How do you get rid of limiting beliefs that cause you to sabotage yourself?
Have you ever held yourself back when you could actually do something? Have you ever held yourself back from moving forward because you weren't sure if you were capable of achieving something, but the worry of not being sure kept you from moving forward? If yes, you may be sabotaging yourself. Perhaps unresolved traumas from childhood, learned helplessness, environmental pressure or stereotypes may be causing you to develop limiting beliefs in your mind.
Limiting beliefs are thoughts that we believe to be true, that prevent us from improving ourselves and moving forward in life, that negatively affect our personal and professional lives, and that cause us to put obstacles in front of ourselves.
In this regard, Dr. Bruce Lipton, author of The Biology of Belief, underlines that every event or discourse we are exposed to from childhood is effective in developing such limiting beliefs. For example, he says that people who had a loving childhood build positive beliefs that they are loved and wanted, while those who were raised in a loveless environment believe that they are unwanted.
Similarly, children who were raised to appreciate and support their achievements become more hopeful about themselves in the future, while those who frequently hear the phrase "You can't do it" develop limiting beliefs in adulthood, believing that they cannot do it.
If only we had the power to go back to our childhood and change everything that happens around us; we would immediately transform the "can't" into "can". It is impossible to go back in time, but there is so much we can do today. Let's take a look at the most common limiting beliefs most of us hold and what we can do to get rid of them.
The more we keep repeating "I don't have time", the more we start to believe it and accept it. Then we run away from every situation we encounter by saying we don't have time. Maybe it was the opportunity of a lifetime, the thing we postponed because we didn't have time, maybe it would take us to where we always wanted to be? We missed it from the beginning.
When you see time as a tool that works "for you" rather than "against you", you will be a successful horse to solve the problem between you. If you know how to manage your time, you can easily fit your work, what you want to do, new experiences into your life and get rid of the belief that "I don't have time" that limits you.
Most of the time, we keep ourselves in the background and fail to take action because we worry about what others will say, think and how they will react. We cannot control what others think, nor should we allow their "possible" thoughts to shape our lives. Moreover, if you think this way, they will think about what you will say about them, and maybe they will not even care what you do. So don't set limits for yourself for a reason that doesn't exist.
The thought of "What will people say at this age?", which is also based on the worry of being judged, causes you not to "do" something when you still have the desire, ability or energy. What you think you are too old to start, someone else may think you are too young. So, which is the right one? The answer is none. Age is an opportunity, not an obstacle. All the things you say you can't do after this age are just barriers you create for yourself in your head.
The most important step in getting rid of limiting beliefs is to find them and go to their source. Think, what are the thoughts that hinder you, that put limits on what you can do, how do they affect you and your life, when was this belief formed, where does it come from, write it all down. Is it a belief that you have held on to since childhood or are your past experiences constantly instilling this belief in you, when you find the source, the solution will appear.