You Don't Have One Limiting Belief - You Have Multiple Parts With Conflicting Ones

You think you know your limiting beliefs.

You've identified them:

• "I'm not good enough"

• "I don't deserve success"

• "I'm not worthy of love"

But here's what most people miss: you don't have one limiting belief. You have multiple parts of you, each holding different, sometimes completely opposite, limiting beliefs and needs.

The Real Picture: Multiple Parts, Multiple Beliefs

Let's say you want to pursue your dream career. On the surface, you believe you're capable and deserving. But underneath, you have different parts with different beliefs:

Part A believes: "If I'm visible and successful, people will resent me or abandon me. I need to stay small to keep my relationships safe."

Part B believes: "I'm only worthy if I'm perfect. If I fail, I'm worthless. I need to control every outcome."

Part C believes: "If I take up space, I'm selfish and bad. I need to prioritize everyone else's needs before my own."

Part D believes: "Success means I'll lose my authenticity and become like the people I don't respect. I need to stay true to myself, even if it means staying small."

These aren't one belief. These are four different parts with four different protective strategies,

and they're often in direct conflict with each other.

Why This Creates the Stuck Feeling

This is why you feel pulled in opposite directions.

You consciously decide to go for the promotion. Part A panics—"This will destroy my relationships!" Part B kicks in—"But what if I'm not perfect enough?" Part C whispers—"This is selfish." Part D resists—"This isn't really me."

Your nervous system is receiving conflicting signals. Your parts are literally fighting for control. So what happens? You procrastinate. You sabotage. You find reasons why now isn't the right time. You feel paralyzed.

This isn't weakness. This isn't lack of willpower. This is what happens when you have parts with incongruent needs and beliefs.

The Incongruence Is the Real Issue

Most people think their problem is "I have a limiting belief." But the real problem is: "I have parts with opposing beliefs and needs, and they're not in agreement."

One part needs safety. Another needs achievement. A third needs authenticity. A fourth needs to be loved. These needs aren't bad—they're all valid. But when they're pulling in different directions, you get stuck.

You might even have parts that agree on the belief but disagree on the strategy. For example, two parts might both believe "I need to be perfect," but one expresses it through control and rigidity, while another expresses it through people-pleasing and self-abandonment.

What Changes When You Understand This

When you realize you're not dealing with one limiting belief but with multiple parts holding different beliefs, the whole picture shifts.

You stop blaming yourself for being "stuck" or "broken." You start understanding that you have parts with legitimate protective intentions—they're just not coordinated.

You recognize that the sabotage, the procrastination, the feeling of being pulled in opposite directions—these aren't personal failures. They're signs that your parts need to be understood and brought into alignment.

You see that the work isn't about eliminating beliefs. It's about understanding what each part believes, why it believes it, what it's trying to protect you from—and then creating agreements where all your parts can support your growth instead of fighting each other.

The Path Forward

When different parts with incongruent beliefs and needs are in conflict, you need to:

• Identify the different parts and what each one believes

• Understand each part's protective intention — what is it trying to keep you safe from?

• Recognize the incongruence — where are they in conflict?

• Create alignment — help your parts understand that they can all get their needs met without sabotaging each other

This is the real work. Not changing one belief. Bringing multiple parts into conscious awareness and helping them work together.