I’ve been thinking about some of the factors that get in the way of our search for self-discovery and life satisfaction.
Several thoughts occurred to me. First, our ego, and secondly, our limiting beliefs. Both are ‘learned’ or ‘acquired’ through our formative years and often follow us, without examination, throughout our lifetime.
Ego
Merriam-Webster defines ego as “the self, especially as contrasted with another self or the world.” (Appropriately, it is the Latin word for I.) In thinking about ego beyond the needs of survival, and providing safety and security—it’s probably the cause of every problem in the world.
The question in my mind is: do we need this fuel for unnecessary behavior and stimuli in our lives during this chapter? Do we need to continually see ourselves as the center of the universe in all our thoughts and actions? Do we need this ego thing to be the deciding factor on how we deal with ourselves, our families, our community, and the world in general?
What would it look like if we could tamp down the power behind this driving force and look outward with less need for recognition, power, prestige, and attention? (OK, I’m not saying that everything about our ego is terrible and destructive. But wow, that power is there, surely.)
Limiting Beliefs
A limiting belief is a thought, opinion, or state of mind that you believe is completely true. It’s a story you tell yourself that keeps you locked in your comfort zone and holds you back from growth. We all have them. They come from our families, our biases, our close-mindedness, and our experiences. Think of the times when you’ve thought or said:
I can’t
I don’t have time
I can’t do X until I’ve …
I’m not good or smart enough to
I’ll be negatively judged by others
It’s too late
When it comes to this internal banter that wraps you in restraints, you need to recognize that these beliefs need to be reviewed and reframed into thoughts of possibilities, new thinking and a growth mindset.
In Chapter X, you are in a life stage that requires self-examination and new broader thoughts that weed out your ideas that are no longer useful, not true and create blocks from living your best life.
