Identifying Limiting Beliefs That Are Hindering You

I had promised you a few tricks to identify the limiting beliefs all by yourself.  So this article is to tell you how you can go about doing just that.  But before you get down to identifying those limiting beliefs (some deep rooted from childhood) there is one thing you need to bear in mind.  Eliminate all biases that you may have had accumulated because of an ingrained belief.  For example, if you believe that you cannot trust anyone, all evidence to the contrary is probably being filtered out by you because this is deeply entrenched in your subconscious mind. 

The only manner to identify the biases you have developed is by being watchful, by being aware of your self-talk.  You have to consciously become aware of your self-talk and monitor them throughout the day.  All of us indulge in self-talk, a few may be so caught up with it that even their lips and hands may move simultaneously.  Indulgence without awareness defeats the purpose.  So become aware of your self-talk and how you often tell yourself that you are not capable of ______________, you cannot __________, you are not good at _________, etc.  Enhancing awareness is one of the things we impart at the Nirmiti Nidra workshop.

Quite obviously, you cannot overcome limiting beliefs unless you identify them.  And whereas quite a few would need professional help to identify them, many of you can easily do so using the following hacks –

Hack 1 : Set a bold goal for yourself.  Not an ordinary one, but a really bold goal.  For example, that you wish to be a millionaire/billionaire in 3 years from now.  Now start identifying all those thoughts that flit across your mind as to why this is difficult.  Isolate all the negative thoughts that surface automatically and you have a list of limiting beliefs – almost certainly more than one.  Even the thought that you will lose your close friends if you become rich is a limiting belief.

Hack 2 : Become aware of all the times that you feel doubtful, trapped, sad, helpless, frustrated, impatient, fearful, nervous, anxious, suppressed.  All those things that you are thinking of which result in these feelings is a limiting belief. 

Hack 3 : Ask yourself questions.  What is a goal I haven’t reached yet?  What stops me?  Is this belief true?  How does this belief make me feel?

Now comes the kicker – the most difficult part.  Acknowledge that these are beliefs, not truths! Evelyn Waugh wrote, “When we argue for our limitations, we get to keep them.” You choose!  What you believe is true for you!!