If you fight for your limitations, you will probably reach them.
We all hold on to stories in our lives. These stories are beliefs we have adopted about who we are and what we are capable of. Often, we believe these stories are “truths” and unchangeable realities, but they are not. These are stories that we are consciously or unconsciously holding onto for now. We can also change our stories. We can let go of stories that no longer serve us and we can adopt new stories.
Some of the stories we hold onto may lift us up and support us to go beyond where we have been. Other stories we hold on to, limit us and keep us down. Some stories have been taught to us. Other stories have been osmotically adopted for one reason or another. And some stories have been force-fed to us. Perhaps we have clung to some stories for self-preservation and survival. Some stories make us feel good. Others make us feel bad. Some help us understand who we are and where we fit in this world. Other stories keep us lost and confused.
At The Center, I focus on people, not on problems. This includes understanding and recognizing limiting belief patterns that keep us down. Limiting beliefs that prevent us from growing into who we came here to be. Limiting beliefs that give us reasons to stop growing and excuse us from realizing our true potential. Limiting beliefs that keep us suffering.
Often in my clinic, I encounter clients that have told themselves a very convincing story of their poor worth and low value. I have witnessed many clients fight vigorously for their limitations. These clients justify why they are incapable of the changes they know they need to make. These clients are always gathering reasons to support the stories that keep them suffering and prevent them from becoming healthier and happier.
I have been in treating clients for over 25 years, and I can say, throughout all this time in practice, I have seen people fighting for their limitations as a consistent factor.
I have come to recognize that those who fight for their limitations will likely be bound by them. I have recognized that the individuals who are somehow invested in what they are NOT capable of, consistently create supportive evidence to justify their limited beliefs and abilities. Those that are quite certain they can’t do something are usually correct.
I get it.
Limitations can be comforting because we are familiar with them. We become well acquainted with the world within the boundaries we set up. We are safe. It’s comfortable. It’s all good… except when it’s not. The boundaries we establish which dictate what we can and can’t do may, at times, feel like a wall protecting us from the scary word on the other side. In reality, these boundaries end up becoming a prison wall that inhibits our growth. The limitations we set for ourselves end up keeping us small. These limitations keep us where we are, and away from growing into who we truly desire to be.
Everyone who enters my office is seeking some type of change. No one comes through my door who says, “Everything is perfect! I don’t want anything to change at all.” That would be lovely, but if that were the case, they simply wouldn’t be in my clinic. So, at my office, shifts and change of one form or another, is an intrinsic part of the healing process. I have the honor of witnessing miracles and amazing transformations every day.
I have repeatedly witnessed the power of the human spirit. I have witnessed people grow beyond where they have ever been. I have watched time and time again, client after client, release the limitations they were at one time bound by, and grow into a happier and healthier version of themselves.
I have watched person after person do what they thought they could never do.
I have witnessed many people surprise themselves by finding the courage within to transcend beyond the limitations they previously believed were very real.
I have seen dramatic life transformations.
I have witnessed so many successfully embark upon and complete the exodus from bondage to freedom.
It is truly inspiring and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to witness these leaps in growth. My faith in humanity and the power of being human is consistently replenished.
Sometimes the path of transcending limitations began because the clients were really ready and eager for a fuller, richer, happier life. Other times, this journey began because circumstances became so bad and the quality of their lives became so compromised that they had no other choice than to change. Either way... they did it. They went beyond where they had ever been. They transcended their perceived limitations. They grew. They changed. They created a healthier and happier life for themselves.
What stories are you holding on to that are weighing you down and limiting what you can do? What stores have outlived their usefulness? Are there stories you tell yourself that are keeping you small? What stories are standing between you and your potential?
Did you ever wonder what you might be capable of if you let go of some of the perceived limitations that are no longer serving you?
Henry Ford states, “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.” I’m pretty sure he is right.
Article by Quinn Akira Takei, Doctor of Oriental Medicine(NM), Licensed Acupuncturist, Chinese Herbalist, Functional Medicine Practitioner, and Holistic Health & Wellness Coach.
The Center: Natural Health Specialists, 8404 Six Forks Road, Suite 201, Raleigh, NC 27615. (919) 848-0200. www.TheCenterNHS.com