When we are kids there is no such thing as a limiting belief. Everything is possible. There’s a fat guy that brings us presents once a year. There are superheros that fly around with capes fighting crime. And becoming a professional wrestler is a legitimate career option. But then something curious happens.
The world begins to tell us otherwise. Somewhere around 11 or 12 years old we begin to see the boxes shaping that society would like us to fit in. The fat man in the red suit is long gone. Superheros are now for kids. And wearing a suit and tie is suddenly a better option than the wrestling outfit. These boxes our so drilled into our culture that most of the time we forget to even ask if they’re real boxes or not. Are they there? Or are they made up by someone else? These boxes are limiting beliefs, and they don’t have to be your reality just because they are someone else’s. These are six limiting beliefs that you should change today.
1. I am not smart enough.
Yes you are. You’ve just had someone or something lead you to believe otherwise. Sure, we all have some sort of genetic level of intelligence that has been gifted to us. But that represents a very small margin of our overall intelligence. Being “smart” is a product of learning, studying and practicing a small handful of things, and becoming the best you can be at them. When you become really good at just a few things, you become incredibly valuable to a person or a company that needs those talents. You don’t have to be a genius. You just have to be the smartest guy or girl in the room at something.
2. I’m too inexperienced.
So is everyone else. Some of the wealthiest entrepreneurs in the world are in their 20’s. They were young and ambitious enough to not care if they had experience or not. The only way you gain experience is to jump in with both feet, and being inexperienced is a blessing. You get to approach problems with a naive eye, which can lead to solutions that more experienced people wouldn’t have thought of. Own your inexperience, and know that creativity and hard work will make up for what you lack in years.
3. It’s too late for me.
Some of the most popular authors in history never wrote a novel until they were in their 60’s or older. Some of the most successful entrepreneurs never tasted success until they failed well into their 40’s or later. The only time it’s too late for you is when you’re six feet under. If you’re not there yet, it’s not too late. Start now.
4. I can’t be happy until…
You can’t be happy until you stop thinking like this, and just choose to be happy. If you allow your happiness to depend on an object or a person, you are letting something outside of your control dictate your happiness. Take that control back. You will wake up happy every single day when you wake up grateful for what you do have, instead of wanting something more. It is a choice. Choose happiness.
5. This is who I am.
This is who you are…this very second. Who you are a minute, a day, a year from now has yet to be decided. We are evolving beings, constantly being shaped by our experiences, our knowledge (see point #1), the people around us, and our approach to growth. Who I am today is very different from who I was a year ago, and dramatically different from who I was 10 years ago. Much like happiness, you can choose to allow your life and experiences to wash over your, leaving you much the same. Or you can choose to allow them to shape you, to drive you into the next and better version of yourself.
6. I’m too busy.
I’m too busy…to workout…to start my side business…to give my time…to be a parent. No excuse in the world has been used more than “I’m too busy” and it’s the biggest scapegoat ever invented. If you truly believe you are too busy to pursue your dreams, ask yourself what time you wake up. Ask yourself how much time you spend on social media. Ask yourself how much time you spend clicking refresh on your email. Ask yourself how much time you spend watching your favorite television shows. Ask yourself how much time you spend watching the evening news or reading your favorite websites. When we are honest with ourselves, we realize we are not too busy. We just haven’t made our dreams a priority in our schedule.
The boxes we are nudged into by society are invented by someone else. The people in this world that find enormous success, incredible happiness, and love the lives they live recognize that these boxes are not real. They shatter these boxes, and all of the sudden the world is a wide open playground, ready to be explored. The boxes are limiting beliefs. But they are only limiting if you believe they are there. That can change today.
Featured photo credit: The way forward railway via shutterstock.com
