Discover How Eliminating Limiting Beliefs Can Change Your Life

You may think that "Limiting Beliefs" sounds like a recent phenomenon, but it describes an issue that's been going on for centuries.
Mahatma Gandhi was certainly a man that didn't give in to any limiting beliefs and states, "If I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it, even if I may not have it at the beginning."
According to motivational speaker Denis Waitley, "If you believe you can, you probably can. If you believe you won't, you most assuredly won't. Belief is the ignition switch that gets you off the launching pad."
We all have limiting beliefs that prevent us from being "for ourselves." We have met the enemy, and indeed, he is us. If we don't look out, we argue for these limitations, sabotaging and limiting ourselves in the process. Holding ourselves back from our greatness within and true potential.
Limiting beliefs are ones that we hold to tell us what we cannot do. It's the opposite of The Little Engine That Could: even without explanation, we might tell ourselves, "I don't think I can." This happens to all of us even when we need to motivate ourselves the most, and even if there's no rational explanation for why we can't.
So getting rid of these limiting beliefs should be easy, right? Just be aware of when these thoughts occur and ignore them. Our problem's solved with no fuss.
That may be more easily said than done.
Limiting beliefs are often formed early on in childhood. Think of a parent that pampers their children and does everything for them, never making or letting them wash their own clothes, or make their own meals, or clean their own dishes. The child may grow up being uncomfortable with responsibility, and not even bother to try to change because it feels like that's how they've always been.
Or what if your mother decides your older sister was always the smart one, or your brother was always good with money, or your younger sister is the pretty sister, or your brother is the one who cares deeply about people? You wouldn't pay close attention to your education, or to your finances, respectively. Why? You'd just fail anyway!
People in Western individualist cultures will tie their perceived roles into their personal identity and make it much harder to differentiate and identify their limiting beliefs. People will do and not do things because that is "who they are." Extracting our limiting beliefs from our identities is crucial since identifying limiting beliefs is the first step to exorcising them and ultimately transcending them.
Think of the troublemaker: is he truly a troublemaker by nature or is it simply behavior reinforced by a persistent label? What's really stopping the troublemaker from reforming? Chances are it is nothing, or at least, simply his limiting beliefs. Can the tomboy truly never relate or understand other females? What's stopping her? There's a good chance it's nothing but a ridiculous belief over time. If it's something you want to do, there's nothing bad about trying, and success can have an added benefit: finally shedding the label and growing into a more well-rounded person.
Think carefully about your goals and desires. What's stopping you from achieving them? Perhaps there are some tangible, rational reasons. However, perhaps there are not. If the reasons sound anything like, "That's just not the kind of person I am," then certainly you should reconsider your position. If it's something you want, and there's literally nothing standing in your way, then yes, you are that person and you can and will accomplish anything you set your mind to.
Identifying and becoming aware of one's limiting beliefs is a skill that can be learned. If you take a conscious, concerted effort to eradicate those things that are holding you back, you may just find a whole world of opportunity out there waiting for you!