Motivational Monday: Limiting Beliefs

Have you ever told yourself you can't do something? Or said something along the lines of "I can't even imagine being able to do that"? If you have, maybe you should take note the next time those words or ideas come up as you are limiting yourself and your potential.

It's easy to not try, because if you don't try you will never fail, but by expressing something is impossible, or that you do not want to do something, you are creating limiting beliefs that can affect your enjoyment of life in the long run. Now sure, sometimes context is needed, like "I'll never be able to fly like a bird", but if you instead said "It would be interesting to be a bird", at least then you are building a positive experience in your mind, which also allows your creativity to grow.

For me, I think that is the biggest crux, that limiting beliefs challenge your ability to think creatively. They put you in a box that makes it hard to think of imaginative events, or restrict you to only what you believe you are capable of. More so, limiting beliefs limit what you do, because "it's always this way" replaces "let's try something new".

Here's an example. Studies on generational wealth show that low and middle income families have a harder time advancing their goals and wealth because they have never experienced life above a certain threshold. They see what they parents have done, what their peer groups are like, and create limiting beliefs on their earning potential and growth. These groups tend to fall into regular employment, without understanding entrepreneurial thought engagement, and thus feel stuck in the lives they live because they can not see past their current position, justifying it based on their belief system. However high income families teach their offspring how to obtain and maintain wealth by encouraging different thinking, using your passions to create income, or using a job as a way to gain knowledge as a stepping stone.

This isn't just for wealth though, it is for all activities. There are many people who don't believe they can sing, tell themselves they would never go on stage, feel uncomfortable in front of others while presenting a speech. The truth is, if they believe it, then it is true to them. But in all my life teaching, there has never been a single person who I've met who can't do any of those things given time and practice. In practice, and in life, we want to remove limiting beliefs from our minds, so that we continue to grow, and learn, and become better. We practice, because we understand we are not good, talent comes with failure and success, not excuses and limits.

I encourage you, the next time you hear yourself say "I can't", replace that with "what if", and I guarantee you will find your world will open up with new possibilities.