Do Your Thoughts Hold You Back?

A thought is a feeling that gives you certainty about what you know or believe. It creates a kind of map in your mind, a path that lets you reach where you want to go. Two problems with an individual’s thoughts are:

1. Thoughts are a generalization of past experiences (both good and bad).
2. Thoughts form subconsciously and are very hard to identify and change because once they take hold, they become part of your personality.

The problem with limiting thoughts: They are thoughts that can stop you from doing something you truly want to do. That can mean missing business opportunities, failing to build relationships with people, stalling personal growth, and as a result holding back the growth of your projects and businesses.

Think about it for a second: Have you had projects you never started or never finished? Have you asked yourself why? The reasons you rationalize to justify the failure or lack of commitment do not matter. The only real reason is that your limiting beliefs stopped you from doing it.

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WHERE DO LIMITING THOUGHTS COME FROM?

There are 5 areas that can create those thoughts:

1- Events

The day you graduated, the death of your best friend or a relative, the birth of your child, that big deal you closed that changed your life, a car accident, and even extreme situations such as a terrorist attack. Events impact our lives deeply and cause us to form thoughts, usually unconsciously, that shape our entire view of the world. Can you think of an event that impacted you in a positive or negative way?

2- Past results

We all form thoughts based on the results of past wins or failures. But past results are not the same as future results. It is important to build certainty and confidence from successes, even small ones. Collect positive results in your memory so you believe you can achieve whatever you set out to do. Focusing on bad experiences turns into a mind limited by the fear of past failures.

3- Environment

Free yourself from the story everyone swallows that you are simply a product of your surroundings. Oprah, Steve Jobs, and Nelson Mandela did not come from backgrounds that predestined them for greatness. They decided that their environments would not dictate who they were or what they believed. Circumstances can be hard at times, yet each of you has the power to choose what you believe and think so you become the captain of your destiny.

4- Knowledge

Knowledge is not power. At best it is potential power. Knowledge becomes power when it is applied. It can be a dynamic tool for tearing down the walls of limiting thoughts. Become a lifelong learner and never stop learning. Put yourself near people who know more than you. Proximity is power! Do your best, learn from your experience, and you can create the thoughts that force you to succeed.

5- Future vision

Just as past experiences shape your thoughts about what is possible, so does your imagined experience of the future. It is absolutely essential that you create a compelling future. Have your own vision with a map that defines your why because no one else can do this for you. Prepare for success by taking a few minutes to visualize your success. Then make it compelling by writing down the reasons why you must do it this way. Imagine how you will feel if that is your future. Finally anchor it in your body, celebrate it daily, and make it part of your routine until you achieve it!