Nancy: Embracing change requires courage. It means stepping out of our comfort zones and into the unknown. But it’s in this space of the unknown, that transformation takes place. In the unknown we discover new possibilities. Change is a chance to evolve to become the best version of ourselves.
Nancy: Welcome to Your Permission Prescription. I’m Nancy Levin, founder of Levin Life Coach Academy, bestselling author, master life coach, and your host. I train life coaches, aspiring coaches, and anyone who wants to add coaching skills to their current career to elevate their life and their business. I’ve coached thousands of people to live life on their own terms, and now I coach, train, and certify other coaches to do the same.
If you are ready to give yourself permission to finally make yourself a priority and mobilize your vision, you are in the right place. Let’s dive in.
Welcome back to another episode of your Permission prescription in honor of Halloween this week we are going to dive into the underworld of beliefs, specifically the beliefs that scare us, those hidden convictions that have the power to hold us back, but also the potential to set us free.
Our beliefs live in the undercurrents of our lives, often invisible, yet profoundly influential. They can be like hidden rocks in the river, ready to capsize our boat when we least expect it.
So let’s start by understanding what beliefs are and why they hold such power over us. Beliefs are the stories we tell ourselves about the world, about others, and most importantly, about ourselves. Some of these beliefs empower us and drive us towards success while others hold us back and create fear, doubt, and hesitation.
So the beliefs that scare you, the ones that lurk in the shadows of your mind are often the most potent. They’re the ones that keep you stuck in a cycle of self-sabotage and self-doubt. These are the beliefs that demand your attention and exploration, because beliefs are the lenses through which we view the world, and sometimes these lenses get really foggy. And it’s these beliefs that shape our reality, that influence our decisions, and can even dictate our own happiness. They’re like little gremlins hiding out in the shadows, whispering tales of fear and limitation. Our beliefs are the thoughts, assumptions, and convictions that lurk in the background, often unconsciously, creating the fear, the doubt, the hesitation.
These beliefs can be about your sense of worth, your abilities and capabilities, your relationships, your future. They’re the voices that whisper you are not good enough or you don’t deserve success. But guess what? We have the power to take control, to shine a light on the shadows and rewrite the narratives that no longer serve us.
So today we are going to explore some of the most common fears that are tied to our beliefs and uncover the tools to face them head on.
So the first step here is acknowledgement. We must identify the fears and beliefs and bring them into the light. We must be willing to own them, only then can we begin on the work of transforming them. So I invite you to be willing to question your beliefs, to challenge their validity and replace them with empowering positive beliefs.
So first, let’s talk about the common fear of unworthiness. This is a belief that can be deeply rooted in our psyche, the nagging feeling that we are not good enough, not deserving enough, not lovable enough. It’s like a shadow lurking in the background of our minds. But what if we began to believe deep down in our core that we are inherently worthy, that our worthiness is not conditional on anything at all, that it is simply a birthright.
This is where our healing journey begins, where we rewrite the story of unworthiness and replace it with self-love and compassion. Another belief that scares many of us is the fear of failure. It’s the belief that if we try and fail, we’re somehow less than we were before. And the truth is that failure is not the end of the road by any means, it is simply a stepping stone to success. Failure teaches us valuable lessons and it’s often a necessary part of growth.
To overcome the fear of failure, we must reframe our perspective. Instead of fearing failure, I invite you to embrace it. It’s through our missteps that we gain wisdom and resilience. Failure is not the opposite of success, it is part of the journey toward it.
Let’s look at the fear of change. Many of us are comfortable in the familiar even when the familiar is holding us back. The belief that change is scary can cause us to freeze and stay stuck in situations that no longer serve us. Embracing change requires courage. It means stepping out of our comfort zones and into the unknown. But it’s in this space of the unknown, that transformation takes place. In the unknown we discover new possibilities. Change is a chance to evolve to become the best version of ourselves.
And then let’s also look at the belief around the fear of rejection. This fear can hold us back from pursuing our dreams and expressing our true selves. It’s the belief that if we reveal our authentic selves, we will be cast aside or ridiculed.
But consider this, what if the risk of rejection is outweighed by the reward of living authentically? What if we let go of the need for external validation and prioritize our own self-acceptance? Embracing the possibility of rejection empowers us to be genuine, to be real, and to attract those who love us for who we truly are. However, this needs to begin with loving ourselves the way we truly are. When we are fearing external criticism and judgment and rejection, it means we are already criticizing, judging and rejecting ourselves. This is where the shift needs to begin.
So let’s take a look at where the beliefs come from, where the beliefs that scare us come from. They originate in childhood, they’re shaped by our upbringing, societal conditioning, past traumas. When we were very young, under the age of 10, when significant events occurred,
we didn’t know how to process and digest them, we were too young, so we made them mean something about us. We drew a conclusion about ourselves. The good news is that you have the power to challenge and change the limiting shadow, scary beliefs that are hiding out in your psyche.
One powerful tool for transforming these beliefs is self-awareness. When you’re aware of the beliefs that scare you, you can start to examine them and understand their origins. Journaling is a fantastic way to do this, and I just so happen to have my book, The Art of Change, that is a guided journal. So if you have not grabbed that yet, I encourage you to do so because in it I guide you through this process. So again, that’s The Art of Change, my guided journal. When you write down your fears and doubts and limiting beliefs, you can get curious about why you believe them and how they’ve impacted your life. Awareness is the first step toward change.
Another effective technique is self-compassion. It is essential to treat yourself with the same kindness and understanding that you would offer a dear friend. When you catch yourself in the grip of a scary belief, remind yourself that it’s just a thought, not an absolute truth. It’s just a thought and your thoughts can change.
We tend to relate to our beliefs as facts, but a belief is simply a long held idea about the way the world works and our role within it. It’s not a fact. Our suffering is caused by the stories we wrap around the facts. Our suffering is caused by the fiction, the conclusions we draw about ourselves. But when you replace self-criticism with self-compassion and self-forgiveness, watch how your beliefs begin to lose their power.
Once you’ve identified your scary beliefs, it is time to challenge them and reframe them. When you believe you’re not good enough, remind yourself of your accomplishments, your strengths, the positive impact you’ve had. Create a new narrative that supports your worth and potential. And most importantly, remember, you don’t have to do this alone.
I just shared with you about my journal, The Art of Change, you will feel held, you will feel coached by me as you move through that journal. This is not something you have to do all on your own.
The beliefs that scare us are like ghost stories we tell ourselves, but as we’re exploring here, we have the power to rewrite these narratives. It’s about reframing fear as a teacher and embracing it as a catalyst for growth. So take a moment to reflect on the beliefs that scare you. What are the stories you’re telling yourself that are holding you back because it is time to shine a light on those shadows and start rewriting your narrative.
I’m delighted that you join me for this conversation. Remember, you are inherently worthy. You are capable of handling failure. You can embrace change, and you don’t need to fear rejection. Simply align yourself with what is true for you, not what you believe. Your journey to self-discovery and empowerment begins with the beliefs you choose to believe. The only thing keeping the scary beliefs in place is that you believe them and you are capable of rewriting your beliefs. And when you do so, you transform your life. Thanks for being here with me today, and I look forward to being here with you again next time.
Thanks so much for joining me today on Your Permission Prescription. For even more, I invite you to head on over to nancylevin.com and sign up for my newsletter, The Practice, and follow me on social media.
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