April smells like renewal to me!
While many are switching out their winter wardrobes for spring items, I think it is time.
Time to go through our closet and get rid of old beliefs that are clogging up our valuable mental space.
These beliefs may look like behaviors, habits, or commitments that are no longer serving us.
Some of these beliefs may sound like:
“I am not good enough…”
“I will never achieve my goals…”
“I am too young/old…”
“I am a failure…”
“I am unworthy of love/goodness…”
“I am not as far along as I should be…”
If the above statements resonate with you, I would like to first share that you are not alone.
Pause.
Stop, drop, and roll away from the shame spiral. Let’s lean in for a moment.
We are all born with a survival instinct engrained in us and of course, our brain is wired to do just that- live.
The tricky piece comes in when we judge ourselves for how we are doing just that.
Limiting beliefs are your brain’s desire to protect you from the perceived pain of the future. These triggers can include, fear, doubt, imposter syndrome, and past experiences. These limiting beliefs may feel like a safety blanket, AND they also restrict how accurately you view yourself and the world around you, holding you back from true potential.
We collect these beliefs from early childhood experiences, expectations from others, and messages handed to us that we adapted to.
Once we identity that we all have these limiting beliefs at one point or another, we can begin to challenge them.
Are these limiting beliefs yours? Where did you first learn them? Are you ready to let them go? If not, can we reframe them?
Some ways we can do this is through mindfulness and observation, moving away from judgment of our limiting beliefs when they do show up in our daily lives.
Maybe we can explore them instead of judging ourselves with some of the following, using a framework of curiosity.
Is this belief really grounded in reality/truth?
What are the supporting facts?
Did I always think this way? If not, what has changed?
Is there evidence counteracting my belief?
What would it be like to think of the opposites to my belief?
Is this belief helping me to progress towards my goals? It is possibly holding me back from achieving what I am capable of?
How would I think about this belief if I were someone else?
As we practice more compassion for our own thoughts, it is beautiful to watch how we extend patience and grace towards others in their journey, as well.
May this spring allow for you to give yourself 10 percent of the efforts you pour into others, for with April showers brings May flowers!
Want more on limiting beliefs? Check out these resources or connect with one of our providers for further assistance!
Limiting Beliefs (Guide + Worksheet + 101 Examples) – Tomi Llama
identify-limiting-belief-worksheet-1.pdf (rikkazimmerman.com)
