http://discoveringyourpurpose.com/beliefs/the-four-steps-to-challenge-and-change-your-limiting-beliefs/
As I stated in my last blog, Moving into Alignment – The Power of Your Beliefs, we are often more in control of our lives than we think, but often not in the way we think.
We often think that by changing things on the outside.. different relationship, job, boss, city etc. that things will improve, we will feel better,… and some of these changes may work, but they usually don't work if we have not done the inner change. In that case the outer change will just be a temporary fix to your current problem.
Lasting change happens when we first change our limiting beliefs. We do this by challenging our thought patterns and being open to different ways of looking at things.
Here are the steps to change your limiting beliefs:
The first step in changing your beliefs is to identify the beliefs that may be limiting you. The way you do this is by looking at your expectations, self-talk and childhood messages.
The second step is to discern rational from irrational thoughts and beliefs. Here is how you distinguish between the two:
Irrational Beliefs
You will know a thought or belief is irrational when:
- It is based in fear.
- It distorts reality (it is a misinterpretation of what is happening) or it involves some illogical ways of evaluating yourself, others and the world around you — awfulizing, black and white thinking (extremes), being demanding or judging others.
- It blocks you from achieving your goals and purposes.
- It creates extreme emotions that persist and that distress and immobilize you.
- It leads to behaviours that harm yourself, others or your life in general.
Rational Beliefs
Rational thinking is the opposite of irrational thinking:
- It is based in love rather than fear.
- It is based on reality. It emphasizes seeing things as they really are, keeping them in perspective, acting rather than reacting, and accepting yourself and others.
- It helps you achieve your goals and purposes.
- It creates emotions that are appropriate to the circumstances and in proportion to the event.
- It leads to behaviours that are healthy toward yourself and others.
The third step is to challenge these thoughts and beliefs and,
The fourth step is to turn them around so that you change them into something that lifts you up, empowers and inspires you rather than limits you.
Would you like some assistance going through the steps? If so than return for my next video blog post where I will walk you through the steps using myself as an example.
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