If I would describe the feeling I got when I heard the statement ‘you don’t have to be behind bars to be in prison’, I would just shout yeeeessshhhh because it felt like someone had slapped me. The statement got me thinking so hard and led me to finding out that I had been a prisoner for quite a while. Hey fellow prisoner, I know I’m not alone so shout God forbid as loud as you can but that does not change the fact that we are together. It is what it is darling.
A person does not have to be behind bars to be a prisoner. People can be prisoners or slaves of their own concepts and ideas. – Maharaji (Prem Rawat)
Here’s the thing, people who are in actual prisons are limited from doing a lot of things so what makes you a prisoner are the limiting beliefs you have of yourself. You get it now?
Limiting Beliefs explains why you don’t have to be behind bars to be in prison
I would have said this in one of my blogposts that there was a time I believed I could not be a blogger. I had one thousand and one reasons to support this belief. I would not only convince myself, I would also try to convince people who saw actual potential in me that they were seeing wrongly.
What are limiting beliefs?
I’m too old I lack experience I don’t have the resources to do this Do they sound familiar?
Limiting beliefs are false beliefs that prevent us from pursuing our goals and desires. These beliefs will make you believe that you are not capable of being who you want to be or achieving those goals. Limiting beliefs hold you back from being all that you can be and you know the funny thing, it makes perfect sense to you as to why you can’t be all of those things.
The only thing keeping you from getting what you want is the story you keep telling yourself. – Tony Robbins
Your beliefs play an important role in what happens and what does not happen. Often times, limiting beliefs are unconscious thoughts we have put in place by ourselves to feel some type of way (mostly good) about things. I mean, you’ll rather not do it at all than attract criticism. Instead, you’ll overthink till you are convinced that it is actually not meant for people like you.
You need to challenge these beliefs
Our beliefs are so powerful. They dictate the direction of our lives and unless we change our beliefs, it is very unlikely that our situation will change. It is so funny that we are only able to attract what we believe we deserve and this makes it important to consciously choose what we believe.
Growing up, we could not choose what to believe in. Our environment, education, culture and experiences one way or the other formed who we are today. Even though we could not choose what to believe in at that time, we can challenge these beliefs and choose which is beneficial to us.
What serves you and what harms you? Are you still a prisoner even if you stand in an open field?
1 Write them down
Take your time to think about those ideas, habits, thoughts and beliefs in your life that are holding you back from being all that you can be. Identify these beliefs and write them down the way they come to you.
For example:
I can’t do business and succeed
Life is unfair
I can’t be rich
I can’t find love
I know how hard it can be writing these things down but you need to write the and be as honest as possible. If you are able to write them down, then you just overcame one of the problems.
2 What formed these beliefs?
Now that you have written them down, it’s time to find the origin of these beliefs. How were they formed?
Could it be because your parents are separated that you feel you cant find love? Or could it be because of a bad breakup? Did you even try to find love but it keeps ending in tears so you feel love is not meant for everybody?
For everything on your list, think deeply about things that could have formed these beiefs.
3 Begin to challenge these beliefs
Now that you know what formed these beliefs, it’s time to challenge them. Remind yourself that there are people who are happily in love and since they don’t have two heads, you can also find love. If yo need to change your environment and the people yo surround yourself with just to drive the message hoe, do it.
Remind yourself of the good reasons why the new belief is more believable. Surround yourself with people who embody the new belief and read pieces that reinforces the new belief.
It might seem really hard at first but it’s not impossible to break free from the prison you have put yourself in. When voices of self-doubts come up, shut them out through positive affirmations. Slowly, one day you’ll get back everything your limiting beliefs had deprived you of.
Does this post resonate with you? Share your thoughts with me in the comment section. Do well to share this post with your community if you found it useful. If you have not, subscribe to my mailing list for some extra juice.
Cheers to smashing our goals this week.
With love,
Opeyemi Omidiji
