We all have limits. Some are healthy and necessary, like knowing when to rest or setting boundaries with others. But many limits hold us back. They stop us from pursuing meaningful relationships, expressing our creativity, or stepping into the life we deeply desire. This blog is an invitation to gently explore your own limits, understand where they come from, and learn how to move beyond them through personalised strategies and therapeutic support. Whether you’re dealing with self-doubt, fear of failure, or unresolved past experiences, this article offers clarity and guidance on how to reclaim your power, step by step.
1. There are different types of Limits
A limit is something that defines a boundary, either real or imagined. In personal growth, limits often appear as internal signals or beliefs that tell us: “I can’t”, “I shouldn’t,” or “It’s not safe.” There are many types of limits:
Spiritual Limits: Feelings of disconnection or unworthiness when relating to something greater than the self. Physical Limits: Natural boundaries of the body, like fatigue or illness. These are often healthy and protective. Emotional Limits: Feelings of fear, overwhelm, or resistance that prevent us from taking action. Mental Limits: Beliefs and though patterns that reinforce a sense of impossibility or lack of worth. Relational Limits: Difficulty setting boundaries or expressing needs in relationships.
Understanding the kind of limit you’re facing helps clarify the strategy needed to work with it.
2. Why Overcome Your Limits?
Overcoming your limits doesn’t mean pushing yourself to exhaustion or becoming someone you’re not. It means recognising where you’re unconsciously holding yourself back and learning to move beyond those inner walls with care and awareness.
When you begin to overcome your limits:
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- You experience more freedom and choice in your actions.
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- You stop repeating self-sabotaging patterns.
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- You can better connect with others in authentic ways.
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- You gain confidence in your ability to face life’s challenges.
3. Why Do We Have Limits? Understanding the Roots
Most of our limiting patterns didn’t begin with us consciously deciding to hold back. They were formed as responses to experiences where we didn’t feel safe, loved, or free. Let’s look at what might be behind a limit:
Limiting Beliefs
These are deeply ingrained thoughts that sound like facts but are actually stories we’ve internalised. Examples include: “I’m not good enough.”; “People will leave me if I speak up.”; “Success is for others, not for me.”
Trauma
Trauma can leave a lasting imprint on the nervous system. We may avoid situations that unconsciously remind us of past pain, even if those situations are no longer dangerous.
Introjects
Introjects are messages we absorbed from parents, culture, religion, or society without questioning them. These can sound like:
“You must always be polite.”; “Don’t express anger.”; “Work is more valuable than play.”
Protective Strategies
What we often call a “limit” is actually a protection. For example, not speaking up in meetings might be a way your system protects you from the shame of being wrong, based on an old experience.
When we understand the origin of a limit, we can meet it with compassion, rather than judgement.
4. How to Overcome Your Limits (With Personalised Strategies and Therapy)
There is no one-size-fits-all solution. That’s why personalised strategies are essential. Here’s how a therapist can help you move through your limits:
1. Awereness and Tracking: We start by becoming aware of your specific limits. What triggers them? When do they appear? What thoughts, emotions or sensations arise?
2. Exploring the Origin: We gently explore where these limits came from. This may involve inner child work, body-based awareness, or revisiting key life experiences with support.
3. Developing New Inner Resources: Together, we build inner strength and resilience. This could mean practising grounding exercises, creating affirmations that actually resonate, or reconnecting with forgotten capacities.
4. Experimentation in Safe Settings: Gestalt and somatic approaches encourage experimenting with new behaviours in the safety of the therapeutic relationship. This might include role play, movement, or exploring how it feels to say “no” or “yes” in different ways.
5. Creating Personalised Strategies: Each person’s path is unique. Your strategy may involve:
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- – Building a morning routine that supports your goals
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- – Practising new communication skills in real life
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- – Identifying environments that nourish your growth
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- – Reframing situations where you normally feel stuck
These strategies are co-created, tested, and adapted over time.
5. How to Integrate the New Way into Daily Life
Insight is just the beginning. Real transformation happens when we embody change in the everyday. Here are some ways to integrate your new patterns:
✔ Create small, repeatable actions: If your limit involves fear of visibility, a small step could be posting a thought online once a week. Consistency is more powerful than intensity.
✔ Reflect weekly: Keep a journal or voice note where you track moments of growth and moments of challenge. What’s shifting?
✔ Ask for support: Share your goals and limits with a trusted friend, coach, or therapist. Speaking it aloud creates accountability and connection.
✔ Celebrate your progress: Overcoming limits is courageous. Celebrate each time you try something new, even if it feels awkward.
✔ Be kind when old patterns reappear: Change is not linear. When you fall into an old limit, it’s not failure—it’s feedback. What do you need in that moment?
Thank You for Reading!
I hope this blog offered a helpful and compassionate guide to understanding and moving beyond your limits. Remember, your limits are not fixed. They were created for a reason, and they can be transformed with care, curiosity, and support.
If you have any questions, or you’d like to explore this work further, please feel free to send me a WhatsApp message. I’m here to help.
Warmly,
Frode Huse Gjendem
