A Fabulous Life Beyond Limiting Beliefs

Many people go through life without ever questioning, let alone challenging, the limiting beliefs they were taught since childhood. They blindly follow whatever their family, community, or culture prescribe, often without realizing it.

Some of these limiting beliefs have been passed down through generations, remaining unchanged for thousands of years. If we never stop to examine these inherited mindsets, we remain trapped in limited thinking – always confined within the box.

I often find people are stuck in the emotional patterns and thought habits of their parents or grandparents.

For example, those whose families lived through the Great Depression, or who endured scarcity of food, heat, or other basic necessities, may feel compelled to save everything.

What if I need it someday? I paid so much for it, and it’s still perfectly good to keep. What if… what if…

A good example here where I live in the state of Maine is when an old Northeaster storm is supposed to come, bringing in double digit inches of snow.

Some folks then panic and rush to the nearest grocery store and stock up on two or three of the same items, because what if I can’t get out again for two weeks? Which, as a matter of fact, has never happen in my lifetime! Realistically you may only be marooned a day or two at the most in most parts of Maine.

It’s often about fear, and nothing else. The fear of ‘what if,’ or the fear of lack and scarcity.

Do just once what others say you can’t do, and you will never pay attention to their limitations again ~ James Cook

My grandmother used to save everything: plastic butter containers, bread wrappers, and twist ties to hold things closed. When I was little, she saved grain bags and would make my sister and me dresses from them. Now that is revealing my age!

My grandparents had a little store and cottages on one of the more popular lakes in Maine. So, everyone worked hard from May until October, because a seasonal business had to sustain the family through the winter months.

To get to the point, my parents were brought up to work hard, save, and reuse everything they could salvage. If something broke, you got it fixed. You didn’t run out and buy a new one, especially not shoes. In those days, there were professional cobblers, and they were all very busy. Yes, people got shoes resoled to wear another year.

In my opinion, some of that thinking was good, and some not so helpful. It’s always good to be mindful not to waste. Not so good if one could never purchase an item of joy without guilt. Sometimes, we need to reward ourselves with a purchase just because we like it, not because we need it. My parents would never do that, much as they deserved it.

Our most predominant beliefs create our outer reality. Also, what the mind believes, the body perceives.

I briefly lived in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in my twenties. Being that close to the ocean was wonderful. The minute I arrived, it felt like home to me. I’m sure that I lived on or near the sea in a past life.

You begin to fly when you let go of self-limiting beliefs and allow your mind and aspirations to rise to greater heights ~ Brian Tracy

From that time on, I always dreamed of living near the ocean again. However, I was raised with the limiting belief that it’s too expensive to live on the coast because of the high taxes and cost of living. Everyone, including my family, said it’s much better to live inland because its more affordable and practical. Who needs an ocean view anyway?

But I knew all along that the sea made my heart sing, and that sailing feeds my soul.

Eventually, I reached a turning point. I stopped listening to the old voices of limitation and decided I was going to live by the ocean, no matter what it took. I started focusing my energy and intention on making that dream a reality.

I worked hard, stayed disciplined, and made deliberate choices that aligned with the life I truly wanted. I visualized it often. I didn’t know exactly how or when it would happen, but I held the vision and refused to give up on it.

Well, if I had clung to that false notion of lack, the next chapter of my life would never have happened. Today, my life partner and I have a beautiful home here in Maine with an ocean view from each window.

So, moral of the story: the power is in the belief of what you feel worthy of achieving for yourself. Choose to live your best life every minute, beyond the unfounded fears and limiting beliefs of others.

What we can or cannot do, what we consider possible or impossible, is rarely a function of our true capability. It is more likely a function of our beliefs about who we are ~ Anthony Robbins

Common Limiting Beliefs That Keep People Stuck

Below is a list of common limiting beliefs that keep countless people from living the life they were born to live. If any of these resonate with you, consider whether it’s time to let them go.

✵ I’m not good enough.

✵ I don’t deserve to be happy or successful.

✵ I have to work hard to prove my worth.

✵ Money is the root of all evil.

✵ If I follow my dreams, I’ll let others down.

✵ There’s never enough: time, money, love, opportunity.

✵ People like me don’t succeed.

✵ It’s too late for me to start over.

✵ You can’t have it all.

✵ I have to put others first at all times.

✵ Wanting more makes me selfish or greedy.

✵ I must stay loyal to family beliefs, even if they limit me.

✵ If I fail, I’ll be humiliated.

✵ I’m just not lucky.

✵ I need someone else to make me whole.

✵ It’s safer not to try than to risk disappointment.

✵ I can’t change; this is just how I am.

✵ Others have it easier; I’m at a disadvantage.

✵ I’m too sensitive, emotional, or different.

✵ Dreams are nice, but life is about survival.

These beliefs are rarely rooted in objective truth. More often, they’re inherited thought patterns. They are nothing more than echoes from past generations, social environments, or moments of fear and shame.

But beliefs are not set in stone. They are stories we tell ourselves, and we can rewrite those stories.

The first step to change is awareness. Notice the beliefs that surface when you feel afraid, ashamed, or blocked. Then ask: Is this really true? Or is this someone else’s story that I’ve been carrying?

Choosing to live your best life starts with choosing better thoughts—ones that reflect your worth, your soul’s desires, and your rightful place in this world.

Because you do deserve that. Because you are enough. And because you should have a life that makes your heart sing.