Limiting Beliefs
Have you ever heard of the concept of "limiting beliefs?" It is 2022, so the chances are you have heard these words. Especially if you are in any course or working on your mindset. If you are on social media and follow some millennial influencers, this message isn't new to you. You might not understand precisely what "limiting beliefs" is, but we all have them, whether you believe it or not.
Several months back, I wrote a blog post about working on my mindset. Growing up in the '80s and '90s, "thought work" and "limiting beliefs"-- all these terms weren't a thing, were not discussed. We were taught young to keep our mouths shut and work. Deal with whatever comes your way and move on. At least, that was my experience. I believe if you are over 40, you might understand a little about what I am discussing. We conditioned ourselves with negative thought patterns but never knew anything different.
Here we are in 2022, and learning how to change your mindset about yourself and your abilities is essential. Personal growth is crucial to living your best life, and isn't that what we all want? To learn and improve and be an example to our children, friends, family, and communities? I get so much inspiration from my peers and friends, constantly trying self-improvement and learning how to be a better version.
A positive mindset takes practice, but I have learned that you must first understand where your limiting beliefs are before you can change them.
Limiting beliefs are the thoughts you tell yourself, and you believe them, even when they are NOT TRUE. The untrue thoughts are stories we tell ourselves that hold us back from becoming who we are meant to be.
Why do we do this to ourselves? Great question, because it would feel as if our minds would want us to be the best version, grow and find joy in many new things--HA. Our sneaky little brains are always looking to protect us, save energy and be lazy. Why? Because our brains like comfort. That is why we always resort back to our old habits. Learning new things or changing old habits is incredibly difficult as we age. You have heard the quote, "you can't teach an old dog new tricks."
It is a little easier for us to extend energy to change a behavior if we feel it will produce results. Still, even then, you need to understand how our negative mindsets affect this process.
If I told you right now, whatever it is you want to come to fruition if I could guarantee your success, would it be 100% easier to get busy working toward your goal? Probably. Because that guarantee would allow you to BELIEVE it. And we all know there are very few certainties in life.
However, one thing I will tell you that can help you grow is to look for your limiting beliefs and start to change them. Debunk the untruths in your mindset and what is holding you back, and start to build progress toward the changes you want to make.
You might ask, "why is Jennifer writing about this?" Because this is what I am going through. Understanding my own limiting beliefs, and let me tell you--I have LOTS of them!
I am a think tank when it comes to ideas; most days, my mind races (thanks, ADD) with ideas and new possibilities. But almost 90% of the time, when I think of a new idea or something I want to start or create, my first thought is, "I can't do that." And this has been a struggle for years.
My art journey has been more difficult because of all these limiting thoughts. Just recently, when I decided to teach workshops, I had to overcome the "I can't do that" and go for it. Now, I am starting to build a curriculum for an online course. It could be a disaster, but I will work hard. I believe it will be an incredible opportunity to keep growing my business.
So, where are your limiting beliefs? Where in your life do you want to change something or learn something, and you have always been making excuses?
This whole blog post stemmed from my own experiences, but I keep hearing the "I can't do that" from SO many people! Recently, after I announced my second in-studio workshop, I received several messages from a few locals and online followers. In these messages, I hear the same few statements:
"I just can't; I wish I were artsy."
"Looks like fun, but it's not me."
"I wish I was artistic."
I call BALONEY!! You aren't these things because; one--you believe you're not these things. Two--no one comes out of the womb with a paintbrush in their hand and an art degree. And three--because really, you are scared of the unknown. These are limiting beliefs.
Sure it takes time to learn something new, but let me tell you...you can have a fantastic time while you are learning. You can grow and build new friendships and new ideas. In my opinion, we were all "created to create" (that is a saying I use all the time.) I believe this deep in my heart. That is why we find joy in creating. I don't care if it is baking, building, gardening, jewelry, basket weaving, or paper-maché.
We are all creatives.
So--start to hear your limiting beliefs and change those thought patterns. Go after what you have always wanted to do and forget all the "I can't" because you can.
