The road to self-love and believing in yourself can be a long journey. Life constantly throws curveballs our way to test our reactions and mindset and how we overcome struggles. Nonetheless, we often doubt ourselves. We second guess whether we possess what it takes to accomplish goals and make something of ourselves. However, negative thoughts cloud our minds and create hypotheticals that lead to uncertainty. These negative thoughts swirling around our brains are self-limiting beliefs. These are ideas and things that we tell ourselves that keep us from our highest potential. More often than not, we don’t even realize that we create these limiting beliefs for ourselves.
You would not believe how much better you’d feel about yourself and your capabilities if you shifted your mindset. Instead of thinking negative things about yourself and assuming the worst, make the conscious effort to switch from negative affirmations to positive ones.
Here are five limiting beliefs that you probably said or thought to yourself and some ways you can shift that mentality to start believing in yourself more.
- I Am Not Enough
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At one point or another, you might’ve said to yourself, “I’m not good enough, smart enough, skinny enough, rich enough,” and the list goes on and on. These are all false perceptions that we continue to tell ourselves based on social constructs that are prevalent in our society. However, the idea that you are “not enough” is far from true. We are capable of so much more than we think. We are capable of having a successful relationship with our partner, we are capable of landing our dream job, we are capable of getting ourselves to the gym and staying consistent, and we are capable of creating and maintaining different streams of income so that we can be financially stable. We. Are. Capable. Of. Anything. I know it’s easier said than done, but once you start truly believing in yourself, you’ll see just how adequate you are.
- My goal/dream is too far-fetched. I’ll never achieve it.
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Think of a project or a goal you’ve had for a while and think about what is holding you back from achieving it. Is it because you do not feel qualified enough? Or you think it will be difficult to accomplish, so why try? Do you believe there is a certain path or roadmap you need to take to get to where you want to go?
As the age-old adage would say, “You can do anything you set your mind to.” You have the means to create the life you want for yourself. The only thing holding you back is you. You have enough experience and knowledge to land that new job you want. You have the blueprint and creativity to build that app you started planning months ago. You have the determination, drive, and discipline to hit the gym ‘x’ amount of days out of the week to reach the goal you set for yourself. Believe it or not, you have all of the tools necessary to reach your goal right in the palm of your hands.
- Honesty Leads to Rejection
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Admitting your feelings about something does not make you weak or inferior, nor does it mean that it will generate a negative outcome. So often we repress how we truly feel to feel accepted by our peers, well-liked by others, or to avoid conflict when in reality, those things were never going to manifest anyways. Be honest about how you feel and do not fear the outcome. Life is too short for what if’s, so take a leap of faith and express how you feel.
- The Needs of Other People are More Important Than Mine
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I get it; you are a giver. It is in your engrained so deep in your soul and bones that you cannot help but put others before yourself. Maybe it is part of your nature and you cannot help it, but it can be one of the main factors holding you back.
At the end of the day, you are the only person who truly has your back. You need to look out for yourself and find a happy medium between giving to others and giving to yourself. So, do not say yes to everything or sit at everyone’s beck and call. Take some time to work on the things you want to do or relax at home by yourself rather than always being on-the-go and putting other peoples’ needs before yours. You are just as important.
- I Am Too Afraid
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Fear holds you back from all of the things you want to do in life and holds you back from a lot. Whether it is getting a promotion at your job, telling someone how crazy in love you are with them, experiencing new adventures, people, and places, or discovering your passions. Fear does nothing but keep you from being the best version of yourself and from creating and living the fulfilling life you want. However, when you think about, what is there to be afraid of?
One of my favorite speeches of all time was from Will Smith when he was featured on a talk show. He discussed how fear is your ultimate enemy and he used the story of when he went skydiving. He said, “the problem with fear is that it lies”. He described the gut-wrenching feeling that led up to him making that jump and seeing the world with a new set of eyes. My favorite quote from that speech was, “The point of maximum danger is the point of minimum fear”.
The moments leading up to that leap of faith is terrifying. You are thinking of all the possible ways the situation can go humiliatingly wrong and discourages you from ever trying. However, what you don’t realize is that taking that risk is part of the journey to self-discovery. The people you meet, the places you travel to, and the lessons you learn are the most beautiful parts of life. If you did not take any chances in life, you would remain stagnant. So, don’t fear the unknown and see where it takes you.