We all have creative narratives as to why our lives are the way they are. We rationalize our behaviors and thoughts so that they fit our story – or what we believe about ourselves or our situation. The problem is that by creating all these little narratives, we end up creating limiting beliefs about ourselves and stay stuck there.
Let’s look at it like this. How does your bullshit story work for you? What do you get out of it? Perhaps by telling yourself all the reasons why you can’t do something, you never put yourself in the situation to even try so you don’t have to experience rejection or failure. Or maybe it allows you to not have to take responsibility for yourself or where your life is. Your bullshit story keeps you shackled and holds you hostage – and it doesn’t have to.
Here are five steps you can take to eliminate limiting beliefs you have about yourself:
1.) Name the belief. Be brutally honest with yourself about what you really believe about yourself or a situation. Say you struggle with believing that you deserve a healthy relationship. Write it down and expose it.
2.) Acknowledge your feelings about the belief. Own it. Why do you believe you aren’t worthy of a healthy relationship? What causes you to believe that about yourself? Write it down and expose that, too.
3.) Be gentle with yourself. So many of us have limiting beliefs about ourselves. Chances are, those beliefs came from a place that hurt us, or caused us to cast doubt on ourselves. Show compassion towards yourself about your experience.
4.) Understand the byproducts of these beliefs. Once you started telling yourself you didn’t deserve to be in a healthy relationship, what happened? How were you affected? What other narratives were added to your bullshit story that confirmed this belief?
5.) Rewrite your story. How does your story look if you do believe you are deserving of a healthy relationship? Rewrite yourself as the hero who has overcome the limiting belief. Make that your new narrative. For example, you can say to yourself, “For years I didn’t believe that I deserved a great relationship. But I know who I am now and what I deserve. So I won’t be settling for less anymore.”
What bullshit story do you keep telling yourself?
Hi Heather, your quote is a powerful reminder that we are often our own worst enemy when it comes to achieving our goals. Your five steps to eliminate limiting beliefs are a valuable tool for anyone looking to break free from self-doubt and achieve their full potential. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and empowering us to take control of our own success. Keep inspiring!