What Are Limiting Beliefs?

Today I want to talk about limiting beliefs. I am sure most of us have heard the term, “Limiting Beliefs.” But, do we truly understand what they are? Limiting beliefs are thoughts, convictions, or opinions that we believe to be true, and they ultimately hold us back in some shape or form. As a result, these limiting beliefs can prevent us from growing, achieving our goals, taking risks, or new opportunities, or simply becoming the person that we want to be.

• These beliefs can be about yourself, “I’m not good enough for, fill in the blank.”
• The world, “I can’t pursue this career path. What will people think of me?”
• Or, life in general and how it works, “I should just avoid social situations at all costs.”

The word, “should” is a prime roadblock when we are trying to identify limiting beliefs. But in the end, the result is really the same. We are still left in the same box that our minds have unconsciously built.

Limiting beliefs can truly hold us back, and keep us from becoming all that we were meant to be. They can keep us from truly believing in ourselves, pursuing that career path, or even trying simple things like skydiving or singing at the karaoke bar.

Where do limiting beliefs come from? Well, most limiting beliefs are developed when we are young as we are shaping who we are, and how we see the world around us. But, the specific origin point of limiting beliefs can vary from person to person. Ultimately, limiting beliefs tend to stem from a few sources. Including:

1. How you were raised, as well as beliefs that your family instilled in you, and how you chose to interpret those beliefs. This could affect things like what type of career path you should choose, if you truly feel valued by others, or even how you feel you should behave in social settings.
2. Your life experiences. Especially any that may have ended negatively, and the conclusions that you drew from that. These experiences can create beliefs as a defense mechanism to avoid adverse feelings in the future.

Business mindset coach Nina Cooke summed it up nicely in Forbes: “Many limiting beliefs are created in our childhood. Devastatingly, they become part of our identity… Mistakenly, we think these stories are keeping us safe, protecting us from rejection and humiliation. The reality is, they’re just stories we make up in our head by attaching made-up meanings to events. And they cost us dearly all our lives.”

So, as you can see, limiting beliefs can really affect our day to day lives and decisions. They can be crippling, but we do not have to live with these limiting beliefs. Make sure to check out our next blog where I will be going over some key ways we can change these limiting beliefs into a positive mindset!