In2theRiver

Good morning and welcome to 2022 from Westminster, MD!

As a new year kicks off, I always find it valuable to reflect on where I have been and where I am going. This year in particular I am asking myself this question: Is there a limiting-belief about myself or someone else that will prevent me from living the life for which I was created? These beliefs are often formed in the past, but if we are not careful, will inform the future.

What do I mean by a limiting-belief? It might be easier if I start with what it is not. It is not accepting certain realities for what they are. In my case, believing I will never play in the NBA is not a limiting-belief. It may have been when I was a kid, but after I stopped growing at 5′ 9″ and decided that, no matter how many times I try (and I have tried a lot), I will never dunk a basketball, accepting that professional basketball is probably not in my future is wise.

However, what if I decided because I can never play professional basketball, I must be destined for a life of mediocrity? This would be a limiting-belief. Why? Because it is believing something about myself that is untrue and keeps me from reaching my God-given potential. I may not be able to play professional basketball, but I have been equipped with many other gifts, abilities, and opportunities that allow me to live a life that matters, in 2022 and beyond.

Do you believe this about yourself, or do you allow what you can’t do, or what someone once told you was impossible for you, shape your beliefs about the significance of your life?

Did you catch that? Sometimes we allow the beliefs and perspectives of others to become our own limiting-beliefs. It might be that you have everything you need pursue a certain dream in your life, but you are being held captive by something someone else told you. It might be time you do a “search and destroy” mission to get rid of the life-draining words you have allowed to take residence inside of your heart and mind.

It also might be time to determine if your limiting-beliefs about someone else could be making it harder for them to reach their God-given potential. It could be someone close to you or it could be a group of people you have more or less written off in your mind. The way you perceive someone will greatly influence the way you treat them. If you believe someone is hopeless, you will be less likely to invest in their future.

How are your limiting-beliefs impacting your ability to reach your God-given potential? How different would our world be if we rooted out and eradicated our limiting-beliefs about ourselves and others?

I have a feeling it would change everything.

James Belt