How to Change Limiting Beliefs

Do you have a limiting belief that is contributing to your running injuries and preventing you from achieving your full potential?

Limiting beliefs are false statements that we have repeated over and over in our mind. We believe these limiting statements to be true, but they can be changed. Our mind learns by repetition, so what we keep telling ourselves becomes true for us.

Limiting beliefs prevent us from achieving our desires. They prevent us from enjoying what we are truly capable of accomplishing. These false beliefs are based on an incorrect interpretation of something we have experienced. For example, we had a knee injury while running so now we believe we have weak, vulnerable knees that are prone to injury. We nurture this idea into a belief by talking about it and thinking about it repeatedly. Because we have now established this belief about our knees to be true, our mind and body immediately begin to look for evidence to prove us right!

Do you believe that there is a part of your body is weak or flawed, that you can only run a certain distance or speed, that you cannot run when the temperature is too hot or too cold, that you are prone to falling, or that you get injured specifically on trails or pavement?

Every thought we think and every word we speak creates our self-image. Our mind and body then work together to make this image real. Our imagination is a powerful tool when dealing with the mind. More powerful than our current reality and it doesn't care if what we tell it is good, bad, true or false, it will accept what we tell it and then form a belief around it.

What Do You Believe About Your Body?

What do you tell yourself about your body? Notice your thoughts and the things you say to others about your body. Write them down and then ask yourself why do you have this belief. Is this belief limiting your enjoyment of running or life in general? How would your life look if you didn't have this belief? Imagine how you would feel if this were no longer true for you. What would be a more desirable belief for you?

For example, let's say that you believe that you are prone to plantar fasciitis. You repeatedly think this thought and tell everyone about it and explain why you believe it to be true. You believe that you will always have this problem and experience pain in your foot (feet), especially after you ran a certain distance or do a lot of training. Your body will provide evidence to support and confirm your belief.

Suddenly, you realize that you created this belief and you no longer want it. You can imagine having healthy, strong feet. You can imagine what that would feel like. You begin to trust your feet and your plantar fascia, which is strong and flexible. "I have strong and healthy feet and they support me in everything I do." You affirm this every day regardless of the current reality, and you continue to imagine what you really want. You are working to change your belief and nothing will sway you from forming this new belief. Eventually you begin to see the evidence of your new belief. You can make a choice to believe and trust in the true strength of your body. This is where your focus is now.

How to Change Limiting Beliefs

When we become aware of a limiting belief about our body, we can begin to change it. We can change our thoughts and words and create a more positive and desirable experience. We must realize that we are in the driver's seat; we are in control of our thoughts and the words we speak.

The human body is an amazing machine, and it is very good at following the instructions that our mind gives it. Our body is capable of achieving great physical feats when we give it positive, reaffirming, consistent instructions. It is essential that we realize the power of our thoughts when we want to change limiting beliefs. We won't always succeed in keeping them positive, but being persistent and being kind to ourselves will reap rewards.

Affirmation: "I have strong and healthy feet."

I used this affirmation to help me change a limiting belief that I had about my feet. When I first began running in minimalist shoes, I developed top-of-foot pain in both feet at different times. Both injuries resulted in a break from running for months at a time. I believed that my feet were weak, and they would always be vulnerable to injury.

Suddenly, I began to realize that I was creating a limiting belief about my feet. I decided that I would no longer allow this false belief to interfere with the health of my body. I began to affirm, "I have strong and healthy feet." I repeated this statement over and over, especially whenever I experienced any sort of twinge or niggle in my feet. Eventually, I formed a new, positive belief about my feet, and I started to see physical evidence of my new belief.

Today my feet are strong and resilient. I no longer worry that they will become injured, and I continue to run in minimalist shoes (nearly 12 years since I began).

Start Today

We can make the decision today to change what we tell ourselves. We can let go of any limiting beliefs that we have unknowingly fostered for too long.

We are in control. We are not victims of our body! Our bodies react to our thoughts and words. We create our beliefs and then our beliefs are shown to us.

We can help ourselves by developing a pattern of positive thinking. Look for pleasure in little things. It will give you an instant boost!

Praise yourself everyday. You deserve health and happiness. You are worthy of your dreams and desires. Accept only positive thoughts about yourself.

Positive affirmations are an effective way to help you keep a positive mindset and overcome any undesirable beliefs you may have. The Stop Running Pain in 21 Days Program includes the 10 most powerful affirmations for runners to help you change any limiting beliefs about your body. You will become more confident as you begin to truly believe in your inner power.

Stop Running Pain in 21 Days is an advanced program that helps you access your powerful subconscious mind using theta brainwave and subliminal technologies to help you run strong and healthy.

Make the decision today to believe to trust your inner strength and healing potential, and change limiting beliefs!

So what about you? What limiting belief has been holding you back from achieving your true potential while running? We would love to hear from you. Please share your experience in the comments section below.

Other related articles you may be interested in:

How Do You Deal With Running Pain?

Use Visualization Techniques to Achieve Your Goals

Overcome the Fear of Getting Injured

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