Following cataract surgery many years ago, my Mom exclaimed “everything is brighter and more colourful”. Upon recallng this, it struck me that beliefs, especially limiting ones are like that too. They filter or cloud our perspective and drive habits that are difficult to change.

I use the metaphor of having a camera lens with a number of filters in front of the lens that represent our beliefs and influence how we perceive our world. Many filters are installed by others when we are young so we go around thinking “that’s the way I am” or “the way things are”. These filters seem “right” and “true” until something happens that we realize that others don’t see things the way we do. We notice people who are experiencing greater ease, joy, flow, abundance or freedom in their lives and wonder why we don’t have the same. It’s then we begin to wonder, if there is something in the way for me, what could it be?

Limiting beliefs are pesky and can be hard to change, even when we realize they are not “truths” and recognize they stand in the way of our success. In addition to the thought, beliefs are held in place by emotions, since many of them were installed or formed during times of emotional distress: like when your grade 4 teacher criticized your writing assignment. Beliefs become well-grooved electrical or neuro-pathways in the brain.

One of the remarkable applications of Emotional Freedom Techniques is to rapidly shift out of a limiting belief.  We do this by tuning into to what degree a belief “feels” true. For example, “I’m not good at writing” might feel like an 8.  With EFT tapping, that intensity level 8 can be reduced to a low number – say a 1 or 2. When this happens, a new thought generally emerges that might be “I’m actually a pretty good writer”.

This shift in our perception frees us up to see ourselves as more capable, more accomplished and more confident.   You can free you limiting beliefs much like you can free negative emotions, for expanded options and choice.