It’s a sleepy little town nestled between New Orleans, LA and Jackson MI – Amite, LA has a population of around 4,100, and most people are involved in each other’s lives – almost like family. A young boy with a love for football grew up there. Yet throughout his teenage years, he was told he couldn’t be a football player because he was too small, too skinny, too lanky, and his feet too long.

The story of the lanky boy causes me to wonder, what we are told from others that hold us back or cause us to form limiting beliefs? What are limiting beliefs? Limiting beliefs are those false beliefs that prevent us from pursing our goals. Have you ever said to yourself, “I’m not a good dancer, or I could never lead a group of people? We tell ourselves we don’t have the right skillset, or it’s not the right time, or someone else can do it better. We put ourselves into boxes that we create, falsely defining that we can never get out of the box. We create a story about ourselves that we believe to be true, and those stories we craft can potentially have negative impacts on our choices, trying something new, or reaching our highest potential.

Taking time to dig into our limiting beliefs can unlock the freedom we need to live lives that are purposeful and confident. How do you overcome limiting beliefs?

• Open your mind and cultivate curiosity. Curiosity enables you to expand your mind and challenge those beliefs you’ve created. Instead of saying, “I can’t”, get curious about what’s driving that. Ask yourself, “Why can’t I? What is holding me back in this situation?” Dig into the why behind the belief.
• Work on your personal development. If you want new beliefs to help guide your thinking and choices, working on yourself is important. Building a greater self-awareness can help you overcome any of those limiting beliefs that might be standing in your way. Working with a certified coach who can help create space to explore these beliefs can be a rewarding experience as you work on yourself.
• Write positive affirmations. To help change a belief, write down an affirmation that causes you to speak about yourself in a positive way. Say the affirmation over and over as you go throughout your day, and you will begin to believe your affirmations. If you are going through a challenging time, your affirmation might read, “I am strong and confident, and I have the tools I need to see this through.”

Beliefs that keep you from reaching your highest potential are ones that need reshaping. That small, skinny, lanky boy from Amite, LA reshaped his. DeVonta Smith didn’t let anyone else’s beliefs or his own limiting beliefs hold him back. He played for four years at a prestigious football program. His gifts on the football field led Alabama to a national championship where he was the team’s superstar. He won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top receiver. He earned his degree because he said there is life after football, and he wants to be able to help others. His long, lanky arms were strong enough to hoist the Heisman Trophy as he was named this year’s winner. In his acceptance speech, he talked about the power of self-belief.

What new beliefs do you need to create?