No matter how “enlightened” any of us may believe or feel ourselves to be, that doesn’t mean that we stop learning and growing. Usually it just means being able to clear another level of limiting beliefs because we are aware of where and how we are misaligning ourselves from our inherent truth. Limiting beliefs are what prevent any of us from moving on to our next level of awareness. And so, the more that we can admit to ourselves what those limiting beliefs are (without judgment), the sooner we can get to our next level of awareness and subsequent manifesting.
Patterns that don’t seem to change are a clear indication that something needs to change. They are clues to where we are still holding resistance to our ideal self and our ideal life. They are showing us where we need to dig deeper to figure out the limitations that we are placing on ourselves. In truth, sometimes we get so accustomed to a certain way of being and living that even if we don’t particularly like it, the familiarity of it still feels “safe.” Moreover, sometimes we get so used to being a certain way that even if we desire and intend to be, do, have, or experience something different, we may still feel fearful of losing the identity that we have latched onto for so long. Who are we if we are not the person who struggles? Who are we if we are not the person who complains? Who are we if we are not the person who feels victimized? Who are we if we are not the “failure,” the “misfit,” the “savior”? In truth, we never hold onto anything that we do not feel serves us in some way. It may seem twisted, I know, but to the ego, “safety” is the first priority, even if that safety comes in the form of familiar suffering. So, we simply need to find a new benefit that serves us better.
How do we do that?
We start by embracing the version of ourselves that we desire to be. We create a new identity for ourselves based on our preferred reality versus the one in which we feel stuck, and we make THAT reality our familiar default. Instead of being the person who chases after success, we embody the person who already has it. Instead of being the person who feels unworthy of love, we embody the person who already feels it. We realize that our identity is not fixed and that we can choose to modify it as we please. Bottom line, the familiar does have its place, but it should never stop us from manifesting better.
And so, if you ever feel stuck in an unwanted pattern that you can’t seem to shake, think about the benefit you may be receiving through your “stuckness,” as well as the identity you may be afraid of losing if you take yourself and your life to the next level. This is your limiting belief. And now that you know what it is, you can release and replace it.