Discover Your Self Limiting Belief Systems

Let’s face it. Oftentimes, the people who are supposed to love us and help us the most do us a great deal of damage instead. As a fitness professional, I’m fairly certain you are fully aware of the fact your clients are often hampered by the negative attitudes of their family and friends. Personally, I’ve had many clients who’ve been beaten over the head with negative messages by those closest to them. They’re told to quit. They’re told they are going to fail. They’re told they shouldn’t bother trying. They’re told it’s a waste of time. They’re told they can’t do it. They’re told many things that create unhealthy belief systems. These are strongly held beliefs that will either allow them to succeed or cause them to fail.

To make matters worse, there is also a constant bombardment of marketing messages that make your job tougher, a never ending stream of advertisements designed to encourage people – like your clients - to make unhealthy choices. And if you know a little bit about marketing, you’re also aware many of these messages work on a subconscious level, so they consistently have an effect on a person’s belief systems. For example, fast food chains don’t tell you about the benefits of their food. Instead, they constantly remind you that eating there will be fun and make you feel better. Does the phrase “We love to see you smile” ring a bell?

While this insight will hopefully help you to understand why some of your clients may not be succeeding, there’s another reason I’m writing about this. Something has come to my attention recently that has literally changed my life. I was completely unaware of how my belief systems were affecting me until my business coach pointed it out. Specifically, it was my belief system regarding money that was holding me back. During one of my coaching sessions, whenever I spoke about helping fitness professionals all over the globe improve their businesses, my voice would become energized. But when asked how I felt about the money I would earn in return for my efforts, I would always hesitate and force my enthusiasm.

The world we live in programs us to believe becoming a financial success is inherently wrong. In other words, I had a closely held belief system that told me helping people all over the world was the righteous thing to do, but I shouldn’t feel good about earning a terrific living from it. Something deep down made me feel almost ashamed of being excited about the profits my business plan would generate. But why? Why do we feel guilty about success?

We’re always taught as children the hero is supposed to suffer. We’re taught there is something noble about being poor. That good old-fashioned hard work builds character, and money isn’t important. In the movies, we constantly see the battle of the rich villain versus the poor hero. Who are we taught to root for? The poor hero, of course!

How are wealthy people portrayed in the media? Often times, not too kindly. We see Martha Stewart going to jail for insider trading. We see the Enron scandal. We see Paris Hilton in another sex scandal. We see Michael Jackson being, well, Michael Jackson. And while these stories certainly wouldn’t paint anyone in a positive light, there’s no mistaking the effect they have on your subconscious mind. If you become a really wealthy person, you’re going to become evil.

Think about all of the messages you are bombarded with every day. Think about how long they have been sitting in your subconscious mind, keeping you from being successful.

Just like a deconditioned person who is struggling to make the permanent change to a fitness lifestyle, you to need to take 100 percent responsibility for your lot in life. The instant you blame circumstance or someone else for your situation is the very moment you allow yourself to become a victim. It is the very moment you give someone or something else control of your life. It is entirely up to you. Change comes from within. But you already know that.

Perhaps you are always “getting ready to get ready.” In other words, you’ve got grand plans for your business and your life, but for whatever reason, you’re always waiting for just the right time to take action. Or you keep working on a big project that will grow your business, yet you never quite finish it because no matter how good it is, it’s never perfect. If this sounds like you, then I guarantee there’s at least a little part of you which is terrified of success. You’re scared to catapult past your family, friends and fellow fitness professionals. Again, it may just be part of the reason, but fear is typically the reason we keep from living the life of our dreams. How many people do you know personally that live every single one of their dreams? Don’t think that’s possible? Congratulations. You’ve just discovered a self-limiting belief.

If you’re a fitness professional who is worth the rate you charge, then you surely educate your clients to be mindful of their thoughts and self talk. Do they fill their days with positive affirmations of success? Or are they constantly negative and envisioning yet another failure? We are all merely a product of our thoughts. Our thoughts and imagination create our reality. The same holds true for fiscal fitness as much as it does for physical fitness. Are you constantly telling yourself you got into this business to help people, not to make money? Well, if you are, then I guarantee you’re helping lots of people and not making any money.

Why not make a simple fundamental shift in your thinking? Why not say: “I got into this business to help people and earn a great living while doing it?” It really can be that simple, so long as you believe you deserve the fruits of your labor. Have your ever heard any of the following statements? Do you think there’s a chance they have helped you form a self-limiting belief system of your own?

• You can’t make any money in the fitness industry. 
• Why don’t you get a real job?
• You have to know somebody to get ahead in this world.

Now, ask yourself these questions about money and success:

• How would my friends and family treat me if I made so much money I could buy whatever I wanted?
• What would I do with that money?
• Where would I go?
• Who would I hang out with?
• How would I feel about myself?
• How would I feel about those who don’t have money to the point they don’t need to worry about it?
• How and where would I raise my kids?
• How do I feel about rich people?
• Do I believe deep down the wealthy are extremely unhappy?
• What is it that is keeping me from making the leap to a better life?

Only you can answer these questions. Never let another human being, including your fellow fitness professionals, make you feel guilty for your success. It is human nature to constantly grow, constantly aspire and to never be satisfied. If that weren’t true, we wouldn’t have the Internet, space travel, art and every other achievement of the human race. What you believe has everything to do with how successful you can become. And just because you consciously say you want to have money doesn’t mean you really believe you deserve it. Or you really want it. Money isn’t everything, and it won’t buy you happiness. However, be very wary of the people who tell you that often because those are the words of a person who has been blinded from the truth. The truth is, you’ve got a moral obligation to reach your potential. And chances are, if you do so, you’re going to earn a fortune along the way.