Who is preventing you from pursuing something you really want?

“If you hear the voice telling you, ‘Don’t paint,’ then by all means paint.”
— Vincent Van Gogh.

Each of us carries multiple voices in our heads: some cheer us on; others offer helpful criticism; and some can be outright hostile, doing their very best to stop us from pursuing our dreams and shut us down before we even get to start.

Self-limiting beliefs are those internal critics that tell you the opposite of what you aspire to achieve, saying things like, “You can’t do that,” “Who do you think you are?” or “You’re not good enough.”

But have you ever stopped to wonder where these voices come from? Why do we accept them as truth?

First question to ask is if that discouraging voice is really yours. Perhaps it is someone else’s, and you happened to adopt it as your own? Perhaps you were told by others certain things, over and over again, to a degree that you incorporated this as a genuine truth and as a critical part as to how you perceive yourself.

The tricky part is distinguishing between these external voices and your true self.

What is the truth about your capabilities and potential? For instance, if you've always wanted to become a writer but tell yourself you can't because you struggled with writing in high school or university, or because you compare yourself to naturally talented writers, you might never pick up the pen. But how accurate is that belief, really? Can a few past experiences truly dictate your abilities?

Consider George Costanza from the sitcom Seinfeld, who, in one famous episode, complains that he is far from where he thought he’d be in life, and that “every decision I’ve made, in my entire life, has been wrong.” He then announces that he will do the opposite of what his instincts—or, rather, his internal voice—is telling him to do—and just a few days later, he has a new girlfriend, a new apartment and a new job. By challenging the very truths and beliefs he has about himself, he is able to break through a series of negative patterns and change his self-perception for the better.

What if you applied this to your life? Maybe the next time you find yourself at a networking event, rather than telling yourself, “I hate these things. I am just going to stand here in the corner, pretending that I am busy responding to a very serious email that I just received. I am not good at making new connections anyway,” you’d approach the person closest to you and introduce yourself? Maybe you’ll discover you aren’t just as socially awkward as you’ve always kept telling yourself.

With all of this said, I would encourage you to challenge yourself and, in particular, the various beliefs you have that are preventing you from moving towards where you want to be. 

And the next time you hear a voice telling you “don't,” remember Van Gogh's advice. It might just be the nudge you need to do the very thing you were meant to do.