Hey guys, I’m back! It took longer than intended to write this post, but meh. There’s been so much going on recently and I’ve been mentally writing and re-writing this blog post all week (I post and story on that stuff IG www.instagram.com/advait_official, check it out).
Regardless, here we are again. Let’s recap:
The last time we talked we dived into one of the major processes I’ve come to rely on for identifying limiting beliefs (If you need a refresher, check out my last post here).
I’m hoping you guys were cool enough to try this out on yourselves. If so, I'm curious - were you able to identify a limiting belief slinking around in your life? Were you surprised by what you found? Post in the comments! I’d love to hear from you guys.
Honestly, there’ve been times where I’ve been stunned by what I found while using these steps. Finding a monster under my bed nearly always results in momentary shock of discovery, wonder about how it got there, and then relief from finally recognizing that it isn't actually that scary.
Funny enough, there’s a peculiar parallel here with monster movies (the one's that try to be scary - not the campy ones you're supposed to laugh at). You ever notice how frightening the monster is at the beginning of a film? Your fear is highest in the first third, maybe two-thirds of the film right? (I’m not talking about shock from jump scares - I mean actual fear caused by the concept of the monster).
The next time you watch a monster movie, pay attention to how your fear towards the baddy lessens once you get to see it on screen in full. Once the monster is reveled, even if it’s still attacking; even if the cast is fighting for survival, there’s more thrill in the “will-they-make-it” and the “how” question than there is actual fear of the creature itself.
This is because the ultimate cause of the fear towards the baddy, isn’t the physical baddy itself. It’s the "unknown". The less we know about the monster, the more all-powerful it seems. But once we know what it is, we also know what it isn’t - it isn’t unbeatable. If it bleeds, it can be killed.
The limiting belief you uncovered is like that monster in a horror film. Once you know what it is, it can be beaten. However, unlike in horror films, the “will-we-make-it” question’s answer is not a mystery - it’s a decision.
Let me show you the “how”.
A limiting belief cannot be discarded in any meaningful way if it isn’t replaced with an empowering one. If we want to live a life beyond the fear and anxiety of failure, but are paralyzed by a belief such as “I am not good enough”, then we have to replace that belief with something else. That empowering belief is something each of us can intuit by simply and honestly looking at your higher self (remember the higher self is the full expression of our individual human potential exclusively consisting of empowering beliefs). Think about that version of you and - without any judgement - ask:
“What does the higher version of me believe about their value? What are the actions they take as a result of that belief? What are the attributes and skills they cultivate in themselves, and what do those choices look like in a daily practice?”
For me, in the context of my career, this is what I hear back:
“I am a man who is constantly evolving and creating. My value and confidence come from within me as a result of being unapologetically authentic; not as a by-product of other’s opinions of me and my creations. Thus I intentionally pursue growth through daily practices of investing in skill sets as a singer/songwriter and actor through training, performing, and creating.”
You see what I mean? This is connecting to the vision. You've allowed intuition to speak the “how” through the empowering belief you need and the choices that precipitate from it. These are the answers that takes us from simply saying, “Oh I should believe I’m good enough,” to actually understanding how to practically manifest that belief in our lives.
This isn’t living in the fantasy of what it’ll be like after achieving the dream; it’s understanding who you must be in order to achieve that vision. This process is applicable to all limiting beliefs. If actively replace limiting beliefs in your life with empowering ones, you increasingly live in recognition and appreciation of the unchangeable value of self; which then sets you free to grow, connect, experience, and express self in authentic and meaningful ways.
After understanding the “how”, the “will-we-make-it” question is ultimately reduced to a daily decision to take steps towards that vision. Training my voice, my acting skills, music mixing, performing, auditioning, networking, managing my physical conditioning, putting myself out there - these are some of my steps.
Of course it’s challenging. Of course there’s risk and doubt; but risk is inherent to any undertaking that has significant value or meaning. However, instead of living with action dominated by fear and anxiety, we can act despite momentary doubt and find the excitement and joy of authenticity and healthy risk. And that’s a key difference between a limiting-belief driven life and an empowering-belief driven life.
This is the beginning of the journey from our lower selves to our higher selves. It’s the mindset that helps us make happiness and fulfillment an inherent aspect of our condition, rather than a result of something temporary and external.
Now the question becomes, "will you choose to beat the monster"; or "will you stay in bed under the sheets?" As for what that means for my day to day life, what monsters arise that I must put down, how this creates new and exciting opportunities, and what new lessons and breakthroughs come knocking on my door because of those choices…that’s all a conversation for next time.