Limiting beliefs affect how we work & how we rest. We're so caught up in the belief that we need to be busy that we hardly take the time to rest & reset. Resting, recovering, and refocusing IS productive.
Let's take a few minutes to look at what limiting beliefs we have have that are holding us back from performing.
You'll need to grab a pen & paper as we'll be doing a quick quiz together that will help you move forward by taking a pause.
How does this work?
When we're too close to the action all the time, we can't see beyond what's directly in front of us. By creating some space via a step back or even a rest, then we can see the bigger picture. This bigger view allows us to analyze what's happening and make adjustments that work better, faster, and with more ease.
Make sure you have that pen & paper!
The Rules
The statements below are to be read one at a time. When you're done reading each statement, write the FIRST THING that pops into your head within the first 2 seconds. Sometimes it's a word, but it can also be a feeling, concept, emoji, color, texture, etc.
Whatever pops up is actually your subconscious trying to communicate & it doesn't always make logical sense. Any longer than 5 seconds and it's too much thinking making it too conscious. It's our subconscious thought that controls most of what we do, so let's see what it believes so we can address our self-sabotage.
Mental Set Up
To set up for this exercise we need to come back to the present moment & practice being the observer for a few minutes. This means using your curiosity to observe, and letting go of your judgements.
Step 1: Close or rest your eyes. Breathe into your diaphragm. Breathe in through your nose for 4 seconds. Breathe out through your nose for 8 seconds. Make your out breath more audible as you slightly close the back of your throat. Pay attention to the way it feels in your body. Keep practicing this breath until you can do it twice without forcing the rhythm.
Step 2: Go back to your normal breathing rhythm. Pay attention to the way it feels in your body. When thoughts come up just say "Ahh, a thought" to acknowledge them and come back to paying attention to the breath. Practice this for about 2 minutes.
Step 3: Grab your pen & paper and write the title of this article, the link, and today's date so you can reference back at a later date to see how things have changed.
The Statements
Read each statement clearly, write down the number, write or draw what comes up, then move on to the next one. This part of the exercise takes less than 5 minutes. Here are a few statements:
My name is...
My top values are...
My top priority is...
My greatest passion is...
My clearest vision of my future involves...
Every time I do something good I'm...
Biggest goal?...
Biggest challenge?...
Gut feeling/Intuition?...
Freedom?...
Making decisions is...
Money is...
Business is...
Success is...
Self-awareness is...
I am...
I have...
I need...
I want...
I feel...
I am enough...
I am worthy...
I am invisible...
I am an imposter...
I trust myself...
My choices are...
My life is...
Boundaries are...
My reason for taking action is...
Love is...
Whatever you wrote down is right for you. Don't compare it to anyone else.
Reading Your Results All of your answers are your deeper truth, even if it's not what you want them to be. If your answers come as a shock to you, just see this as an opportunity to grow. If they are what you'd hoped for, great! That means you've not only learned something, but you've integrated it as part of your beliefs. You're a badass for doing that & don't forget it! Example 1: When I did an exercise like this specifically about my money mindset, I noticed that I thought I'd feel lonely & isolated if I made money. I thought people would no longer like me. While I logically knew that not to be true, it still came up and my subconscious still blocked me from charging my true value for my services.
Example 2: At a meditation group, we did a similar exercise based on deep seeded self-beliefs. When the facilitator said "I am worthy" I wrote down "off a cliff version of aghhh." After all the work I had done I never would have thought that I still felt unworthy.
Look for patterns. What comes up a lot? Are they related? Is there a moment or series of moments in my life that give me the same feeling? THIS is the stuff you work on, not coming up with the perfect price for your new online course.
Moving Forward Take the hard to see beliefs and learn about them. Get clear on how they are affecting you so as you work through them, you'll see just how much progress you're making. There's not one way or one order to go about moving forward. You create your own path. What worked for someone else may not work for you right now, but maybe next month it will. Just focus on practicing who you want to be. It's the practice that will build the habit you're seeking.
If you created your own list, what statements would YOU have on it?
Share by using the hashtag #BEDMASlife.
Learn, Love, and keep your Momentum,
Laura Lake <3