Do you have a dream, or a pull towards something you want to do in life? Are you moving towards it or just daydreaming about what it would be like to experience? So many people have massive visions for their lives, but die without having ever really pursued them. Do you want to get to the end of your life and feel like you haven’t even started really living?
Limiting beliefs are the root cause of so many people never going after what they want in life. If you have goals and you’re not doing anything significant to make them a reality, it might be one of these 22 limiting beliefs holding you back.
Lack of experience – no one wakes up one morning and finds themselves an overnight expert. You have to start somewhere and you’ll never be fully prepared anyway so why not just jump in head first and learn as you go.
I’m a woman or I’m a man– Ronda Rousey is one of the highest paid female athletes in the world and is one of the few that play a combat sport being a UFC fighter. Sheryl Sandberg is COO of one of the world’s best known companies, Facebook. Women are excelling in many areas of life that have previously been dominated by men including engineering and science. Most of the world’s best chef’s are men, and there are some amazing male nurse’s and childcare workers in the world.
I’m too old or too young – it’s just a number. It’s just an excuse. You don’t have to look to hard to find stories of people creating massive success in their teens, in their twenties, in their forties, in there sixties, and beyond.
My family/friends are worried I will fail – The dreaded mistake hey? Screwing things up and learning what doesn’t work can be just as valuable a teacher as success. If you don’t get it right first time don’t worry. Failure is just feedback and you can only truly fail if you stop trying.
I tried it once before and it didn’t work – fall down seven times, get up eight times – Japanese proverb. We weren’t born with the attitude that failure is wrong. That is totally man made and a major flaw in our outdated education systems. Just imagine if you stopped trying to walk after you fell down a few times, you would look pretty crazy trying to drag yourself around on the floor as an adult.
It will take years to learn – so hurry up and start. Instant gratification is the order of the day for many people. Sometimes the journey is far more exhilarating than the destination. Never underestimate how much you can achieve in five years.
I don’t have the right connections – most people don’t. Get out there and make them. Do some digging, find out who the influencers are in the area you want to make new connections. The internet opens the doors to meeting so many new people but you have to actively reach out to them most of the time.
I am too shy – You’re a total introvert hey? So what? There are plenty of people that are quiet or introverted that have had massive success including Bill Gates, JK Rowling and even Mahatma Gandhi. It’s not an excuse to hide behind.
No one would buy from me – why not? Are you trying to sell them something they don’t need or want or something illegal? If you are in sales and you have a solution for someone’s problem, then why wouldn’t they buy from you?
I don’t deserve it – you are the only person that determines your worthiness. Why are you selling yourself out? So what, you haven’t been perfect your whole life, what does being perfect even look like? Stop punishing yourself for the past, and the past includes everything that happened up to 1 second ago. You deserve the absolute best life has to offer, so never settle for anything less.
My friend tried it and it cost her… – You are not your friend. You are not anyone else. You are unique and capable of anything that you believe you are. Stop comparing yourself to others and trust your instincts instead.
My teachers/parents told me I would never be any good at… – So prove them wrong. Follow your heart not the often well-meant but misguided direction of others. Live and learn your own lessons in life, it is part of the adventure.
I’m not sure if I can handle being that successful – Fame or notoriety can be scary. It can also be a massive vehicle for you to make real change in the world. You will grow into success as you continue to get out of your comfort zone.
I might lose my friends – Well if you have that little faith in them supporting you then it mightn’t be a bad thing. Maybe they have been holding you back the whole time anyway. It is ok to outgrow your friends and move into different circles. It is usually those that are too afraid to branch out that will tell you otherwise.
I need security – death and taxes they say are the only things guaranteed in life. You can try to make it through life avoiding risks and staying safe but is it really living? Repeating the same year over and over again is probably not at the top of everyone’s goal list yet that is what so many people are doing.
Wrong background – so you grew up on the wrong side of town or come from a long line of no hopers. Well good for you. This is a great opportunity for you to show people that stereotypes aren’t real and that you can achieve your goals regardless of where you start from.
I’m not allowed to – According to who? You are the only person that can decide what you think and what you do. At times it might feel like other people have control of you and your choices are limited. But, if you are living in a free country then chances are the only person not allowing you to do what you want is yourself.
No one would listen to me – Then scream louder! If you want to be heard, find a platform. Don’t sit in front of the television waiting for one to arrive on your doorstep, get out there and get in front of people. Be vulnerable, have an opinion, get your voice out there.
Wrong color or ethnicity – The world is a better place today because Rosa Parks refused to give up here seat on a bus to a white man back in 1955. Thank you Rosa! Where you are from and what you look like is irrelevant, all that matters is that you believe in yourself and you know where you’re going. Diversity is a beautiful thing.
Can’t afford it or I don’t have enough money – It takes money to start my own business, buy a house, record an album, dress like that, you get the drift. Sure, money is the medium of exchange we use, but it doesn’t have to be. Get creative, what can you exchange instead of money, maybe you can use your talent free of charge or swap some of your valuable clutter instead. Start anyway! The universe always gives you what you need when you are focused on what you want.
Uneducated – sometimes we place far too much importance on getting an education. In the fast moving world we live in today is what we are learning even relevant? Most skills can be learnt as you go – isn’t that what text book education is anyway?
I don’t fit the mold – This should be celebrated! Can you imagine how boring the world would be if we all looked and behaved the same way. You should wear your uniqueness with pride. Remember deep down most people don’t fit the mold, they have forced themselves to change in order to meet the expectations of others. Don’t sell yourself out.
If you have a dream and you are not doing anything to make it come true, it is time to start asking yourself some hard questions. Do you really want it? When you are clear about what you want, dig deep and find out what limiting beliefs are stopping you from moving forward. They may be unclear at first, but if you keep asking yourself what is holding you back you will undoubtedly find several of these limiting beliefs lurking in the dark corners of your mind. When you find out what they are you are ready to take the next step and replace them with new empowering beliefs.
