How I Faced My Limiting Beliefs in One Step

How I Faced My Limiting Beliefs in One Step

If you take nothing else away from reading these words remember this: limiting beliefs are lies, and when we mistakenly believe them to be true it can impact the destiny of our lives. I know firsthand, and would like to share how one step led me to face the limiting beliefs in my life.

First let me explain what limiting beliefs are. They are thoughts we believe to be true that prevent us from moving forward in life. Many of us have limiting beliefs that are holding us back. Examples of these thoughts include:

“I’ll never be good enough.”
“I don’t deserve good things in life.”
“Life isn’t fair.”
“I’m unlovable and unwanted.”
“There is no purpose for me.”
“Why try? I’m just going to fail.”
“Change is hard.”

Despite a wonderful childhood I had limiting beliefs about myself. I was nearly 9 inches taller than all of my friends and being so tall made me dislike what I saw in the mirror. I had extremely low self-esteem and didn’t believe I would accomplish much in life. Subsequently my dreams and goals were only mediocre because I believed that I wasn’t destined for greatness and was afraid of failure.

Perhaps you had similar thoughts about yourself when growing up. If so then we have a lot in common, although most likely it’s at this point that my story takes a sharp turn from yours. I was a junior in high school when a single step changed my life.

While practicing for the high school production of The Wizard of Oz, I took a step back into nothing. Unbeknown to me, a trap door in the stage floor was opened for a set change; I fell 16 feet to a cement floor, landing on my head with all of my body weight on top of me. I broke my neck and severely crushed my spinal cord. The accident left me paralyzed from the chest down.

When the doctors told me that I would never walk again I was overcome with depression, sadness and hopelessness. I was also filled with many negative thoughts and limiting beliefs, not about my height but about what I would be able to accomplish in life while confined to a wheelchair.

I spent many months feeling lost and sorry for myself, when it finally struck me that to be happy and fulfilled I would need to make some changes. I couldn’t control the circumstances of the accident or the outcome of my injury. I could however control my attitude, my way of thinking and the thoughts I chose to believe. I became conscious of the fact that my negativity and my limiting beliefs were not helping to get me where I needed to be, and it was then that I began thinking about what I was thinking about.

I started examining my thoughts and realized that if I was going to get somewhere in life I needed to take the limiting beliefs and turn them around by thinking positively instead. Having recently become a Christian, I turned to the Bible for these positive words, determined to discover the 300 promises for my life.

Today, 13 years later I have overcome more than I ever thought possible. I have two bachelors degrees, I drive independently, I live in a beautiful home on my own, I have three jobs, I travel all over this beautiful earth, and most of all I live a fulfilling, purposeful life.
I often look back and wonder what I would have become if it hadn’t been for that one step. Who would have thought that what would appear so tragic on the surface would actually set me on a course for my true calling. I would have settled for mediocrity and played life safe. Instead I found courage, strength, a new way of thinking, and by telling my story can help others do the same.

So I ask you today, what negative beliefs are holding you back in this life? What are you thinking about? Are your thoughts helping you or are they hurting you?

Your mind can be a junkyard or a treasure chest, and you alone choose what it will be; you can think life enhancing facts or life limiting thoughts. Limiting thoughts steal your peace, your joy, and ultimately rob you of a great life. Be determined that you will no longer be dominated by limiting beliefs and watch your life transform into something amazing!

If you take nothing else away from reading these words remember this: limiting beliefs are lies, and when we mistakenly believe them to be true it can impact the destiny of our lives. I know firsthand, and would like to share how one step led me to face the limiting beliefs in my life.

First let me explain what limiting beliefs are. They are thoughts we believe to be true that prevent us from moving forward in life. Many of us have limiting beliefs that are holding us back. Examples of these thoughts include:

“I’ll never be good enough.”
“I don’t deserve good things in life.”
“Life isn’t fair.”
“I’m unlovable and unwanted.”
“There is no purpose for me.”
“Why try? I’m just going to fail.”
“Change is hard.”

Despite a wonderful childhood I had limiting beliefs about myself. I was nearly 9 inches taller than all of my friends and being so tall made me dislike what I saw in the mirror. I had extremely low self-esteem and didn’t believe I would accomplish much in life. Subsequently my dreams and goals were only mediocre because I believed that I wasn’t destined for greatness and was afraid of failure.

Perhaps you had similar thoughts about yourself when growing up. If so then we have a lot in common, although most likely it’s at this point that my story takes a sharp turn from yours. I was a junior in high school when a single step changed my life.

While practicing for the high school production of The Wizard of Oz, I took a step back into nothing. Unbeknown to me, a trap door in the stage floor was opened for a set change; I fell 16 feet to a cement floor, landing on my head with all of my body weight on top of me. I broke my neck and severely crushed my spinal cord. The accident left me paralyzed from the chest down.

When the doctors told me that I would never walk again I was overcome with depression, sadness and hopelessness. I was also filled with many negative thoughts and limiting beliefs, not about my height but about what I would be able to accomplish in life while confined to a wheelchair.

I spent many months feeling lost and sorry for myself, when it finally struck me that to be happy and fulfilled I would need to make some changes. I couldn’t control the circumstances of the accident or the outcome of my injury. I could however control my attitude, my way of thinking and the thoughts I chose to believe. I became conscious of the fact that my negativity and my limiting beliefs were not helping to get me where I needed to be, and it was then that I began thinking about what I was thinking about.

I started examining my thoughts and realized that if I was going to get somewhere in life I needed to take the limiting beliefs and turn them around by thinking positively instead. Having recently become a Christian, I turned to the Bible for these positive words, determined to discover the 300 promises for my life.

Today, 13 years later I have overcome more than I ever thought possible. I have two bachelors degrees, I drive independently, I live in a beautiful home on my own, I have three jobs, I travel all over this beautiful earth, and most of all I live a fulfilling, purposeful life.

I often look back and wonder what I would have become if it hadn’t been for that one step. Who would have thought that what would appear so tragic on the surface would actually set me on a course for my true calling. I would have settled for mediocrity and played life safe. Instead I found courage, strength, a new way of thinking, and by telling my story can help others do the same.

So I ask you today, what negative beliefs are holding you back in this life? What are you thinking about? Are your thoughts helping you or are they hurting you?

Your mind can be a junkyard or a treasure chest, and you alone choose what it will be; you can think life enhancing facts or life limiting thoughts. Limiting thoughts steal your peace, your joy, and ultimately rob you of a great life. Be determined that you will no longer be dominated by limiting beliefs and watch your life transform into something amazing!