Have you ever enviously admired another person for their sporty, slim and healthy physique? And wished you could be the same?

But as soon as you start imagining your new you, does the inner chatter begin? Your inner critic tells you being trim and fit is out of reach, and to just accept yourself as you are – chubby and plain.

“Or think about sports,” your inner voice goes on. “It might be your dream to one day take part in a triathlon, but hey, let’s be realistic. Your sports teacher in high school told you: You are untalented and simply too plump.”

Well, that is what my sports teacher told me. And for too many years I firmly believed I am unsporty by nature. So I did not even dare to imagine myself running or biking. Not even hiking.

But then one trip to Canada changed everything for me. And not only regarding challenging myself physically. It planted the seed for overcoming my self-limiting beliefs.

Want to hear more?

Ho for the Klondike!

Vancouver Youth Hostel. Summer vacation 1997. I flipped through some guidebooks, thinking about where to next. Towards the Rockies or north to Alaska?

A photo of the Klondike Gold Rush caught my eye. Winter of 1898. An endless line of stampeders climbing the Chilkoot Pass. I instantly made up my mind. Ho for the Klondike! I would follow the historic gold rush route. First onboard a ship to Alaska, then hike the mountain trails and paddle the Yukon.

I was excited – but also scared. The Chilkoot Trail is demanding – and I had no experience in hiking. It is bear country. I had never kayaked. Two weeks on the river, on my own – what if I capsized?

Never before had I done such a challenging solo trip. It seemed like a crazy idea. Yet, the call of adventure was stronger.

Early next morning I set off.

Four weeks and 2000 miles later I arrived at the Klondike. That trip changed my life forever. It taught me that if we can dream it, we can achieve it.

It was as if locked doors magically opened up. Yet, all the time I had held the key without knowing it.

Suddenly I realized that it is our limiting beliefs about ourselves – wherever they may originate from –, which prevent us from unlocking our potential.

You Define Who You Want to Be

Who defines who you are and what you are capable of? No one but yourself.

Of course, (physical) limits exist to what you can become and achieve, so you need to be realistic. But often, the negative self-talk stops us from even trying to realize a goal. Or we let ourselves be discouraged by others who want to talk us out of our dreams – for whatever reason.

As a child or young adult, you might have been told you always have and always will be chubby or untalented or weak. Maybe something in your childhood happened, which made you believe you are unworthy or undeserving. But that does not mean you have to carry that load forever. As a self-responsible adult it is up to you – and to no one but you – to define who you want to be.

The Destructive Power of Negative Self-Talk

Overcoming limiting thoughts and beliefs is essential for realizing your full potential. Ask yourself for example: “Is it true I cannot be slim and fit because I have been chubby as a child?” “Is it true I don’t deserve to be happy because I felt like being a burden to my parents?”

Yet, the problem is that self-limiting beliefs and thoughts are powerful. They root very deep. So eradicating them is not easy. You might not even be aware of all the negative self-talk going on and secretly pulling strings.

But unless you identify and neutralize those limiting beliefs and thoughts, they will pop up again and again. And stop you from becoming the best version of yourself.

Self-Sabotage

One sure sign of limiting beliefs in action is “self-sabotage”. Actually, it is not “sabotage” at all, but rather your mind trying to turn the (negative) outcome you envisioned into reality.

Let me give you an example from my own past:

A look in the mirror told me, it is REALLY time to lose some weight. After some research, I signed up for a well-structured “Get-back-in-shape” program. “Now, everything will change for the better!”, I believed.

And so it was. At least in the beginning. I followed the balanced diet plan and exercised a couple of times a week. The pounds started to melt. I felt and looked great. And was determined to keep going and never go back to your old chubby self.

But then, after a couple of weeks, out of the blue, intense cravings hit. Cravings and patterns I thought I had overcome once and for all. I binged on chips and chocolate – as if driven by an invisible force. And my old nemesis, drinking too much wine in the evening, reared its ugly head again.

To add insult to injury, I beat myself up by negative self-talk. “See, I told you, you will fall off the wagon rather sooner than later. You need to accept that you always have and always will be a chubby duckling.”

I was back to the downward spiral. Triggered by my limiting beliefs.

The unconscious cannot distinguish between reality and imagination. It will manifest whatever we tell it to be true. And if we believe we have no other choice than to be a certain way the subconscious will do everything it can to make it happen. In my case, it was feeling “destined” to remain overweight and unsporty.

That is why identifying and overcoming your limiting thoughts and beliefs is so important. But how can you do that?

How to Overcome Limiting Thoughts and Beliefs

There are several ways. One particularly easy and brilliant method is visualization

By creating a clear image in your mind’s eye of the desired outcome and embedding it into your unconscious through repetition, you “reprogram your inner auto-pilot.”

Visualizing “tricks” the unconscious into taking the imagined successful scenario as a reality already accomplished. That vision can be any area where you feel a blockage: weight loss, overcoming fear or addictions, or doing well in a sporting competition. The subconscious will then do its best to manifest the picture you paint. So, by visualizing you can use the power of your unconscious mind and come closer to achieving your goals.

Another way of clearing your inner roadblocks is through a method called cellular release therapy.

Most of our experiences and memories are locked in our cellular memory. To clear those past traumas or beliefs, we need to access them. A guided session with an expert practitioner can clear the roadblocks.

A third way of unlocking your true potential is through soul reading facilitated by a gifted expert.

If you are new to either cellular release therapy or soul reading, such approaches might sound very esoteric or even weird to you. At first, I thought so too, but my experience has convinced me that there are more things between heaven and earth than our conscious mind realizes.

Soul reading means communicating with your soul. Once you have gained insight into why you are living your life the way you do, you can actively change the beliefs, patterns, and physical and emotional addictions that prevent you from moving forward.

If you would like to know more, here are some links to experts in their field, which I can fully recommend.

Book: Jon Gabriel, “Visualization for Weight Loss”

Jon Gabriel @ The Gabriel Method

Melinda Jacobs and other specialists at the Sunrise Holistic Network

Shellie Nelson

What Happened When I Overcame my Self-Limiting Beliefs

My hiking and kayaking trip to the Klondike, let me experience the joy of physical activity.

After that experience, I made sport a regular part of my life. Despite my teacher’s discouragement. I competed in sea kayak races (often ranking first), ran my first marathon, and from there moved on to 100k-ultra-marathons.

After many years of kayaking and running, I felt ready to challenge a triathlon. But first I had to take swimming lessons and overcome my fear of riding a road bike. In 2004 I completed my first Ironman triathlon. Crossing the finish line, I felt overwhelmed with joy, exhilaration, and gratitude.

Actively engaging in sports has gifted me with so much vitality, health, and self-esteem. What a shame if I had remained stuck in limiting beliefs from my childhood!

If You Can Dream It, You Can Achieve It

Next time you catch your negative self-talk in the driver’s seat or notice self-sabotaging behavior, you can counteract it much more effectively. Because now you are aware of what is going on. And that puts you in a powerful position.

YOU are driving the bus. So work on identifying and overcoming your limiting beliefs – and finally gain the freedom to live the life you want to live.

Enjoy the ride! It will lead you to places you never thought attainable for you.

Remember: if you can dream it, you can achieve it. Make YOUR dream come true!

P.S.: Is there an area where you sabotage yourself? Or do you have a story where you overcame self-limiting beliefs? Post below!