Seeing Past the Weeds

I’m stuck. There are some phrases that fascinate me and I’m stuck is one of them. Why? Because what’s often lurking below the surface of stuck-ness is a limiting belief. Here’s a silly but true example:

I have been walking with a dear friend for many years in a nearby woods. Each summer she lights up upon seeing the periwinkle blooms of the chicory weed growing along the path. She sees beautiful blue. I see weeds. I spend countless hours coaxing beautiful blooms in a well-manicured garden each year, on purpose! I am constantly pulling weeds. How could I see the chicory any other way? I have been believing that gorgeous blooms are only worth my attention after hard work and when in their proper place.

Cichorium intybus

Like weeds, limiting beliefs often pop up where we don’t want them. They are beliefs we hold as truth but can lack merit. We hold onto them and in turn, they hold us back. Many of our beliefs are sacred and we trust them to guide us. Limiting beliefs, as I am discussing here, don’t serve us. They keep us stuck. Like bad habits, they are often so ingrained we don’t notice them. If we are aware of them, we might find ourselves clinging to them fiercely. Yet, clinging to a limiting belief keeps us from questioning, exploring, and most definitely, from changing. I am sensing that if you are reading this, making a change is on your mind.

To a degree, limiting beliefs serve a purpose. They make us feel grounded, safe, certain. They can be a form of self-preservation. If I believe I’m not the type of person who needs a gaggle of friends (only slightly true), I don’t seek social opportunities thus saving myself from a potential let down. We may have developed some limiting beliefs as a source of protection.

Some examples might be as simple as the belief that one has to have a certain body type to do yoga, a certain amount of money to join a gym or eat nutritiously, or that the people in our lives need us more than they really do. While these may bear some truth, they keep us from moving forward and getting creative about how to go about caring for ourselves.

The chicory weed blooms in the morning when illuminated by the sun but withers by days end. When we shine a light on limiting beliefs, what’s revealed, though sometimes painful, can be like a gift of sorts. We can see it for what it is--an obstacle. We can even offer it gratitude for showing us where we are stuck, thanking it for looking out for us and then sending it on its way.

My challenge for you: With gentle curiosity, see if you can identify limiting beliefs that might be getting in the way of your health and overall well-being. Can you stay open to the possibility that they may no longer serve you? Is it possible to imagine what the future might hold without the belief? Lastly, see if you can catch yourself using phrases such as, “I always, “I can’t,” “I’m not,” or “I should” throughout the day. These might reveal hidden limiting beliefs that are keeping you stuck. As always, I’d love to hear what you discover.