Your Limiting Beliefs Are Bullsh*t
When it comes to manifestation, some topics require care and consideration…this is not one of them.
I LOATHE limiting beliefs for a few reasons:
They’re a necessary evil.
They’re sneaky as hell!
They paint a false picture of reality.
Let’s start with the first one:
Limiting beliefs are a necessary evil.
Much like you can’t have lightness without dark or happiness without sadness, you can’t experience growth without identifying and overcoming limiting beliefs.
They’re also impossible to get rid of. Once you overcome a few, inevitably more will pop up… UGH.
The good news is, once you become aware of your limiting beliefs, you can use them as a catalyst for growth - always propelling you to the next level.
Why do they have to be so sneaky?!?
Limiting beliefs are formed during childhood. So when therapists want to delve into your past, there's a good reason for it. These early experiences shape our perception of reality for years to come.
As a child, it can be hard to discern all the nuances between good/bad, right/wrong. You depend on the adults around you to teach you the ways of the world. You can’t rely on rational thinking because your brain hasn’t developed that way yet.
As a result, you accept what they tell you as “truth” and this becomes the story you live by until you’re old enough to question things.
Some of the beliefs you’re carrying around were instilled in you DECADES ago, which is why they can be so hard to pinpoint.
Your thoughts become your beliefs, and your beliefs shape your reality… so what picture are your thoughts painting?
If you have a belief that you’ll never lose weight, then why even bother trying? That’s the power of a limiting belief. They can keep you stuck and stagnant in patterns that don’t even serve you. The worst part is… they usually aren’t even true! You worship at the altar of doubt, worry, and fear, instead of embracing possibility, change, and opportunity.
Thoughts and beliefs are like a “choose your own adventure”, they have the ability to create the life of your dreams or keep you stuck in a nightmare.
The 2 Most Common Limiting Beliefs (and why they aren’t true.)
Love is hard.
Love is not hard… I’ll prove it to you.
Do you love your pet?
Do you love your best friend?
(I’m going to avoid families here because a lot of people have complicated relationships with their family.)
The reason loving your pets and friends isn’t hard is because you don’t have a limiting belief or story attached to them. Your beliefs and assumptions about people are what make them “hard to love”... but the act of love itself isn’t hard.
Loving your friend is easy, otherwise, you wouldn’t be friends with them. You hold space for each other to be your most raw, unfiltered, authentic selves.
Loving your pet is easy because there’s no animosity, or bad blood, or competition. It’s pure in nature.
What about loving people who treat you poorly? (Even family members.)
You can learn to love them too!
You can learn to see the pain they inflict on others as evidence of their own wounds. Hurt people, hurt people after all.
Just to be clear - You don’t have to be around people if it’s harmful to your well being.
But you can recognize that it’s unhealthy and still show compassion.
Don’t continue to carry their wounds/baggage on your back by allowing their limiting beliefs to affect you too. Show softness when you’d typically want to show force, strength, or anger and you’ll stop being a part of the negative feedback loop. That’s where the real change happens.
Now let’s debunk limiting belief #2….
2. Money is hard to come by.
Money is NOT hard to come by. There are literally an infinite amount of ways to make money (depending on your will and skillset.)
Sell stickers
Make birdhouses
Resell clothes
Print T-shirts
Make online courses
Sell baked goods… the list goes on!
You’re only limited by your imagination. Every single person has a skillset they could monetize if they really wanted to.
If you start to tell yourself a story that “money is everywhere”, “I effortlessly attract money and opportunities that bring me wealth”. Imagine how you’d start to feel! You’d radiate hope and confidence. The confidence could translate to someone approaching you about a business idea because they are attracted to your positive energy.
From a scientific perspective, your (RAS) Reticular Activating System would kick in to affirm your new beliefs. Its primary function is to filter out unnecessary information and present you with what it believes to be true. It’s like a spam folder for your brain – getting rid of the junk and leaving you with the good stuff. It will always seek out information that validates your beliefs — good or bad.
None of us was born with an innate feeling of unworthiness. We learned it from our environment.
If you’re constantly reminded of your shortcomings, you’re going to focus on them. These perceived flaws can be highlighted by family members or guardians, and especially the media!
Your insecurities are being preyed on for profit. If you believe yourself to be ugly, unworthy or unloveable, you’ll look for ways to fix yourself - in the form of products or services, which always cost $$$.
The good news is, a belief is just a thought you’ve had on repeat, until you just start to accept it as “truth”. When you start to believe in your worthiness, you’ll no longer be easily manipulated.
How to Identify a Limiting Belief
(& Counteract it in Real-Time)
Write about an area of your life that is particularly troubling for you. The more detailed, the better. Don’t hold back! (No one will ever have to see it.)
Look for statements that include “always” or “never” and underline them. These are called absolute statements.
Your brain loves these statements because they are easily filtered out and leave no room for any alternatives to exist.
The problem is that when you accept them as your truth, you’ll find evidence to further enforce these beliefs from your Reticular Activating System.
Counteract these absolute statements with logic. (Easier said than done, right?)
Here are a few questions (take from Psychocybernetics) that you can ask yourself:
Is there any rational reason for such a belief?
Could it be that I am mistaken in this belief?
Would I come to the same conclusion about some other person in a similar situation?
Why should I continue to act and feel as if this were true if there is no good reason to believe it?
Take action to directly contradict your beliefs!
Pick something small & manageable. Something you can repeat for 21 days straight! (Because that’s how long it takes to form a habit.)
The goal is to prove to your brain that you are capable of overcoming this belief.
EXAMPLES:
BELIEF: “I’m not good with money.”
ACTION: Put $1 into a savings account every day.
BELIEF: I’ll never lose weight.
ACTION: Walk 10 minutes outside each day or 2,000 steps a day.
DISCLAIMER: The information in this post is based on anecdotal evidence and should not be taken as legal advice. The opinions expressed in this article are based solely on my own experiences. GigiByDesign will not be held responsible for any financial repercussions as a result of reading this blog.
