A few weeks ago, I was out working in the garden. We bought a new home in the Rocky Mountains, and the previous owners did not take care of the yard - at all, for years. The front yard was overgrown with weeds that were practically up to my knees in some areas.
If you’ve ever tended to a garden, then you know just how much work it can be. Those weeds really take root, spread quickly, and seem to grow back just as quickly as you dig them out! It’s not enough to just pull away the flower tops, instead you have to dig deep and really break down the strong root system that exists below the surface. You dig, you tug, and you tear those little weeds out with all of your might.... and, it’s hard.
Or, I guess you could just get some weed killer... but, that never actually crossed my mind.
So, what does that have to do with overcoming limiting beliefs?
Well, everything.
We live in a society where millions of people are on medications just to function each day because they have anxiety, they are so damn hard on themselves, or they lack the self-worth to actually get what they want out of life. While some may absolutely need to be on medications, for most, I believe that there is a better way than big phrama. It starts with addressing the root of the problem, not just the symptoms.
And, then there’s the lesser extreme... those who are too afraid to take the journey, make the leap, and actually live a life that fulfills them. So, they go through each day without a defined purpose, and unfulfilled dreams - as though that is status quo.
It doesn’t have to be...
What most people suffer from are severe limiting beliefs - these can range from fear, chronic stress, doubts, insecurities, secret vulnerabilities, lack of self-compassion, perfectionism, etc. that often date back to experiences in childhood. They can also be formed at any time in life due to circumstances.
These limiting beliefs create “paradigms:” patterns of behavior or mental scripts in our mind. Where we operate so often from the subconscious, have a tendency to ruminate, and are hardwired to focus on the negative... these paradigms can take over our life without us even realizing it. They impact our decisions, self-worth, relationships, success, and can spread into all areas of our life. They are weeds.
With paradigms, we have to constantly tend to our mental garden. Just like uprooting the weeds outside, we have to dig and do the work in order to clean out the mental weeds inside. These limiting beliefs often have a deep root system that needs to be yanked out. They’ve had an emotional impact on you over time as well, leaving imprints not only on your mind but also on your body. It’s not always easy to just break free, and these paradigms tend to come back when the conditions are favorable and the gardener is slacking.
Overcoming limiting beliefs requires reconditioning your subconscious mind, changing the neuro-pathways in the brain, and creating new paradigms. This requires emotional intelligence and a commitment to re-writing your mental script.
Watch this video below to learn more about paradigms and the key to overcoming them.
This is an area of the work that I do with my clients, and as you can see from the video, I’ve overcome my own paradigms in order to make huge leaps in life, love and business. Share your experiences, ask questions, and leave comments below.