You vs YOU: Overcoming limits with the mind

The human experience is tough to quantify. 

It consists of so many facets and levels of existence that it feels as though we should have an easier time navigating, without falling victim to the need for rigid identities or labels. However, we all know, that is so often not the case. Our need to label and give definite meaning to everything is part of how we make sense of our surroundings, simultaneously limiting most of us from exploring the greatest space for growth, the unknown.

 The old cliché, “people fear what they do not understand,” is the most simple and concise explanation of the actual brain activity that occurs anytime we are faced with obstacles which require movement out of the comfort zone and into a space of growth -- or anything new for that matter. The issue most people fail to realize is that fear and stress are physiological responses as old as our existence. With that understanding, it means that we must approach any new obstacle or task with more intentionality if we truly wish to progress and overcome whatever current state you’re in. 

Fig. 1.

Two views of amygdala contributions to threat processing. In the fear circuit view (A) the amygdala is responsible for both the subjective experience of fear and the control of so-called “fear responses.” In the defensive survival circuit view (B) the amygdala controls defensive responses but is not responsible for subjective experiences elicited by threats.

PNAS March 7, 2017 114 (10) E2016-E2025; first published February 15, 2017; https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1619316114

You are literally battling against thousands of years of evolutionary design, which has actually served as a survival mechanism, and therefore not easily changed simply because we want to in that moment. However, when the goal is to not only survive but thrive in any particular fashion, it requires appropriate and assertive action at the exact pace and amount necessary to constantly stay ahead of our body and brains’ incredible ability to rapidly adapt. This is why I tell my clients that they must first listen to themselves and understand all of the sensory feedback, in terms of how their individual version of self-talk tends to interpret it. Basically, each one of us has our own internal language at the conscious, subconscious and unconscious level. 

Our ability to listen to the feedback from our nervous system and offer alternatives in the interest of overcoming said limiting beliefs is a huge step towards how we can foster growth potential in any particular area we choose.

In terms of the physical changes we are hoping to create through fitness and health, the neurological feedback of pain is one of the toughest mountains to conquer. For example, if you were in a gym attempting a movement like a loaded squat, your brain would only be able to tell how it feels to move a weight in reference to some other level of resistance you have faced in the past. The concept of a new weight feeling heavy is not only influenced by the movement pattern being the same but also how you feel about the unknown obstacle as well. Do you already believe it’s going to be hard? Subsequently, signaling to the brain to amplify signals which support that notion, or do you believe that even if it is difficult your ability and desire to move the weight overshadows the resistance regardless? 

If you can master the mindset required to surpass that, learning the difference between the point of pain and the point of actual structural damage, we can begin to use that same ability for other tasks that have a much less visceral level of activity. 

The sky —as they say—can become the limit for those who choose to believe in the existence of positive outcomes over negative ones and aggressively chase after that desired outcome. It is authentically believing in the desired outcome and then making deliberate choices that reinforce that desire which allow us to complete new tasks, even when the brain doesn’t have a label or pattern of reference subconsciously telling you that what you want is possible. If you can change your mindset, it will change your perception, which will change your outcome and create a new reality.