“It is never too late to be what you might have been.”
George Eliot
Your past, your life experiences – they have shaped you and turned you into the person you are today.
Hopefully through many positive experiences, but likely including some negative ones as well.
When you take those experiences and learn from them, or look back on fond memories your past is an asset. Your past supports your goals for the future.
On the other hand, if you are behold to past failures, or regrets, and don’t let go of them – your past can be a liability. Those mental, limiting beliefs can end up stopping you from achieving what you are fully capable of: your ability may be there, but your belief may not be.
You Never Have To Be Limited By Who You’ve Been
“One of the most common misconceptions in life is that what we did yesterday has to somehow dictate what we can do or be today.
It doesn’t. We never have to be limited by who we’ve been.
At any time, we can decide to be or do something different.[…]
We are the only one keeping score, and we truly can wipe the slate clean not only on any morning but also at any time.
The “day” when we decide to live out loud can start at any moment.[…]
Just show up.
Instead of dwelling on what you didn’t do yesterday,
do something about it now.Instead of analyzing the choices you could have made,
make better choices now.Instead of giving yourself a hard time for what you should have done,
realize you did the best you could and decide to do the best you can now.”
– Page 241 in Tiny Buddha by Lori Deschene
One of the things I love about the passage above is it speaks to one of my core beliefs – you always change on the inside before you change on the outside.
You cannot create anything in the external, physical, real world – until you are able to internally accept and believe it is possible.
Your Past Informs Your Future . . . But Doesn’t Dictate It
Think back to who you were, the type of person you were last year.
There are traits that you are proud of, that you identify with, and that truly set you apart as unique. Never lose those. Cherish and nurture them.
However, there may be other traits and habits that you are not proud of, but that you have accepted as the person you are. You may have chosen to accept that things cannot change, that things will always be the same.
I refuse to accept that for you.
If there is an area in your life that you have not been satisfied with in the past – and have allowed yourself to continually be dissatisfied with, it does not have to be that way.
You can do whatever you choose, and be whoever you choose.
It may be difficult, it may take time – and any changes you want to see on the outside have to start on the inside first.
But you can do it.
It is never too late to be what you might have been.
How To Overcome Limiting Beliefs In Your Past
Every day you have a choice – even if it doesn’t feel that way. Very often, if you have a limiting belief holding you back, it may not feel like a choice at all.
Those unproven opinions, in your mind, sound like facts.
“I’ll never make enough money.”
“This is just the way my body is.”
“I have never been smart enough.”
But the truth is, it’s not really that black and white.
Sure, we may never be olympic champions. But somewhere between the body we have now and the body of a greek god, there is a toned, healthy body that is achievable.
There is a successful shade of gray in the middle.
And that’s why it’s important to let go of the past beliefs that have been holding you back.
It’s not about totally changing who you are.
It’s about being a little better every day, so in the long run you can be your best.
You can choose to be who you have been – or you can choose to be someone just a little different.