Most of the key decisions you make are linked to your memories.
This is particularly true when it comes to those important decisions you have made about your own skills, talents and attributes.
They go to the heart of your identity and unfortunately some of these decisions in turn become limiting beliefs and they can impact all areas of your life.
The big question:
Why settle for limitations when you could just as easily succeed?
In the vast database of your memories, beliefs about yourself have been created, validated and stored.
They are formed through experience to become your reality.
Many of these beliefs were established at a time when you didn’t have the resources to properly put the decision into perspective.
In this part I would like to look at one way to challenge a belief.
Given so many of these limiting beliefs are formed unconsciously when a person is quite young, perhaps it is timely to take a look at them and begin the process of reassessing their true value.
It is surprising how so much of what you think and do is unconscious.
Virtually all your responses are based on your beliefs, values and memories.
In the last part I mentioned it can be incredibly revealing and even cathartic to write down your limiting beliefs.
Once a limiting belief is identified you can begin to confront its authority, the grip it has.
What does a limiting belief allow you to do and what does it prevent you from doing?
Does it stop you from moving towards something you would like to have?
Let’s take a simple example.
Assume a belief has been formed that
“Learning new beliefs is too difficult.”
You can begin the process of unburdening yourself by reframing the belief.
Take a look at a few random examples.
1. Look at the consequences of continuing with the limitation.
“If you refuse to give it a go, you will never know how adaptable you can be.”
2. Alter its size, its dimension.
“Imagine transforming your success!”
“How tough can it be to alter just one belief?”
3. Get the evidence the limitation is actually true.
“How do you that?”
4. Redefine the belief.
“You don’t have to learn a new belief; you only need to be open to the possibility it can be done.”
5. Create a counter example.
“Have you ever discovered you have a skill you never thought you had?”
Here’s a few more challenges:
6. State the intention of a new way of thinking.
“The intention is to permit yourself to let go of something that was formed such a long time ago.”
7. Change the timeframe. Can it be made longer or shorter?
“The sooner you accept it can be done, the easier it will appear.”
8. Establish the criteria.
“Don’t you think it’s more important to give yourself the chance to see how capable you truly are?”
9. Look at the relevance of the belief.
“The problem is not that learning a new belief is difficult, it is that you haven’t realized how easily it can be done…yet.”
10. Rethink how the belief applies to them.
“It’s impossible to not learn when you decide to persevere.”
Now go ahead and take one of your limiting beliefs and apply a few check and balances to challenge its validity at this time in your life.
Write down all new thinking about the belief.
Here’s a tip:
Once you create a new belief, steadfastly refuse to contemplate the old belief.
Go ahead and enthusiastically act as if the new belief is one hundred percent true.
Keep at it, refuse to buckle, be resolute.
What will happen?
New behaviours will emerge and quickly.