Challenging our limiting beliefs and patterns to unfold elevated doors and opportunities

"I cannot speak up in meetings. The other day I had 2-3 ideas to share in the meeting and I just could not speak up. And then another colleague shared exactly the same idea as I had in my mind and the entire meeting room was impressed with his suggestion. It could have been me", said Medha (name changed) in frustration to me.

"What is it that you are afraid of?"

"Being ridiculed for starters. What if my idea or suggestion feels childish or unworthy?"

"Have you been called ‘childish’ as you were growing up Medha?"

And Medha was stumped on this last question of mine. 

Most of our limiting beliefs stem from our upbringing and childhood. Without us knowing from where have they arose unless an expert shows the way to find the root cause.

We then dedicated Medha's one on one mentoring sessions on removing this limiting belief and the fear of speaking up in the meetings using an array of tools.

Limiting beliefs mostly are unconscious thoughts. These thoughts appear as our mind’s defence mechanisms in order to avoid possible frustrations, failure and/or disappointment. At a certain point in the past, you might have suffered from something specific. And now when you come face-to-face with a similar situation, your subconscious in the pretext of keeping you safe, finds a way to try to block it.

There is a lot of focus on external barriers to womens’ success, such as unequal pay and gender bias in the workplace. While these certainly hinder the ability of many women to succeed, the key to unlocking opportunity is to simultaneously overcome internal inhibitors that are holding us back. One of these inhibitors include self-limiting beliefs.

Many women entering the workplace bring along an inner voice that doubts their own competence and worth. This results in a lack of faith in what they can accomplish, even though they may have the brightest mind or the highest potential in their peer group. Silencing the inner critic is critical for a woman’s career progression and vital for her to thrive in senior positions.

Here is a simple process for you to start challenging your limiting beliefs. On a side note, I will be guiding through this entire process tomorrow in my Telegram Channel ‘The Reflection Circle’. It is a free self development circle for hungry to rise working women. So if you would like to have a guided experience with one limiting belief with this process, I invite you to join the channel here - https://t.me/+nI3I6tjG_BBiNDNl

You might want to read the process first and then close your eyes.

1. Close your eyes and take 5-10 deep breaths. As your nervous system is calming down, think about one limiting belief you want to challenge today.
   

2. Now if you had been given a task of falsifying this belief what would you say to yourself?
   Some pointers can be -
   Have you always believed this about yourself? If not, it means this belief is not true.
   What are the supporting facts to this belief of mine or is it just my thought?
   Do I have evidence counteracting my belief?
   
   When even one of these questions leads to challenging your existent belief, your brain becomes curious and wants to know if this is not true then what is?
   

3. Your brain now is open to be rewired to a new path. Now flip your limiting belief into an opposite belief.
   Eg.:
   Old belief - I am not good at giving presentations in board rooms.
   New belief - I am eloquent at presentations in board rooms with massive impact.
   

4. As you repeat the new belief, imagine how it would feel to be like that. Like the best possible scanerio in terms of your new belief. Let that energy surge inside your body from the top of your head till the tip of your toe (you definitely want to join the Telegram Channel to feel this energy in the guided exercise tomorrow).
   

5. When you are at the height of this energy, take 5-10 deep breaths again. Then come back to the consciousness of the room where you are and open your eyes. Go do the thing which you were scared to do.
   

6. Repeat this exercise every time before you do the thing till you feel confident with your new belief.

Remember, a belief is a thought and you possess the power to change the thought.

Share this with a friend or colleague whom you think can expand going beyond their limiting beliefs.

Much Love,
Pradnya

PS: Want to uplift your career and work at your highest potential? I have two programs for you:

1. Unstuck Webinar
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Hit reply, to know more!