We all carry subconscious beliefs that shape our reality – some empowering, others limiting. Limiting beliefs are deeply ingrained assumptions we hold about ourselves, others, or the world that keep us stuck, small, or fearful. They often begin in childhood and silently influence our choices, emotions, relationships, and even physical health.
The good news? These beliefs are not who you are – they’re just programs. And they can be changed.
What Are Limiting Beliefs?
Limiting beliefs are subconscious thoughts or assumptions that hold us back from achieving what we truly desire. They often stem from past experiences, societal conditioning, or messages we absorbed growing up.
These beliefs act like filters through which we interpret the world. And because they operate beneath our conscious awareness, they can sabotage our best efforts without us even realising it.
Examples of common limiting beliefs include:
– “I’m not worthy of success.”
– “I can’t trust anyone.”
– “Money is hard to come by.”
– “I don’t deserve happiness.”
Recognising these patterns is the first step toward change.
Step-by-Step Process to Identify and Release Limiting Beliefs
Step 1: Become Aware of Your Inner Dialogue
Pay attention to the stories you tell yourself throughout the day. When you feel resistance, fear, or self-doubt, pause and ask:
– What am I thinking right now?
– Is this thought based on fact – or an old belief?
– Would I say this to someone I love?
Journaling can be incredibly helpful here. Write down recurring thoughts and look for patterns.
Example: If you often feel overlooked or undervalued, a hidden belief might be, “My voice doesn’t matter.”
Step 2: Trace the Origin of the Belief
Ask yourself:
– When did I first start believing this?
– Was there a specific event or experience that shaped this belief?
Often, limiting beliefs were formed during emotionally significant moments in childhood or adolescence. You might remember a specific moment a – parent’s criticism, a teacher’s disapproval, or an event that made you feel unsafe or unloved. Identifying the root helps loosen its grip.
Step 3: Question the Belief
Challenge the validity of the belief with honesty and compassion:
– Is this belief still true today?
– Does it serve me?
– What evidence contradicts this belief?
This step creates space between you and the belief – allowing you to see it as just a story, not your identity.
Step 4: Release the Emotional Charge with Healing Modalities
Here’s where true transformation begins. Beliefs aren’t just mental – they’re emotional and energetic too. To fully release them, we must address the emotional body. It’s not enough to know the belief isn’t serving you – you need to release it from your subconscious and energy field. Below are some of the effective, self-administered healing modalities for doing so.
1. Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT Tapping):
A powerful method that uses acupressure points while speaking affirmations to calm the nervous system and reprogram beliefs. Tap while stating the limiting belief and then follow with a positive replacement.
2. Ho’oponopono (Hawaiian Healing Practice):
Ideal for clearing subconscious programs. Repeat the phrases: “I’m sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you. I love you” while focusing on the belief or memory. This invokes deep spiritual and emotional cleansing.
3. Radical Self-Forgiveness:
If your belief is rooted in guilt, shame, or self-judgment, radical forgiveness allows you to understand and release the belief compassionately. It reframes your experiences through the lens of soul growth rather than victimhood.
4. Affirmation + Visualization Practice:
After releasing, fill the space with a new, empowering belief. Use present-tense affirmations like, “I am worthy of love and respect,” while visualizing a version of yourself living from this new truth.
5. Biodecoding (Decoding the Body’s Messages):
When limiting beliefs manifest as physical symptoms, Biodecoding helps you uncover the emotional conflict stored in the body and resolve it at the root level.
Step 5: Replace the Limiting Belief with an Empowering Truth
Once the old belief is released, consciously create a new, positive affirmation that feels believable and supportive to anchor into.
For example:
- From “I’m unworthy” → to “I am enough exactly as I am.”
- From “I must please others to be loved” → to “I am loved for who I truly am.”
Use affirmations, visualisation, or meditation to internalise this new truth.
Step 6: Anchor the New Belief
Transformation is solidified through repetition and embodiment. To integrate your new belief:
- Repeat your affirmation daily, ideally in front of a mirror.
- Take small, aligned actions that affirm the new belief.
- Surround yourself with people, content, and environments that reinforce your growth.
Remember, the subconscious mind learns through experience. Every time you live in alignment with your new truth, you rewire your inner world.
Final Thoughts
Limiting beliefs may have shaped your past – but they don’t have to define your future. By becoming aware of these hidden blocks and using effective, self-administered healing modalities to release them, you open the door to greater freedom, clarity, and alignment with your True Self.
Ready to Identify and Release Your Limiting Beliefs?
If you’d like support in identifying and releasing your own limiting beliefs, I’m here to help. Book a Free Discovery Call, and together we can identify and release your limiting beliefs that keep you stuck and shape the way you think, feel, and act.