A belief is a thought that we see as true and that we continually reinforce.
So then, how do these form?
This is both conscious and subconscious.
Below I'll explain the process of how we come to think what we think. Then, I'll guide you through how this creates limiting beliefs and what you can do to break the cycle.
Let's dive in!
It is estimated that our brain takes in over 2 million bits of a data at a time. This is way too much to consciously process at once. So it filters out the input.
It does so through 3 primary approaches:
1 - Deletes: Data that doesn't match our past stories is filtered out and deleted so we don't have that input brought to our conscious attention.
2 - Distorts: data gets adjusted to match what happened to us in the past and our past interpretations as a means to prove ourselves right and make sense of the world.
3 - Generalize: Data that could be similar to past situations we've been in gets generalized so the same conclusions we made in the past can fit the situation we're in now.
Through this filtering, we then come to a conclusion and have a thought about the experience we're in. But this thought isn't objective - it's based on the filtering process we just went through. So if our past experiences, memories, interpretations, and thoughts were not supportive, and we are using that to determine and filter how we think now, then our result is we end up further supporting past limiting thoughts. The thought gets repeated and strengthened, becoming our beliefs.
You may be wondering, where did these thoughts and beliefs that we filter our experiences through come from?
Here's where it all started.
Between the ages of 0-7 our brainwaves are not the same as when we are adults, and those brainwaves are set up so that we easily take in information around us. This is evolutionary to help us quickly learn and grow and survive - but it also means that we aren't questioning what we're taking in. We learn from the authority figures around us what is right and what is wrong, and we don't have the prefrontal cortex developed enough to consciously decide if we want to take in that approach. So, we end up adopting the mindset (aka thoughts and beliefs) of those around us.
And those mindsets become our memories that we then use as our filters throughout our lives to take in more data.
But we aren't trapped by this programming. We can break the cycle.
It starts with awareness.
This doesn't mean we have to know the specific memories or reasons behind each limiting belief. Instead, we can simply know the themes of what is showing up for us. How we're thinking and feeling in a particular moment. I help my clients do this by helping them see the stories they're in - stories they believe are reality, but are simply the beliefs they didn't know they had.
Then, we need to do subconscious release work. This means releasing the emotional and mental patterns of the past. This is where coaching can be incredibly beneficial. As a Coach, I help you bring some of those patterns to the conscious level.
Finally, the third step is change from a soul-aligned space. This is where you get to adopt your new beliefs. Ones supportive to you that align with your soul and your inner guidance system. Here, I work with clients in Inner Voice sessions. This is where I guide you through a process that allows you to tap into your Inner Voice (also referred to as the Higher Self, True Self, Inner Soul, Inner Being). In this way, you break past the limits of the past and instead live from a soul-aligned space.
This is how limiting beliefs form and how to break free from them.
If this is resonating with you and you are ready for guided support, then schedule a free 60-minute consultation with me. We'll dive into your mind, uncover some of the limits you're placing on yourself, and develop a tailored coaching program to support you.
Go to https://heal.me/beliefseed and click "Free Consultation" to schedule your consult.
