Our Only Limitations Are The Ones We Set Up In Our Own Minds

Why do we procrastinate, quit, stress ourselves out, beat ourselves up and develop bad habits? Why do we become our own worst enemy instead of our own best friend?

Our minds are interesting things. They are so powerful and yet, so many people don't know how to use them for their benefit.

We don't need a magic pill like in the movie, Limitless, to conquer our minds. We don't need military training or to become monks to develop the disciplines that will help us succeed.

We just need to understand why we think the way we do and find ways to make ourselves think the way we want to. In other words, we must think in a way that serves us, instead of a way that holds us back.

Napoleon Hill, writer of Think and Grow Rich, said, “Our only limitations are the ones we set up in our own minds.” Over the years, I've found out that he is right. If we conquer our minds, we can achieve anything.

The Meaning Of Napoleon Hill's Quote

Our mind is incredibly powerful, but that doesn't mean it always works in our favor. What we feed it determines what we get out of it.

Just like putting the proper fuel into a vehicle, we have to fuel our brains with the right thoughts. We have to be aware of how we are thinking instead of just accepting our current beliefs.

Beliefs can be changed. We don't have to accept them for what they currently are, as many people do. Many of us have been influenced by people with negative views on the world.

Many of us have not been raised to think like the successful people do. But, the mere belief that this is an excuse is a negative thought that does not serve you. It is the wrong kind of fuel for your mind.

Napoleon Hill teaches us in his books that you should make your thoughts serve you, not slow you down. We only have limits if we allow them in our minds.

We only procrastinate because we aren't aware of what we're doing or have a belief that procrastinating is okay. We have negative beliefs because we allow other unsuccessful people to influence us.

Our thoughts are meant to serve you in a way that creates happiness and helps you achieve whatever goals you have.

If you would start being aware of your thoughts, beliefs and habits your mind has in place, you could take the necessary steps to change them over time to help you become who you want to be.

Action Steps

Here are a few steps you can take to apply the lesson taught in this famous quote by Napoleon Hill:

• First, be aware of your thinking. Look at your mind almost like it is in third person, watching to see what it tends to do in different situations.
• Write down your top beliefs and habits honestly throughout the day. Do this for up to a week. Do the same thing with your habits. To make your mind work for you, you must first be aware of where it currently is.
• Ask yourself what you want in life. Do you want happiness? Do you want to be a millionaire business owner? Do you want to be healthy with a lean body? Write these goals down.
• Now, go through your beliefs, as well as habits and ask yourself whether they help or hold you back from achieving your goals.
• Now you should have an idea of what needs to change. Maybe you want to be healthy, but you have a habit of eating dessert after every meal. Maybe you want to be more productive, but you keep thinking it is okay to put off important tasks all the time.
• Work on changing these habits, thoughts and beliefs that hold you back. Replace sugar with fruit. Start doing important tasks first so you don't put them off. Start reading a chapter each day about how to build a successful business. Stop filling your mind with negative news. Avoid hanging out with people who have no aspirations in life.
• Keep doing these mind evaluations weekly, monthly or however often you need to make sure you are on track or help yourself make a few new changes.
• Your success in achieving any goal all comes down to your mind and how much control you have over it. Always be self-aware of your thoughts and what your habits are to determine if they server you.

Related: An Investment In Knowledge Pays The Best Interest

Conclusion

Your mind is ultimately what will make or break you. If you can control it and make it work in your favor, you will go on to achieve great things that most people don't.

You will be able to get that incredible relationship, million dollar business or lean body. If you don't learn to control your own mind to work in your favor, you will fail.

You will be lazy, constantly procrastinating, making little money, out of shape, and constantly disappointed with where you are in life.

When Napoleon Hill said, “Our only limitations are the ones we set up in our own minds,” he meant we can control our own destiny if we first learn to control ourselves.

What does this famous quote by Napoleon Hill mean to you?