Coaches Corner: Limiting Beliefs

How often do we ask ourselves this question: Who am I? Am I authentically me, or am I who I think I should be?

Have you identified with what you do for a living and believe that is who you are? I thought that what I did for a living was who I was. What I have learned... is not who I am. Being a flight attendant has the unspoken label of a so-called “glamorous life.” This is how most of us in this particular field have identified ourselves. We have allowed what we do to become our identity. To think otherwise somehow triggers a grieving process for many...including me.

I recently asked a retired friend, “how is retirement?” She told me that she had lost her identity when she retired. She didn’t lose her identity...she had flown for many years. That was how she identified herself. To identify with what you do for a living is a false label...we are so much more. We were created for a purpose for such a time as this. Our lives are made up of millions of moments sewn together with limitless opportunities. It is up to us to decide what kind of legacy we will leave in this world.

We often find ourselves with false labels/beliefs about who we are and were created to be. False labels/beliefs tend to manifest and show up in our lives without us even realizing it. False labels/beliefs are real and intend to choke the truth out of our lives. Eventually, our beliefs/words will share what our heart has believed, whether it is true or not.

The sooner you come to terms with the uncomfortable false labels/beliefs you have al- lowed about yourself-the sooner you will be able to release them. As you become more aware of when that familiar voice starts harassing you, it will be easier to recognize when you are tempted to justify the lies you are telling yourself.

First, we must identify and reflect on those false labels/beliefs and consider the root cause and where they came from...We must ask ourselves this question:

Am I being honest with myself-really?

Have a heart-to-heart with yourself as you are looking in the mirror. Look yourself in the eye and ask yourself out loud (using your name), are you being honest with yourself?

Then tell yourself the truth about those false labels/beliefs you have allowed to take hold of your heart and mind. You owe it to yourself. Be curious. Curiosity will keep you fo- cused and aligned with who you are. It is how we learn and gain insight... it’s where we catch a glimpse of our narrow-mindedness. When we get uncomfortable and will, we will be tempted to return to our old ways to what we have always known and what is famil- iar...but that is fear talking.

I have found myself most recently in that very situation. Before March 2020, I flew in the lead position on International flights. It was what I knew and what I was comfortable with. I had taken a year off from flying, and since returning, I did not want to fly any lead positions Internationally or Domestically. I began to ask myself some of those hard heart-to-heart questions about what was keeping me from flying the positions I enjoyed the most.

I had false beliefs about myself as I returned to flying: I am not worthy, I am not enough, and I am not capable. Those are false beliefs/labels that I allowed to stick to myself.

Were they true? Absolutely not! We all develop some false beliefs/labels for many differ- ent reasons. However, allowing these beliefs to take root prevents us from fulfilling our deepest purpose.

What limiting beliefs or false labels do you have that are keeping you from moving to- wards your bright future?

“Change your thoughts, and you change your world.” ~Norman Vincent Peale