LIMITING BELIEFS
Getting Out of Our Own Way
For some of us, understanding the differences between being a
Often, it is our limiting beliefs that keep us from moving to-
thought follower vs. a thought leader is enough clarity to help
wards our desire. These limiting beliefs can push us to behave
us make the move. At the same time, many of us would like to
as thought followers when we would really prefer to be thought
become thought leaders, yet find ourselves hesitating, procrasti-
leaders! We learned these beliefs early in life and they tend to
nating, or making other activities a higher priority.
color how we see ourselves and the world, because on some
level, we think they are true.
What can get between our desire and taking action in a new
way?
Limiting Belief: I’m Not Enough
If I don’t think I’m enough (smart enough, experienced enough,
important enough, fast enough, old enough, articulate enough,
etc.), I may not feel worthy of being a thought leader, or that my
insights are not of high enough value.
When we realize that this is not actually true, and that we each
are a work in progress – like all human beings – we can relax and
start to offer our authentic and creative selves to any situation.
What we are learning is as much value is what we are teaching.
Limiting Belief: I Don’t Matter
If I don’t think I matter as much as others, it will be very hard to
make thought leadership a priority in my life – especially if I put
other’s needs before my own as a way to add value.
Remembering that we are all equal and unique in our perceptions and expression allows us to question if this belief is really
true. Each of us is of value exactly as we are, and our insights,
needs, and contributions are important.
Limiting Belief: I Can’t Rock the Boat
When our ideas have run counter to our family, church, school, or
job culture, we learn that it is unsafe to express ourselves. We may
have been ridiculed, shamed or made guilty for not supporting the
status quo. This belief can lead to indecisiveness and low risk-taking as a general way of staying safe in life.
At some point, we have to decide that what we learned in our
youth is no longer true, and that other’s reactions to us is about
them, not a statement of who we are. Not rocking the boat may
have been a smart strategy in our youth, but we have the choice
to create safety for ourselves now by focusing on how good it
feels to honor our authentic expression. When we do, we change
our experience and others respond in kind.
Limiting Belief: I Have to Pay a Price
Many of us learned that we couldn’t have what we wanted
(acceptance, help or support, approval, love, authentic expression,
pleasure, play, etc.) unless we paid a price. The price might have
been having to listen to someone complain, acting grown up, being
made wrong, getting less than we asked for, being criticized, ignoring our values, getting grounded, dressing the part, etc. This left us
feeling disappointed and powerless.
To take our power back, we get to learn how to ask for what we
want, and how to say no to what we don’t want, clearly and kindly without attachment to the outcome. When we remember that
we can get our needs met from the inside, instead of the outside
(from others), we can stop giving our power away to others.
Unlimited Belief (In Ourselves)
Whether we act as a thought leader or a thought follower, we
With clarity about our passion and our expertise linked together
can get out of our own way by shifting our limiting beliefs to
to add value for others and for ourselves, we can offer our most
ones that empower us. To challenge a limiting belief when it
authentic selves, and plug into the energy that keeps us contrib-
holds us back, we can take a step back inside and ask ourselves,
uting as thought leaders or thought followers.
“Is it true?” Affirming the empowering belief in situations where
we feel stuck or resistant can help us find the courage and ener-
Are you ready to lead, follow or get out of your own way?
gy to choose what we really want. The empowering beliefs feel
good and remind us of our intention and value in sharing what
we have to give.
Wendy Watson-Hallowell, 2016