Sky’s not the limit, your beliefs are – Anamika Mishra on transforming your inner narrative

If your mind feels like a crowded room of competing voices, Shoo the Noises (Bloomsbury India, ₹399) may just be the guidebook you need. This self-help manifesto cuts through the clutter of daily life, offering readers practical tools to quiet distractions, conquer self-doubt and reclaim their inner calm.

Written by life coach and travel influencer Anamika Mishra, the book blends personal anecdotes with hands-on advice, leading readers on a journey to master their mindset, heal emotional wounds and cultivate resilience. Through lessons on habit-building, mindfulness and manifestation, Mishra shows how to carve out a life of clarity and purpose.

Anamika Mishra is the founder of Responsible Yatri, a platform that champions sustainable and mindful travel. As popular content creator, her work weaves together lessons in personal growth, emotional healing and the joy of wanderlust, encouraging readers to live more consciously – whether at home or on the road.

This excerpt below from the book is published with due permission from Bloomsbury India.

By Anamika Mishra

The phrase “The sky is the limit” is familiar to many of us; it serves as a reminder that our potential is as vast and boundless as the sky above. But what happens when we let limiting beliefs cloud our view of that limitless horizon?

Let us discuss these limiting beliefs – those pesky doubts and fears that prevent us from reaching for the stars. They are like clouds that obscure the brilliance of the sky, casting shadows on our dreams and aspirations.

Limited beliefs act like invisible walls we build around ourselves, often without realising it. Perhaps you have heard that inner voice telling you things like, “This is impossible to achieve”, “I cannot do it”, “This is beyond my potential”, or “I could never be as successful as they are”.

But let me tell you something: those limiting beliefs are nothing more than lies we tell ourselves. They are false accusations we make about our capabilities. These beliefs often stem from past experiences, societal conditioning or negative self-talk. They can hold us back from achieving our full potential, pursuing our goals or experiencing personal growth and fulfilment.

Some common examples of limiting beliefs include the following:

• I do not have enough time.
• I am not good enough.
• I do not deserve success.
• I am too old or too young to pursue my dreams.
• I am not smart or talented enough.
• I am destined to fail.
• Money is hard to come by.
• I am not lovable.
• The kind of success he/she has is impossible for me to get.
• The kind of relationship they have is not meant for me.
• This is impossible for me.

These beliefs play a significant role in shaping our behaviours, decisions and attitudes, often creating self-imposed barriers to our progress and happiness. Over time, these beliefs become deeply embedded in our subconscious, influencing how we perceive ourselves and the world around us.

Therefore, addressing these limiting beliefs with a practical mindset is important.

Awareness: The first step in overcoming limiting beliefs is to become aware of them. Pay attention to your thoughts, especially in situations where you feel stuck or doubt your abilities. Journalling can be a helpful tool for identifying recurring negative thought patterns.

Challenge: Once you have identified a limiting belief, challenge its validity. Ask yourself the following questions:

• What evidence supports this belief?
• What evidence contradicts it?
• How does this belief serve or hinder me?
• What would happen if I let go of this belief?

By critically examining your beliefs, you can start to loosen their grip on your mindset.

Reframe: Reframing involves replacing limiting beliefs with more empowering perspectives. Instead of saying “I am not good enough”, you might reframe it as “I am capable of learning and improving”. Look for evidence of your strengths, achievements and past successes to support these new beliefs. Choose affirmations that directly counteract your limiting beliefs.

For example, if you struggle with self-doubt, affirmations like “I believe in myself and my abilities” can help reinforce your confidence and self-assurance. This will help overcome limiting beliefs.

Behavioural changes: Actively engaging in behaviours that align with your new beliefs can strengthen them over time. Challenge yourself to step outside your comfort zone, seize new opportunities and embrace failure as a learning experience rather than as validation of your limiting beliefs.

Practise self-compassion: Be patient and kind to yourself throughout this process. Overcoming limiting beliefs takes time and effort, and setbacks are a natural part of growth. Treat yourself with the same compassion and understanding that you would offer a friend facing similar challenges.

By consistently challenging and reframing your limiting beliefs, you can cultivate a more empowering mindset that enables you to pursue your aspirations with confidence and resilience. Remember, personal growth is an ongoing journey, and every step you take towards overcoming limiting beliefs brings you closer to realising your full potential.

Inferiority complex: Imagine you are in class, struggling to understand a math problem while your friend solves it effortlessly. You start to feel like you will never grasp the concept. Now consider another scenario: you attend a family function where all your relatives arrive in their fancy cars, but you show up in a rickshaw. You feel embarrassed, even though no one has said anything negative to you. That is your inferiority complex talking!

We all have our strengths and weaknesses. This inferiority complex can develop early and is often rooted in childhood experiences. Feelings of worthlessness, incompetence, inadequacy and embarrassment form the foundation of an inferiority complex.

Michael Jordan, one of the greatest basketball players of all time, once said, “I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times, I have been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed, because I believed in myself.”

This serves as a powerful reminder that even the best face setbacks. What truly matters is how we bounce back.

Superpowers: Now, think about your favourite superhero. They all have flaws, right? Spiderman makes mistakes, Batman experiences doubts and Wonder Woman faces challenges. But guess what? They still save the day! What is the moral here? You need to focus on your strengths and keep going, no matter what.

Now, let us talk about our superpowers. Maybe you are great at making people laugh, creating amazing drawings or helping your friends when they feel down. These are the unique talents that make you special! Sure, we might not be perfect, but who is? Even the Mona Lisa has imperfections if you look closely! The key is to embrace what makes us different and use it to shine bright like a diamond.

Remember, you are amazing just the way you are. Surround yourself with people who lift you up, keep believing in yourself and never stop reaching for the stars! In the words of Dr Seuss, “Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you.”