The tremendous power of identifying and changing self limiting beliefs

“If you believe you can or believe you can't, you're right.” – Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Company

 “If you want minor change, change your attitude. If you want major change, change your beliefs.” – Stephen Covey, author of the #1 best-selling self-help book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People 

“Changing a single core belief will change anyone's life. Imagine if you started learning and adopting the core beliefs of very happy, motivated and effective people a little each day as our program will teach you and got great encouragement, motivation and support for your life a little each day and kept doing it. What would the results be? How does this compare to what you are doing right now?” – Ray Gutoski, Director, Living with Joy

“It isn’t what we don’t know that gives us trouble, it’s what we believe for sure to be true that that just ain’t so.” – Will Rogers American humorist, social commentator, and entertainers in the early 20th century.

Our beliefs have tremendous power

A belief is defined in the dictionary as something we believe to be true that motivates our thinking and actions. But the reality is that it may or not be true or not as true as we were led to believe.

Throughout history there have been all kinds of beliefs that have effected human happiness and progress both negatively and positively.

Some of the limiting beliefs many people have held over human history include:

• The earth is shaped like a shoebox and if you sail west long enough you will fall over the edge and die.

• The earth is the center of the universe.

• War is an acceptable way to expand a nation's territory.

• Women should not have the same rights as men.

• Race should be a determinor of human rights and freedom.

• Man will never fly.

• Computers will never catch on with average people.

At the same time there have been many positive and empowering beiefs that have create great advances in human history and destiny.

In terms of ourselves as individuals our own core beliefs have a tremendous affect on our happiness in life. This includes beliefs about what happiness really is and how to increase and sustain it, beliefs about our self worth, about what we can and cannot accomplish in life, beliefs about others and about  “how the world works”- more than any other single  element of our lives affects the happiness, motivation, personal growth and  empowerment that we experience in every area of our lives throughout our lives. 

Our core beliefs are like roadmaps that we use to navigate life with. They affect our self-image and self-worth, our level of confidence, our self expectations,  the goals we set, how hard we work to achieve our goals and how fast we bounce back from falling short of failing even more determined to win. They affect the kinds of relationships we form in every area of life, our financial well-being, our career choices and our happiness and productivity in school and at work. In short, they determine the quality and direction of virtually every part of our lives.

From the time we have been very young children we have been exposed to and adopted cerrtain core beliefs- about ourselves and our potential, about others and about “how the world works”that affect every area of our lives. Some of these beliefs may be positive and empowering. Others might be less so, and some can be significantly keeping us from experiencing the happiness, motivation, personal growth and results we really can experience in life.

We also have been exposed to many happiness myths in our society. Happiness myths are beliefs about what actually increases and sustains happiness in life that significant research has found just aren't true. This also includes myths that say we can't be deepy happy when certain negative things happen to us like a divorce, becoming ill, losing a job or being broke as we work to change our situation.

Over time we have recognized and changed or improved some self limiting beliefs of course but many still remain. On our own it is a lot harder to recognize and change them than we could with the right training. Often we have become so accustomed to these self-limiting beliefs that we seldom question or even think about them. 

But the reality is that if any of our core beliefs are vague, incomplete, or flawed, it’s like trying to follow a map with mistakes in it. The harder you try to follow it, the more lost you become. Instead of moving toward greater happiness, motivation, and results, you end up struggling, frustrated, and less effective in that area of life.

It's not just what we believe but how strongly we believe it.

If we don't strongly believe we can accomplish something or change something in our lives psychology has found that we probably won't even set the goal, or if we do we give up at the first obstacle. It's called the self-fulfilling prophecy. Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Company put it this way "If you believe you can or believe you can't you're right." Another form of this is called learned helplessness. This is where when someone has failed numerous times at something even when the opportunity to succeed occurs, they will most often not take it because they have learned" they "can't" succeed. The reality is with the right training and support they often could.

The Most Empowering Realization

When you determine to examine and change self-limiting beliefs little by little, day by day and learn to take the best actions that you can in small daily steps something amazing happens. A new self increasingly emerges or to put it better your true self begins to emerge more and more as you uncover the layers of disempowering beliefs you have placed around it over time.

This self is much happier, more motivated, excited, confident, peaceful, focused and far more empowered than the old self. And the best part isthe happiness you experience in thism process is deeper and more sustainable by far than say the happiness that comes from say getting a new car which is an old car sooner or later. Changing your beliefs is changing the core of your life, something that will effect you throughout your life.

The great thing is that our beliefs are a choice.

In my workshops I always tell my students that they are the creator of their own lives- like the script writer, director, producer and star of their own movie. I encourage them to get rid of limiting self beliefs, use their imagination and create a life vision that really excites, inspires and motivates them and believe that they can achieve whatever they really want in life. We all love the movies about the hero who started out with tremendous challenges but with courage and perseverance emerged victorious in the end.  The first step in creating your BEST and happiest life is identifying and changing self limiting beliefs, something we will teach you how to do in this program.

People who have changed their beliefs and really changed their lives

Below I am going to give you some examples of people I am sure you will recognize who changed their beliefs and really changed their lives.

I am not saying you can—or even need to—achieve the same external results as these people to be deeply happy and fulfilled in life. But what you can do is learn how to identify and change your own self-limiting beliefs a little each day and learn to take small, consistent actions each day as we will teach you significantly increase happiness, motivation, personal growth  and results in every area of your own unique and invaluable life. And who knows where you will be in a year, five years and more. 

• Oprah Winfrey – From poverty to global influence Oprah grew up in poverty, faced abuse, and was told by many that she would never succeed. For a time, her circumstances reinforced limiting beliefs about what was possible for her. But she chose to believe in her own worth, pursued education, and changed her self-image. By shifting her belief from “I am limited by my past” to “I can create my future,” she became one of the most successful and influential women in the world.

• J.K. Rowling – From rejection to worldwide success Rowling was a single mother living on welfare when she wrote the first Harry Potter book. Publishers rejected her manuscript over a dozen times. If she had held onto the belief, “I’m not good enough” or “My work doesn’t matter,” she would have quit. Instead, she kept believing in her story and her ability to succeed. Today, she is one of the best-selling authors in history.

• Malala Yousafzai – From fear to global voice As a teen, Malala lived under the threat of violence for going to school. Many around her were forced into the belief, “Girls cannot and should not be educated.” She refused to accept that map of reality. By holding the empowering belief that every girl deserves education, she not only survived an assassination attempt but went on to win the Nobel Peace Prize at 17.

• Michael Jordan – From “not good enough” to greatest of all time As a teenager, Michael Jordan was cut from his high school varsity basketball team. Many would have believed, “I’ll never be good enough.” Instead, he turned that setback into fuel, creating the belief, “If I work harder than anyone else, I can succeed.” That shift led him to become one of the greatest athletes of all time.

• Liz Murray – From homeless teen to Harvard graduate Liz grew up with parents who struggled with addiction and spent part of her teenage years homeless. Her belief could have been, “People like me don’t have a future.” But she shifted her mindset to, “I can take control of my life.” She applied herself in school, earned a scholarship, and graduated from Harvard—proving that new beliefs create new lives.

• Bethany Hamilton – From tragedy to triumph At 13, Bethany Hamilton lost her arm in a shark attack. She could have believed her dream of becoming a professional surfer was over. Instead, she chose a new belief: “This challenge will not stop me.” She returned to competitive surfing within months and went on to win championships.

Examples of Ordinary People with Extraordinary Belief Shifts

• A teenager who once believed “I have nothing to offer” but changed that belief and began mentoring younger kids, finding joy and value in giving.

• A teen who was failing out in school but, with the help of a mentor, shifted the belief “I’m not smart enough” to “I can learn and improve step by step.” With new habits, encouragement, and self-belief, they became a great student in high school and went on to succeed in college.

• A single parent who learned to shift from a poverty mentality to an abundance mentality—moving from “I’m barely surviving” to “I can model resilience, growth, and possibility for my children,” creating a home filled with encouragement and hope.

• A man who had gone through two painful divorces but eventually shifted his belief from “Relationships never work for me” to “I can learn the skills to create love that lasts.” By changing his inner expectations and actions, he built an exceptional relationship based on trust, respect, and real partnership.

• A woman who was stressed out and unhappy with her career and life vision, but who got coaching and shifted her belief from “I’m stuck and don’t know what I want” to “I can create a life that really excites me.” With support and new actions, she redesigned her career path, created a life vision she truly loved, and now lives with far more purpose, peace, and joy.

• An elder in a community who, instead of saying, “My life is behind me,” embraced the belief, “I can contribute wisdom and kindness,” becoming a trusted guide for younger generations.

How toTell if You’ve Become Too Self-Satisfied or if You’ve Given Up on Self-Development

1. Healthy Contentment (a good thing):

• You feel grateful for what you already have.

• You enjoy daily life and appreciate your progress.

• You still set goals, stay curious, and challenge yourself, even in small ways.

• Your happiness feels alive, not stagnant—you’re at peace but still moving forward.

• You have a growth mindset. I want to be better, happier and more successsful in life in my own unique terms.

2. Warning Signs of Being “Too Self-Satisfied”:

• You avoid new challenges because they might disturb your comfort zone.

• You tell yourself, “This is good enough,” even when you know you could do more.

• You stop learning, experimenting, or trying to improve in any area.

• You resist feedback or new ideas that could help you grow.

3. Warning Signs of “Giving Up on Self-Development”:

• You feel drained, unmotivated, or hopeless about the future.

• You stop setting goals altogether or secretly believe goals won’t matter.

• You avoid thinking about your dreams because it feels painful.

• You let self-limiting beliefs take over, telling yourself, “It’s too late,” “I can’t change,” or “This is just the way I am.”

• Instead of peace, you feel emptiness or quiet frustration inside.

The Subtle Danger of Saying “Good Enough”

Sometimes we stop growing not because life is terrible, but because we quietly convince ourselves it’s “good enough.” or we just get used to being "who we are" and defining ourselves in the same terms. On the surface, this sounds like contentment. But often it’s a signal we’ve stopped stretching, learning, and believing in more for ourselves.

Examples of “good enough” thinking can include:

• Confidence and self worth

• Relationships – “This relationship is good enough. We don’t argue too much, so why try to make it deeper or more meaningful?”

• School or Work – “My attitude at school or work is good enough. I get by, I do what’s required—no need to bring more enthusiasm or look for better opportunities.”

• Finances – “My financial situation is good enough. I pay the bills, even if I’m not really building security or freedom for the future.”

• Personal growth – “My habits and health are good enough. I don’t need to push myself to learn, exercise, or improve any further.”

• Contribution – “The way I help others is good enough. I do a little here and there, so I don’t need to expand my capacity to give or be of service.”

The Key Insight

Tapping our real power in life comes in believing that we can become even happier—more fulfilled, more motivated, more loving, more capable—no matter where we are right now.   If you are happy you can learn to become happier still and increase and sustain that happiness throughout your life. If you are not as happy as we want to be you can learn to create a strong foundation for significantly increasing happiness, motivation, personal growth and results in every area of your life now and throughout your life. Teaching you to do this is what this program is all about.

Learning to Win from Winners – Modeling Happiness, Motivation, and Success

The best way that I have found to identify and change self-limiting beliefs is to study the beliefs of very happy, motivated, and effective people—and then put them into action in your own unique life, in your own unique way, a little each day. This is something we will teach you to do in this program that will really change your life.

So, what’s your story? What kind of life script do you really want to create?

It starts with changing your beliefs.