Unleashing the Power of Gratitude: Overcoming Limiting Beliefs & Gratitude Meditation
Updated: Jul 25
Limiting beliefs are like road-blocks. they are old ideas about past experiences, instead of dead-ends. you can Transform limiting beliefs into possibilities and solutions.
Limiting Beliefs & Fear
A limiting belief is a state of mind or idea about yourself that restricts you in some way. Everyone experiences limiting beliefs, but learning how to identify them can help you to overcome them and stop sabotaging your progress.
Limiting beliefs usually come from a place of fear. These preconceived notions limit your potential. You'll find that with practice, action cures fear and shrinks or eliminates your limiting beliefs.
Common examples include:
"I'm not good enough."
"I'm too old/young."
"I don't have enough time."
"I'm not smart enough."
"I don't have experience."
"I don't have enough money."
"I'll never be successful."
"I'm a fraud."
Limiting beliefs can also be considered Imposter Syndrome. People with Imposter Syndrome doubt their abilities and feel like a fraud. They find it difficult to accept their accomplishments. They believe they are not very intelligent and have fooled people into believing so. Feeling unsure shouldn't make you an imposter.
Identify your limiting beliefs and then ask yourself:
"Is it true for you?"
"What would your life look like if you simply didn't have this belief?"
"Is the opposite of the belief true?"
If you fear public speaking, start by speaking to one or two people, then speak to a group of five, and take baby steps. Feel the fear, but do it anyway! I still get nervous before teaching a class, but I breathe and ground myself, and remind myself that my fear moves me forward and turn that fear into excitement!
Gratitude & Gratitude Meditation
When we Intentionally acknowledge and reflect on what we are grateful for, we activate the state of gratitude, and ultimately bring more of what we desire into our lives.
Countless studies have found that people who regularly practice gratitude and use a gratitude meditation tend to be happier and less depressed. It frees us from toxic feelings and emotions. And even just the simple act of writing your gratitude down can be cathartic and beneficial, even if you do not share what you wrote.
Gratitude expression also has lasting effects on the brain, particularly in the medial prefrontal cortex which is associated with learning and decision making. A study conducted by Brown & Wong (2017) found that three months after writing gratitude letters, there was sensitivity in the medial prefrontal cortex as shown using an fMRI. This suggested that "people who are more grateful are also more attentive to how they express gratitude", and that those who wrote gratitude letters showed greater activation in the medial prefrontal cortex than those who did not write gratitude letters. This effect was found three months after letter writing, which indicated that expressing gratitude may have lasting effects on the brain.
Final Thoughts
Practicing gratitude is beneficial in many aspects, especially with combating limiting beliefs. When we show gratitude for our strengths and what makes us unique and special, we are able to overcome the limiting beliefs and have greater confidence. The benefits of gratitude have been found to be long-lasting and can help us to use our brains for us, rather than against us. By showing thanks for what we have, we cultivate positivity and happiness and lessen or eliminate negativity and self-sabotage.
I challenge you to try a gratitude practice for 21 days. Every morning before you get out of bed, name 3-5 things that you are grateful for. This may be challenging at first, but you will find that the more you practice, the easier it will become and you will start to see beauty all around you. And that positive energy not only improves your life, but the lives of those around you.
References:
Brown, J., & Wong, J., 2017. How gratitude changes you and your brain. Greater Good Magazine. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_gratitude_changes_you_and_your_brain