In 1997 Jim Carrey starred in a movie called Liar Liar. His character, a busy lawyer, was a habitual liar. Without remorse and on a consistent basis, he was quick to fabricate the truth. As in every good story, the protagonist has to have a conflict to overcome and Fletcher Reede’s conflict comes when he loses the trust of Max his son. A result of his habit of lying.
Fletcher lied to the one person whose trust he valued the most. So much so he risked losing everything he loved the most. He didn’t really want to lie to Max but his values were out of whack and not till he got them right was he able to restore the trust Max had for him.
I have a confession to make. Lying is also something I struggle with.
Before you judge me too harshly, I bet a lot of you do as well. We often times lie to our self. That’s an important person you really need and want on your side. Someone you need to trust.
This is the lie I tell myself.
“I’m not good enough’
What is yours?
Lauren Daigle wrote/sings a great song (Listen here) that I really like. It describes the battle waged in our mind. A battle we need to win in order to live our life to the full. A battle we need to win if we are to live a life that stands.
Check out the words of the first verse;
“I keep fighting voices in my mind that say I’m not enough, Every single lie that tells me I will never measure up, Am I more than just the sum of every high and every low? Remind me once again just who I am, because I need to know”
Lauren Daigle sings ‘You Say’
Another way to put this is these thoughts become limiting beliefs.These limiting beliefs don’t need to be the end of the conversation. There are several reasons we have them and understanding this will help us to eliminate the affect they have on our day.
2 Root Causes of Limiting Beliefs
- Comparison – We tend to compare the very best of everyone else’s life to the worst of ours. Note to Facebook. Quit Comparing.
- Things said to you by significant persons in your life. Get better Friends!
There are others but I think these two are pretty significant for many of us.
The first step in battling a limiting belief is to recognize it for what it is. You can do this by listening to the conversation you have with yourself on a daily basis. If you are continually hearing the same thought over and over and if this thought is a having a negative affect on your day, it should be identified potentially as a limiting belief.
Once identified, determine if there is any truth at all to the belief. It’s important we learn how to be honest because just because you really want something to happen doesn’t mean you can make this reality. Maybe this belief is an indication you need to change something in your life.
I think we should add a step 1a here as well. Speak to someone who knows you well and that you trust. Ask them if they would agree with you that the belief in question is limiting you. After all you might not be able to trust yourself. You have been known to lie on occasion. 😉
The second step in battling the belief is to determine how the belief actually limits you. What is it preventing in your life it shouldn’t.
Third, decide on an alternative result you prefer. You do not have to give in to the belief if it is false. Again, gain the support of someone you trust who wants what is best for you.
Fourth. Create a turnaround statement giving you permission and one that affirms your right to a different result.
The final step is to practice this over and over and over again. Until it is in your mind as a dominant thought. Waking in the morning with and expressing a list of positive affirmations is an excellent practice to add to your morning routine.
“When a man puts the limit on what he will do, he places a limit on what he can do.” ~ Charles Schwab
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