The Limits Are Only In Our Mind
The limits that we self-impose don’t really exist, they are beliefs that we acquire since childhood. Barriers that we have established based – above all – on the teachings of our parents and our professors without having reached the precipice they delimit.
Starting to overcome what limits us is essential to internalize an idea, so that it passes from the head to the heart. There are disciplines such as coaching or NLP (neurolinguistic programming) whose purpose is precisely to show us our limits and give us the tools to overcome them.
How and where our limits are generated
We are all born with genetics that induce us to do some activities better, instead of others; however, this does not mean that it is necessary to give up the latter. Genetics is the primary source of our limitations.
The environment in which we move, our family, our friends and our education are essential factors that bring out many limits that we self-impose without resorting to any reflective filter. All of these factors also affect the world in which we discover our talents and how we find activities that excite us, that empower us.
As far as education is concerned, it is important to remember that, by observing children, we see that they have no limit in trying whatever they want, because they believe themselves capable of any undertaking. Ken Robinson, a British educator and writer, argues that as we grow, the education system prepares us for the real world. However, what is the real world? Certainly the current one is not the same as it was a few years ago.
The problem is that the current educational system was created in the age of industrialization: a time when many specialists in different disciplines related to material production were needed. This negatively affected creative subjects, such as music, writing, sports, dance, etc.
Paradoxically, today we live in a completely different society, but education continues to be that of the era of industrialization. In this way, due to the static nature of the educational system we have at our disposal, the teaching they give us at school is another factor that imposes on us the mental limits that we make our own.
What do we need to learn to overcome our limitations?
Children are not afraid to experiment, to think differently, so it is important to recover this creativity and learn or re-learn to think like a child, to create without fear, not to set limits and do everything that is passionate about. However, how exactly do we go about eliminating our limitations?
Recover an enormous learning capacity
Children have an innate curiosity for the things around them, they look at everything, touch everything and explore everything. They never stop taking an interest in anything and, thanks to this, their learning capacity is immense.
Overcoming the fear of being wrong
Children are not afraid of error, this fear is learned little by little because they tell us that it is negative. It must be understood that the mistake can also provide us with a very important experience, that a mistake can lead to success.
Doing things with passion
Developing what we are passionate about and putting enthusiasm in what we do improves the results we get a lot. If we’re not passionate about our work, it’s time to change it, to really enjoy what we like.
To play
A child learns to play with anything from simple cardboard to sophisticated mobile phones, he never stops exploring and trying. However, adults lose this ability to have fun and play in order to learn and are constantly saying things that limit them, such as “I can’t”, “I can’t”.
