Self imposed limitations are established by our beliefs. These limiting beliefs hold us back. They keep us from reaching our full potential and experiencing true joy.
In the movie, Facing the Giants, there is a scene where a high school football coach is attempting to show his players that they are not playing to their full ability and believing in themselves. The team has had a poor football record for several years. The coach asks one of the respected players to stand up and death crawl (crawling on his hands and feet) down the field from one end zone while carrying another player on his back. The coach asks the player how far he can make it. This player says that he can only make it to the 35 yard line while carrying another player and maybe to the 50 with no one his back. The coach says that he believes the player can make it to the 50 yard line with a player on his back and proceeds to blindfold this defense player for the exercise. The player stammers and denies his ability but ultimately positions himself to take the challenge. As the player moves down the field the camera focuses tightly on the coach encouraging him to keep going as the player says he is tired. Soon the camera pans the playerson the sidelines standing up and becoming attentive to watch the progress on the field. The coach tells the player to keep going and use up every ounce of will power he has and just keep going. Finally the player falls to his stomach red faced and out of breath apologizing for stopping. The coach takes off his blind fold to reveal that he went the entire length of the field.
This is a great example of the limitations that we set on ourselves and the limitations that others set on us that we accept as true. The blindfold kept the player going beyond his own expectations and judgments of his ability. He amazed himself and his team mates.
Please think about how you have judged yourself. Think about how you may have accepted other people’s judgments of you. Identify these limitations and release yourself from them today. Start expecting to succeed and feel happy. Just like the anticipation of your limitations held you back, your expectancy of a positive future will propel you forward.
Your limiting beliefs are a choice, not the truth about you. You can choose to change your beliefs and your thinking which will change your life. You have a choice to improve yourself no matter how small the improvements are when you get started. Just get started.
You can do it!
Release your limiting beliefs and become your best self!
Romans 12:2
Kelly Stallings, MS, LPC www.LifeIsMental.com www.Facebook.com/kelly.stallings www.twitter.com/lifeismental
Do you want to increase your success with weight loss and other goals? Detox your brain. In a world where wellness is a billion dollar industry, it should be safe to say the importance of detoxing your body is common knowledge. There are so many options for detoxifying your body; special diets, fasting, and supplement use to name a few. Detoxing your mind is just as important and as easy as cleansing your body.
Toxins in our foods can collect in our bodies like negative toxic thoughts can collect in our brains. It is crucial to cleanse your mind of self criticism and negative thinking. Our thoughts and personal beliefs represent the core foundation of our health and general life experience. Flushing a poor self image and negative thoughts cleanses our mind for optimal health. Self critical thoughts diminish our motivation toward success. Repetitive thoughts like, ‘I am always going to be fat,’ or ‘I am never going to be thin,’ help to create a self fulfilling prophecy that affects our daily decisions and motivation to make healthy choices. Negative self beliefs result in poor food choices resulting in a thicker waist fulfilling the critical self belief. Does this sound like a familiar personal experience?
Eliminating negative thoughts is easy to accomplish. The key to success is giving yourself enough time to achieve the goal. It took time to develop negativity; it will take time to create positivity. Be patient and stay the course. I have yet to meet a person who suddenly woke up one day with negative and self critical thinking. In fact, we are all born with a blank slate. The negativity is conditioned for us as we grow and develop. Do not blame your family; negativity bombards us from many environmental sources. Think about the last time you saw an upbeat breaking news feature. I am betting that you cannot think of even one example. Recondition your thinking and detox your brain with three easy techniques.
Repetitively use these easy techniques to change your thinking, change your life!
Detox your mind of negative self talk. Eliminate negative and self critical thinking by converting negative thoughts into positive thoughts. This might feel weird as you get started, especially if you have been self critical for years. Continue the practice regardless of how you feel. Repetition creates comfort with the process and comfort accepting that you are successful, healthy, smart, thin, etc.
Continue the mental cleanse by protecting your brain. Avoid negative environmental influences that create toxic thoughts and roadblocks toward success. Television, radio, print media and social settings can represent a negative influence on your thinking. Removing negative information allows your positivity to take root. Minimize time with negative people. Be rigid with this technique during the vulnerable first days and weeks of this new process of protecting your positivity. Daily use of this technique can quickly create a new successful and happy habit if simply stick with the plan.
Grow your positivity and success with positive influence. Adopt a new mantra of ‘good things in, good things out.’ Put good things in your mind daily that will keep you on track and motivated toward your goals. Read positive and success oriented books or stories, watch positive videos, and most important spend time with positive people. Seek out positive people to influence and grow your positive mindset. A positive minded person will talk you out of eating that afternoon sugary snack and influence you with other tasty options that support your physical fitness goals. Positive relationships act as a support system to help keep you on track during stressful times.
Make these changes and stick to them even if they feel foreign or silly. You will see a significant boost to your mood, self esteem, and successful goal achievement with repetitive long term use. Thoughts affect action. Actions create reality. Utilize these skills and think thin to live thin.
Author, Trainer, Speaker-
Kelly Stallings is a Licensed Professional Counselor with a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology. She has more than 12 years of experience working with people in group settings to create significant changes in their life including increased overall physical health. Kelly’s experience reaches beyond working directly with clients. She has extensive experience training medical professionals on the appropriate uses of cognitive behavioral techniques for client’s healthy living. She is a dynamic speaker who puts people at ease with her warm, ‘no fluff’ personality. Kelly has been married to her high school sweetheart for 20 years and they have three great kids. Kelly and her family ‘Think Thin and Live Thin’ in Texas.
