Second entry of the micro series of posts that aims to help you modify certain mental habits. We talked about 4 strategies to break limiting beliefs. It is the turn of giving back.
As we saw in the previous post, we often subject ourselves to a constant stream of negative internal dialogue that tells us, “I’m not good enough,” “I’m not going to make it,” or “Everyone judges me.”
These self-limiting beliefs become anchors that hinder your potential and your state of happiness. But can we do anything about it? Possibly yes.
Strategy to break limiting beliefs: Give back
Our brains are programmed for survival. Typically, self-limiting beliefs arise from past experiences or past versions in which we felt hurt or threatened. Faced with this scenario, our brains have evolved in a very specific way to respond: avoid and survive.
But surviving then may not help us now, since as we know everything changes and everything evolves. It is likely that a simple childhood comment triggered the fear of judgment. So you may avoid taking that step to speak up or show the world who you are.
It may, on the other hand, be that a past failure caused you to believe that you are not good enough. And for this reason you may not risk pushing your career or personal life forward.
Without a doubt, limiting beliefs are like obsolete voice messages from a previous self, repeated over and over again, like unwanted echoes from our past. They do not represent who we are today nor, of course, our potential.
Therefore, the key is to identify the source of the belief with curiosity: Where could it have originated? Was it a limiting message assimilated during childhood or a defense mechanism developed during a difficult season?
Understanding the root of the belief does not justify it, but it can offer valuable insight. Just because those beliefs have served you in the past does not mean they are inherently true about your current self. Remember, you are not your thoughts, you are the one observing them.
In the next post we will talk about another strategy for breaking limiting beliefs, which is to refocus.Photo credit: PX
