LIMITING BELIEFS: WHAT THEY ARE, HOW TO CHANGE THEM AND EXAMPLES - ARTE - 2025

The limiting beliefs or negative beliefs are beliefs or opinions about the reality that keep getting what you want. For example, if someone thinks that "getting a good job is just luck" they would be limiting themselves, since they would not be trained, they would not try to apply for good jobs, they would not make work contacts, among others.

Ultimately, they are convictions that impede personal growth, the achievement of goals and in general achieving what each person wants. A negative belief influences and spreads in various areas of life and, in addition, defines the way of being: personality and behavior.

A belief is the subjective knowledge you have of the events that occur in the world, of things / other people, and of yourself. It is a feeling of security about what something means. Examples:

• Knowledge of events: believing that something happens by luck. These influence our potential to act.
• Things / people: believing that material things are the most valuable in the world / believing that others are selfish. They influence our relationships.
• Person: Believe that you are worth a lot or believe that you are not worth much. These influence your self-esteem.

Therefore, beliefs can refer to: events, things / people and yourself.

Why are beliefs so important?

A belief leads to having a potential to act, which leads to action, which leads to results. For example:

• Belief: you think you can finish the triathlon.
• Potential: that belief creates the potential or possibility of being able to finish it.
• Action: you run the triathlon.
• Result: you finish it.

If the belief had been "you think you can't finish the triathlon," you wouldn't have even had the potential to start it, which would not have led to any action or results.

The biggest problem with these beliefs is that they are unconscious. That is, they are influencing your behavior and your life and you don't even realize it.

Where do beliefs come from?

These beliefs are usually formed from our childhood experiences or are based on generalizations that come from painful experiences.

Examples:

• A child who is criticized destructively by his parents will begin to have limiting and negative beliefs about himself, which will cause him to build negative self-esteem and prevent him from developing his potential.
• A child who is surrounded by affectionate people and who does well in school will build beliefs such as "I'm smart." This belief will guide you to value yourself and greater achievements, as you will trust in your possibilities.

However, I have good news, so don't be discouraged: beliefs can be changed. In fact the first step to do it is to understand what they are (you are doing it by reading this article) and to realize what beliefs you have. If they are negative and limiting, you will have to change them.

Before…

Before moving on to the next point, I want to tell you an example that you will probably not forget and with which I hope to convince you of the power of beliefs.

The illusion of glass

The glass illusion was an external manifestation of a psychiatric disorder that occurred in Europe at the end of the Middle Ages (XV-XVII century).

People believed that they were made of glass and that they were in danger of breaking into pieces. In fact, one of the people who suffered it was King Charles VI of France, who even refused to allow people to touch him and wore extra clothes to avoid any "breakage."

This simple illusion caused people to change their lifestyles, and even to avoid human contact.

These beliefs of the Middle Ages will be distant to you, although for the people who had them they were real and influenced their lives remarkably. The only difference with today is that ours are based on our own person and our possibilities.

What beliefs are you having that cause you to have bad habits or to limit yourself?

Next we will see what you have to do to build positive and empowering beliefs that "exploit" your potential and allow you to achieve greater achievements.

Examples of limiting beliefs

There are hundreds of limiting beliefs, although I am going to tell you about some of the most frequent and that you have probably had at some time in your life. If you still have them, today is your day to start changing them.

1-It is very difficult, it cannot be achieved / I cannot do it (situational).

2-I am worth less than the others (personal).

3-People get achievements by luck. The effort is not worth it

4-I can not count on others (relationships).

5-Others are selfish (relationships).

6-If I win they will not love me (situations).

7-If I show someone that I am interested in him / her, they will reject me (relationships).

8-If I go wrong they will laugh at me (relationships).

9-I do not matter to anyone and they do not love me (personal).

10-Being successful only leads to more problems (situational).

11-For having a bad past I am a wretch.

12-Others: I am useless, I cannot help anyone, I deserve the worst…

Do you have any or have you had any? Are you aware now of what those beliefs would limit you? If you had them, they would be causing your life to not prosper and preventing you from moving forward and improving in certain areas of your life.

How to change negative beliefs

The reality is that it is difficult to change beliefs, although it is very worth it, since from the moment you do it you will begin to experience new results in your life.

These are the steps you can take:

1-Write your beliefs

Observe the results that you are having in your life and that you do not like. What they owe? Is there a belief that is influencing a behavior that leads to a negative result? What assumptions and beliefs do you have that prevent you from realizing your potential?

2-Become aware that they are beliefs and not realities

This is a tricky step because you may think those negative beliefs are real. Do you remember the glass people? They didn't even want to be touched…

Reflect on those beliefs. How do you know they are true? Do you have proof?

Don't you get a good job because you're not worth it or don't you get it because you think you're not worth it? Do you not talk to who you like because you are not attractive or do you not talk to who you like because you think you are not attractive?

3-Associate the limiting beliefs with something negative

Think about those beliefs and associate them with something that you dislike, that you associate with something very negative, even pain.

For example, think about believing that you are not going to get a lousy job in which you are exploited.

4-For each belief, build a new belief

For the examples I have written in point 4:

1-It's very difficult, you can't get it / I can't do it (situational).- I can get it if I persevere and make an effort.

2-I am worth less than others (personal).- I am worth the same as others.

3-People get achievements by luck. The effort is not worth it.-People do not achieve anything without effort.

4-I can't count on others (relationships).- I can count on people and I can ask for their help.

5-Others are selfish (relationships).- Others are friendly, I can have good relationships.

6-If I win they will not love me (situations).- If I win, they will love me the same as before.

7-If I show someone that I am interested in him / her, they will reject me (relationships).- If I show interest to someone they will appreciate it.

8-If I go wrong they will laugh at my (relationships).- If I go wrong, there will be people who will admire me for trying and those who laugh are useless who do not even try.

9-I do not matter to anyone and they do not want me (personal).- I matter to my close people and they love me.

10-Being successful only leads to more problems (situational).- Being successful includes having a good quality of life and problems are inevitable, and can be solved.

11-For having a bad past I am a wretch.-It is the present that counts and my negative past can help me to be stronger.

12-Others: I am useless, I cannot help anyone, I deserve the worst…

Other positive beliefs would be:

-If I'm committed, I can get it.

-Everything happens for a reason.

-The past does not limit me, it makes me grow.

-Life is a gift to be enjoyed.

-What really matters is what I think of myself, not others.

5-Associate new beliefs with something positive

Now, take the three beliefs that you think limit you the most and associate them with something positive.

For example: believe that if you try and fail, others will admire you, associate it with a positive emotion or try and achieve it.

6-act

This step may seem radical or will cause you anxiety but it is the one that works best.

Even if you don't have these beliefs yet, you can act as if (examples):

• You're attractive.
• You are worth a lot.
• You are nice and friendly.
• You're smart.
• Failure only allows you to move forward and learn from mistakes.

If you act in a way that you have not acted before, you will observe new results and those results will contribute to the construction of new beliefs.

For example, speaking in public will help create the belief that you are daring, which in turn will allow other daring behaviors that will lead to other positive outcomes.

Now it's your turn. What are your limiting beliefs? How have they influenced your life? I am interested in your opinion. Thank you!