One of my favorite poems is Robert Frost’s The Road Not Taken which starts with the line, ” Two roads diverged in a yellow wood…” Both roads can’t be taken and looking down each path one can’t clearly see too far down them. For both paths one thing is certain- what lies ahead is really unknown. In the poem it appears that the narrator is facing a major decision in the “fall” of his life. This could describe a typical mid-life crisis or may simply be that time in your life when you really take stock as to what is working and what may need to be left behind.
This may be precipitated by illness, job loss, or other catastrophe but for some it’s about waking up one day realizing that life does not last forever. Self-limiting beliefs prevent us from taking opportunities to confidently and fearlessly waltz down a road less traveled.
Here are six self-limiting beliefs that keep may be keeping you stuck:
1. “I don’t feel safe changing my life’s trajectory.” Another way to say this is that, “I am afraid I will feel out of control unless my
life remains the same.” In actuality, life is nothing but a serious of changes. What appears to be stable, solid, and predicable one
day may very well be radically altered the next. How can we as mere mortals know what is true today will be that way tomorrow?
We can’t. I’ve seen people in my practice who decided to marry someone “safe” only to have that person cheat on them. Another
client lived with someone for financial security then had their partner lose all their money and they had to foreclose on their home.
2.” I am not capable of making right decisions if I move in a different direction.” Yes, if you are human, mistakes are inevitable. I
have never heard anyone say, “I regret having taken that new job that made my heart sing” or “I regret moving to the country to
live a simpler life.” The disappointments that are most likely to show up at the end of your life are those of not having explored
new directions. Indeed, there are decisions that I have made in my life, that shortly after making them, seemed like huge mistakes.
With using EFT on those “errors”, I have actually recognized them as valuable lessons necessary for my soul’s growth.
3. “I don’t deserve better than what I have now.” This belief is often a subconscious one. We all deserve to be wildly happy,
actively pursuing our destinies, and surrounded by people who love and support us.
4. “I will hurt others if I do what I really want.” When we make choices about our lives based upon how others react, we not only
limit ourselves but potentially also deprive those others we are trying to protect. A case in point is the ending of a relationship. If
your relationship is seemingly over, if love is absolutely absent, and if your heart is yearning for something different, then
settling and staying in this relationship will prevent your partner from finding someone who is their perfect partner. Another
person who stays in a marriage for the sake of the children, only to end up divorcing after the kids leave, may ultimately learn
that the kids hated the disharmony and had frequently wished that they had divorced when they were little.
5. “I’m not _____ enough.” Fill in that blank with good, smart, attractive, skinny, wealthy, well-connected, strong, healthy, or
choose your favorite. This is definitely a tappable issue and universally felt by everyone to some extent. The great spiritual
teacher Ram Dass was asked what was the greatest difference between his inner critic at age 20 and now in his later years. He
responded that while he still hears that voice in his head, it has become more faint, but the major difference being, that he
doesn’t ever listen to it anymore.
6. “I must have the right circumstances before I act.” This is true to a certain extent. The person who is ready to quit their job and
follow their bliss without any clearly defined “next-steps” is a good example of needing to wait and prepare. On the other hand,
someone who has been contemplating such a move for years, probably has friends who are tired of hearing “this is sucking my life
force energy” or “I can’t stand all the drama” that are part of the perennial conversations, and is a good sign that it’s time for
action. There is a myth that if we take our time and analyze all the possible outcomes before making a decision, we’ll be
guaranteed to make the right one. It’s the same logic that has people waiting until they need a triple bypass before they change
their eating habits or stopping smoking when they are diagnosed with lung cancer. The fact is, that we can never know for certain
and making peace with the uncertainty is the key.
Here are some questions to ask yourself with follow-up tapping recommendations that will facilitate your decision-making and
strengthen your resolve:
What is the worst case scenario in each path? List them with as much detail as you can, rate the intensity of each fear then tap.
What is the worst case scenario that’s possible should you take no action at all? Again, list them clearly and tap on each one
individually.
What is the best outcome that can happen to everyone involved? Naming these will allow you to feel more positive and will give
you a more balanced prospective.
What are the negative emotional reasons for moving one way or another? The negative emotions we feel are just summoned out
of thin air but in actuality are based on past experiences. Uncovering past events related to you having made poor decisions is
essential in feeling free to make new ones.
What other alternatives am I not seeing? When both decisions don’t feel like good ones it’s usually a sign that you might other
options that you aren’t seeing. Tap on, “Even though I only see these two options…” is often quite fruitful in discovering more
possibilities.
Magic happens when we make a decision and start the journey of moving forward.
