(This post is part of a series: the Six Personal Perspectives. Click here to review the first perspective, here for the second, here for the third, and here for the fourth.)
Six Personal Perspectives #5 – remove your limiting beliefs
Our minds play tricks on us all the time, and our perspective on the world is just that – a perspective.
Have you ever become aware of someone who was performing at an incredible level and you found yourself feeling shocked? Asking yourself how in the world are they doing that?
Chances are, they have a different perspective than you. Chances are, you would not have considered what they are doing because you believe it to be too hard, impossible, painful, etc. And yet they didn’t think of it the same way.
Our thinking is the root of all of our doing.
What’s really exciting is that we actually have the ability to change our thinking, if we’re willing to pay attention to it and be purposeful.
Once upon a time I made a decision (briefly) that I was unwilling to sell a lot of real estate. The reason I came to that decision is that I was relying on a limiting belief. Specifically, I believed that the level of production I had secretly hoped for was only possible by sacrificing my personal life. I looked around and saw real estate agents working their tails off, taking (and making) calls all day and night, showing houses on evenings and weekends, missing time with their families, and I told myself that that was how things had to be in order to sell more than twenty or so houses in a year.
This was a limiting belief. And I’ve learned that it’s quite common, not just in real estate. The general version goes like this:
I can’t do it, it will cost me my time and my freedom.
This limiting belief stops untold masses from reaching their potential, starting and growing businesses, writing books, and creating all sorts of amazing things in this world.
And it’s just a limiting belief.
What if instead of accepting that belief, we instead asked a question?
We talked before about leaning toward what and who questions, and that can be applied here. What if we asked:
WHAT would I need to learn or practice in order to do (thing that that you want to do) at a high level without sacrificing my personal and family life?
WHO is doing (thing that you want to do) at a high level AND maintaining a work/life balance?
WHO do I need to become in order to achieve this?
Limiting beliefs are not just about us – they can also be about others, or the world in general
How many of these have you heard before?
There are no good men out there.
The world is a violent place, and just getting worse by the day.
It’s so hard to find good help.
People are lazy.
The market is bad right now.
All of these are limiting beliefs, that when we subscribe to them, prevent us from seeing great people, things and opportunities. And the crazy part is that because they are beliefs, we typically don’t even think to question them.
What if that changed?
Don’t worry about the first thought – focus on the second thought
I’m pretty sure (and maybe this is a limiting belief!) that it’s impossible to completely REMOVE one’s limiting beliefs, despite the title of this perspective.
And that’s okay even if it’s true, because what matters is not our first thought (I can’t do that thing) but rather our noticing that thought, recognizing it for the limit it places on us, and then replacing it with a second thought: I can do it! I’ll look for help and figure out how.
What beliefs are you holding onto that limit your life right now? And what will you do to remove them?