Is it time to update your belief systems?
Mar 05, 2023
Sometimes, when we are faced with a lack of belief about what we can achieve it’s hard to know where that feeling comes from. Each of us has their own unique set of beliefs which drive what is important and what we consider we are capable of. And, we all hold a few limiting beliefs even if we are not aware of them yet.
A limiting belief is a thought or state of mind that you believe to be the truth that restricts you in some way. It is important to mention that belief systems, particularly limiting beliefs are not fact. Beliefs are a construct of our personal experience of the world and how it works. They are often based on our lived experiences or passed down to us generationally from our family, society or culture.
If you let limiting beliefs run your life that will also run your behaviour and your goals and ultimately your results. They are important because they can split your life choices into what you think is possible for you and what is not. What you try and what you don’t try. Who you become and who you don’t become.
So what can you do about discovering your limiting beliefs and then shifting them?
Here are two ways to begin to shift beliefs that are holding you back. Self-awareness is a huge first step towards change. This is the perfect time to get curious about your behaviour. By doing so, you will expand your self awareness because you’re figuring out why you engage in the behaviours that you do, and how you feel about them.
Activity One: Start to recognise the clues to a limiting belief that you hold. Listen to your inner voice especially when get when want to do something different or to improve a current situation. Specifically, listen for:
- Any negation - for example, I’m not capable, I can’t make money if I start my own business
- Any comparative - for example, I’m not good enough, others are better than me, I’m too old
- When you hear yourself saying these things to yourself or others check out the following:
- What’s my evidence for this? While we may believe that something is true, that doesn’t mean that it is.
- Where does this belief come from? When trying to build a belief system that benefits you, it’s important to ask yourself. ‘’Is this belief mine? Or, is it someone else’s?’’
- Is it real? When it comes to limitations, we face enough in our daily lives that have nothing to do with us. We owe it to ourselves to make sure that our belief systems aid and empower instead of limiting us.
I can guarantee that the majority of the time it will be driven by your experience of the past that has become your truth. Yet it does not have to be true.
Take an example about a teacher who put you down when you were at school. From a young age, you have formed the limiting belief that you’re not very smart. Or worse, that you have no intellectual capability at all. Therefore, you never attempt to learn new things as an adult because you think you don’t have the ability to. This belief system makes your world very small and your experiences extremely limited.
The good news is that you can begin to shift these thoughts. Use this next activity which will start the process.
Activity Two: Focus on your character – what would your family, boss, co-workers, partner, friends say about you that you might not have noticed yet? Write out your gifts. Put each one on a separate piece of paper and put it into a nice box that you can open whenever you feel less positive about yourself to remind you of your potential.
To Finish…
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Warm wishes
Lindsey and all at Team NLP
