What is a belief? It’s a feeling of certainty about what something means. Beliefs create the maps that guide us toward our goals and give us the power to take action. The challenge is that most of our beliefs are generalizations about our past, based on our interpretations of painful and pleasurable experiences. Often we are unconscious about what we believe and how those beliefs affect our actions. Our limiting beliefs can cause us to miss out on the things that we want most and our empowering beliefs can drive us toward to the life we want to live.
What is a goal that you have always wanted to achieve and haven’t?
Why haven’t you?
Whatever your reason, there’s always a limiting belief. The first step in replacing old, disempowering beliefs with new, empowering beliefs is to understand the five places our beliefs come from.
Identify your limiting beliefs and annihilate them! Learn to change your state in an instant.
The key to unstoppable drive is vision and certainty. This combination of purpose and confidence separates average entrepreneurs from extraordinary ones.
Where are you in life? Do you want to reach a new level of success, but you’re not sure how to proceed? Have you been wondering how to find a life coach? Maybe you know you need a major change, but feel paralyzed by indecision. No matter your goals, working 1-on-1 with a professional coach can help. With a coach by your side, you’ll stay focused and accountable to the goals you set. The best life coaches can teach you proven strategies and tools that turn your dreams into reality.
Free yourself from the story that you are a product of your environment. Malala, Oprah, and Nelson Mandela decided that their environments did not dictate who they were or what they would believe. While circumstances may be difficult at times, each of you has the power to choose what you believe in order to become the “captain of your soul.”
Events
The day you got married. The birth of your child. That big promotion. The death of a loved one. Even terrorist attacks. Events impact our lives profoundly causing us to form beliefs, often unconsciously, which affect our entire worldview. Can you think of an event that has impacted you in a positive or negative way?
Knowledge
Knowledge is not power. Knowledge is potential power. Applied knowledge is a dynamic tool in knocking down the walls of limiting beliefs. Become a life-long learner, and seek out knowledge with laser focus. Put yourself in proximity with people who know more than you do. Proximity is power! Model the best and learn from their experience and you can create the beliefs that will compel you to succeed.
Past Results
We all create beliefs around the results of past achievements or failures. But past results do not equal future results. Build certainty and confidence by building on successes, even small ones. Stack positive results in order to believe you can achieve what you set out to do.
Future Vision
Just as past experiences impact your beliefs about what is possible, so does your imagined experience of the future. It is absolutely essential that you create a compelling future. No one else can do this for you. Prime yourself for success by first taking a few minutes to visualize your success. Then make it compelling by writing down the reasons you MUST make it that way. Imagine the way you will feel if that is your future. Finally anchor this in your body by standing up and celebrating!
Identify your limiting beliefs and annihilate them! Learn to change your state in an instant.
Most of us carry beliefs that quietly steer our lives without us even noticing. The first step to breaking free is shining a light on those hidden beliefs. Here’s a simple way to start: Think about a goal you want but haven’t achieved yet. Ask yourself: “What story am I telling myself about why I can’t have this?” Write down any thoughts that come up—especially the ones that start with:
“I can’t”
“I’m not”
“It’s impossible”
These are clues to your limiting beliefs. Now, ask yourself, “Where did this belief come from? Is it really true?” This awareness is powerful because you can’t change what you don’t see.
The Process of Replacing Limiting Beliefs
Once you’ve identified a limiting belief, it’s time to challenge and replace it. One powerful tool is Byron Katie’s four questions:
Is this belief absolutely true?
Can I be 100% sure it’s true?
How do I feel when I believe this?
Who would I be without this belief?
Answering these questions helps you see your belief from a new perspective. Then, turn the belief around—find the opposite or a more empowering version. For example, if your belief is “I’m not good enough,” turn it around to “I am capable and worthy.” Finally, reinforce this new belief by taking small actions that prove it true. Remember, transformation is a process, and every step forward builds your new story.
Taking Charge of Your Beliefs to Create Your Future
Your beliefs are the foundation of your reality—they either limit you or empower you to live the life you desire. Now that you know where beliefs come from, how to identify the ones holding you back, and how to replace them with empowering truths, the next step is yours. Remember, change doesn’t happen overnight, but every small step you take rewires your mind and moves you closer to your goals. So, what belief will you choose to challenge today? What action will you take to prove your new belief true? Live with passion and decide to be the captain of your soul. Your future is waiting for you to claim it.
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