Are They Keeping You from Playing Big?
“It’s not what you say out of your mouth that determines your life, it’s the whisper to yourself that has the most power.”
~Robert T Kiyosaki
What are the stories that you tell yourself? The ones that keep you from taking action, or the ones that make you feel uncertain? We all have them, and often we don’t even realize it. While some are based on truth, many are fictions we’ve created based on our experiences, and the stories we have been told from our families, schools, and society. These ideas float around in our subconscious and shape our emotional and mental responses to change, desire and action.
These stories can limit your belief in what you are capable of and keep you from achieving your goals. Your mindset is a huge factor in determining success, and if these limiting beliefs are holding you back, then it’s time for a change. To begin, you need to be self-aware enough to recognize these negative thoughts, so you can begin to actively make changes to align your thinking with who you want to be and how you want to respond in the world.
Here are three ways you can begin to recognize and begin changing the limiting stories that are impacting your life:
See The Limitation
Simply identify where you’re holding yourself back in your life unnecessarily:
- Where do you want to do something but don’t?
- Where do you want to not do something, but do?
It’s like removing the wool from your eyes, only you’re taking it out of a different perspective. Asking yourself, “Why am I stopping myself or feeling hesitant to do what you want?” is a potent awareness technique. You may then start making the changes you desire once you’ve recognized your patterns.
Now, Tell The Truth
To assess the truth or strength of the story you are telling, you may employ your imagination and imagine yourself in it. You might construct a scenario in your head of how things would play out if you took a new job. You could consider yourself getting the position, dealing with problems, and using your imaginations to think about how the situation might play out
Consider this, have you ever failed so badly you were fired before? Would it be reasonable or likely that your new employer would simply leave you to fail and flounder? By running your story out to its natural and more realistic conclusion, you may realize for yourself that the story is not really based on truth, but instead based on unfounded fears and uncertainties.
Time For Something New
Stories are formed in our minds as a result of events that we have experienced or have been told to us by our family, friends, and society. They’ve become so ingrained in our thinking that we seldom consider them or whether they’re accurate. It all starts with bringing the issue into your conscious awareness. Here are some easy ways to get you started telling stories that help you rise rather than hold you back.
When you spend so much time responding to situations from your limiting belief, you likely aren’t considering new possibilities. Try a new narrative, instead of telling why something won’t work, consider stating that it will certainly work in your favor, and see what happens. For example, you might think that all jobs in the business world are terrible and will never be suitable for you. In telling a new story, you might declare that there might be some corporate jobs that are a good fit for you, and where your talents and personality would shine.
Another method I use most frequently is to exaggerate the story. You can begin to deflate the impact it has by exaggerating the story itself. You might believe that a good man/woman/person is hard to find. To exaggerate this story, you could make a list of all the places they can’t be found, as well as, all of the places they should be found, but aren’t there either! And by the end of this exercise, you might just start to laugh. There are very few things in life that fit into the ‘all or nothing category. When you can be lighthearted about your problems, you will become more open to new ideas and solutions.
Final Thoughts
We must remember that our lives are a reflection of the stories we tell ourselves. If you don’t like where things are heading, find a new narrative and tell it! You have the power to make a change and all you have to do is have the honesty to see what isn’t working and have the courage to try something new. You are the weaver of your story that gives you the permission, power, and persistence to say YES to the life you want to live.