Getting a telephone connections (landline) 20 years back used to take 3 to 6 months. Today you can walk in a store and come back with a hand phone talking to your loved ones.
When I was young I never thought I could stand up infront of an audience and deliver a speech. I was basically an introvert. But situation forced me to stand up and speak. I fumbled the first few times but became better and better as I kept on doing it.
Do you have a similar experience of something that you thought you could not do, but later was able to do more than that. What is that one thing that makes us think that we cannot do something that others are able to do. It is not about our capabilities. It is about our Self Limiting Belief.
What is Self Limiting Belief?
When we are young we thought we could become a doctor or a collector or a cricketer. But as we grew up, we started hearing that we are not capable of doing what we intend to do. Maybe there could have been a few instances where we tried and failed, which made us believe “it’s not possible by me”. Psychologist call this social conditioning.
Belief is a psychological state of mind, where we accept a statement is true or it exists.
Self limiting belief is restrictions that we impose to ourselves on what we are capable of doing. A psychological border which we draw within ourselves and vow not to cross it. It could be based on what the society has taught us or based on our own experience. There is also the fear of failure which makes us not to venture beyond the border.
6 Ways to overcome Self Limiting Beliefs:
1. Write down in a piece of paper some of your limiting beliefs that prevents you from achieving what you wanted to achieve in your life. Seek help from friends if need be and help others if they seek.
2. Find out what is the source of the belief. Could be a personal experience or what others have told you or what you perceived based on your social interactions.
3. Look at the positives that you gain if only you can overcome this belief. Things that you can achieve and what other benefits you get out of it. May be financial or happiness or freedom from something.
4. Paint the positive picture in your mind or create an illustration of the same in a paper and keep it in a place where you can see this everyday. Maybe your dressing table mirror. Do not be afraid of any criticism as it is your goal and you need to achieve it and the same criticizer will appreciate.
5. Have self talk with positive affirmations. Keep telling to yourself that you can make it. Self talk is very important to overcome self limiting beliefs. Maybe make some physical changes to yourself or to the environment around you. Like growing a French beard, start wearing a tie, start responding in English …etc. depending on which belief you want to overcome.
6. Finally when you see the slightest success, enjoy it & celebrate it. Get yourself a gift that you would love to have, take a vacation …etc., things that will excite you. This is very important to re-inforce the belief that you can overcome your self limiting belief.
“ The truly successful people are not characterized by a lack of obstacles; rather, they are characterized by a willingness and determination to do the hard work to overcome those obstacles.”
