Do you struggle with how to get over a limiting belief?

I’m not good enough has been the biggest limiting belief I had to overcome when I started teaching yoga.

I wanted to teach because I loved the practice of yoga. At the same time, 15 minutes before class, I was praying so no one would attend it.

Today it makes me laugh.

But these days, I hear it a lot in my coaching practice.

Why?

Because it’s one of the strongest self-limiting beliefs in our subconscious minds.

What happens when it runs the show?

• It’s not serving your purpose.
• It’s impacting your self-confidence.
• It’s holding you back from achieving your goals.
• It’s holding you back from following your dreams.
• It’s impacting your happiness, success, and fulfillment.
• You’ll spend time proving to others (and yourself) that you’re not good enough.

It would take hundreds of hours to read everything on what’s holding you back from achieving your goals.

And the truth is that in 90% of the cases, a limiting belief is running the show.

What are limiting beliefs?

Limiting beliefs or mental blocks are stories we tell ourselves about our lives. It’s an operating system or filter through which you experience life.

Do you remember yourself in school trying to solve a math problem?

Do you also remember the moment when you ended up with the wrong answer?

The same happens when you’re not aware of your belief system.

You create results, but because you took a wrong turn at a point, you created a wrong answer.

Life went on, but not in the direction you wanted.

Most limiting beliefs are inherent biases we took from our family belief system, education, or experiences.

I’m not saying that all beliefs are wrong. Their role is to protect us.

But some of them are not serving you anymore, and it’s time to challenge them.

It’s time to give yourself what’s always been yours.

Let’s start by understanding the three types of beliefs.

• Limiting beliefs about yourself — something’s wrong with you. Examples: I’m not good or smart enough. I don’t have enough experience, time, luck, or money.
• Limiting beliefs about the world — the world is against you. Examples: I can’t change universities because my parents disapprove.
• Limiting beliefs about life — life is too hard even to try or conditioned by how a “normal” life looks. Examples: I’m too old or young to start something new. Nobody will read my content because others already did a better job than I ever could. I can’t start a side business because the market is already crowded.

How to overcome limiting beliefs

No matter how we look at them, the harsh truth is that these are excuses not to act on what’s important to us. I’m not saying overcoming them is easy, but it’s not impossible.

“Beliefs have the power to create and the power to destroy.” — Tony Robbins

Here’s how you can challenge your limiting beliefs.

1. Ask yourself: How do I know this belief is true?

The first step in dealing with a limiting belief is to challenge it. That’s how it starts to lose power, and you can begin to gain some distance from it.

Recognizing that because a belief feels true does not mean it is true.

To check whether a limiting belief is true, you can ask yourself a few questions:

1. What evidence supports this belief? Is there any evidence that contradicts it?
2. How has this belief affected my thoughts, emotions, and behaviors in the past?
3. How might my life be different if I did not hold this belief?

Beliefs are not facts, and it is possible to challenge and change them if they are no longer serving you.

2. Ask yourself: How is this belief serving me?

Limiting beliefs are here to protect you in one way or another, even if they are counterproductive. But holding onto them puts you in the victim role, and change is not possible with this mindset.

For example, a limiting belief is keeping you safe by:

• Keeping you within your comfort zone.
• Allowing you to maintain an identity, even if that identity is holding you back in some way.

It’s important to reflect on why you might be holding onto it and what function it serves in your life.

By understanding the motivations behind your beliefs, you can begin to challenge them and find new ways of thinking that better serve your goals.

3. Create a new empowering belief and take action

Yes, it’s possible — by reframing your beliefs.

• Use positive language and focus on the opportunities or possibilities that exist. For example, instead of saying, “I’m not good at this,” reframe it as “I have room for improvement, and I’m committed to learning.”
• Reinforce the new empowering belief by repeating it to yourself regularly, especially when you deal with situations that trigger the old belief.
• Taking actions consistent with your new empowering belief will help reinforce it and build confidence.

Now, that’s a lot of information to take in.

I invite you to sit with the first two steps and reflect deeply on your limiting beliefs before taking action.

Why are they present in your life? What do they want from you? What actions would you take if those beliefs wouldn’t exist? How would those actions make you feel?

And most important, close your eyes and ask yourself: how do these new actions feel in your body?

Let that feeling drive you.