Have you ever heard of the Pillars of Hercules?
If you look at them, all you see are two little islands near the Straits of Gibraltar, but according to Roman mythology these pillars were built by Hercules to mark the end of the known world. It was said that the pillars bore the warning “Non Plus Ultra”, which means “Nothing further beyond”.
For thousands of years people looked at these islands and believed that the whole world ended just there. They could see the line of the horizon, the same deep turquoise sea and the same blue sky with tiny little white clouds generously spread over it. They could watch the seagulls flying over the pillars and turning back. And they dreamed about being free and careless like the birds. But the idea of going beyond the imposed borders never crossed their minds. Because no one had ever done it and, therefore, it could not be done!
Until one day a young man looked at these pillars and saw them for what they really were – just two lavishly green islands. Nothing else… nothing more… The man’s name was Christopher Columbus.
Years later, the whole town of Palos came to witness three large ships sailing slowly past the ancient barriers and disappear into the unknown, expecting them at any second to sail off the edge of the Earth.
As you know, just a few months later Columbus discovered America and changed history. He also changed people’s perceptions and beliefs about the world. The old warning “Non plus ultra” transformed itself into a new motto “Plus Ultra” or “Further beyond”, encouraging explorers to go beyond the Pillars of Hercules into the New world. This motto became so popular that it was engraved on the Spanish Dollar and up to this day remains an emblem of Spain.
This story got me thinking about how many of us slowly build imaginary “Pillars of Hercules” in our mind. For years our parents, teachers, and society have kept convincing us that we can not go beyond a certain point. That there is nothing more out there except for disappointment, bitterness and regrets. That it is not worth trying, because someone once said that it can not be done.
We stay where we are, because it gives us an illusory feeling of safety. We know our little world. But we have no idea what is beyond it. And it scares us, because we can not predict what to expect as soon as we step out of our comfort zone. That is why we often prefer to keep things the way they are, even if we do not like them.
In reality this illusory feeling of safety stops us from achieving great highs and discovering what we are really capable of doing.
I know that it is not easy to just go ahead and challenge your whole belief system in one day. And, in fact, you do not have to do this. In my experience it is a lost game to try to change someone else’s beliefs (even if they are your own!). Whenever our opinion or belief is threatened our mind immediately jumps into defensive mode and ignores all the information that comes its way.
Beliefs can not be changed. But they can be expanded.
If you want to change your beliefs and go past your current blocks, you can not challenge them face-to-face. You have to be sneaky about it.
Let me explain what I mean…
If I had been told all my life that I do not have a head for numbers, then declaring to myself that I am a math wizard and a future winner of a Noble Prize for achievements in math would not do me any good. My mind would just think “Yeah, right…” and then label this information as absurd.
Instead of trying to change my belief about being bad at math, I can ask myself if I am really as bad as I have come to believe. After all I can add and multiply numbers easily. I have no difficulty woking out the percentage for the tip that I need to leave in a restaurant. I can help my niece with her math homework. I do my own taxes and accounting. I can quickly remember someone else’s phone number or a date of birth. It all adds up to a lot of quite impressive stuff that I can do with numbers. Don’t you think?
As it turns out there is some pretty convincing evidence that I am not bad at math. I am average at it and I can do all the calculations that serve me in real life. You see, how when I call my math skills as ‘average’, it does not directly contradict my current belief? All it does is expands it a little.
Very often we use absolutes like “always”, “never”, “everything”, “nothing”, “everyone”, “no one” to frame our beliefs (“I am always doing everything wrong!”, “I’ll never get out of debt!”, “I try to help people whenever I can, but when I need help no one ever helps me!”, “ My husband is always frustrated and tired when he comes home”)
It is our natural inclination to make generalizations and look for patterns because it helps us to predict what to expect, both from other people and situations. However, by making absolute statements we are closing our minds, leaving ourselves no place for change and creating self-fulfilling prophecies.
That is why the first step to expanding your beliefs is accepting the fact that EVERY rule ALWAYS has an exception. Things are rarely only black or white. Usually there are thousands of shades of grey in between.
Think of what your current limiting beliefs are. Pick one that bothers you the most, or that has the strongest negative impact on your life.
Is there something that you think you cannot do? Why not?
Now go ahead and try to find some solid evidence that you are better than you thought you are. Or that you are more skilled than you have initially anticipated.
Challenge your beliefs one at a time and then expand them. Make it a habit to go a little further beyond your imaginary “Pillars or Hercules” and I promise you that you will discover a whole new world out there!
If you look at them, all you see are two little islands near the Straits of Gibraltar, but according to Roman mythology these pillars were built by Hercules to mark the end of the known world. It was said that the pillars bore the warning “Non Plus Ultra”, which means “Nothing further beyond”.
For thousands of years people looked at these islands and believed that the whole world ended just there. They could see the line of the horizon, the same deep turquoise sea and the same blue sky with tiny little white clouds generously spread over it. They could watch the seagulls flying over the pillars and turning back. And they dreamed about being free and careless like the birds. But the idea of going beyond the imposed borders never crossed their minds. Because no one had ever done it and, therefore, it could not be done!
Until one day a young man looked at these pillars and saw them for what they really were – just two lavishly green islands. Nothing else… nothing more… The man’s name was Christopher Columbus.
Years later, the whole town of Palos came to witness three large ships sailing slowly past the ancient barriers and disappear into the unknown, expecting them at any second to sail off the edge of the Earth.
As you know, just a few months later Columbus discovered America and changed history. He also changed people’s perceptions and beliefs about the world. The old warning “Non plus ultra” transformed itself into a new motto “Plus Ultra” or “Further beyond”, encouraging explorers to go beyond the Pillars of Hercules into the New world. This motto became so popular that it was engraved on the Spanish Dollar and up to this day remains an emblem of Spain.
This story got me thinking about how many of us slowly build imaginary “Pillars of Hercules” in our mind. For years our parents, teachers, and society have kept convincing us that we can not go beyond a certain point. That there is nothing more out there except for disappointment, bitterness and regrets. That it is not worth trying, because someone once said that it can not be done.
We stay where we are, because it gives us an illusory feeling of safety. We know our little world. But we have no idea what is beyond it. And it scares us, because we can not predict what to expect as soon as we step out of our comfort zone. That is why we often prefer to keep things the way they are, even if we do not like them.
In reality this illusory feeling of safety stops us from achieving great highs and discovering what we are really capable of doing.
I know that it is not easy to just go ahead and challenge your whole belief system in one day. And, in fact, you do not have to do this. In my experience it is a lost game to try to change someone else’s beliefs (even if they are your own!). Whenever our opinion or belief is threatened our mind immediately jumps into defensive mode and ignores all the information that comes its way.
Beliefs can not be changed. But they can be expanded.
If you want to change your beliefs and go past your current blocks, you can not challenge them face-to-face. You have to be sneaky about it.
Let me explain what I mean…
If I had been told all my life that I do not have a head for numbers, then declaring to myself that I am a math wizard and a future winner of a Noble Prize for achievements in math would not do me any good. My mind would just think “Yeah, right…” and then label this information as absurd.
Instead of trying to change my belief about being bad at math, I can ask myself if I am really as bad as I have come to believe. After all I can add and multiply numbers easily. I have no difficulty woking out the percentage for the tip that I need to leave in a restaurant. I can help my niece with her math homework. I do my own taxes and accounting. I can quickly remember someone else’s phone number or a date of birth. It all adds up to a lot of quite impressive stuff that I can do with numbers. Don’t you think?
As it turns out there is some pretty convincing evidence that I am not bad at math. I am average at it and I can do all the calculations that serve me in real life. You see, how when I call my math skills as ‘average’, it does not directly contradict my current belief? All it does is expands it a little.
Very often we use absolutes like “always”, “never”, “everything”, “nothing”, “everyone”, “no one” to frame our beliefs (“I am always doing everything wrong!”, “I’ll never get out of debt!”, “I try to help people whenever I can, but when I need help no one ever helps me!”, “ My husband is always frustrated and tired when he comes home”)
It is our natural inclination to make generalizations and look for patterns because it helps us to predict what to expect, both from other people and situations. However, by making absolute statements we are closing our minds, leaving ourselves no place for change and creating self-fulfilling prophecies.
That is why the first step to expanding your beliefs is accepting the fact that EVERY rule ALWAYS has an exception. Things are rarely only black or white. Usually there are thousands of shades of grey in between.
Think of what your current limiting beliefs are. Pick one that bothers you the most, or that has the strongest negative impact on your life.
Is there something that you think you cannot do? Why not?
Now go ahead and try to find some solid evidence that you are better than you thought you are. Or that you are more skilled than you have initially anticipated.
Challenge your beliefs one at a time and then expand them. Make it a habit to go a little further beyond your imaginary “Pillars or Hercules” and I promise you that you will discover a whole new world out there!
Regards
Nyakio Karoki
“Your only limitations are those you set up in your mind, or permit others to set up for you.” Og Mandino
“Eliminate the time between the idea and the act.” Dr. Edward Kramer
Like this:
Like Loading...
