There is an iconic scene in The Matrix where Morpheus and Neo test Neo’s newly downloaded Kung Fu Skills. But from Morpheus’ point of view, the true purpose of the exercise was to call into question everything Neo believed to be true about his capabilities.
About half way through the scene, Neo is flat on his stomach and Morpheus asks:
How did I beat you?
Neo, sweaty and out of breath, looks up and answers:
You're too fast.
Many of us go through life life Neo. We’ve been told our potential is capped. We’ve been told that a certain set of circumstances require us to remain stuck in place. So we buy into believing our competition, our living situation, our finances, our business, our health our attitude are all “too fast” for us. And what we really want to do, who we really want to become, and the impact we know we can have in the world drift off in our dreams.
Sound familiar? It does to me. I struggle daily with this very battle. I am not a brain expert, but I know it is doing all it can to keep us alive and ensure we don’t take on more than we can handle. One of the primary reasons I launched The Impact Entrepreneur Show and Blog is to break free of the false chains holding me back from realizing my own potential. I want the same for you! I want to share this journey with others because I want all of us to rise above the fog and sore together to new heights.
You see, regardless of your faith background, I believe we were all created by God for greatness. We were created to do more than we can possibly ask for or imagine. The beautiful thing is we already possess the ability to do so. We just need to tap into it and then, as Morpheus said to Neo:
Don't think you are; know you are.
Here are four ways to blow past your limiting beliefs.
Think Differently
In a recent conversation I had with Tom Bilyeu, Found and CEO of Quest Nutrition, he shared the importance of figuring things out so that he could control his own destiny. If he had an idea for something or was passionate about a project but did not possess the skill, the good news he discovered was that he could invest in learning the skill. Many of us get stuck right there, but making different decisions equal different outcomes. I’d say it’s worked for Tom and Quest. After all, they have grown 57,000% and are now a billion dollar company.
Practice affirmations
I used to believe that reciting positive statements about myself or the future I am working to create was a bunch of psychobabble, and it is, but it just happens to be true psychobabble. There are two main benefits:
- It is impossible to be simultaneously negative and positive.
- You become what you think about.
If you intentionally practice making affirmations about yourself in the present tense, then you will begin to move toward that which you think about. It comes down to awareness. For example, when police are on the look out for a stolen, black Honda suddenly all they see are black Hondas. It’s not that the “universe” put them there; it is, however, how their thoughts were organized. The video below is just one of a myriad examples proving awareness matters.
If you're interested in digging deeper, a phenomenal book on the matter is called Personal Coaching for Results by the late Lou Tice.
Write it down
The most important step you can take is to write down your dream or vision. It doesn’t have to be some long narrative or business plan. Just bullet point it. Go big! Don’t hold back. What does it look like, feel like, smell like when you arrive at your goal? What are the people around you saying? What is the impact you’ve had in the world. It is a tremendously powerful exercise and it will breathe life into your dreams.
Share with others
There is a lot at stake if you DO NOT execute your vision, so you are obligated to share it in a big way. And, when you share it with others, there is an amazing thing that happens – whether you like it or not – accountability. People now know what it is you want to accomplish and they naturally are going to inquire about its progress. They will ask you things like, “have you done x,y or z?” And you will only be able to answer one of two ways – yes or no. It is very motivating.
This are just a few tools I try to use to push past my own limiting beliefs. I'm not perfect and sometimes I let those barriers hold me back for too long. But the difference is that I get back up and I remember I am created for greatness!
What tips or tricks do you use to break past your limiting beliefs?
Mike Flynn is an entrepreneur, podcaster and blogger who lives in Santa Cruz, Ca. You can find about more about him and his show at www.theimpactentrepreneur.net
Originally published at theimpactentrepreneur.net on May 27, 2016.