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Self Limiting Beliefs Lurk Like Crocodiles In Your Mind
I recently read a newsletter by Howard Ruff in which he described the crocodile attack that claimed the most human lives. It happend on February 19, 1945 when a unit of the Imperial Japanese Army was guarding a stronghold on the Burmese island of Ramree and was outmaneuvered by a British Naval force. To escape, the soldiers had to cross 10 miles of crocodile infested mangrove swamps. Of the original 1,000 Japanese soldiers, only 20 survived.
I recently read a newsletter by Howard Ruff in which he described the crocodile attack that claimed the most human lives. It happend on February 19, 1945 when a unit of the Imperial Japanese Army was guarding a stronghold on the Burmese island of Ramree and was outmaneuvered by a British Naval force. To escape, the soldiers had to cross 10 miles of crocodile infested mangrove swamps. Of the original 1,000 Japanese soldiers, only 20 survived.
When I read this recently, I was astounded by the story. And it got me to thinking. So what are the crocodile infested swamps we must navigate in our lives? What crocodile like obstacles must each of us become equipped to overcome if we want to achieve the freedom we seek?
In my opinon, it’s within our own mind that we harbor the biggest and most nasty of the crocodiles. We harbor thousands of self limiting beliefs daily that threaten to devour our dreams. Without even realizing what we are doing, we buy into thousands of thoughts that in no way serve us, and which stand between ourselves and our dreams—the other side of the swamps.
So what does it take then to be successful? Well, what did it take for the 20 surviving soldiers to successfully navigate their way across the mangroves?
To overcome the crocodiles, it’s necessary to start from the end. Be larger than yourself in terms of vision and goals, trust in the magic of your belief, and then follow-through with unwavering persistence. There is a magical moment when you finally really, really believe in what is possible for yourself and what you are able to achieve - well beyond what you may have previously considered.
This is often what you experience when you have breakthrough success in a new venture (be it a home business, a new project, venture or otherwise). You may have started out doing what you knew you had to do because you see an opportunity that is so attractive and because there is a process that makes logical sense to you.
The tipping point comes when, as the results begin manifesting, you finally believe completely in what you can do and suddenly those lingering doubts disappear. You see the progress you are making and become inspired to create a vision larger than yourself that you believe in unequivocally - and that is when everything about your progress suddenly explodes exponentially.
Just imagine the degree of doubt those 20 surviving soldiers would have had to overcome and how impenetrable their belief in their ability to cross the mangroves had to be in order for them to survive. Consider what the spectacle of the feeding frenzy amongst the crocodiles must have looked and sounded like and the degree of fear and self limiting beliefs each soldier had to overcome. And think about the degree of commitment and follow-through that was necessary to make it to the other side. There was no room for hesitation - everything relied upon instant decisions and follow-through if they were to survive.
Just as few of the soldiers survived the crossing of the mangroves, few people ever survive the crossing of the swamps in their minds that enables them to live out their dreams. But for those that do, it is due to the focus and vision that they have, the absolute belief in their vision that they carry, and the non-negotiable follow-through that they employ. These are the basic ingredients, available to each of us, which can be used to determine the thoughts we choose, the beliefs we foster, and the actions we take which ultimately will define the path to our own success.
Opportunities abound everywhere. There are tremendous opportunities and enormous waves of momentum that are out there to be ridden. It is our own vision, belief and follow-through that will determine which of us will get there. Yet, in order to catch a wave, each of us needs to be prepared to swim out to to meet it.
I have absolutely no doubt that any of us can navigate the swamps in our mind and achieve anything we choose to achieve. If 20 Japanese soldiers were able to cross 10 miles of mangrove swamps and overcome thousands of crocodiles, while 980 comrades were eaten, then it should be comparatively easy for the rest of us.
You can achieve anything, without limits, with the for those limits you impose upon yourself.
By surrounding yourself with like minded people who hold th same depth of belief and vision as you have, you will quickly be able to leverage the strength and support of an entire team. So never, ever find reason to put limits upon yourself.
So start swimming and put those self limiting beliefs behind you!