Are limiting beliefs holding you back? Here's how you can overcome them

Travel means different things to different people. To most, it teaches things that no other experience does. What Soul Coach, Soul Reader and Western Astrologer Justin Andries learnt from 10 years of travelling and living in different places such as Bali, Australia, Los Angeles, Hong Kong and now, Europe is a unique way to approach spirituality and personal development.

Born and raised in South Africa, Justin believes that while planets play a big part in our existence on earth, the power to carve our own destiny lies within us. Our life experiences can point us in numerous directions, but eventually we have a free will to choose which way we will go.

'Be all that you are' — what exactly do you mean when you say this?

I believe that most of us are living only a possibility of what we are capable of. The meaning of life is more of “Who is the person looking back at me in the mirror?” as we may spend our entire lives trying to understand who that person is. Many may never even fully have that understanding of themselves as we get boxed-in by the world and expectations of those around us. Thus, it is to fully step into the possibility of what is possible of you, a world that is coloured by your dreams and aspirations, passions and talents — living your life powerfully, not held back by your own fears or insecurities.

Other questions that I love asking are "Do you know who you are?” “Do you know what is happening to you?” “Do you want to live this way?”.

I find those questions really powerful for self-reflection, challenging yourself and where you find yourself in your life. Ultimately, it’s only you who can be there for yourself. When it’s 3am in the morning and you’re alone, can you support and treat yourself with love and compassion? We are the most important people in our lives, and it’s time that we treat ourselves as such.

If the purpose of the universe is to expand, why are so many people emotionally shrunk and unable to meet the overwhelm of daily life? How does one get past this feeling?

Life is meant to be challenging, because if it were all the same, all time it would get awfully boring. See the challenges more as contrast. That contrast helps us understand what is important to us and where we wish to apply ourselves in our life. We live in such an ‘insta’ world — myself included — we find it hard to focus and ground ourselves properly. We get drawn into so many different directions and have lost some of our ability to focus and work towards what makes our heart sing.

It is important to check-in with yourself often, take a step out of the rat race and be quiet. From there you can make decisions and draw lines in the sand from which you will live from. We may not be able to choose how we always feel, but we can choose where we put our thoughts and how we let them support and inspire us. It remains however, our own choice to choose one over another.

Which do you choose? The thoughts that serve you or the ones that bring you down?

What mindwork can we do to stop limiting ourselves?

It’s all about shifting our thoughts and beliefs. A belief is merely a practised thought. First, isolate the beliefs that limit you, and then rewrite them through uplifting affirmations.

An easy exercise is to write down all the limiting beliefs that you may have. “I’m not smart enough”, “pretty enough” etc. Write these down on one side of a page, and on the other side, write their opposite.

For example, negative belief — “I do not have enough money. Money is hard for me to earn. I am poor”.

Positive affirmation — “Money flows to me from known and unknown sources with grace and ease”.

You then repeat this affirmation over and over, until it starts to stick. New neural pathways are formed In the brain the more you say and believe it, until at one point it is truth for you in your life.

How can astrology help us to understand ourselves or something greater than ourselves?

Astrology is an excellent tool to help you understand your strengths and weaknesses. I always say it gives people permission to finally be themselves as it shows the astrological blueprint you were born with. We all have certain personality traits, for example — someone with a strong Uranus/Aquarius energy is all about self-expression and individuality. They strive to be unique and not be like everyone else, yet the society where they grew up may have told them to conform and ‘just fit in’. That is inherently against their nature. I am an emotionally intense person and therefore I seek out others who are like me. To know oneself is a powerful tool, since you can then play to both your strengths and weaknesses in life.

Thus, astrology gives you a roadmap to help understand your impulses and learning points better. I would rather have a light to myself, good and bad, than go stumbling forward in the dark of not knowing.

Is it possible to balance spirituality and the chaos of a hectic, demanding life? If so, how?

It’s important to ground and centre yourself as often as you can and need. That means taking a step back from this crazy world, and find the calm inside yourself. In the end, the external world is merely a reflection of what is going on inside you. Some very successful people meditate every single day at the start of the day. 'Get out of bed' on the right foot, with intention and purpose. We face challenges, yes, and the world can so often be overwhelming, yet seeking refuge inside yourself and finding the calm on a daily basis is equally important to maintain a healthy spiritual life.

Sometimes, it’s about actively making the choice every day to be aligned, to centre first before anything and staying true inside of yourself to what is most important to you.

What can we do each day to feel better mentally and spiritually?

Meditation, vision boards, affirmations, intention and gratitude. Remember that the future is merely a blank canvas and all we do every day is project our experiences of the past onto it. We are living daily into our dreams and fears, the beliefs that we have about ourselves and of life. Instead, what if you sat down every day, cleared your mind and focused on the things that are most important to you? We do not spend enough time in a quiet space focusing exclusively on what matters most other than us. This is where affirmations, intention setting and vision boards are very powerful.

We then become active creators and manifestors in our own life. Because when your heart is beautiful, everything you see is beautiful. Because when your mind is active and filled with all the wonderful things you have and want in your life, you draw in and see the reality you want to live.

wknd@khaleejtimes.com

• Lifestyle
• Dubai