3 limiting beliefs (that can disguise themselves as good ones)
1. Protective beliefs
Not all protective beliefs are bad or cause discomfort or pain. However, when beliefs are formed in moments of great stress or trauma, your subconscious mind thinks it’s protecting you. Sometimes that kind of protection is good, and sometimes it becomes a burden in your life that needs to back off.
Let’s say, as a small child, your mother admonished you for leaving her side and running out into traffic. She grabbed you just in time, but you were focused on her scared reaction. You might have been crying and traumatized, and it left an impression on you to not run out into traffic. That sense of caution might still be with you today. As an adult, you might find you resent how tied you feel to her and feel obliged to do something you don’t want to. Some of our most limiting beliefs are protective in nature and they can be difficult to identify.
2. Beliefs that seem logical
Sometimes our beliefs that limit us seem perfectly logical. Because the logic appears sound, we can have a difficult time recognizing that the logic itself is restricting our potential.
For example, if you are diagnosed with a chronic illness, and your doctor doesn’t know of any cure, it’s logical to assume you have to live with this condition for the rest of your life. Given this belief, you might start feeling terror or anxiety over the thought that you will keep deteriorating. You know the fear is only making things worse, but you don’t know how to stop it, given that your condition is quite real.
Because the doctor, as a knowledgeable authority, doesn’t have an answer, and because many people have deteriorated from this condition, you might begin to think you just have to accept this as it is.
3. Normalized beliefs
An example of a normalized belief is superstitions. For example, some sports fans believe that they must wear their “lucky” jersey while watching their favorite sports team as a good luck charm. In order for their team to win, it is their responsibility to wear this “lucky” jersey every game. Then one time the fan forgets to wear their jersey to watch a game and the team wins anyway. That is the end of that superstition or normalized belief. Whether the beliefs are cultural, spiritual, or habitual in nature, and whether or not they are good for us, these beliefs feel normal and familiar to us. It can be tricky to realize that a normalized belief actually doesn’t suit who we are now and what we need now.
3 Ways To Heal Limiting Beliefs
1. Language awareness
It’s very important to be aware of the words we tell ourselves and others. When you are feeling in a rut, listen to what you are saying when you feel defensive. How you defend why you are stuck is actually a clue to a limiting belief you are carrying. The thoughts we think and the words we say are so vital!
On the pickleball courts, I used to say this a lot: “I’m trying so hard!” It implied that I was trying, but nothing was working. The more I said it, the more I believed nothing was changing, so I stopped saying it. I stopped myself whenever I was about to say the words. Instead, I said (and did) something results-oriented like, “That shot didn’t work, so I’m doing something different to see if I get positive results.” It helps to be aware of the issue at hand.
Negative self-talk used to drive me crazy! I prompted it to take a vacation. I talked to the doubts, thanking them for trying to protect me and then told them they needed to go away for a while. I did this a lot because sometimes it takes awhile for doubts to quiet down enough for new, empowered beliefs to be heard.
2. Shine a light into your subconscious mind
Some of the ways we can shift beliefs formed in childhood that live in your subconscious mind include: meditation, inner child/shadow work, tapping, sound healing, affirmations, PSYCH-K®, and more. Shining the light typically exposes more than one limiting belief. Most humans are riddled with them and we don’t have a clue!
PSYCH-K® is one of the most powerful ways to make permanent change, simply and lovingly. It allows you to recognize the limits you have lived with, and open up to your inner voice’s guidance for changing them. This last step is important. By opening to your inner voice’s guidance for the change, you are more likely to adopt new beliefs that will work FOR you for some time. Then, periodically, it is a good idea to shine the light again so your beliefs continue to expand with your capacity to trust in Divine love and guidance in your life.
3. Take risks
Your life is falling apart because your Spirit is trying to get your attention. Love and joy are trying to get through to you, but you aren’t paying attention. Stop the distractions, listen to your inner voice and trust yourself. Shedding the old, limiting beliefs and their fearful patterns, is necessary for more expansive and rewarding beliefs to come in. No doubt it can be scary to shed the old you before you know who the new you is! You are now in new territory. So why not find your mentor (someone who has done what you are about to do), and jump in?
Divine consciousness wants you to be ecstatically joyful and live the life you have planned. Consciousness is rooting you on, pulling for you. The light you turned on is leading the way, so take a risk. Shine on!