Limiting beliefs

Photography by Danielle Ann Rose @bydanielleannrose

Humans are capable of achieving absolutely incredible things, but we have this cheeky little tendency of getting too in our heads to truly see what’s possible for us

Limiting beliefs are thoughts we have about ourselves and the way the world works that we believe to be true, but are actually false. These beliefs can negatively impact our lives because they create fear or a lack of self-belief and limit us from viewing life in a more positive and ambitious manner

Examples of these beliefs could be:

I’m not good enough

I can’t handle difficult tasks

I’m not talented or smart

I don’t perform well under pressure

I’m too young or too old

I’ll never have enough money

Others don’t want me to succeed

Or anything else that is self-diminishing and disempowering

Our limiting beliefs usually stop us from doing what we say we want to do and from bringing our ideas to fruition, but it’s not until we get out of our own way and take the action required, that we realise just how powerful and resilient we actually are

We fear the unknown and create stories in our heads about what others might say about us, then use that as an excuse not to try. Though the honest truth is that, we are the ones stopping us from achieving our goals. We are the ones getting in our own way and limiting our ability to grow and create freely

Sometimes these are conscious thoughts and sometimes they’re subconscious. With conscious thoughts, it can be easier to catch them and disregard them as false because you can understand why they aren’t necessarily true, whereas subconscious beliefs aren’t rational, they’re born through moments of feeling unworthy, unloved and not enough. This is why it’s so important to become self-aware and understand where these thoughts and fears are coming from. We may not be fully aware of the control they have over our lives until we break through them and start achieving our goals, proving the limiting beliefs wrong

Although we can understand how these fears of ours are trying to keep us safe, there comes a time when they start to hold us back. As we grow as humans, expand our minds and begin to wonder what else is possible, it’s important for us to see where feelings of fear are actually excitement and anticipation and not a reason to give up

Lean into it and trust that your intuition knows if something is right for you or not, if all signs point to no, then absolutely don’t follow through, but if your inner voice is saying hell yes, with a side of “this is scary” then go all in and back yourself 100%. You will never know what you are capable of if you keep your ideas inside your mind and never share them with the world

When you have a preconceived idea that you will be bad at something, you might expect yourself to fail without giving yourself a proper chance to try. Failure is nothing to be afraid of, it’s part of the process of success. If you believe you cannot do something or that you won’t succeed, you are right, so reframe your thoughts to believe you can and be right about that instead

Have faith in yourself and commit to your goals, regardless of if it feels scary. The more belief and positive energy you give to your visions, goals, dreams and businesses the more belief and positive energy others will give to them too, seeing someone genuinely passionate and excited about what they are doing is contagious. If you want to attract that energy, then that’s what you get to put out into the world

I know this may be easier said than done, and it can take practice, but I want to remind you that the mind learns from repetition so if you’re constantly telling yourself negative and nasty things then that is what you will continue to believe. If you start to introduce positive and encouraging statements instead then you will begin to feel more empowered and capable. It takes time to effectively form new habits and break old thought patterns, so give yourself grace during the transition period

Look for proof that your limiting beliefs aren’t true and remind yourself of all the times you have achieved something. When you can point at the evidence and say to yourself “look, what you’ve been believing is actually false and here’s where I prove those thoughts wrong” you can create trust and assurance within yourself. When you build self-trust and shift your beliefs, your mindset will begin to change and you’ll start to feel more confident in your abilities and potential

Tell yourself that you are worthy, deserving and powerful. Choose affirmations that help you to believe that wholeheartedly, because when you believe you can, you can. Humans are capable of incredible amounts of growth and change, we just have to give ourselves the opportunity to do so, rather than staying stuck stagnant with our fears

Change your thoughts, change your language, change your life

Give yourself permission to shift your perspective, there is no need to doubt yourself anymore. This is your time to step into your power and create literally anything you’ve ever dreamed of 

Dedicate time and energy towards developing the skills you want to be good at and let go of the idea that you're not good at something, you can learn and get better at anything you want to, all you have to do is decide and put effort and intention into it, and if you choose not to, that’s okay too, just admit it’s not a priority to you and direct your energy into whatever else is calling to you. That doesn’t make you a failure and it definitely doesn’t mean you’re not capable of being successful at it, it’s okay to let things go when they don’t feel right for you anymore

People-pleasing and other protective mechanisms may have helped you in the past, but they are no longer serving you. Allow yourself to let those habits go now, it doesn’t matter how much time you’ve spent believing the narrative your fear has been telling you, cut your losses and choose something different

You are enough, don’t let anyone tell you differently, not even your own mind

If a friend spoke to you the way you speak to yourself when you’re putting yourself down and telling yourself you can’t do something, you definitely wouldn’t keep them as a friend for very long, but for some reason you let your inner voice get louder and louder, convincing you, you aren’t good enough. It’s time to switch it up, throw some self-belief in there and create a better environment in that mind of yours

Be honest with yourself about what needs to change in order for you to get where you want to be and start acting accordingly. Perhaps speaking about it with encouraging friends or a trained professional could help you to understand where these limiting beliefs stemmed from and what steps you can take next to improve your mindset and internal narrative

Ask yourself questions that empower you to take aligned action towards your goals. Journalling and meditation are excellent tools to help sort through the mental clutter and start thinking clearer

What would life be like on the other side of your limiting beliefs? Start visualising what you plan on creating and get excited about what your future will look like now that you’re getting out of your own way and taking action

What else is possible? Let your imagination run wild with opportunities and possibilities, don’t limit yourself to what you have now. You have infinite potential, remember that

Why not you? You are just as deserving and capable as anyone else, open yourself up to wonderful success and self-belief

Where did these limiting beliefs come from in the first place? Find the root of the belief, and work on healing it to help you break the patterns that have been holding you back up until now

Check-in with the feelings surrounding the beliefs and work on fulfilling the unmet needs attached, you might be surprised by how connected everything is and how listening to your inner child’s wants and needs can give the adult you a sense of freedom and empowerment

Here are a few things to remember when breaking through these limiting beliefs:

Replace your old beliefs with new uplifting ones that encourage you to reach your full potential. Affirmations and visualisation are excellent tools that can support you in cementing these new beliefs and thought patterns into your conscious and subconscious mind

Surround yourself with a community of people who support you and want to see you succeed. If your friend group thrives on complaining and talking poorly about others, please choose a new one. You deserve to be encouraged and uplifted

Keep going, if you catch yourself slipping back into old habits, just notice it and remind yourself of who you are, what you want to create and why you’re doing it. Don’t judge yourself or make yourself wrong for it, just keep practising until it becomes second nature for you

I believe in you and so should you