Limiting beliefs are the unseen chains that often hold us back from reaching our fullest potential. They are the death of 1000 dreams, the silent saboteurs lurking deep within our subconscious minds, whispering doubts and insecurities that hinder our progress. Limiting beliefs manifest as the stories we tell ourselves about what we can and cannot achieve or as self-doubt, fear of failure, impostor syndrome, or a persistent feeling of unworthiness.
These limiting beliefs, though intangible, possess the power to shape our reality and dictate the course of our lives. They are the invisible barriers that confine us to a comfort zone we never chose, preventing us from stepping into the boundless realm of possibilities that exist just beyond our fears and doubts.
Limiting beliefs are insidious because they operate under the surface of our conscious awareness, silently influencing our thoughts, decisions, and actions. Thus, limiting beliefs when left unexamined become formidable roadblocks as we seek to grow into bigger more dynamic versions of ourselves.
You could say beliefs are a bit like stalactites and stalagmites of the mind that slowly accrete over time. Though these impressive structures are formed from small drops of water, weighing but no more than half a gram , with the passage of millennia they develop into solid concrete structures, sometimes weighing tons. Likewise, our belief structures slowly concretize from random fleeting random thoughts and impressions into hard-wired structures that are seemingly immovable. Think about your views on politics or religion or social justice or who is the best football team. These views are often rock solid like a stalactite right? You feel you are totally right about this stuff.
The good news is these hardwired thoughts can be broken down, just like stalactites can. Take a jackhammer to these constructs and replace them with more resourceful beliefs.
In the last blog we did a deep dive on the structure and cause of limiting beliefs and why it is so important to neutralize them. The most valuable part of the blog though, was a set of comprehensive exercises to drill down and identify those beliefs that are preventing you from realizing your potential. In this blog, and the following one, you will be furnished with a set of tools to bust up limiting beliefs and replace them with ones that serve you better.
Techniques to crush limiting beliefs
The transformation of Joe
Joe had always been told that he should know his place and that he was not really smart enough to be much more than a factory drone who needed to be told what to do. He left school early and got a job at a printer’s. Over time he learnt the job and became competent at the technical side of the business. With experience he began to see how the business could be improved, but never thought of himself as being able to run a printing operation. After all, he should know his limitations, right?
It wasn’t until he got a girlfriend that appreciated his strengths and talents that he began to realize he could do a better job at running the printing shop than the owners. Over time, encouraged by his girlfriend, he bought shares in the business and took on more responsibility until one day he became the proud owner.
None of this would have been possible if he had not changed his perspective. He had to first reframe his belief about what he was capable of.
While Joe’s reframing process took time and was more organic with influences from someone who loved and believed in him, you can take a much more direct approach with the following reframing techniques.
As you go forward, keep in mind these 2 things:
These techniques are all about busting up old harmful neural pathways and developing new more resourceful ones.
The old resourceful beliefs were constructed with mental processes, with your mind. To construct new beliefs that serve you better will also require you to do some mental gymnastics.
Reframing: changing perspective
The overlay reframe
Step 1: Identify the Situation
Begin by thinking of a specific situation where you have a limiting belief or a negative perspective.
Step 2: Envisage the limiting situation as a framed picture
Imagine that the framed picture is hanging on the wall in front of you.
Step 3: Determine Desired Outcomes
Imagine the ideal outcome or belief you'd like to have instead. What would it look like, sound like and feel like? How would it benefit you?
Step 4: Envisage the desired situation as a framed picture
Imagine that the framed picture is hanging on the wall in front of you next to the picture of the undesirable outcome.
Step 5: Change things up
Take the frame off the undesirable picture, fade the picture to shades of gray and turn off any other senses so the outcome of the undesirable belief is represented by a small unframed black and white picture.
Embellish the frame of the desirable outcome. Make it bigger and the colors brighter. Turn up the sound, if it has a soundtrack.
Step 6. Do the reframe
Imagine walking up to the wall and taking hold of the large picture and take it off the wall and place it over the picture of the small gray undesirable outcome. Fix it there.
Step 7. Check on the undesirable belief
Think of the situation where the undesirable belief surfaces and check for a change in status
Step 8. Rinse and repeat if the limiting belief still has power
The "Outcome Frame" pattern
Step 1: Define the Problem
Clearly define the problem or limiting belief you want to reframe. Be specific about what it is and how it affects you.
Step 2: Identify Current Behaviors and Beliefs
List the behaviors and beliefs associated with the limiting belief. How does this belief cause you to think and act?
Step 3: Determine Desired Outcomes
Imagine the ideal outcome or belief you'd like to have instead. What would it look like, and how would it benefit you?
Step 4: Explore Options
Generate a list of alternative behaviors, beliefs, or perspectives that could lead to the desired outcome.
Step 5: Test and Adjust
Start implementing one or more of the alternative options in your life. Pay attention to how they affect your thoughts, feelings, and actions. Adjust as needed to align with your desired outcome.
The "Six-Step Reframing" Technique:
Step 1: Identify the Limiting Belief
Clearly state the limiting belief or thought you want to reframe.
Step 2: Find the Positive Intent
Ask yourself what positive intention or purpose this belief might have served in the past. Understand that most beliefs are attempts to protect or help us in some way. For example, you may believe you cannot speak in public to avoid the potential pain of making a fool of yourself.
Step 3: Access Resources
Identify internal or external resources you can use to achieve the positive intent without holding onto the limiting belief. To use the public speaking example, you could imagine times in the past where you confidently spoke to a group of people and you could take public speaking lessons or join toastmasters.
Step 4: Negotiate with the Subconscious
Mentally communicate with your subconscious mind, explaining that you no longer need the limiting belief and that you have alternative resources to achieve the positive intent.
Step 5: Test the Reframe
Imagine applying a new perspective or belief in various situations. Assess how it feels and how it positively impacts your life.
Step 6: Future Pace
Project yourself into the future and see how this reframed belief benefits you in different aspects of your life. Visualize the positive outcomes.
The "Meta-Model" reframe
Step 1: Identify Distorted Language
Pay attention to your self-talk or the language you use to describe limiting beliefs or negative situations. Look for words like "always," "never," "can't," or "should."
Step 2: Question and Challenge
Ask yourself specific questions to challenge and clarify the distorted language. For instance:
a. "How specifically do I 'always' fail in this situation?"
b. "What evidence do I have that I 'can't' do it?"
c. "According to whom 'should' I be doing this?"
Step 3: Replace with Precision
Replace the distorted language with more precise and accurate terms. This helps you gain a clearer understanding of the situation.
Step 4: Reframe with Empowering Language
Use empowering and positive language to reframe your beliefs or perceptions. For example, replace "I can't do this" with "I have the ability to learn and improve in this area."
Imagination magic
The "Movie Theater Technique":
Step 1: Find a Quiet Space
Start by finding a quiet and comfortable space where you can relax without distractions.
Step 2: Close Your Eyes
Close your eyes to eliminate external visual stimuli and focus your attention inward.
Step 3: Create a Mental Movie Theater
Imagine yourself sitting in a cozy movie theater with a large screen in front of you.
Step 4: Project Your Limiting Belief
Visualize the limiting belief as a short movie on the screen. See it playing out, and pay attention to the emotions and thoughts it evokes.
Step 5: Transform the Movie
Now, mentally rewind the movie and imagine it playing backward in fast motion, becoming comical or absurd. As you do this, feel the belief losing its power and significance.
Step 6: Replace with Empowering Visuals
Replace the old movie with a new one that depicts your desired belief or outcome. See yourself achieving your goals with confidence and success. Feel the positive emotions associated with this new belief.
The "Future Self Visualization" Technique:
Step 1: Relaxation
Begin by finding a quiet and comfortable place to sit or lie down. Take a few deep breaths to relax your body and mind.
Step 2: Create a Mental Image
Close your eyes and create a mental image of your future self, the version of you who has already overcome the limiting belief and achieved your goals.
Step 3: Engage Your Senses
Visualize this future self in great detail. Imagine how you look, how you feel, what you hear, and even what you smell and taste in this successful moment.
Step 4: Step into Your Future Self
Mentally step into the shoes of your future self. Experience the world from this empowered perspective, free from the limitations that held you back in the past.
Step 5: Anchor the Experience
Create an anchor by pressing your thumb and forefinger together while fully experiencing this future self. This physical gesture can be used to access the empowering feelings and beliefs whenever needed.
The "Mentor Visualization" Technique:
Step 1: Choose a Mentor
Select a mentor or role model who embodies the qualities, beliefs, and success you aspire to achieve.
Step 2: Imagine a Conversation
Find a quiet space, close your eyes, and imagine having a conversation with your chosen mentor. Picture yourself discussing your limiting belief with them.
Step 3: Seek Advice and Guidance
Ask your mentor for advice and guidance on how to overcome the limiting belief and achieve your goals. Listen to their wise counsel and absorb their positive energy.
Step 4: Internalize the Mentor's Presence
Imagine your mentor sharing their confidence, belief in you, and success mindset. Feel their presence and support, as if they are right there with you.
Step 5: Apply the Mentor's Wisdom
Take the wisdom and confidence you gained from the visualization and apply it to your own life, adopting the empowering beliefs and actions suggested by your mentor.
Transforming belief shapes
Step 1: Relaxation
Begin by finding a quiet and comfortable place to sit or lie down. Take a few deep breaths to relax your body and mind.
Step 2. Bring a limiting belief to mind
Reflect on how it impacts negatively on your life.
Step 3. Where in your body/head does this belief live
Get a sense of where in your body/head the belief occupies. Don't think too much about this. Just go with what first arises.
Step 4. Pull it out of yourself
Pull the belief out of yourself and let it hover in front of you. What shape does it have, color, sound, smell? Have a multi sensorial experience of this thing that has been holding you back. Again go with first impressions.
Step 5. Exaggerate the belief
Now expand the shape so it takes up all of your vision. Really exaggerate everything about it .
Step 6. Distort the belief
Now distort the belief. change the shape, color, sound and smell (if it has a smell) into things less threatening. Imagine a fluffy yellow feather smelling of roses, for example.
Step 7. Shrink the belief
Shrink the belief down until it is tiny and insignificant.
Step 8. Put the now transformed and greatly diminished belief back in the spot it was living .
You can cycle through these steps quite quickly.
Step 7. Check the strength of the old limiting belief
Step 8. Repeat the above steps until the limiting belief loses its power
You can cycle through these steps quite quickly.
The "Parallel Universe Technique:
Step 1: Relaxation
Find a quiet and comfortable place to relax. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths to calm your mind.
Step 2: Imagine Parallel Universes
Visualize multiple parallel universes, each representing a different outcome or belief related to your goal.
Step 3: Explore the Universes
Mentally explore these parallel universes one by one. Notice how your life unfolds differently in each based on your beliefs and actions.
Step 4: Choose the Empowering Universe
Select the parallel universe where you have overcome your limiting belief and achieved your desired outcome. Step into that universe and feel the empowerment.
Step 5: Bring the Empowerment Back
Return to your current reality, carrying the confidence and belief from the empowered universe with you. Use this newfound perspective to tackle your goals.
Swapping out belief positions
Step 1: Relaxation
Begin by finding a quiet and comfortable place to sit or lie down. Take a few deep breaths to relax your body and mind.
Step 2. Bring a limiting belief to mind
Reflect on how it impacts negatively on your life.
Step 3. Where in your body/head does this belief live
Get a sense of where in your body/head the belief occupies. Don't think too much about this. Just go with what first arises.
Step 4. Bring to mind something that you have little belief it
Think of something that you strongly don't believe. They can be quite ridiculous. Fairies live at the bottom of your garden. Or You can levitate Or Big pharma have your best interests at heart Or Pigs can fly. Whatever, as long as you strongly disbelieve it.
Step 5. Where does this disbelief live in your body/head?
Again go with the first impression.
Step 6. Reposition the limiting belief
Picture the limiting belief as a dark amorphous blob. Reach into where it lives and pull it out of yourself. Now throw it outwards and imagine that it travels in a huge ark and comes back into the place in your body/head where the strong disbelief lives.
Step 7. Check the strength of the old limiting belief
Step 8. Repeat until the limiting belief loses its power
You can cycle through these steps quite quickly.
Defecate the belief
You get rid of waste from your body each day as you visit the restroom - right.
This is an opportunity to also rid yourself of limiting beliefs. Put them where they deserve to be - in the toilet and flushed away forever.
Step 1. Bring to mind the limiting belief
Before entering the restroom bring to mind the limiting belief and how it negatively impacts your life.
Step 2. Eliminate the limiting belief along with your bodily waste
As you pass your waste imagine that the limiting belief is mixed in with it.
Step 3 Flush it away
As you flush the toilet imagine your limiting belief disappearing forever through the S-bend.
Concluding remarks
Because they are simple and easy to do, you can use spare moments where your awareness does not have to be focused on the outside world to bust beliefs. The trick here is just to keep at it until you notice that the offending belief has no more power over you. Persistence is the key.
You will note that all these techniques use active imagination. It may be tempting to dismiss them as just frivolous imaginings. Remember, however, that these beliefs that are causing you grief were constructed in your mind as you processed your experiences with thoughts and imaginings. Thus they can be de-constructed with your imagination.
In the next blog in this series we will explore more techniques to crush beliefs.
