Conditions of worth and limiting beliefs
Repeat after me…
I AM ENOUGH!
Say it with feeling, even if part of you is still unsure whether it’s true or not.
Say it out loud to yourself until you start to believe it. Then keep saying it every day until you feel it in your blood and your bones and your heart.
Because…
You are enough. Exactly as you are!
Most of us grow up with a lack of self-worth, because we try to be what we think we need to be in order to earn and keep the love of our caregivers. We grow up believing that we have to behave in a certain way, or look a certain way, or be good at certain things, otherwise we aren’t worthy of love and belonging.
In person-centred theory these limiting core beliefs are called conditions of worth. Everybody has them, and they are sometimes necessary for living in society, but for some of us they are very strong and can cause us a lot of inner conflict and distress.
Journal prompt:
What are your limiting core beliefs or conditions of worth?
What do you think you have to be like in order to be worthy of love?
Is that true?
Can you imagine what it would be like to let go of some of these beliefs?