...or Unloveable...or a Failure...or Not Good Enough...or Stupid...or Destined to be Alone...
Now, I'm wondering what you might be thinking? This doesn't sound very pleasant or inspiring, does it? That's because the above are all examples of LIMITING CORE BELIEFS that do not serve us and they actually work to keep us from the things that we do want! Of course, these are the extremes, and you may or may not have ever identified with one of these, yet there are lesser versions that often do pop up on occasion. Things like: doubting your own abilities, a need for perfectionism, thinking the world is out to get you, or that all men are pigs or all women are materialistic, or that you just aren't smart enough, or that theres's no way you could ever do that one thing, or that you are a failure or a bad person, or falling into a victim mentality, or there's never going to be enough, or you'll never be able to support yourself, or thinking you'll never find a romantic partner or friend or job, etc. Perhaps one or more of these are thoughts you might have visited on at least one occasion? Most of us do, and it's not necessarily a bad thing...to have an occasional doubt or bad day...we would never learn or grow if we spent all of our lives floating on cloud nine.
The problem arises when deep down, we truly feel these beliefs about ourselves are true, whether on a conscious level or a more subtle level. Often times, we hold these beliefs at a very subconscious level sometimes due to something we experienced or heard or were told when we were very young and impressionable. This doesn't even mean that it has to be something that was truly horrific and intentionally done to us either. Rather it can simply be something that was meant for our own good, but that our young mind may have taken too literally.
For instance, when I was younger, my mother used to call me The White Rabbit (from Alice and Wonderland) because I'd be extremely nervous about being on time for things, constantly afraid that I'd be late while I was waiting for my busy, working mother to take me to all the classes and after school activities I was blessed enough to be able to partake in. At the time, mom found it silly and endearing, and I have actually grown to find it humorous today, but back then, well, it was a desperate sort of anxiety and paranoia I dealt with regarding even the thought of being late. A terror, really, at times.
You see, I went to a very strict, religiously affiliated grade school that instilled in me at a very young age a need or desire to be good...to be respectful...to be saintly...to be, in my young mind, perfect! Combine the school's doctrines with the fact that I showed up there half way through the first grade due to my parents' divorce with a need to please and fit in. Then add in a few of the typical grade school humiliations, and Voila! my core belief of "Not Good Enough" and a "Failure" were off to the races any time things weren't perfect.
It would be another 40 years until for the first time, I'd be Content with being perfectly imperfect...comfortable in my own skin with all of my beautiful talents, whacky, artistic quirks, and even some nagging flaws and faults that I now accept are a part of who I am (and give me things to work on)! This revelation came about from my experiences with Hypnosis and Yoga.
That's why this month's Group Hypnosis MeetUp is: Releasing Limiting Beliefs. We'll discuss different tools and techniques to not only tame the inner critic, but also to get to the root of any core beliefs in order to weed them out and live the life of our dreams! These Hypnotic and Yogic tools include breath-work (yogic pranayama and hypnotic holotropic), EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique/Tapping), EMT (Eye Movement Therapy), NLP (Neurolinguistic Programming), Parts Therapy, Regression Therapy, Somatic Movement, bilateral Stimulation and much more!