Limiting beliefs can take away so much of what we could become and make our lives all grey. Photo: Pexels
Limiting beliefs – ugh. When I only think about them it gives me a headache. Limiting beliefs are like the potential I wrote about last week – just the opposite.
We can’t see them, but they secretly decide in what direction our lives go. The thing is, no matter where our potential could take us… Our limiting beliefs will make sure we don’t get there.
What are limiting beliefs?
It’s actually quite obvious what they are. Limiting beliefs are things we believe to be true about ourselves that hold us back from who and what we actually could be. And whether that is actually the case or not, they determine how we act in situations.
Think about it. How many times have you thought that someone doesn’t like you, or judges you for doing something, when in reality they have never once shared a thought they had about you. You created a version of them in your head that would think mean things about you.
And it’s quite eye-opening when we realize that we are then the ones who think those mean things about ourselves, from the perspective of someone else. However, the other person could have thought the nicest things about you and you would never know about it.
These limiting beliefs that are in our heads only have now ruined a connection that could have been but never existed. All because our minds were too quick in deciding how we would approach a situation.
Your limiting beliefs never reflect the actual truth
Our limiting beliefs also hinder us from achieving things that are well in our reach, because we think we never actually could pull through with what we wanted to.
Examples…. Biologically, our bodies can handle a lot of pain. If you had to run from a life-threatening situation you could run a very large distance. However, because you think that your capability of running ends after a few minutes, that’s when you will get tired and give up.
David Goggins explained the following in his book “Can’t hurt me”: When we are about to give up when doing something physical (like running for example), our bodies can actually deliver 40% more! When you think you have reached your limit, you could actually do 40% on top of that. Isn’t that astonishing?
Why are we cursed with them?
The first reason why we have a limiting belief installed in our head is because a task seems too difficult to even try. Are there a lot of people out there who read finance books and considered starting a business? I bet. Did they eventually pull through with it? Nah. Why not though?
Well, sometimes things seem so out of reach, so difficult to achieve, that we don’t even begin to try and see if we could do it. In certain situations we have zero trust in our own abilities.
I don’t think I could climd Mount Everest. But I’m very sure that I could go on a number of hikes and build my strength with time. Oftentimes, it’s the end goal that seems impossible to achieve.
But if we actually took a step after another, we could come so very far. Our potential knows that. However, our limiting beliefs want to pull us back down to earth and keep us stuck in the same place forever.
How our limiting beliefs show up
Limiting beliefs come in all shapes and colors; physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, financial, social, etc. Here’s what they could look like:
- Physical: Gives up running after five minutes because the lungs are burning, when in reality could run 30 minutes more before actually breaking down
- Emotional: Thinks isn’t worthy or capable of love and subconsciously sabotages connections and intimacy with people that are interested in building something together, hides behind a wall to protect one’s heart.
- Mental: Isn’t able to get out of bed after the first alarm, body could easily do it. Isn’t able to take a cold shower, even though physically possible etc.
- Spiritual: Doesn’t think to have the discipline to meditate daily, doesn’t think they can manifest something, connect with spirit guides, the higher self, etc.
- Financial: Could easily build a business, invest, save, live below their means, but doesn’t think it’s possible for them because it’s too complicated. Has the resources, talents and potential for building a side hustle but can’t get started.
- Social: Thinks somebody doesn’t like them before they even talked to them, makes up false opinions others could have about them in their head without knowing anything about them.
It’s a shame how many opportunities get lost because people can’t get over their limiting beliefs. A great life hides behind our potential. Our limiting beliefs stand in our way. But only few people actually try to get past them to embrace their potential.
How to fight your limiting beliefs
I want you to do something… Imagine a version of you. Strip away all their fears, insecurities, doubts, overthinking, anxiety, nervousness, etc. Imagine someone who walks into a room thinking they were sent there by a higher power.
They walk confidently, knowing what they’re doing, relaxed, trusting in their own abilities, excited for what’s coming, comfortable. That last version is who you would be without those limiting beliefs.
That version I just described would be someone who doesn’t really care about other people’s opinion of them since they can’t influence them anyway. That’s someone who knows what they are capable of, are curious to learn more, do new things and push themselves to get further. And that version could exist, if you let it!
Are they ever valid?
Sometimes, what our limiting beliefs tell us might be true. Maybe we really can’t climb a mountain because we’re physically not able to. But that doesn’t mean that we should never try something new.
What we’re left with if we fail something that we wanted to achieve is more wisdom, more knowledge, more experience. It’s always better to try something and fail at it than to never try.
Limiting beliefs explained on a spiritual level
By the way, limiting beliefs always stem from fear. And fear is a low-vibrational state. We are – above all else – spiritual beings, souls, energy. Energy is abundant and never limited.
If you were truly in touch with who you are at your deepest levels you would embrace everything that comes your way. You wouldn’t be afraid of doing something, doubting, contemplating.
If something didn’t work out for you, you would gracefully let it go and continue your way. But you would not avoid doing something that could spark a fire within you, because of a lie that your brain tells you.
I invite you to try to not let your limiting beliefs get to your head too much. You are capable of much more than you currently think you are. Time to try how far you could come, right?
Love, Valentina <3
Written by Valentina – spiritual writer & founder of Valentina’s Diary
