Out with the Old, In with the New

“Learning too soon our limitations, we never learn our powers.”

~Mignon McLaughlin

We must let go of something old to make room for something new. We outgrow our thoughts. We change. We evolve. What once was, is not necessarily true today. For beginnings to happen, there must be endings.

To let go of what we have always known can be scary, often painful, and a struggle. Old patterns, seemingly innocently, root us in a place of status quo.

Yet, we may find it challenging to move beyond these patterns. Beliefs are those thoughts created and put in place by experiences or ideologies pressed upon us. Those incidents and teachings influenced our choices, guiding us through life. They become our patterns. We accept them as reality: it is the way to be; that is who we are.

Though life has morphed, as our experiences have expanded, we struggle to see past our initial teaching. Finally, we have stopped growing and come to think of the limitations as usual.

Outgrowing of patterns does not happen suddenly; it is a gradual change, like gaining weight. We put on a pound or two, then one day, we wake up and feel burdened by the excess weight. The same happens with out-of-date thoughts. Outgrowing situations and relationships happen similarly.

It may be hard to ascertain precisely what has changed. However, we begin to notice we are not on the same wavelength as those we once were. We may find shortcomings in them, or others fault us for not going with the flow as we always did.

We may feel that our life is neither duly unhappy nor overly joyful but complacent. It may feel as if we are on a treadmill going nowhere. Or we keep ourselves so busy we don’t slow down enough to notice. Our blinders are firmly on, so the color has drained from our seeing. Life feels muted. We have become dormant, ceasing to find delight, and our curiosity has vanished. Our energy has become inactive or dull. We feel stagnant.

Stagnation happens when there is a block. Therefore, removing the barriers that create the block allows the energy to flow again. This is accomplished when we discard what no longer serves our higher being.

“We learn our belief systems as very little children, and then we move through life creating experiences to match our beliefs. Look back in your own life and notice how often you have gone through the same experience.”

~Louise L. Hay

Core beliefs have been with us for a lifetime, so it is essential to understand they have deep roots. For example, “I don’t deserve a loving partner, I am a failure, financial success is only for rich people, I have always been unhealthy, or life is meant to be hard.” The list and combinations are as unique and different as we are.

However, it doesn’t matter how long we have held on to beliefs; if they are outdated to our more enlightening selves, they can be discarded just the same. Nothing is forever. Everything can change.

Once our awareness is awakened, we realize life is not moving as effortlessly as we desire. The blockages can be illuminated in a second. Now, we can begin the let go.

How do we get into the flow?

It begins by unearthing where the discord is.

Where are your limiting beliefs? They typically can be seen in repeated choices resulting in the same outcomes. Are the consequences of your efforts aligned with your desires? Are there areas of your life that you repeatedly work to improve without results?

The limiting beliefs we hold on to are hidden behind the areas in life we have difficulty improving or seeing positive outcomes. As we struggle, thinking we are making a change, the returns do not reflect the effort.

Every door we open slams in our face, or perhaps no doors open. This is a sign we are working against ourselves. Deep down in the depths of our learning, a barrier prevents the flow.

We have learned to hold on to things that matter to us; at all costs. Even if those habits and ideas no longer propel us forward into growth. Yet, once identified, we can acknowledge the belief that it no longer serves who we are and understand that it now has become a disadvantage.

To evolve into the person we strive to be, we must let go of what holds us captive and prevents us from succeeding.

To change a belief, we must speak to our subconscious mind. The subconscious mind is reached through meditation, quiet and deep introspection, and hypnosis.

To alter behavior or belief, we must become very specific, and here is a time to seek professional guidance if you do not know how to reach those depths by yourself. We cannot go to Gangbusters to change something; the subconscious mind can only change as long as we speak its’ language.

With the concept, out with the old and in with the new, once identified, the belief can now be replaced with one in line with who we are.

While change can often challenge us to move outside of our comfort zones, this is where growth happens. Changing how we think and discarding beliefs, situations, and sometimes relationships are part of the process. Letting go alerts the universe we are ready for our new life to unfold. Are you ready?