Limiting Beliefs
In this article you will discover:
- what limiting beliefs are,
- how they can harm you,
- a vast array of modalities that can transform any limiting belief you may have into a fuel for unlimited achievement.
What are Limiting Beliefs?
Limiting beliefs are opinions, assumptions or perceptions that you have formed about yourself and the world you live in. These opinions determine your aspirations, dreams and goals. These assumptions can hold you back from achieving what you are capable of. Because these limiting beliefs are in the subconscious mind, oftentimes these beliefs can be contrary to what you think you believe. You may not even be aware of the limiting beliefs that you have.
How do limiting beliefs harm you?
Limiting beliefs are like an invisible fence that keeps you imprisoned. The deep and wide-ranging impact of these beliefs is not emphasised well or often enough. Limiting beliefs are powerful and potent enough to rob you of a successful and fulfilling life, without you even realizing it.
Limiting Beliefs keep you from seeing the greatest possibilities.They act like a filter through which you see the world, restricting you from even seeing opportunities that exist for you.
Limiting beliefs keep us from achieving our best potential and taking action towards those opportunities. Due to limiting beliefs we come up with excuses to avoid taking action – procrastination is a symptom of limiting beliefs.
The lack of motivation to take action towards your goals can also come from a limiting belief around that goal.
Limiting beliefs can keep you stuck in a scarcity mindset. You will not make money because you believe there isn’t enough to go around.
Limiting beliefs cause you to miss out on fulfilling relationships because you believe all the good ones are taken, or that you are not good enough to be loved.
Limiting beliefs tend to cause you to focus on your weaknesses and shortcomings. You are unable to see your own greatness and potential.
The end-result is that you are deprived from living your best, most authentic and most fulfilling life.
What are some examples of Limiting Beliefs?
- I am not capable or qualified enough for this
- It’s impossible to make money doing what you like
- I have to put up with what I don’t like
- I’m not worthy of…
- If I succeed, I won’t meet others’ expectations
- I’m always the odd one out
- Things just don’t work out for me
- I have to struggle to make it
- All the good ones are taken
- There’s not enough to go around
- If I’m successful everyone will hate me
- If I make a million dollars I will lose it all
Can Limiting Beliefs be changed?
Yes, the good news is that limiting beliefs can be changed. During the past decades a lot of breakthroughs have been made in this area and it is possible to reprogram our mind using several methods.
What are some of the ways that Limiting Beliefs can be changed?
Neuro-Linguistic Programming™ (NLP™)
Founded by Richard Bandler, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, or NLP, provides practical ways in which you can change the way that you think, view past events, and approach your life.
Neuro-Linguistic Programming makes it possible for you to take control of your mind, and therefore your life. Unlike psychoanalysis, and other therapies that spend a lot of effort on the ‘why’ NLP is very practical and focuses on the ‘how’.
NLP helps you understand how verbal and non-verbal communication affect the human brain. The functions of our neurology that we considered to be automatic can also be altered through NLP and that has a range of applications in terms of changing habits and patterns. NLP can be used for personal development, phobias, and anxiety. Robbie Williams uses NLP to quell his nerves before going on stage.
Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)
EFT, developed by Gary Craig can work as a first aid tool for dealing with pain, anxiety and distress as well as for deeper healing. It’s a combination of accupressure, NLP, and a few other techniques that involve tapping on certain points on the body in a sequence, while making a structured series of affirmations or statements about the issue one is working on.
Through tapping, we are able to release stuck emotions in the energy meridians and create positive change. It has been known to help with anxiety, depression, chronic pain, stress, weight loss issues and other problems.
Mindfulness
One of the pillars of Positive Psychology is Mindfulness. As defined by mindfulness expert Jon Kabat-Zinn, “mindfulness is purposefully paying attention to thoughts and emotions without judgment. It is really about living experiencing life in the moment”.
This is a form of active meditation where one is consciously witnessing the thoughts and emotions arising in the mind and body. This helps to develop awareness of how our thoughts trigger emotions and we can identify behaviour patterns that are on auto-pilot. With practice we can learn how to stay present and take wise action even when the situation is pushing our buttons.
Psych‑K
PSYCH‑K is a self-help tool developed by Robert M. Williams in 1988. It is a simple, yet powerful process to change subconscious beliefs that are self-limiting and self-sabotaging. The PSYCH‑K program was designed to help people change the way they feel, behave and interact in life by changing beliefs that limit their self-esteem, relationships, job performance, and even physical health.
PSYCH‑K is a proven form of energy psychology. It uses simple, pain-free, and easy processes to put you in a “Whole-Brain State.” Neuroscientists also believe this leads to higher levels of consciousness.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT is based on the idea that internal thoughts — not external environments — trigger people’s emotions and behaviors (NACBT, 2014). It offers a root-based clinical approach to identify the connections between our thoughts, actions and patterns of behaviour. The process involves asking a lot of questions about the thoughts and beliefs one has, leading to identification of harmful beliefs that cause problems in their life.
CBT therapy enables us to identify and change our thought patterns, thereby helping us reprogram our behaviour in the face of adverse situations.
Byron Katie (The Work)
“The Work” is a method of inquiry born directly out of Byron Katie’s experience. This is a practice of inquiry that allows you to access the wisdom that already exists within you. Using sequence of few questions you interrogate reality , allowing room for another perspective and changing the way you perceive things and life.
It’s a mindfulness practice for everyday life – begin by noticing who or what pushes your buttons to become angry, sad or upset. Select an instance and delve deeper into that. Make notes and write down these thoughts without judgement. Isolate and question one thought – allow for insights and answers to arise. Turn it around and find the opposite of that thought – which thought is truer now, this one or the original?
The more you do “The Work” the easier it is to drop into stillness and be a witness.
Quantum Healing Hypnotherapy
Quantum Healing Hypnosis Technique (QHHT) was developed by Dolores Cannon, who in her career spanning almost 50 years, became a significant voice and pioneer in past life regression. Dolores passed away in 2014, yet her teachings are continuing to help millions of people worldwide. By connecting with the Subconscious or you may refer to it as the “Oversoul”, the “Higher Self” or the “Higher Consciousness” – powerful, transformative healing can take place. QHHT works by accessing a great and powerful part of our subconscious selves for remarkable life guidance and also physical and emotional healing. The technique induces you into the deepest of trancelike states, taking you into the furthest corners of your psyche where you can visit latent emotional traumas that have been locked away for any number of years, often dating back to previous lifetimes. QHHT helps find answers and healing for various physical (diagnosed and un-diagnosed) and emotional concerns, life events, life questions and decisions, spiritual development and guidance, soul insights, life purpose and past life regression. During this process of exploration, you gain incredible insight; putting pieces of the puzzle together which have been missing. Through this process, old blockages can be released and healing can occur on an emotional, spiritual, physical and mental level.
Theta Healing
Theta Healing founded by Vianna Stibal is a unique method – it is scientific as well as spiritual. This method begins with identifying the core limiting belief that is causing the current physical, emotional, financial, relationship issue that one wants to overcome. Using a protocol devised by Stibal, the practitioner is able to discover beliefs in the subconscious mind, understand why they were created and transform them to supportive ones. The method relies on a patient entering the theta brainwave stage, which is normally experienced prior to waking up from sleep or shortly before entering sleep.
This is a very powerful transformation technique that can help one achieve success in all areas of life. It can be done in person as well as remotely. You can find out more here.
I have been on a serious quest for the best method of removing limiting beliefs and contrary to what I have been told during my psychology studies, changing beliefs does not need to be hard, nor needs a lot of time.
My favourite method is Theta Healing and I am proud to say that I am a Certified Theta Healing Practitioner. This gentle, meditative-state practice is a great self-discovery as well as healing tool. It helped me overcome my limitations and limiting beliefs and my clients find it incredibly effective in removing anxiety, getting clarity and shifting beliefs that keep them stuck.
If you would like to book a session with me, go here.
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