Brain Training For Success – Lesson 2.3 – Discover Your Limiting Beliefs

Welcome to Lesson #11 of the Brain Training for Success course!

Did you complete the exercise on identifying your unachieved goals? Was it uncomfortable?

Good! Discomfort is a sign that you’re doing something that can make a difference.

Though you have begun the process of discovering your limiting beliefs, we’re going to delve deeper into the topic in this lesson.

How Do You Acquire A Limiting Belief?

Limiting beliefs are pervasive in our lives, and you probably are aware of many of them.

They come from a variety of sources, some of which might surprise you.

Many of these sources were actually trying to help you, so don’t blame them. They simply believed the wrong things, too.

Here are but a few:

Family

Most of our family means well.

Regardless, many of our limiting beliefs come from familial sources and our suggestibility to comments from our families can vary.

Maybe your mom told you that you couldn’t run track in high school because you’re too heavy – so now you believe that you could never be a runner.

Maybe your dad said that no one in his family ever went to college – so you believe it’s not a possibility for you.

Maybe you grew up in a lifestyle that was economically challenged – so you decided that being wealthy was impossible for you.

Friends

Much like our families, friends can do and say things that lead us to believe we’re less capable than we are.

Keep in mind that many of our ‘friends’ don’t want to see others do a lot better than they themselves are doing.

Also, people tend to unintentionally push their limiting beliefs on others.

Teachers

Teachers can have a lot of influence over us.

When we’re younger, they’re almost like parents. Later, they’re almost like our boss.

Teachers are people too, so some of them have their stuff together while others do not.

Our Own Interpretation Of Events

In many ways, this is probably the only real source of our limiting beliefs.

It’s not really what your parents said to you, it’s your interpretation of what was said to you.

For example, if your parents said, “You’ll never be able to get into college”, you could believe that what they’ve said is true or you could believe, “They don’t know what they’re talking about. I can do it if I want to do it.”

Anyone Or Anything Else That Comes To Mind

Other people, books, the internet, the news, movies, and more all have the opportunity to give us pause and doubt.

Consider all the sources of information and opinions in your life. They all have the opportunity to steer you in the wrong direction.

“If you develop the absolute sense of certainty that powerful beliefs provide,

then you can get yourself to accomplish virtually anything,

including those things that other people are certain are impossible.”

(William Lyon Phelps)

Discovering Your Limiting Beliefs

To change anything, you first must identify it.

However, it’s important to stay relevant. We all have tons of limiting beliefs, but the truth is that many of them are irrelevant.

So only worry about the limiting beliefs that are going to have the greatest impact.

When you’ve dealt with those, you can deal with the others.

Part of being successful is focusing on the most important issues in your life.

Remember to keep that in mind as you go through the process of discovering your limiting beliefs:

Make A List Of The Areas In Your Life Where You Feel Challenged

If you have an area of your life that displeases you and you’re not actively doing something to fix it, then it’s a pretty good bet that you have a limiting belief.

Otherwise, doesn’t it make sense that you’d be doing something to rectify the situation?

Your behavior is an indicator of your beliefs.

Consider how you’re doing in the following areas:

• Finances. Are you feeling financial pressure in your life? Do you have all the things you need or really want? How much money do you have in your savings? Do you have the income you desire? Is that income secure?
• Relationships. Are your relationships satisfying? Consider your intimate relationship as well as your relationships with your family, friends, and co-workers.
• Health. Are you taking good care of yourself? How is your weight? Do you go to the doctor regularly for check-ups?
• Fun / Adventure. Are you doing the things you really want to do? Do you dream of going to Europe but haven’t been? Do you want to learn to play the piano but never have?
• Any other aspect of your life in which you’re experiencing dissatisfaction. Think about any other areas of your life where you’re less than thrilled. If you’re not pleased with your life, a limiting belief could be the cause.

Identify The Beliefs That Are Contributing To Your Challenges

Make a list of all of your beliefs, good and bad, regarding the challenges you identified above.

Don’t attempt to filter them as positive or negative while doing this process; just get them all listed as you brainstorm and examine them later.

Here’s a short example around money:

• Making over $100k a year is really hard.
• I’ll never be wealthy.
• Rich people are dishonest.
• I’ll never have enough money to have a nice house.
• If I’m rich, people will try to steal from me.
• My friends will treat me differently if I have a lot of money.

Can you see why it would be difficult to make a lot of money if you believe these things?

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