Limiting Beliefs and the Pieces of Generation Why Not?

Last weekend, I was interviewed by entrepreneur Troy Hoffman for his podcast, The Daily Question. We spoke all about my latest book, Generation Why Not^®? 7 Principles to Peak Performers, Driven by Attitude, Not Age, and about how limiting beliefs can hold entrepreneurs back!

I’m so excited about this book! I’ve been interviewing so many fantastic, purpose-driven entrepreneurs who have figured out how to release themselves from the limiting beliefs that were holding them back. I got to share some of the key traits of people who are a part of Generation Why Not^®?

Does this sound like you…or someone you want to be?

Open to possibility
Believe anything is possible
Know you are a co-creator with the universe
Universal Laws are unbending
Universal Laws are embraced, not resisted
Intentions are based on abundance, not lack or fear
Commitment to what they want and desire is greater than their commitment to fear
They listen to the wisdom of their intuition
Committed to the journey as much as they are to the outcome
They allow for the universe to bring them results by being unattached to the specific outcome

What’s a limiting belief, you ask? A limiting belief sounds like…

“I’m too old to start a new business.”
“Nobody wants to hear what I have to say.”
“I’m not smart enough to write a book.”
“I don’t have enough to say to write a book.”

These are beliefs that we created – based on reality; the circumstances of our lives; the world presented to us as children; what people have told us about ourselves and about “how life works” – that only we can free ourselves from.

That might sound like a tall order, but here’s the secret: once you do, the world awaits!

What’s a belief system?

Our belief system gets laid into us between the ages of 3 and 8. Children of 5, or 6, or 7 don’t have the cognitive ability to understand the full picture being presented to them.

Maybe one day at school, you made a mistake, and a teacher said, “Oh, you’re so stupid.” Children are very literal, and everything adults say to them has weight!

In many cases, when you tell a child something like, “You’re so stupid,” or, “Girls can’t do math,” or “Boys shouldn’t show vulnerability,” the child accepts that as a fact of life. It becomes part of their belief system.

We go through life as adults with limiting belief systems in place from childhood that don’t always track with actual reality. Now, this happens to everyone – because life happens to everyone! Sometimes our parents are enough to right the ship, but sometimes they’re not – and that’s okay!

The danger is when there isn’t course correction.

Those mistakes by all the well-meaning adults in our lives aren’t always cleared up when we’re children. If you don’t figure out as an adult where you were led a bit astray as a child, you set yourself up for living a life where little is possible, and you feel you don’t have much control over the outcome of anything you do.

Maybe that day the teacher said, “Oh, you’re so stupid,” they were having a truly bad day and really couldn’t handle the normal behavior of a 6-year-old. Now, there’s really no excuse for any one, ever, to call another person (let alone a child!) stupid, but everyone slips up now and then.

As an adult, you know that children (people, really) make mistakes all the time – it doesn’t mean they’re stupid. But maybe you were that child who took that statement to heart. As a result, you’ve spent your whole life never striving for anything or trying to achieve anything. Because what’s the point if you’re stupid?

You need to stop and evaluate the beliefs you have about yourself and interrogate them, just like a detective would! The only way to counter the negative messages in your mind is with facts, even if you have to repeat them over and over again to yourself like you’re studying for a test.

Whenever you come up against a limiting belief, ask:

Is this the truth about me?
Does this statement about me reflect reality?
If a stranger looked at my life, would they agree with these negative beliefs?

This allows you to stop and change course – get off the Negative Bus to Nowhere and get onto the Positive Parkway to Peak Performance!

By the way, a good way to figure out if something is a limiting belief or not is to test it out: would you say this about a friend, or someone you loved?

If it passes that test, ask yourself if there’s a way you can perceive it differently, or is there a way you can alter your perspective on it so that there’s an opportunity in the challenge?

Say your limiting belief is, “I’m terrible with money, I’ll never save anything.” A lot of people have issues with cash flow – and life costs money! Does it help you to repeatedly tell yourself you’re terrible with money? No! It keeps you “money stuck.”

Maybe you’re struggling to save, but you know you have a big heart. When you comb through your bank statements the last few months, you see you’re giving every last $5, $10, $25 to every other charity that rings true to you. That’s beautiful!

Can you extend that generosity to yourself?

What if you change the belief to, “I am so generous, I will make sure my needs get taken care of, too!” That’s a much kinder way to view yourself, and it sets you up for success with your finances!

Some people check out their limiting beliefs and update them in their 20s, or 50s, or 70s – and some people never check their beliefs. Usually what prompts someone to evaluate their belief system is a significant trauma or obstacle in life that completely shakes up our sense of self and identity. It’s something that rocks the foundation of who we believe ourselves to be.

Now, those kinds of traumas and obstacles in life are rarely fun. However, they are always opportunities for growth and change. These events stop us in our tracks. They force us to look at our belief system and how we are living our life today. Most often, these traumas end up being “gifts” that allow us to do our own course correction when we need it most (if we’re willing to do the hard work of changing our mindset!).

Everyone I’ve interviewed for Generation Why Not^®? had to go through some sort of obstacle or trauma that shook things up enough to get them to truly question all of their limiting beliefs. It’s a process that often starts with a traumatic event or pivotal experience, but that’s what allows us to identify where things aren’t working in our lives.

Traumas and hardship have a way of cracking life open to reveal a pearl inside – are you willing to reach in and take it? If you’re part of Generation Why Not®?, you will take that hardship as an opportunity to course correct and grow.

The only thing holding you back from the life you’ve always dreamed of is you.

Once you appreciate that power, the sky is truly the limit!

Here’s to your new Perceptual Paradigm,

Ruth

P.S. You can pre-order my new book, Generation Why Not^®, if you want to go into depth on these issues and ways to course correct. As a gift for your pre-order, you’ll also receive my 12-week course, Miracles, Money, & Mindset – a $297 value! Generation Why Not^® will be available in 2019 and shipped to the address you register with.

If you’re stuck with your own limiting beliefs, schedule a complimentary discovery session with me! I’d love to help you break through those limiting beliefs!