One of my limiting beliefs examples was thinking I wasn’t fit enough to reach this viewpoint in Patagonia, and then proving myself wrong!

“An event doesn’t have inherent meaning. We assign it meaning based on the stories we tell ourselves.”

We all carry invisible stories in our minds that are secretly steering our lives. When these quiet but powerful subconscious thoughts restrict what we believe is possible, they become limiting beliefs.

I’ve compiled a list of the most common limiting beliefs examples - ways that people stop themselves from living fully, loving freely, and stepping into their power. Whether you’re aware of them or not, your thoughts influence your choices, behaviors, and self-worth.

See that picture of me above? Before I reached that summit, I didn’t believe there was a chance I could. That belief wasn’t a fact, it was just a story I told myself. Thankfully I had friends with more positive beliefs who kept encouraging me and telling me I could do it!

Limiting beliefs can hold us back in every area of our lives, from work to romance to money blocks. But the good news is that, if you build awareness and make a dedicated effort to address them, you can break free from their power. In this post, I will walk you through a powerful process to identify and transform your own limiting beliefs so you can live your richest, fullest, most joy-filled life!

WHAT ARE LIMITING BELIEFS?

Limiting beliefs are deeply held thoughts, feelings, and convictions that hold you back from going after the things you want, keep you stuck where you’re at, and block you from realizing your full potential. They can be about yourself, other people, or the world. Most of the time, they run beneath the surface of your mind on autopilot, without you even realizing how much they’re holding you back.

Many limiting beliefs didn’t begin with you. They often stem from childhood conditioning, past trauma, cultural messaging, or fear of failure. What began as a single thought was repeated so many times that it eventually took root in your subconscious as truth.

For example, if a parent repeatedly told you that you aren’t artistic, you might eventually believe them and avoid things like painting or pottery. Or if a childhood bully called you weak, you may have internalized a sense of fear that still lingers into adulthood.

Because limiting beliefs are thoughts reinforced and crystallized over years, they can be challenging to release. But it is possible to overcome them, and the first step is becoming aware that they exist. The limiting beliefs list below will walk you through some of the most common ones so you can identify yours and begin to shift them.

HERE ARE THE MOST COMMON LIMITING BELIEFS EXAMPLES:

Self-Worth Limiting Beliefs:

1. I’m not enough.

2. I’m too much for people.

3. I’m not lovable as I am.

4. I’m broken and need to be fixed.

5. I don’t matter.

6. I always mess things up.

7. I’m a burden to others.

8. People will leave if I show the real me.

9. I have to earn love.

10. I need to be perfect to be loved.

11. I should be more like other people.

12. I can’t trust myself.

13. If I say what I need, I’ll be rejected.

14. I’m not worthy of good things.

15. I don’t belong anywhere.

16. I’m too sensitive.

17. I’m not interesting enough.

18. People are annoyed by me.

19. If I make a mistake, I’ll be abandoned.

20. I’m only valuable when I’m productive.

Love & Relationship Limiting Beliefs

21. I’ll always be alone.

22. Love never lasts.

23. It’s too late for me to find someone.

24. I have to change myself to be able to meet someone.

25. I attract emotionally unavailable people.

26. I have to settle to avoid being alone.

27. I’m not attractive enough for a partner.

28. I’m too damaged to be loved.

29. All the good ones are taken.

30. I’ll be abandoned if I open up.

31. I’m too independent for love.

32. I don’t deserve a healthy relationship.

33. I’m not worth fighting for.

34. I mess up every relationship I’m in.

35. If I speak up, they’ll leave.

36. I need to wait until I fully love myself before I can meet someone.

Money & Abundance Limiting Beliefs:

37. Money is hard to come by.

38. I’m not good with money.

39. I don’t deserve to be rich.

40. Wanting money makes me greedy.

41. If I make more, I’ll be judged.

42. I’ll always live paycheck to paycheck.

43. I have to work nonstop to earn a living.

44. I can’t make money doing what I love.

45. I’m not educated/experienced enough to earn more.

46. I should just be grateful for what I have.

47. I wasn’t born into wealth, so I’ll never have it.

48. I can’t earn as much as men.

49. I am reliant on others for money.

50. Having more money will make my life more complicated. (aka Mo money mo problems)

Career & Success Limiting Beliefs:

51. I’m not smart enough to succeed.

52. I’m too old/young.

53. I’ll fail if I try.

54. I’m not qualified enough.

55. I’m not creative or original enough.

56. I have to be perfect before I begin.

57. Other people are more talented than me.

58. I don’t have time to follow my dreams.

59. I don’t belong in leadership roles.

60. I always quit things.

61. If I become more visible, I’ll be criticized.

62. I’m not meant to be successful.

63. I have to overwork to prove my worth.

64. If I slow down, I’ll fall behind.

65. If they hire me, they’ll realize how unqualified I am.

Health & Body Limiting Beliefs:

66. I’ll never feel truly healthy.

67. I’ll never have energy or feel good.

68. I can’t stick to healthy habits.

69. My body is the enemy.

70. It’s too late to change my habits.

71. I’ll always struggle with my weight.

72. I don’t deserve to feel good.

73. I’m not strong or athletic.

74. I’ll always be in pain or discomfort.

75. My body has failed me.

Spiritual & Healing Limiting Beliefs:

76. I have to be healed to be happy.

77. If something comes easily to me, it’s too good to be true.

78. I’m too broken to heal.

79. I’m not spiritual enough.

80. I’m behind in my growth.

81. The universe is against me.

82. I should have figured this out by now.

83. If I were more spiritual, I’d never get upset.

84. I can’t help others until I fix myself.

85. I’ll always carry this pain.

86. I have bad karma and I can’t help that.

Identity & Self-Expression Limiting Beliefs:

87. I have to change to be accepted.

88. My voice isn’t important.

89. I should tone myself down.

90. My truth will make people uncomfortable.

91. If I’m confident, people will think I’m arrogant.

92. I need to hide parts of who I am.

93. I’m not creative.

94. No one wants to hear from me.

95. Other people are better at expressing themselves.

96. I’m not allowed to take up space.

97. People will think I am just seeking attention.

98. I don’t deserve to be seen or celebrated.

99. Nothing I have to say is unique.

100. Being authentic will cost me love.

101. I don’t belong in this space.

HOW TO BREAK FREE FROM YOUR LIMITING BELIEFS

You can’t always erase a belief overnight, but you can replace it with a more empowering thought over time. This 3-step practice is simple but extremely effective.

STEP 1: NOTICE THE BELIEF

The first step to breaking free from the limiting beliefs that are holding you back is to have awareness that they exist in the first place. Because these beliefs are often deeply ingrained into our psyches, it can be challenging to identify them. Here are some practices you can do to uncover what lies beneath the surface:

Read through the limiting beliefs list above - What stands out to you? Chances are a few things will jump off the page and ring true. This exercise alone can be very eye-opening.
Pay attention to your inner dialogue when you feel triggered - Things that upset or discourage you often point to deeper beliefs. Notice the default thoughts that surface in those moments: when you make a mistake, receive negative feedback, try something new that feels uncomfortable, or feel hurt, rejected, anxious, or afraid. Your reactions reveal your root beliefs.
Notice where you hold back or shrink - Are you playing small or talking yourself out of pursuing a dream? Limiting beliefs often show up as fear, avoidance, or perfectionism.
Look at the patterns in your life - Are there recurring situations that keep presenting themselves in your life? For example, if you keep self-sabotaging relationships, there may be an underlying belief like “I don’t deserve love.” Or if you keep taking jobs that undervalue you, your limiting belief might be “I’m not good enough.” Your patterns often mirror your beliefs, even when it feels like it’s just fate or bad luck.

STEP 2: QUESTION THE BELIEF

Now that we’re aware the belief exists, we’re going to dive deeper to figure out if it really holds any weight. Write freely without editing yourself. Let your subconscious speak. Allow yourself to explore it from every angle.

Explore the belief - Choose one belief you want to work through and write it down in one sentence. Write down all the situations when this particular belief pops into your mind. Describe it, express how it makes you feel. Do other people feel the same way or is it just you?
Examine its impact on your life:
- How is it benefiting you? I know it sounds crazy that a belief that is harming you can actually also be serving you, but you’re holding on to it for a reason. Is it protecting you? Is it giving you an excuse so you don’t have to work hard? What is it giving you?
- How is it hurting you? Is it holding you back from going after what you really want? Making you play small?
- What would happen if it disappeared? How would your life improve? Who would you be without it?
Figure out where it came from - Is it something your parents or childhood bully used to say? What’s the earliest you can recall thinking it? How long has it been there?
Challenge it - Ask yourself if it’s 100% true? Was the person who the belief came from credible? What evidence can you gather that the belief is wrong? Make a list of all the moments in your life when it was wrong.

STEP 3: REPLACE THE BELIEF

This is the exciting part! Now that you are aware of the belief and fully understand how it’s both helping and harming you, you get a do-over. You can choose how you want to live moving forward.

Choose a new empowering belief - Find a new belief that makes you feel strong, lovable, worthy, etc. For example, if your limiting belief is “I have to change to be accepted.” shift it to “The right people will embrace me for who I truly am.” Write it down in one sentence, and examine how things would change for you if this was your belief.
Find ways to grow your new belief:
- Visualize yourself moving through the world with your new belief. How do you dress? Who/what is around you? How do you feel?
- Meditate every time you feel your old belief arising. Close your eyes. Breathe deeply. And then repeat your new belief over and over in your mind until it fades away.
- Immerse yourself in quotes, songs, photos, and movies, that help you embody your new belief.
- Find activities or actions you can take that reinforce your new belief.
- Find some role models that exhibit your new belief that you can look up to and be inspired by. It can be people you already know, celebrities, or fictional characters.

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This limiting beliefs list will help you bring the thoughts bogging you down into the light. You don’t have to keep living inside your old stories - you can rewrite them.

Be patient with youself. This work can take time. It’s taken years, maybe decades, for your limiting beliefs to form, so it can take a while to release them.

You don’t have to fix everything overnight. Simply becoming aware is powerful in itself. And now you have the tools to question, redefine, and step into a more expansive version of yourself.

Did any of the beliefs on this limiting beliefs list hit home for you? Are you ready to transform them into more empowering thoughts? I’d love to hear in the comments! This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through them, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you. I donate 10% of all proceeds made from this blog to charity. Find out more about the charity I am supporting here.