Self-Limiting Beliefs: How to Overcome Them

Growing up in Singapore, I've been taught, like any other middle or lower middle class families, that we should study hard, get good results, go to the top local university, study accountancy, medicine or law, get a good job, climb the corporate ladder.

I can tell you that the path to success is riddled with lots of people following this downtrodden paths. They can be very unhappey because they cannot be their true self. They have to wear the corporate hat at all times, and half the time they may need to mask their feelings. 

I've also met entrepreneurs who followed their own paths. For better or worse, they are happier. Lots of entrepreneurs who are very determined in life, with average intelligence, make much more money than corporate people.

Hence, I have concluded that we are brought up with values that limit capabilities. We limit our ownselves, stop ourselves from achieving happiness because we have the beliefs that we should walk that well trodden paths.

The language we tell ourselves is important. We need to talk to ourselves in a more loving way, to continually assure ourselves, not seek outside validation. Nobody is going to cheer you on all the time, like yourself. You are your best supporter. If you try to seek different shores and are afraid, just constantly tell yourself, "you'll be fine, you can do it". Don't dwell on negatives. Keep pressing on.