Got Limiting Beliefs? Top 3 Questions About Limiting Beliefs Revealed

With our “Busting Through: Life Without the Limits” tele-training event only a week away, we’ve been fielding a lot of questions on the topic of limiting beliefs; how to know if you have them, how to know if they’re holding you back, and what to do if you recognize disempowering thought patterns in yourself.

Obviously we’ve hit on a hot-button topic and it’s no wonder, we talk to a lot of women, and in nearly every conversation, a limiting thought will be verbalized in one way, shape or form. It’s easy to do, and with all the research and speaking we’ve done on this topic, we’re even guilty ourselves from time to time.

Yes, limiting thought patterns are hard to break…wait, is that a limiting belief? Oh goodness, it is! See what we mean!

O.k., let’s just say that it is possible to turn your disempowering beliefs into empowering ones, but it takes knowledge, awareness and a little something we call PTC (Present Time Consciousness), to do so. So with that in mind, let us answer the top three questions coming our way on the subject of limiting beliefs.

Limiting Belief Question #1: How do I know if I have limiting beliefs?

This is an easy one to answer; we all have limiting beliefs. For women we often hear them verbalized this way: I’m not smart enough, I’m not old (or young) enough, I’m not pretty enough (or the right weight or build), I don’t know who I think I am to even think I could achieve that, I always get the short end of the stick, and many, many, more.

These beliefs are often developed in childhood, we may have even heard important people in our lives verbalize the same things, consequently making these degrading thought patterns acceptable and correct. Often these ways of thinking are passed down between generations!

Limiting Belief Question #2: How do I know if limiting beliefs are holding me back?

Obviously, verbalized statements and recurring thoughts like those mentioned above, are pretty easy to identify once you become aware and listen for them. In addition, you can pay close attention to your emotions and use your feelings as a barometer for these hidden beliefs.

Sometimes a deeper analysis is needed and uncovering limiting beliefs requires a careful examination of your life. Here are two additional clues that disempowering thought patterns are holding you back:

1. If you have recurrent problems that don't seem to go away, such as constant money problems, relationship issues or challenges in your career, chances are you have a limiting belief.

2. If you find there are behaviors or reactions that constantly get you into trouble, you definitely have a limiting belief!

Limiting Belief Question #3: How do I overcome a limiting belief?

The secret to changing our limiting beliefs is found in the Pain/Pleasure Principle. Associate enough “pain” with your old beliefs, and a tremendous amount of “pleasure” to your new empowered beliefs, and you can change your life!

We’re going to be sharing more about the Pain/Pleasure Principle during “Busting Through: Life Without the Limits” as well as reveal our 1-2-3-4-5 Exercise for challenging your limiting beliefs! This is one training you won’t want to miss. Get registered today!

Busting Through: Life Without the Limits

Monday, November 8, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. CST

In the Soulspring Tele-classroom

It's FREE*! We invite you to be our guest!

*Long distance charges apply where applicable.

You will receive your tele-classroom access code and training materials via email prior to the training call.

REGISTER TODAY!

Kim,
Sister of Soul

Soulspiration of the Week:
“There is only one cause of unhappiness: the false beliefs you have in your head, beliefs so widespread, so commonly held, that it never occurs to you to question them." ~Anthony de Mello

Developing An Attitude of Patience

I’m not a fan of driving in Minneapolis/St. Paul - especially during rush hour. All those vehicles stopping, going, merging, dodging; seems to me like a good way to get into an accident! So when I realized I needed to make back-to-back trips to St. Paul this week I wasn’t overly excited. But I’m a strong, confident woman, right? Certainly I can handle this!

Day one of my consecutive trips I was feeling pretty great about everything as I traveled through St. Paul and back without the slightest inkling of rush hour. I questioned why I even thought that rush hour traffic could be a problem. It was smooth sailing; this was the kind of driving I liked! Then, about 10 minutes outside of the city, everything came to a screaching halt. As I crested a small hill I could see the four completely full, completely stopped, lanes of traffic as far as the eye could see.

This was not perfect.

So there I sat for 10 minutes, 30 minutes, and then 60 minutes, without reaching a speed any higher than a crawl. Early on in the waiting game I figured traffic would start moving at any moment, but as I sat, and sat, and sat some more, I figured I better do something constructive with my time. Let’s see…I know! Practice the virtue of patience. Perfect!

That lasted exactly 6 minutes until the first tinge of needing a bathroom break hit. How could I be patient at a time like this?! My focus quickly shifted from practicing patience to practicing bladder control. But hey, this is a skill that could be just as handy though, right?

As the minutes ticked away at the ratio of what felt like about 3 minutes to every 1 actual minute I was getting close to the breaking point. What on Earth could be going on to stop traffic for this long?! I’ve got places to be people!

OK, so maybe it was time to try the patience thing again. But how can I just be OK with sitting here, wasting an hour of my time? And that’s when it hit me; As with anything in life, it’s not so much “being OK” with a stressful situation but more so our attitude towards it. Being OK with an extensive traffic jam was not coming easily to me that day, but changing my attitude towards it? That I could do.

I spent the rest of the hour-long delay mentally listing all the reasons why it was good that I was there at that moment. I thought of the more serious ones; how I was being held there in a safe spot so that whatever harm lay ahead could be cleared. And then of course I had to throw in some silly ones; this was giving me the opportunity to find out if it’s possible to get a tan through a car window.

And surprisingly enough it worked! No, not the tanning through a window part, the part about restoring my patience.  The rest of the hour breezed by.

And thank goodness the second day’s trip to the city was not as eventful!

Becky,
Sister of Soul

Soulspiration of the Week:
"Genius is nothing but a great aptitude for patience."　~George-Louis de Buffon

Living True to Your Theme Song

I loved the Laverne and Shirley TV show. I’d live for Tuesday evenings, getting my homework done immediately after school and settling in at 7:30 p.m. so as not to miss one minute of the show.

And, you’re probably wondering what brought this up out of the blue? Well, I attended a conference this week and the keynote speaker asked what our life’s theme song was. How cool is that – I didn’t have to think long at all. Mine is the theme song from Laverne and Shirley. It wasn’t just the catchy tune that stuck with me…the words spoke true to what I believed then - and still do today.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight

Schemeel, schlimazel, Hasenfeff Incorporated

We're gonna do it!

Give us any chance - we'll take it

Read us any rule - we'll break it

We're gonna make our dreams come true....

Doin' it our way

Nothin's gonna turn us back now

Straight ahead and on the track now

We're gonna make our dreams come true...

Doin' it our way

There is nothing we won't try

Never heard the word impossible

This time there's no stopping us

We're gonna do it

On your mark, get set and go now

Got a dream and we just know now

We're gonna make our dream come true

And we'll do it our way - yes our way

Make all our dreams come true

And do it our way - yes our way

Make all our dreams come true

For me and you

The conference presenter went one step further with this exercise and asked, “What might the people in your life perceive your theme song to be?” Now there’s an interesting question. If you went around and asked your co-workers, family members, and friends what they think your theme song is, would you agree? Are you telling yourself one thing in your heart and mind but portraying something completely different to those around you by your actions, body language, and words?

Take a minute to ponder your life’s theme song. Do you walk around humming the Peanuts theme to yourself or are you whistling the Titanic’s sinking tune live on the stage of your life?

Jenny,
Sister of Soul

Soulspiration of the Week:
“Behavior is a mirror in which every one displays his own image. ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

An Empowering Approach is Needed to Prevail Over Bullying

I don’t watch much TV and tend to steer clear of the news (I opt for a more positive media experience). Still, the latest trend in bullying and teasing among our young people, and the suicides resulting from the behavior, couldn’t help but catch my attention.

Even in my forties I can still feel a painful twinge inside when I reflect on the teasing back in my day. I wouldn’t compare it at all to the stories of late, but painful at the time none the less. Now as an adult, and after talking with others about our school years, it seems no one escaped unscathed. Yes, even the best-looking, the most talented, and the biggest bully, had someone harassing and degrading them in some way. What’s a kid to do? Some took it, some fought back, and some focused their aggression by bullying others.

If there was ever a time that our animal instincts as a species become most evident, it would have to be when we are trying to secure our position in the pack. Sad, isn’t it?

While I don’t condone bullying and teasing, and believe it to be wrong and inexcusable in the strongest sense, I guess it’s programmed in us and in a way part of growing up, in learning right from wrong, of establishing our character as we grow into adulthood. Kid’s know it’s wrong, they know it’s mean, they know it leads to trouble (and in light of recent events, a criminal record and prison time). Still the behavior continues.

The anti-bullying task forces and bullying awareness campaigns are a great start to combating the pranks, abuse, and torments, but in my opinion that’s not enough and only addresses half the problem. We’re missing a more important focus. Where are the empowerment programs and self-esteem classes?

I don’t mean to go all “touchy-feely” but wouldn’t it serve our youth in the long-run to develop the confidence, personal power, and understanding that comes with self-acceptance? The bully would no longer feel the need to put down another to elevate himself, and the bullied might gain some valuable insight about the acts against them, understanding they are not the source of the problem. I believe this is a crucial missing link and what it’s going to take to stop the cycle of abuse within our schools.

Kim,
Sister of Soul

Soulspiration of the Week:
“A successful person is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks that others throw at him or her.” ~David Brinkley

A Push is All You Need

It was a typical vacation with my parents; my Dad was the leader, leaving no rock unturned or path unexplored. It’s always been that way, but we’ve experienced some great things because of having that extra little push.

My daughter and I were lucky enough to ride back north with my parents this last spring in their RV. And it very quickly became clear to me that Dad hasn’t changed a bit. My parents clearly had a little something up their sleeve as we were traveling through Missouri.

I’ve always wanted to blow glass so I put it on my list a few years back; my “list” of course being my “List of Things to Do Before I Die”. I’ve casually looked into taking classes but always decided that I’d put it on my “someday” list (And we all know what happens to a majority of the things on our “someday” list!).

Aware of this aspiration on my list, Mom and Dad tracked down a glass blowing studio near where we’d be making our RV trek. One late afternoon we pulled into Astral Glass Studio in New Haven, MO. The showroom had so many beautiful pieces of blown glass but unfortunately the blowers had left for the day. This is where my natural response would be to politely say, “Thank you, have a great night.” Well, before I could open my mouth Dad spoke up and asked, “Do you ever let customers blow glass?”

The woman behind the counter was a little surprised by the request, but after giving it a minute of thought she said that if we came back in the morning she was quite sure that “the guys” (the glass blowers) would indulge me by helping to cross this item off my list. Sure enough, we returned the next morning and the guys let me into the shop, showed me the basics, and let me blow my very first glass bubble! As for my list…Glass blowing…CHECK!

Quite often in life we’re presented with amazing opportunities but instead of embracing them we listen to the little fearful voice inside of us. A little push is sometimes all we need to experience something new, great and adventurous! I’m lucky enough to have a person in my life willing to give me a little “push” from time to time, but there’s no reason why you can’t be that person to yourself. Seek out those opportunities, leave your comfort zone, and live life to the fullest!

Becky,
Sister of Soul

Soulspiration of the Week:

“Don't wait for extraordinary opportunities. Seize common occasions and make them great. Weak men wait for opportunities; strong men make them.” ~Orison Swett Marden