As an iPEC Coach, much of my work is based on helping clients identify their “GAILs” (Gremlins, Assumptions, Interpretations and Limiting Beliefs) which are our underlying inner barriers to achieving our desired outcome in any area of our life. GAILs are huge, and they are present daily in our lives. Often, there are many GAILs overlapping at once. Defeating GAILs is an on-going battle, and it begins with awareness!
So, let’s get aware:
Gremlin: A underlying self-critic “voice” inside you that pops up and tells you old stories, negative messages, and worst-case scenarios. Gremlins are usually a statement that has the word ‘enough’ in it (‘I am not ________ enough’). We ALL have gremlins; the key is to identify yours so that you can be aware of and acknowledge them when they come up, and then let them go!
Tip for addressing the Gremlin: Many times, simply by recognizing the gremlin, and perhaps naming it, lessens its power!
Assumption: An expectation that, because something has happened in the past, it will happen again or believing something is true because of thoughts, perceptions, and opinions, based in the past or your underlying belief system and not necessarily reality.
Tip for addressing Assumptions: Ask yourself: ‘Just because that happened in the past, why must it happen again?’
Interpretation: “We do not see the world as it is, we see it as we are.” – Anais Nin. Interpretations are opinions or judgment that you create about an event, situation, person or experience and believe to be true. We simply attract and then see what it is we expect to see. We create our reality through interpretations of reality that we make.
Tip for addressing Interpretations: Ask yourself: ‘What’s another way to look at the situation? What’s the complete opposite interpretation? ‘
Limiting Belief: Something that you accept about life, about yourself, about your world, or about the people in it, that limits you in some way. A limiting belief is a thought that tries to tell you that are limits to who you are or what you can do. It usually feels true because you’ve learned it from someone (parent, teacher, boss, friend, sibling) or something (movie/tv, social media, book).
Tip for addressing Limiting Beliefs: Ask yourself: ‘How true is that belief, really?’
How can you bring awareness of these barriers into your daily life? Where do you feel them show up? How might some of these questions help you change your thoughts and therefore, your feelings and behaviors?
