I specialise in helping people to identify and change their limiting beliefs. My personal journey has involved focusing in this area. It has impacted me in such a way that I am passionate about helping others experience these life-changing benefits. Overcoming ways of behaving that feel inherent and so engraved within our being is empowering and transforming.
The reality is that these unwanted behaviours are likely to have been adapted at an early age, but we know from up-to-date neuroscience research that the brain’s plasticity is always growing and changing. I find it hugely exciting that the brain’s neurological pathways are not set in stone but in fact new neurological pathways can be developed. The availability of brain imaging has evidenced the neuroplasticity of the brain, and we can see these changes in the brain as we unlearn what we have learned and from new patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviours.
We have all grown up with and been passed down generational limiting beliefs. I was born in the 70’s and two generational limiting beliefs I took on board were, ‘he/she can never change’ and ‘a leopard will never change its spots.’ The GenZ however, have grown up with a far greater awareness of the spectrum of learning available around self-development, and the ability to transcend and change unwanted patterns and thoughts. The availability of all the positive wellbeing podcasts is just one witness to the hunger individuals have, to find increased happiness and wellbeing, the freedom to become more of the person they want to be.
How exciting, you are not stuck in the way you are. You can change! What music this is to your ears if you long to change parts of yourself that prevent you from reaching your goals.
Cognitive dissonance prevents individuals from truly doing what they want to do. I hear this difficulty with clients on a regular basis. A client can feel so frustrated with themselves that they desire, for example to eat healthily and then find that they sabotage their goal by throwing the baby out with the bath water and ordering a takeout! Have you ever done this or do this as a repeated annoying pattern? Cognitive dissonance has a lot to answer for! It is often described as the good monkey on one shoulder and the bad monkey on the other.
I have personally learnt that stoic demands upon myself to change unwanted patterns do not last. Will power sadly has a shelf life! If this too, is your experience then a different approach towards cognitive dissonance could be for you.
Mindfulness, self-care, meditation, gratitude, and journaling are some of the empowering tools you will have seen recommended by general wellbeing practitioners.
Learning to identify and label your limiting beliefs and re-frame these with up to date, present self-beliefs based upon who you are today, will begin the process of changing your mindset and forming new neurological pathways. Adopting new behaviours of self-care will support your steps forward as you learn to become the new you. I believe this is an internal change opposed to the well-known option of will power and its disappointing shelf life!
If you’d like to chat about your limiting beliefs or more on this subject, you can email me on kathy@changingmyfuture.co.uk or book for a free introductory session.
Life Coaching is not the only approach for exploring limiting beliefs. CBT, Counselling, and other therapies can help in their unique ways. Finding what’s best for you is the important part.
