A question I often ask people is What is holding you back from living your highest potential in this lifetime?

The responses vary from blank looks of confusion, to blaming everyone else in their life, and any number of other excuses, to running away and hiding in the bushes, to just accepting that their life is just the way it is…read “their lot in life”.

One of the things that breaks my heart is when I see people who have so much potential struggling to live the life they have always dreamed of. We all have the opportunity in this lifetime to live to our highest potential and create the life we want.

 

Why is it so difficult?

When we come into the world we are raised in a culture, with belief systems and the current understanding of how things are in the world. This framework shapes our lives along with the people who we choose to have in our lives, the events and circumstances we find ourselves in and the choices we make.

With all these things shaping our lives, our thinking and what we believe; it can sometimes be a struggle to see with clarity and cut through the noise of what we want and who we want to be.

The key areas I find people struggle with the most are:

  • Self-imposed limiting beliefs;
  • Unfounded fears;
  • Perceptions we have created about ourselves, about life and others;
  • Attachments to people, events and things in life

Now this isn’t an exhaustive list, but I find these are the most common things that stop us from living our lives to our highest potential. The great news is that all these things are in our control to change, shift and heal.

 

The First Step is Taking Responsibility

While this may be hard to swallow or hear, the very first step to breaking the self-imposed chains we have in our lives is by taking responsibility and accepting that we have placed them there in the first place. No one has “made” you believe what you believe. They may have influenced your beliefs, thinking and fears but you still have a choice.

The second step is realising we have control over what we want to believe, who we want to be and the life we want to live.

It is 100% all up to us and in our control.

 

The Journey to Freedom

I find the best way to freedom from self-imposed chains and limitations is to ask questions, be curious about your life, about what is going on for you. 

Here are some questions to ask yourself:

  • What is holding me back from living my highest potential in this lifetime?
  • What self-limiting beliefs do I have about myself, my abilities and talents, about what is possible for me?
  • What fears are keeping me chained or in my box and not allowing me to be my true self and live the life I choose?
  • What do I fear the most about living the life I have always dreamed of?
  • Are there any situations, people or places I need to break away from?
  • Where have I been giving my power away?
  • Who or what have I been blaming for the life I have? Where have I let them, or it, dictate how my life should be? 

Once you have some answers it’s now time to Reframe, take Responsibility and Return your power to you.

Reflect on these questions to move you forward:

  • What could my life be like if I had no blockages, no barriers, no self-imposed chains?
  • What is possible if I lived a life full of joy and freedom?
  • What if this self-limiting belief did not exist, how would life be like for me?
  • What does living my highest potential look like? (An obvious question but one people forget to ask themselves.)
  • What if this fear did not exist, how would I show up differently? What is possible for my life?

Our journey of breaking our self-imposed chains is not always neat and tidy. It can get kind of messy and feel out of control and chaotic. The key is to keep going and don’t stop. Little step by little step, continue on the path and embrace the process of breaking down.

Don’t resist against it and learn to let go and flow with it. Easier said than done I know!! Read my post on the Art of Letting Go if you are experiencing resistance.

Remember…

We were not put on this earth to struggle; we are here to thrive and live a life to our highest potential if we choose too. Everything we could ever need is available to us, right now today to succeed in life.

We are not bound by anything except the direction from our own soul. 

Give yourself permission to shine, be who you are here to be and live the life you choose.

To get started on this journey and begin breaking through your self-imposed chains, dive into my free 4 Stages of Self-Discovery here.