Beyond Belief: Releasing Limiting Beliefs and Limitations
Most of the limiting beliefs and life’s limitations that we perceive appear to be etched in stone and we may even argue vehemently in their defense. We can be willing to describe in great detail why there is no getting around these limitations and that “impossible” is the best description of them. It doesn’t seem to matter that others may not experience the same sense of limitation in a particular area, and we may go so far as to not associate with those who do not feel limited by the same things. This isn’t at all uncommon, that people will bond based on a similar sense of need or feeling of restrictiveness. This is a way of reinforcing the sense of limitation and gives it an air of credibility or legitimacy which other associations may deny.
In my experience most of this sense of limitation has to do with one’s belief in their own level of ability. Although the limitation may be blamed on some external factor, the real truth is that one has chosen to believe that they are incapable of rising above the restriction. I’m not pointing any fingers here, since we all seem to utilize this sense of limitation in one area or another. If we didn’t, I suspect that the word “can’t” wouldn’t be in such popular use. The number of reasons for accepting this lack of ability can be many, but the bottom line function of this mental attitude appears to be a lack of faith.
It can look like a miracle when someone chooses to have faith that a particular life barrier can be overcome. I’ve seen it happen uncounted times. There doesn’t have to be a particular solution offered to the limitation, just the willingness to accept that there is a solution. As a matter of fact, the act of offering solutions to someone convinced of their limitation can be an extraordinarilly unrewarding activity. Take it from someone who has been down that road far too many times, it simply isn’t worth the effort. The individual has to choose to recognize the fact that there are alternatives, and if this choice hasn’t been made, any efforts to convince them otherwise is a waste of breath.
What about our own limitations? Others may offer us alternatives or potential solutions, which may only serve to make us feel that they don’t understand our difficulty. We could feel put upon or even bullied by their insistence that we get up and do something about our difficulty. The only solution is for someone else to handle the problem for us, or for us to decide that we simply must deal with it ourselves in some way. I’d like to make myself clear here, “dealing with it” does not include laying down and accepting the difficulty as part of life. It means that we’ve chosen to find a way around or over the problem and get on with our lives.
Simply considering the possibility that there is a viable solution to our difficulty can cause magic to happen. This is the anatomy of inspiration. We let go of the perceived “impossibility” of a solution, and this opens the way to let in other possibilities. We are essentially “breathing in” new ideas and potentialities. That is the derivation of the word “inspire”, to “breathe in”. Spiritus, or spirit is part of the derivation of this word. As we open up to Spirit, we are allowing greater possibilities to enter our consciousness, but this cannot occur if we’re unwilling to accept that other possibilities exist.
Take a look at a typical limitation in your life. Perhaps it is financial, wellness or relationship oriented. It may have something to do with your career. Whatever the limitation may be, it is something that prevents you from experiencing a number of preferred activities in life. You may have made multiple attempts to get beyond this limitation and become discouraged. I’m going to suggest a way of looking at this limitation that could be different from the way you’ve percevied it before.
Consider the possibility that this limitation is a good thing. This is the first step to opening your mind about it. Look for reasons why having this limitation in your life is serving you in some way. Perhaps it’s easier, less complicated than having freedom in this area of life. Or maybe your friends would be less supportive of you if you didn’t have this problem. Your family may think you’re odd if you don’t have the same problem that you’ve always had. You might feel less confident or less secure if you were unlimited in this. If you look at these possibilities honestly and without negative judgement about them, you may see that one or more apply to your situation.
Forgive yourself. If you find that you’ve had a vested interest in holding onto the limitation, getting angry with yourself doesn’t help. It seemed like a good idea at the time didn’t it? Now, just open up to other possibilities. Perhaps you could live without your limitation and without the perceived difficulties of not having it, simultaneously. Consider this. There is probably a habit pattern of thought which claims that there is no solution without accompanying problems. What if the solution could exist without these problems? In a Universe of infinite possibilities, it probably can. Open your mind to solutions that make life better, not worse. Then it is far easier to accept alternatives and expand any limiting beliefs you may be holding onto.
