Believe in Yourself:Now

If I had a dollar for everytime I passed up an opportunity due to my own self-doubts and beliefs, I could buy everyone’s Mom a nice house.

“Oh, i’m too old now, I can’t model anymore”….. Girl, you’re 22.

“I could never draw that, I suck”…. ok, well now you can’t do it because you aren’t trying.

One of my false stories my mind has made up is that I don’t do enough and things never go my way. While someone else may see me and say “Well you do XYZ”, it is still up to me to not believe in the self-limiting doubts I have towards myself.

The perceptions or assumptions we have about ourselves and how the world works refer to self-limiting beliefs. They are considered to be self-limiting because by holding onto these thoughts and beliefs, we can hold ourselves back from achieving our dreams.

Some of the most common doubts can look like- “I don’t have enough money” or “I don’t have enough time”. This is holding you back from reaching your full potential.

Sometimes the biggest obstacle in your life can be yourself, but that doesn’t mean that can’t change! Acknowledging these limiting beliefs is the first step towards addressing and working on our behaviors. Believe it or not, there is definitely a way to overcome these self-limiting beliefs.

Before we talk about how to overcome it and start believing in yourself and your abilities, how about we dig deep and figure out some of the reasons you may be having these thoughts to begin with. Now we all have a subconscious mind, which is in charge of the part of the person’s mind that has ideas, feelings, etc that the person is not aware of. Neuroscientists have discovered that almost 95% of our thoughts occur without us being consciously aware. For example, sometimes we may react to a situation without being fully aware of why we reacted the way we did.

The mind and the body are both connected; our thoughts, attitudes, and beliefs can impact the biological functioning of the human body, negatively or positively. This in turn impacts your health, both physical and mental. There are even some factors we may not think about -such as posture- that can impact mental health. For example, a consistent slouch can indicate poor self-esteem or fatigue and simply being worn-out. As I write this, I can hear my Mother saying “sit up straight, your back is gonna get stuck like that”. And here I am, years later, working on it.

Our belief system is learned while we are young children, and as we develop and move through life, we create experiences that match our beliefs.

Some of the self-limiting beliefs we repeat aloud have become so normal to us that we don’t end up questioning it. I encourage you to start asking your mind- “Is this story I created true or false?” Chances are, they are false. In addition, write it down and observe how the belief makes you feel. Realize that you are the control within your life- sometimes we worry so much about what others think or what others would do differently. However, everything you need to succeed within this life and fulfill your purpose(s) are within you. You truly know, deep down, your needs, wants, and desires. The most important part is pushing yourself to truly transform and become the YOU that you were destined to be.

Acknowledge that these negative beliefs are just that, beliefs, not the truth. It is more important to achieve your goals and not put energy into a belief that does not even accurately describe you. One thing I must admit, unlearning beliefs is not as easy as it seems. This is gonna take time and patience. Sometimes these feelings can be a lot, take breaks when necessary, and allow yourself time to unwind. With subconscious beliefs stemming from past experiences, family and friendship values and beliefs, comments from other individuals, etc, it is a lot to dig and uncover. You really have to be patient with yourself and allow yourself to feel all emotions.

Remember how as a little kid, you didn’t need much but your imagination. Well what if I told you that we need to bring it back and that’s the main thing you need right now. I want you to decide how you want to think, feel, or do. Using your imagination, I want you to try using a belief that is in alignment with your dreams and desires. Act as if your belief is true. For example, if your belief revolves around finances, instead of saying “I never have any money”, you can practice saying “I allow money to flow into my life”.

Since the current negative beliefs have been repeated for such a while, it has become a habit. It will take tons of practice to form a new habit. While this is no easy process- it is well worth it. While practicing new supporting beliefs, you may have a thought here and there that show our old beliefs, but don’t beat yourself up. This is totally normal and part of the process. Leave your old story behind, and start this new chapter.

Today is the day to begin believing in yourself and seeing yourself for your true potential. You are powerful and you are resilient.