How to Get Rid of Your Limiting Beliefs
Seven steps to make your dreams a reality.
Is this too good to be true?
I believe that everything is possible and that you are completely capable of creating the reality of your dreams. If you can imagine something, you can achieve it.
In fact, even if you can’t imagine it, it can still happen!
I know because I’ve experienced this myself in a HUGE way, AND I’ve seen thousands of others do the same.
A great book to read about creating the life you want is “Think and Grow Rich” (Sound Wisdom, 2016) by Napoleon Hill. It’s absolutely phenomenal, and it shifted everything for me.
One of my favorite quotes from this book is, “You are the master of your destiny. You can influence, direct and control your own environment. You can make your life what you want it to be.”
Another great book is Wishes Fulfilled by Dr. Wayne Dyer. This book changed my life and allowed me to understand exactly how I can create anything I want in my life—no matter how hard it is or how impossible it might seem.
Dyer created a life that he dreamed about from the time he was a child—even when others told him it was impossible.
Is it just you?
So why can’t you? Chances are you have limiting beliefs trying to spare you from disappointment.
But it’s not just you. We ALL have limiting beliefs that can keep us from reaching the next level of happiness and fulfillment that’s available to us. This affects every single one of us in some way, no matter how successful we are.
These limiting beliefs are created in many different ways and at many different times in our lives.
We have a lot of limiting beliefs that we carry over from childhood, but there are also limiting beliefs that come about as a result of something that we experienced as we got older.
For example, if you experience rejection after rejection when looking for a job, you might come to develop the limiting belief that what you have to offer isn’t good enough, and as a result, you aren’t good enough to be hired.
Or if you’ve tried a diet (and who among us hasn’t) and you weren’t able to stick to the diet for whatever reason, you might develop the limiting belief that you have no willpower and therefore can’t lose weight no matter what you try.
Of course, this simply isn’t true.
And the crazy thing is, most of the time, we don’t even realize we’re doing this.
We do this so much that it becomes almost a default behavior, and we can’t see the forest for the trees.
Seven steps to freedom
I didn’t grow up with money or a nice lifestyle. In fact, I grew up the opposite of that, and as a result, I’ve struggled with what I feel I deserve or am worthy of.
I remember we never had a nice car to drive, and when we would pass someone who was, in fact, driving a nice car, my mom would always say, “Look at those big shots. Who do they think they are?”
This taught me to believe only bad people have nice things or money, and I didn’t want to be bad, so I just wouldn’t have nice things or money. Of course, this doesn’t make sense, but this is the way limiting beliefs work.
Even to this day, I have to be hyperaware of my thoughts and feelings at all times to ensure that my limiting beliefs aren’t sabotaging my success, my relationships and more.
Once you are aware of your limiting beliefs, you can use this seven-step process to get rid of them—for good!
1. REALIZE YOUR LIMITING BELIEFS ARE ONLY FEAR.
That’s it! They are holding you back because you want to protect yourself—whether you consciously know it or not.
2. LIST YOUR BELIEFS.
This might take awhile, so be prepared. AND that’s perfectly OK. Some limiting thoughts might be …
- I’m not good enough.
- I don’t deserve it.
- Others can make money easily, but I can’t.
- People don’t find me attractive, so I can’t find a partner.
- I’m not important.
- I’m too old/young to start this.
- I don’t have enough time to do it.
- I have the worst luck.
- Men/women will always betray me.
- I’m a terrible speaker.
Keep writing until you can’t write anymore, and don’t worry if your list spans two notebooks and then some. The key is to create awareness so these limiting beliefs don’t continue to derail you.
3. CHOOSE ONE OF YOUR LIMITING BELIEFS THAT YOU BELIEVE IS KEEPING YOU FROM YOUR DREAMS IN A BIG WAY.
It could be anything that you wrote down. Simply choose one to start with.
4. WRITE DOWN A TIME THAT WASN’T TRUE.
For example, if you said, “I have the worst luck,” think of a time when amazing things happened to you and write them down. You’re essentially collecting evidence that that limiting belief isn’t true. Dig deep. Find examples to disprove this belief. Write down as many as you can.
5. WRITE DOWN YOUR NEW, EMPOWERED BELIEF!
It should be the opposite of your original limiting belief. So, in this example, “I have the worst luck” now becomes “I have the best luck and the universe conspires to give me things that make me happy, healthy and fulfilled!”
6. REPEAT THIS NEW PHRASE THROUGHOUT THE DAY, WEEK AND MONTH UNTIL IT’S SOMETHING YOU NOW BELIEVE TO BE TRUE!
And continue to monitor your thoughts. If you feel this old limiting belief coming up again, simply repeat your new empowered belief.
7. CONTINUE DOING THIS WORK WITH ALL YOUR LIMITING BELIEFS …
… so you can move forward and create the health, body and life you’ve always wanted!
Photo credits: MLiberra, m-imagephotography, Thinkstock