Do you know just how powerful your mind is? How incredibly sophisticated it is? How you can use it to your advantage? You literally have an untapped gold mine in your head. Sadly, most people spend very little time reflecting on the way they think. After all, who really sits there and thinks about thinking?
Over the years, I have learnt, the way I think about myself turns out to be my reality. When I come up with false conclusions about the person I am and what I am capable of achieving, I limit my own potential.
Thoughts can be a catalyst for self-doubting cycles. What you think directly influences how you feel and how you behave. What I mean by that is; if you think you’re a failure, you end up feeling like a failure. In turn, you start acting like a failure, which reinforces the belief that you must be a failure.
I see this happen with my coaching clients all the time. A client will say to me, “I’m just not good enough to do that or become that.” They make assumptions that lead them to feel discouraged and sub-consciously causes them to put in less effort. That lack of effort prevents them from getting what they want.
Another example I can think of is a client saying, “I’m such a bad person and nobody likes me.” So when that individual goes to a social gathering, they stay at one end of the room alone, by themselves. At the end of the evening, when no one has spoken to them (because they have secluded themselves), it reinforces their initial belief that they must be a bad person. Many of my coaching clients and I am sure many other people, have two main thoughts that keep them trapped in the place that they are, stopping them getting where they want to be. The first one is ‘I want this but I don’t deserve it’. The second one is ‘I am not good enough.’
When you create a positive outlook, using your thoughts, it can lead to better outcomes. I am not saying positive thoughts have magical powers, but uplifting thoughts do lead to more productive behaviour, which increases the chances of a successful outcome.
Remind yourself that you don’t have to allow those beliefs to stop you reaching your ultimate potential. Just because you think something negative about yourself, it doesn’t necessarily make it true.
It’s never too late to change the way you think and change the old thought patterns you have about yourself. You can alter your perception and perspectives and change your life for the better.
With a little practice, you can train your mind to think differently. When you give up self-limiting beliefs, you are in a much better position to reach your highest potential. Once you truly know and believe you are enough, then the words and opinions of others will have less of a hold on you.
* The author is a consultant and coach. Instagram handle: @miss_shefa, Website: missshefa.com
Shefa Ali
