Let’s talk limiting beliefs! I LOVE this topic because as you probably know, our belief systems shape so much of our lives. Many times when clients come to me feeling stuck in a certain area of their life, whether that’s relationships, career, health- I usually find that there’s a limiting belief to uncover and work through.

So let’s start by defining the differences between an opinion and a belief.

OPINION: A judgement not necessarily based on fact. We form opinions all the time, our opinions change all the time as we learn and grow. For example, I think I’d be good at that job. I think I’d like to do this. I don’t think I could do that.

BELIEF: It’s a more deep-rooted acceptance that something is true. It has more power than an opinion. What it is: it’s simply an opinion you’ve thought over and over until it turned into a belief. We tend to think of our beliefs as being ultimately true since we’ve thought them so many times… but they aren’t always true. 

What is a limiting belief?

It’s a belief you hold that in some way, limits you or holds you back from reaching your full potential. 

Some examples: 

“I’m not a leader” 

“I’m not smart enough” 

“I’m too shy or too quiet to be successful at that” 

“I’m too old or I’m too young” 

Limiting beliefs are often rooted in “not enough” 

• I’m not smart enough 
• I’m not capable enough 
• I don’t have enough skills 
• I don’t have enough time 
• Not enough 

Where do limiting beliefs come from?

Your family and friends.

As children, we soak in so many of the beliefs, attitudes, and ideas of those closest to us. Chances are, if your parents had a limiting belief, you probably picked it up too. For example, if you had a parent who was really hard on you and who expected a lot from you, you might’ve adopted the limiting belief, “I’m not good enough. I have to try really hard in order to loved, accepted, and approved of.”

Societal beliefs.

There are so many societal beliefs that we are all influenced by. Just think about all of the messages we receive about who we are supposed to be just from movies, magazines, and the media!

Your education and schooling.

I know that I definitely picked up on some limiting beliefs from my teachers and just from school in general. For example, you might have picked up the limiting belief, “I’m not smart enough” based on not scoring as well as your friends on a test.

So, how do you recognize limiting beliefs?

There are a few different ways to recognize limiting beliefs! I’m going to share with you three ways.

1. Get a coach or therapist who can help you identify them

Beliefs can be so deeply ingrained in us that they can be hard to recognize on our own! As a coach, I love helping my clients identify their limiting beliefs. (You can read more about my coaching here)

2. Notice your thoughts that are rooted in lack

Thoughts that are rooted in lack often have an element of “there’s not enough”. Anytime you notice having thoughts like this, pause, and ask yourself, “Is that really true?”

3. Notice where you feel stuck in life

If there an area you feel stuck in your life, I encourage you to journal about it! Journaling is such a great way to gain clarity and recognize your limiting beliefs.

So, how do you reframe limiting beliefs and create new, empowered ones?

So, let’s say you want to become more of a leader in your life, but your limiting belief is: “People won’t take me seriously if I try to be a leader.”

These are the questions I’d ask you to think about or journal on in order to reframe the belief!

Where did I learn this from?

It can be helpful to think back and connect the dots. Did you learn that from your parents, from your friends, or from the society you live in? Maybe you can even pin point some of the exact situations that led you to beleif this limiting belief.

Is this ultimately true?

This is a powerful question because often times, our limiting beliefs aren’t true at all. TIP: Say the beleif out loud or write it down. When you can get it out of your head and into words, it can help you see it a bit more clearly and recognize how false the belief really is.

How has this held me back or kept me small or safe?

Often times, a limiting beleif is a belief that keeps you in your comfort zone. Other times, it can also be something that has helped serve as a coping mechanism in your past. Recognize where the belief has served you and how it no longer serves you today. You can read some great examples of limiting beliefs here.

Is there somebody I need to forgive in order to release this belief?

Maybe you need to forgive yourself for ever believing that beleif. Maybe you need to forgive the person who reinforced that negative belief. Either way, forgiveness is a powerful way to release the beleif.

What would I like to believe instead?

It can be so empowering to remember that we get to choose the belief systems that we operate from. Maybe you’re new belief is, “I am capable of becoming a leader, even though this is new for me” or “I don’t let others define what I’m capable of” “I’m a natural born leader”

Once you have your new belief, the next step is to start integrating it into your life. Here are three powerful ways to do that:

1. Make a list of the evidence.

Write down all of the reasons why your new belief is TRUE. This will help you really believe it!

2. Make a list of positive affirmations and commit to repeating them and trying to live by them 

I love positive affirmations and think they can be such a powerful way to integrate new beliefs. Make a list of your favorite ones and repeat them consistently.

3. Ask yourself, “If I truly believed this, how would I feel? What would I think? How would I act? 

This is important because often times when we think of limiting beliefs, we are thinking about them just in terms of our thoughts. BUT.. what if you could take a more holistic approach that incorporates your body and other parts of your life?

How would you FEEL if you believed the new belief? Anchor into that feeling now.

What would you THINK if you believed that new belief? Start thinking that now.

How would you ACT if you believed that new belief? Start showing up like that now.

I hope this was helpful!! Make sure to join my email list to continue getting mindset and self love tips along with tons of mindset freebies!

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