What’s something you believe to be absolutely 100% true? Think of something right now that you believe to be irrefutably true about the world, your surroundings or perhaps someone you’re familiar with.
Now ask yourself this: What is the basis of that belief? Where did it come from? How did it develop? Why do you believe it to be true?
Is it a positive, empowering belief or a dis-empowering one? In other words, does it help you get sh*t done or does it inhibit action?
What are limiting beliefs?
It was once believed the world was flat and the sun orbited the earth. It was also believed that a human being was physically incapable of a running a sub-four minute mile. For countless years and millions of people, these beliefs formed the basis of actions, inactions and daily habits.
- No one dared to sail beyond the horizon for fear that they would plummet off the edge of the earth to their death. Those who dared challenge that belief were often never seen again.
- Men had been exiled, imprisoned, and even sentenced to death for challenging the doctrine that the earth and its inhabitants were at the center of the universe.
- The mere idea that the four-minute mile barrier could be broken by a human being was considered preposterous. Any belief to the contrary was met with laughter and even ridicule from the informed running community.
How limiting beliefs affect your growth
Your beliefs may be the very thing keeping you from sailing beyond the comfort of your self imposed horizon — either shattering your own four-minute mile barrier or taking the focus off yourself as the center of the universe.
The more deeply ingrained those beliefs are, the greater their unconscious influence on your actions, habits and, ultimately…