How to Eliminate Your Self Limiting Beliefs
(Note - This article was written in 2008.)
The only way to improve your life is to change your beliefs about yourself and about your possibilities. Only when you believe something is possible, will you take action.
Would you like to double your income? Sure you would! Who wouldn't? But here's the rub - do you believe it's possible? If you don't, you will not do what you need to do to double it.
Think about this. Since you started your first job, haven't you already doubled, tripled, quadrupled your income? Doesn't that prove that it's possible? You've already done it. Get over it. Start believing that it's possible to do it again and go for it.
And be open to creative ways of getting it done. We're not necessarily talking about doubling what you make from your job. Although that's possible, what you need to look at is doubling your total income by developing other streams of income. If you begin to look for opportunities, you'll find many that fit your skills, talents and passions.
You just have to believe it's possible. I've doubled my income twice in the last 24 months. Yes, I'm making 4X as much today as I did two years ago. And it's not all from one source. I've got multiple streams coming in and am always open to new opportunities as long as they fit several strict criteria that I've set for myself.
Just today, I received two phone calls with very viable opportunities. The trick now is to know what to say no to. I will only consider opportunities that fit my criteria. Because I only have so much time. You need to do the same.
I make it a point to hang around people who are making 5-10 times what I'm making. I was on the phone with two millionaires just this morning. By doing that, you know what is happening? I'm starting to believe that I can do it too. It's all about what you sincerely believe.
I guarantee you that if I didn't make it a priority to regularly associate with millionaires, I would not believe that I can become a millionaire. By the way, these mentors of mine are doing the same thing. Except they add a few zeroes. The millionaires are hanging around billionaires. No joke.
You see, it's no different than what you tell your kids. An C student can't teach you how to become a B student and a B student can't teach you how to become an A student.
If all you do is hang around average people, I can tell you exactly what will happen. Before long, you'll start believing you have average intelligence, average creativity, average talent, average capability, and average skills. And you know what? In virtually every case, those beliefs will be wrong.
When you start associating with winners, you start realizing that they are not much smarter, talented, or gifted than most people. You start realizing that they are ordinary people with extraordinary desire, belief, focus, and willingness to get the job done.
You hang around them long enough and you start seeing the possibilities. You start seeing that you've had what it takes all along. You start developing hope, belief and faith in the future. And when that starts happening, look out! You start taking action. Because when there's hope in the future, there's power in the present.
You see, all beliefs are acquired. Beliefs are learned - and unlearned. You need to start believing that you have what it takes. Because you do. Next time you have a self-limitng belief, say to yourself, "What if that was not true at all?"
Start thinking about yourself differently. Once you do, your life will change. You will start doubling and tripling your income. You will learn new skills and take on new challenges. You will set bigger goals and start throwing your heart into achieving them. You will start taking charge of your life.
I caught the Olympic dream when I was ten years old. for eleven years I didn't act on my dream because I did not believe it was possible.
When I was 21 I saw little Scott Hamilton win the Gold Medal at the 1984 Sarajevo Olympics and all of a sudden I believed. I believed that if he could do it, I could do it. I believed that I was destined to be an Olympian.
You need to believe that you are destined to be a big success in life - whatever that means to you.
Start saying it to yourself, "I am destined to be a big success in life."
Once you believe it, you will act as if everything that happens to you in life is part of a great plan to make you successful. That's what happened to me and it will happen to you too.
Even when I broke bones I believed that something good would come from it. I just believed it was part of the plan. I believed that anything that didn't kill me would make me stronger.
You need to believe that way too. Every time I had a setback I looked for the lesson hidden within it. I set it up in my mind that no matter what happened, I would win. That helped me from getting discouraged along the way.
When you start thinking like that, nothing can stop you.
For the rest of the week be extra conscious about what you think. Be conscious about what your thoughts say about your underlying beliefs.
Whenever you have a self limiting belief, say to yourself, "What if that wasn't true? What if I had the ability to realize my dream?"
Saying these things will help eliminate that negative belief.
Then, act like if that self limiting belief wasn't true and soon that elief will vanish. Because how you act influences how you belief.
Make it a priority to manage your thoughts and people will be amazed at what you accomplish.
Make it an Olympic Day!
Ruben Gonzalez is a four-time Olympian, a bestselling business author and an award-winning keynote speaker. Ruben will turn your next meeting into an Olympic event you will never forget. For information on how to bring him to your next event, visit PremiereSpeakers.com/Ruben_Gonzalez.
