Sometimes no matter how optimistic we are with life, there are still times wherein we feel that something is still pulling us back, preventing us from growing and reaching our goals.
Last year, I took Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Practitioner and Coaching course to address my fears and limiting beliefs. And at the same time developing myself further to be able to effectively help in guiding my fellow Filipinos. It was more than 6 days of training and workshop which I believe is all worth it. However, there was one limiting belief that I needed to address that time but I felt that it was not totally removed. Perhaps, the root cause was not fully identified. By the way, a limiting belief is a firmly held idea or opinion which hinders you from growing, not necessarily physically, but as an individual trying to reach his/her dreams. This limiting belief may be influenced by upbringing, environment, or culture. My limiting belief was.
Family Picture – circa 1987
Old Antigua Hospital converted to a tenement.
The idea that I am was poor.
(“Was” because I have already successfully removed that limiting belief).
We came from a not-so-well off family. In the early years of our lives, we lived in an abandoned hospital, our room was the nursery and we literally sleep on hospital beds. Yet, I am very proud of it because I have used that experience as leverage to propel me to where I am right now. Ever since poverty for me is never an excuse for growth. It should not hinder us from reaching our dreams. Hard work, passion, resourcefulness, and perseverance will definitely lead us to where we want to be. We all have the resources, everywhere. It’s is how we use and optimize them that matters.
Fast forward, I and my 2 sisters have graduated already from the university and living our own lives now. I’m currently passionately doing what I love and earning a substantial income but I still felt that I was financially poor. And this belief has led to a lot of insecurities and fears in the past.
Unleash the Power Within
London, UK 2018
It was only later when I attended Tony Robbin’s Unleash the Power Within (UPW) Workshop 2018 that I realized the root cause of the “Financially Poor” belief. It was the idea that,
“You are poor because you come from a Third-World country, the Philippines”.
Don’t get me wrong. I totally love our country. It is just that, having been colonized by the Spaniards, Japanese, and Americans, it has totally affected our view on how we value ourselves as Filipinos. A close friend of mine jokingly said, “We Filipinos are racist. Not that we hate other races, we just believe that our race is inferior than others.”
The inferiority complex is so strong that it has greatly influenced our life decisions. Some of our fellow Filipinos would even migrate to other countries in order to change their nationality. “Their passport is more powerful than ours”, so they say. Some people would probably argue that they are just being realistic because the other country is “BETTER” for their family, children, and retirement. There is definitely nothing wrong with that. I am just trying to point out that the drive to migrate to other nations can be caused by this inferiority complex.
I believe this is not endemic only to Filipinos. When I shared this limiting belief to another attendee, an Eastern European, I was surprised because he shared the same view. He admittedly said that being an Eastern European makes him believe that their nationality is lesser than other European nations.
How was this limiting belief affected me in the past? When I met with “white” clients, or someone with a British or American accent, the mind automatically shifted to a “submission mode” or an “inferior mode”. The mind then reminded me by telling me “Hey Allan! Tread carefully. They are better and superior than you! Be sure to please them!”. As a consequence, I ended up having fears of ridicule, fears of failure. And what’s worst? Not even trying to mingle with them at all! It has really negatively influenced how I decided in terms of relationships, career, and business dealings.
However, all these fears and limiting beliefs were eradicated when I attended Tony Robbins’ workshop. As Tony would call them, “That piece of b*llsh*t crap!”
What was amazing about the 4-day UPW workshop, even with thirteen thousand attendees, was the ability to process yourself from the very core and eliminate the fears and limiting beliefs which hinder you from growing, and then propel yourself to the person you want to be, like a slingshot stretched to its maximum then suddenly released!
Day one was all about how the six human needs affect our choices and even compromise our values. It was also about conquering our fears. In fact, we walked barefoot on burning coals! We became certified FIRE WALKERS that day!
Prepping up for the Fire Walk Experience!
What I think was so powerful for me was the third day activity when you have to leverage with the worst possible future scenario of yourself and/or family if you are not able to achieve your goal or the person you want to be. I believe it was more than 2 hours preparation in aligning our minds, our physiology, and the emotions as thirteen thousand souls screamed, howled, and cried. Trust me, it was like you were in “hell”, with so much anguish and emotional pain, you want to liberate yourself as rapidly and exponentially as you can. And after almost an hour of “suffering”, you rise up from the ashes, reborn, like a Phoenix, totally recharged, renewed, driven, empowered, and unleashed!
The Tony Robbins experience for me is truly life changing. I highly recommend it to all of you because I believe, real triumph does not come from the monetary value you gain, or from a successful career, or flourishing business. It comes from the Mastery of Self.
