someone said something negative about you when you were younger, and now you feel like you're "not good enough" or "unattractive." It's important to understand that everyone has limiting beliefs, and it's not your fault that you have them. But by recognizing them and working to overcome them, you can start to live your life to the fullest.

It's understandable to feel discouraged when negative thoughts consume your mind. Believing in yourself is crucial to achieving success, but it can be difficult to maintain that belief when you're struggling with self-doubt. If you find yourself thinking thoughts like "I'm not good enough" or "I'm stupid," know that you're not alone. Many people struggle with limiting beliefs, especially those with a fixed mindset. In this article, we'll explore the origins of limiting beliefs and provide you with some strategies to help you overcome them. Remember to be kind to yourself and don't hesitate to reach out for support.

Where do limiting beliefs come from?

There are different places limiting beliefs will come from which can affect how we think and act. Breaking it down: 

Family Influence

One big reason is that we learn our first beliefs from our family members. When we're little, our parents teach us their own beliefs and values, even if they don't mean to. It could be about jobs, music, hobbies, or anything, really. As we grow up, we absorb these beliefs and they become the foundation for our own limiting beliefs.

Life Experiences

Our experiences in life also shape our limiting beliefs. Every experience leaves a mark and influences what we choose to do next. For example, if you didn't like driving a stick-shift car one time, you might say no the next time, remembering that you didn't enjoy it before. These decisions from past experiences can stop us from trying new things.

School Experiences

School is another place where limiting beliefs come from. What our teachers, family members, or friends tell us shapes what we think is true. If we really respect someone who's teaching us, we're more likely to believe everything they say. Being aware of these potential influences is super important when it comes to getting past your limiting beliefs and growing as a person.

People who are totally bogged down by their limiting beliefs will often adopt a fixed mindset. Those with a fixed mindset don’t believe that they can change anything about themselves, or the world. Most of the time, they won’t be able to take constructive criticism, and believe that they are always right. Limiting beliefs, such as “I’m not good enough,” for example, can hold you back from growing as a person. It’s, unfortunately, easy to feel like you’re drowning in your limiting beliefs. To make matters worse, most people acquire their limiting beliefs from other people (i.e. bullies who told them they weren’t “good enough” or “smart enough” at one time or another).

3 Ways To Challenge Limiting Beliefs

Take Responsibility

The main reason people don't reach their goals is because they don't take responsibility for their lives. Instead of thinking they can control their own destiny, they believe things just happen to them. This is called an "external locus of control," and it limits them. To overcome this, you need to develop an "internal locus of control," meaning you believe life happens for you, not to you. Your actions ultimately shape your destiny in life.

Change Negative Self-talk Into Positive

Limiting beliefs can hide in your subconscious, but most often, it's negative self-talk that tells you why you can't, don't want to, or shouldn't do something. This self-talk happens a lot, and the more we say something to ourselves, the more we believe it. People have thousands of thoughts each day, and even a small number of those involving limiting beliefs can create a constant negative story in your mind.

Embrace Uncertainty

Certainty can crush dreams, and limiting beliefs often go hand in hand with it. Instead of focusing on what you think you’ll never be able to do, aim high. Consider this perspective: When you're old, looking back on your life, what will you regret the most? That's a powerful reason to push past your limiting beliefs.

We all have parts of our past or even present that may leave us feeling as though we are not enough, or that we simply cannot do what we desire to achieve. Fostering a growth mindset and shedding people, places and things that no longer serve us are definitely steps in the right direction. Believe you can and you can!