Address Self Limiting Beliefs.

 It is true that human beings are indeed limited. That is likely not how you expected me to open an inspiring blog post, about not engaging in self limiting beliefs, but it is indeed the truth. The truth or reality simply is. Fact is fact. Never will I grow a pair of wings out of my back and take flight. I can however hop on a plane.

Lets explore first the definition of self limiting beliefs: these are false beliefs that we hold about ourselves and the world around us that prevent us from reaching our full capacity. The problem with self limiting beliefs is, that they are a part of your belief structure, and it is very difficult to change our belief structure  even if we are able to identify our self limiting faulty beliefs.

Identifying self limiting beliefs
If you hear yourself saying," I can't, I'm not, I'm too much or not enough, I never or I always..." there's a high likelihood that you are stating a self-limiting belief.
Beginning statements like this can be an indicator of entering into a self-limiting belief. Listening to our I am statements of self definition and always or never statements may help us to narrow down our focus towards concepts that we hold about ourselves, our abilities, and our lives that are simply not true nor are they serving us.

Catching yourself beginning to use these negative and/or coming from a place of lacking descriptors when you are considering embarking on any venture in life; from trying to land a new job, approach a potential partner, picking up a new skill, or simply becoming more whole and healed, etc can be an indicator that you may have a self limiting belief in that area.

Pay attention to your inner dialogue, key into these negative statements, and challenge their validity.

Once you have become aware of a potential negative belief become curious. Ask yourself a lot of questions.
Where did you get this idea? What in your previous experience leads you to believe this? What evidence is there for this negative belief? Who told you this was true? Where did it come from?

WHAT ARE THE FACTS?

When it comes to new things every master starts as a beginner. Everyone great was once under qualified until one day they were qualified and effective: through a series of doing failing doing and failing and doing again. It is normal to feel a surge of self limiting beliefs when starting or attempting to change anything. Also when attempting something that may have proven challenging to us in the past.  The fact is success comes with failure. If you succeeded with the first boyfriend or girlfriend you had ever met they would be your partner right now and how might your life be should you not have failed a few times in love to narrow down your true needs? Failure means you are trying not losing. And you can not generalize your whole future on a solitary or even a few past experiences that did not pan out as you had hoped or expected. Doing so will trap you in a self limiting belief and a plateau of non-growth in that area for life.  JK Rowling had to seek out numerous publishers before she found anyone to have faith enough to say yes to Harry Potter imagine if she had decided based on the first, second, or third rejection the value of her writing or worse her worth as a person.

Another time that spurs self limiting beliefs and can help you to key into what yours are is anything that causes you a hint of fear or anxiety. I am not speaking of running from legitimate danger: of course run! I am speaking of things like public speaking, and the like. When everything in you tells you to run but theirs nothing to run from. If it evokes anxiety and feelings of not being good enough you need to again ask yourself what evidence you have for this? Check the validity of those thoughts and feelings based on the reality of the situation. Ask yourself what is the worst thing that could possibly happen? And then ask yourself what is the best thing that could possibly happen?

It has been said numerous times in numerous ways I am going to plagiarize, no not that this: the only thing to fear is fear itself. The way to test and breakthrough these self limiting beliefs is to stand your ground take action and not run. To do that which you feel unworthy of attempting. And repeat. Try not to fear the fear or embarrassment or failure. Expect it. Embrace it. Until it no longer fazes you, as you are not valuable based on the quality of your performance. Who knows you may knock it out of the park right off the bat, if you weren't so afraid, and convincing yourself that you can't do it. Also as previously stated no one is great until eventually they are every master started as a novice. Every-time you do, you will get stronger, better, and more at ease in with whatever self limiting notion your grappling against. In other-words every time you do it you will improve and feel less unworthy.

Another avenue to identify and challenge self-limiting beliefs simultaneously is to turn to trusted others whom you value and trust their opinion and ask them to objectively tell you what they see as your strengths and weaknesses. This can give you a more objective perspective that can be hard for us to see from within ourselves. You must take care not to be hurt by any statements of strengths and weaknesses noted even if they differ from your own beliefs of yourself. Different people see things differently so getting a handful of objective opinions is helpful here. Remember no ones opinion is anymore valuable or truthful than your own. But you can use what you garner from doing this exercise to help identify some areas you may need to strengthen and grow in that you weren't previously aware of. This is not a bad thing. Every weakness is an opportunity to grow. As I stated to begin with you may not indeed be able to grow wings, but once you know that you need to fly, you can find a way around the limitation to reach your intended ends like boarding that plane. And opportunities to grow are themselves a gift. Further the list of strengths may surprise you. You may even find that what you perceived as a limitation others perceived as strengths you posses.

Actively challenge your self beliefs
You should challenge these beliefs in internal dialogue and external action testing. Test the validity by challenging these false self perceptions that hold you back in life. At the very minimum to increase your self esteem and sense of worthiness to the level where it belongs . And even if some of your beliefs turn out not to be false but true they do not need to be self limiting. A challenge can be conquered, a limitation can be adapted, a weakness only becomes a limit when you believe it limits you. Some of the most inspiring and profound people, Steven Hawking for example, had some of the greatest "limitations" he chose not to make them self limiting.

Work to identify, challenge, and change your own self limiting beliefs and you can begin to set yourself free from yourself.