How to Get Rid of Those Limiting Beliefs

Research supports that it takes 21 days to for a behavior become a habit. After you have established the habit, continue for another ninety days. Then often it becomes you without you even thinking about it. I have seen this to be true time and time again in practice. We cannot show up and complete a behavior a couple of times and then think it becomes us. We must practice!

I am going to share with you one of my favorite challenges of all time! It really is the way that we speak to ourselves. The importance of self speech is UNDER appreciated. We often do not realize the power of our thoughts yet scripture states "The tongue has the power of life and death" (Proverbs 18:21).  

It really is how you speak to yourself.  Are you positive and up lifting or are you negative and mean to yourself?  Would you talk to others how you talk to yourself?  If not, let's work on that.  Positive affirmations are how we begin to believe in ourselves and love ourselves.  And once we love ourselves, the sky is the limit!  No longer are we limited by the untrue things that we speak to ourselves.  Let it go!  No longer do you have to keep providing these vile thoughts to yourself.  You have beat yourself up long enough. Has it worked yet?  Guessing no.  It never does.  How much are you owning that is not yours to own?  Set it down. It's time to unload all the luggage that you have been carrying for all these years that is not yours to own.  You can do this!  SET IT DOWN. 

Learn to love you.  For when you truly love yourself, the external world and factors do not matter so much.  And when you love you, genuinely love you, others can love you.  And no, loving yourself is not = being prideful.  Let's shut this down before your brain goes there.  For we must love and appreciate ourselves to know the true meaning of love.  As Christians we often get stuck in this and say "Well I must be a servant and serve others... love they neighbor"... as this is true, we cannot pour from an empty cup.  And more importantly, you cannot give to other's what you do not truly have for yourself. 

Here's the challenge: find three positive affirmations that you would like recite to yourself over the next 21 days. It can be super short such as "I am worthy; I am brave; I am beautiful; I am loved" or I can be a statement that you gain more power from.  I have on my post-it at my desk that states "People are drawn to us because of the wisdom of God." I have this because the enemy likes to play games with my brain sometimes and say things such as "You are helpful; She doesn't understand what you are trying to teach her."  I look at my post-it and remind myself to tell the enemy to get back as Jesus for "Jesus turned and said to Peter, 'You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.'"  This gives me power over the enemy through Him by reciting His words. It always programs my thoughts to not go there.  The thoughts are now about once a week.  Before I starting practicing what I am teaching you, it was all day every day.  Exhausting! 

Make your affirmations yours. Own them. Believe them. Recite them all throughout the day. Write it on a post-it and place it somewhere that you look at often such as your mirror or your workspace; where ever you struggle and/or spend time.  Set a reminder to yourself on your phone and have it remind you three times a day or more if you like.  I have several people that started off setting a reminder at noon each day.  At first, she stated "it made me want to vomit.  But I kept doing it.  You are sure right as my world has changed.  It was how I was viewing myself that was keeping me back." 

We must learn to let go of beating ourselves up and talking negatively to ourselves. The enemy will keep watering these negative seeds until we choose to actively show up and do something about it. This is how we put down the bitterness, the anger, the guilt. No longer do you have to continue to do this to yourself for you are worthy!

You are NOT alone in thinking negatively about yourself. These are not lies. Look at them as goals. You do not currently think this of yourself yet one day you will. When you first see it, you will probably feel super uncomfortable. That's great as if you are uncomfortable, you are growing! You are challenging your thinking that you have been doing for how many years? It's not going to change overnight but you are resilient and going to keep going!  Keep saying the positives to yourself. You got this!

Challenge yourself everyday with your three affirmations that you want to believe about yourself. Three that resonant with you for this is where you will need to do more work as it hit for a reason. After the 21 day challenge, keep these three close to your heart and continue to work on them for the the next 90 days.  You didn't get here overnight and it's going to take minute to reprogram yourself.

Let's see if you view yourself any different after these 21 days! This challenge is a game changer if you decide to ante up and complete it.  At first you will be like "bla.." and feel like you want to vomit. Next you will probably eye roll and be like "Maybe... but I still don't like it." Then one day you will look at these words and your world will change because you actually believe it! It's really amazing! Your world can be anyway you want it. You got have to believe it and see it.

For the ladies of the house that want an additional resource for self-talk, go to stephanie-burnett.com to receive a list of how to "Master Positive Self-Talk" of biblical scripture specifically for women.

DM me if you would like more supportive in this area and to work individually with me via medication management and supportive therapy for Arkansas residents and via coaching services/online courses for anyone struggling.