Wednesday, December 09, 2009

The causes and effects of our limiting beliefs.

I would like to examine the causes of certain beliefs in our life that act as mental blocks leading to a life of dissatisfaction and stunted growth.

If you think limiting beliefs are harmful, you are mistaken. It is much more than harmful and can really lead to stunted growth. Limiting beliefs are usually latent-I mean we are not even aware of them and what they do to us. They dictate our thoughts and attitudes that are detrimental to our growth.

Limiting beliefs-how and when they are formed.
Limiting beliefs settle in our subconscious mind starting from our early childhood days till our conscious mind starts evolving. While the minds of most of the human beings start waking up after 40 years, they cannot be generalized. For many, their mind remains the same till their death.

* We observe our parents and conclude certain things that are etched deeply in our subconscious mind.
* We act and the results remain in our memory for a long time.
* We read and assimilate things that don’t change our thoughts easily.
* We decide that might not have brought results as expected leading to form certain beliefs.

Overall, our thoughts and attitudes are shaped based on our beliefs that we take them as true. Such beliefs won’t let us look at future opportunities and experiences with a different perspective, thus tying us to a chain which hinders exploration of life with a positive frame of mind.

A few examples that form our limiting beliefs:
* When our parents favor their new born child that takes their attention away from us
* When our appearance is scorned
* When our academic performance is criticized
* When we are rejected by opposite sex
* When our choice of higher education is not approved
* When our marriage fails to blossom
* When we lose our investments
* When our advice to others bring undesired results

All these beliefs prevent us from taking the same actions that we took before because of fear of failure or rejection. We firmly (falsely) believe that the past results are the only absolute parameters of life. We are not interested in listening to our inner voice that continues to goad us with positive suggestions and we live a life of stunted growth. This deprives us of the true pleasures of a full life.

How my limiting beliefs were removed:
My limiting beliefs were dug out when I started thinking with self honesty. Whenever I was afraid to take action, I used to ask myself this question: “If he or she can do it, why can’t I”.

Also, Joe Vitale, who has authored several books on spiritual development, played a major role in my life transformation. His slogan which changed me inside out by acknowledging and removing my limiting beliefs: “Change your beliefs and change your life”.
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