Limiting Beliefs - How to Break Through the Barrier

Circus trainers used to tie a chain around a baby elephant's ankle to stop it from escaping. The chain would be connected to a tall spike which was hammered deep into ground. As a baby, elephant was not strong enough to pull out spike, and so it learned not to try. As elephant became fully grown, it continued to believe that it could not escape, even though it was easily strong enough.

The moral of story is: If you don't test some of your old, limiting beliefs, you will stay stuck in your present circumstances.

So how many invisible chains do you have tied around your ankles?

Successful people have learned how to break through those limiting beliefs that hold them back from achieving their goals. For example, they believe they are not too old to try something new - they are wise. Nor are they too young - they have energy. Unlike elephant destined to walk around and around in circles, successful people choose a direction and don't give up until they get there.

. . . in Pursuing the American Dream

s morning I woke up at 4:30 in morning, as usual, poured myself a cup of coffee, as usual, and thought about what my son said to me yesterday evening. You see, he's 2 1/2 years old and talking quite well, for his age. When I came home from working all day I was greeted with always joyous "daddy's home, daddy's home" but today, this greeting was followed by "daddy no you go to work!". It's amazing what a 2 year old can know and understand. So, as I sat and thought, several things occurred to me. #1, I hate having to go to work all day, #2 my son hates me going to work and #3 at least 1/3 of my life has been dedicated to earning money. None of this was sitting very well with me. The last realization really repulsed me! What good is a life if you spend it in an office building or beat yourself up building that office building, as in my case. All of my life I was told that in order to achieve American dream, I have to go to work, put in my time and one day I would be set. It's what my dad was led to understand and, he's still working at 62! He had immigrated from Poland in 1977 and he worked in a factory for next 25 years, till last one he worked for closed up. Now he drives limo's. . . at 62, he still has to work. What confused me about this situation is that he did put in his time, 50-60 hrs at a time. Just didn't make sense. Yet there are those people who do make it. I've met many of ones who will make it. Typically, both parents work while their 2.1 kids miss them. It'll never be said but, there is a cause for kid rebellion. I believe it is because parents do not hear their kids nor do they meet their kid's needs. The parents are too busy, working. I believe that when kids are young, they really do miss their parents, when we go to work. It is only with ongoing justification that kids grudgingly stop needing us. I believe that kind of separation is bad for both kid's and parents. I did some research and found some very interesting ideas on subject. It seems "American Dream" is something "they" tell you to chase because "they" need a work force. After all, who would make "them" money, if it were not for average worker, who has nothing more substantial than time and effort to exchange for money. True, you can accomplish much in this country, in one life time, however you will spend your most precious commodity to do it. Our time is most valuable asset and it is being taken away from us so that we may live comfortably. There has to be alternatives. The decline of western civilization is mainly due to fracturing of family unit. Most of us have heard that before. No one has ever explained "why" family "fractures". I believe reason is that we work all day and when we get home, we're too tired for meaningful family interaction.