by Jeanne Adams, ERYT-500
www.InnerConnectionsYoga.com
In an earlier blog we looked at limiting beliefs. A limiting belief is a state of mind or belief about yourself that restricts you in some way. Limiting beliefs are opinions and thoughts that you personally believe to be the absolute truth. Everyone experiences limiting beliefs and learning how to identify them can help you proactively prevent these beliefs from limiting you.
Limiting beliefs can create destructive self-talk and interfere with your ability to realize your potential. They create an opaque lens through which you see yourself and your life, distorting your perceptions and connections. This lens keeps you trapped in limiting thought patterns and creates unhelpful habitual tendencies. Limiting beliefs can keep you in a negative state of mind, hindering you from encountering new opportunities and life experiences while wreaking havoc on your mental health. This creates a reality that is not aligned with your full potential and highest self. Examples of limiting beliefs: I am not good enough. I am not smart enough. I am not strong enough. I am too old/too young to be successful. I do not have enough time. Change is hard. Bad things always happen to me. I am not good with money. There is no one out there for me. I will be happy once I lose weight. I am incapable of…
Tools to Overcome Limiting Beliefs
Whether you use one or a combination of these tools is up to you, but each of these techniques can help you move away from limiting beliefs and reconnect to your true nature of infinite potential.
1. Identify and write your beliefs down
The first step to overcome your limiting beliefs is to identify them. Often these beliefs present themselves as a thought in your head rather than something you say aloud. Getting these thoughts out on paper can help you separate fact from fiction and allow you to see with greater clarity.
Journaling is an excellent and straightforward process you can do to identify old limiting beliefs that crop up. It is a safe place where you can work through them, understand them, and let go of the limiting beliefs. Writing your thoughts down in a journal can help alleviate stress associated with the belief, unbind you to a from the shackles of the belief, and move you to a space of freedom.
Another tool to use while journaling: ask yourself if this thought is relevant to the next 10 minutes of your day. If not, close your journal and leave your negative thoughts on the piece of paper, and enjoy your day.
2. Assess the accuracy
Pause to examine whether your beliefs are coming from a place of accuracy or falsehood. Getting to the root of your limiting beliefs can help you see them for what they really are. Next time a negative belief presents itself, take a moment to pause and analyze the thought. Evaluate whether it is self-limiting and if there is any concrete evidence that supports your belief. Ask yourself if the thought is coming from fear of the unknown, from past experiences, or from a belief that no longer serves you.
Perfection can wreak havoc on you and cause you to want to give up when things are not going perfectly. If you are not sure if your limiting belief is accurate, ask someone you trust for insight. Receiving an objective perspective outside of your own point of view may help you separate the facts from the stories you tell yourself.
3. Use positive affirmations
One of the best ways to combat limiting beliefs is to use positive affirmations. I define an affirmation as a short, positive statement of intention to help you connect inspiration, motivation, and action. It is based on the Sanskrit term Sankalpa (Sanskrit: संकल्प), “an intention formed by the heart and mind -- a solemn vow, determination, or will. A sankalpa is a tool meant to harness the will, and to focus and harmonize mind and body.” Affirmations are sentences that you repeat to yourself to build self-belief and to bring a specific energy to you.
Paramhansa Yogananda’s method of using an affirmation is to first say it aloud, then whisper it, then say it internally. This sequentially brings it deeper within, moving it into a focused meditation, and sets the affirmation squarely into your awareness.
Mahatma Gandhi said, “Your beliefs become your thoughts. Your thoughts become your words. Your words become your actions. Your actions become your habits. Your habits become your values. Your values become your destiny.” This encourages you to release limiting beliefs and invites you to replace them with profound and loving thoughts and beliefs.
Examples of affirmations:
I feel connected.
My mind is relaxed and clear.
Inhale joy, exhale love.
I am love.
My life is prosperous – especially financially.
Everything I need is already within me.
Use positive affirmations to turn limiting beliefs into positive beliefs. For example, if you are telling yourself, “I am not good enough for a promotion” reframe that belief by assuring yourself that “I work hard and deserve success.” Reframing “I don’t have enough time” to “I am reorganizing my time to focus on what's most important to me” shifts you in a positive direction. This way, you can combat any negative thoughts by making them positive. It is helpful to say affirmations aloud to yourself or to others to help reinforce the belief.
4. Practice HO’OPONOPONO, a beautiful Hawaiian teaching about forgiveness
The word ho’oponopono roughly translates to “cause things to move back in balance” or to “make things right.” It is a very Zen concept. (In native Hawaiian language, “pono” means balance, in the sense of “life.”)
Accordingly, chanting this prayer over and over is a powerful way to cleanse the body of guilt, shame, haunting memories, ill will, or bad feelings that keep the mind fixated on negative thoughts.
As a forgiveness practice, it is also deeply resonant, as it tends to penetrate our inner monologue over time.
To “cleanse” yourself of limiting beliefs, chant the following mantra repeatedly while walking, using mala beads, or in a seated meditation.
“I’M SORRY, PLEASE FORGIVE ME, THANK YOU, I LOVE YOU”
5. Honor “The Great Undoing”
Lastly, never give up when limiting beliefs creep in. Remember: you are not alone. Everyone experiences limiting beliefs.
Focus more attention on your gifts to invigorate them. Replace self-destructive stories with a more self-affirming narrative, one that serves you even when things do not always seem to go your way. Witness any limiting beliefs that arise throughout your days. Set an intention to let them go and begin to connect internally to your limitless self. Bring awareness to your natural gifts and talents and use affirmations daily. Practice compassion for yourself as you begin to release limiting beliefs and reconnect to your true nature of infinite potential.
Sometimes all you need is a breath of fresh air and some tools to use along the way to set yourself on a more positive, stress-free path. Realize your true worth, live your best life, and be your best self every day by undoing these old and limiting beliefs.
