Success Advice
4 Questions to Ask Yourself to Blast Away Limiting Beliefs and Achieve More

This is the second article in a three part series on identifying and eliminating Limiting Beliefs and keeping them out. You can read our previous article here on identifying these beliefs and read below to learn how to get rid of them and take control of your thoughts again!
On The Science of Success Podcast with Matt Bodnar, Matt discusses something we have all dealt with at one time or another, limiting beliefs. Limiting beliefs are those tiny thoughts we experience every single day that run through our heads and hold us back. “Limiting Beliefs are stories you tell yourself that cause you to self-sabotage.” Explains Matt. “I might look too sales-y, I’m afraid of trusting people, people won’t like me, and I’m not enough” are all very common yet at times crippling beliefs.
These beliefs cause us to hold ourselves back and often not even attempt actions that could lead to our greater happiness. So how do we get rid of these thoughts? “You have to accept reality as it is. You can’t wish away your limiting beliefs.” Instead, Matt insists that we challenge these beliefs.
Here is Matt’s four question framework that you can run through that will obliterate your limiting beliefs:
1. Is this belief true?
Not to worry advises Matt “many times you’ll say YES, I think it’s true, yes – I don’t want to come across as sales-y… or oftentimes even at a surface level, the belief – it’s just not true.” The idea here is to identify if the belief is true in your mind, and if it is, that’s ok! We want to identify where we stand with this belief and how it is framed in our mind currently.
“The possibilities are numerous once we decide to act and not react.” – George Bernard Shaw
2. Can I know that it’s true?
“The first question is only about your surface level perception. This is much, much deeper” Do you know this for a fact to be an absolute truth? “What is the nature of this truth? Has anybody in history ever proven this wrong?” adds Matt. If someone has done something different or proven your thought to have been wrong in the past, we now can begin to peel back the layers of your limiting belief.
3. How do I react when I think that thought?
This is really where we can begin to analyze the full effect this thought has. Matt recommends tapping into your emotional state, “You have to really feel into this, feel the emotion that it makes you feel. How do you react when you think you can’t be successful? That you’ll never be able to lose weight? Feel the anger, frustration, whatever it might be” Recognizing the way these thoughts feel and the emotions they bring out allows us to, in the moment, feel the effect they have on us when they come up in our routine lives.
“How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours.” – Wayne Dyer
4. Who would I be without that thought?
Here, think about who you’d truly be if you weren’t afraid of what people thought of you. If you didn’t have a fear of failing and not losing any weight. “You would be a better person, you would be more successful, and you’d be killing it. You’d be achieving everything you want, and as soon as that belief is gone, you can be that person!” explains Matt.
By analyzing and thinking about the belief, it’s meaning, the emotions behind it, and where you’d be without it, you allow your mind to envision a scenario without the belief all together. This thought process is subconsciously what allows you to identify, isolate, and eliminate or move past these beliefs. The benefits of asking these questions and analyzing your beliefs can be huge for long-term happiness and success.
Be on the lookout for part three of this series on how to not only eliminate these thoughts but how to work towards keeping them out of your head entirely. You can listen to the full hour long episode here with Matt on Limiting Beliefs and how to overcome them for positive change.
Have you asked yourself these questions? What have you realized about your limiting beliefs? Leave your thoughts below!
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The Leadership Shift Every Company Needs in 2025
Struggling to keep your team engaged? Here’s how leaders can turn frustrated employees into loyal advocates.

In workplaces around the world, there’s a growing gap between employers and employees and between superiors and their teams. It’s a common refrain: “People don’t leave companies, they leave bad bosses.”
While there are, of course, cases where management could do better, this isn’t just a “bad boss” problem. The relationship between leaders and employees is complex. Instead of assigning blame, we should explore practical solutions to build stronger, healthier workplaces where everyone thrives.
Why This Gap Exists
Every workplace needs someone to guide, supervise, and provide feedback. That’s essential for productivity and performance. But because there are usually far more employees than managers, dissatisfaction, fair or not, spreads quickly.
What if, instead of focusing on blame, we focused on building trust, empathy, and communication? This is where modern leadership and human-centered management can make a difference.
Tools and Techniques to Bridge the Gap
Here are proven strategies leaders and employees can use to foster stronger relationships and create a workplace where people actually want to stay.
1. Practice Mutual Empathy
Both managers and employees need to recognize they are ultimately on the same team. Leaders have to balance people and performance, and often face intense pressure to hit targets. Employees who understand this reality are more likely to cooperate and problem-solve collaboratively.
2. Maintain Professional Boundaries
Superiors should separate personal issues from professional decision-making. Consistency, fairness, and integrity build trust, and trust is the foundation of a motivated team.
3. Follow the Golden Rule
Treat people how you would like to be treated. This simple principle encourages compassion and respect, two qualities every effective leader must demonstrate.
4. Avoid Micromanagement
Micromanaging stifles creativity and damages morale. Great leaders see themselves as partners, not just bosses, and treat their teams as collaborators working toward a shared goal.
5. Empower Employees to Grow
Empowerment means giving employees responsibility that matches their capacity, and then trusting them to deliver. Encourage them to take calculated risks, learn from mistakes, and problem-solve independently. If something goes wrong, turn it into a learning opportunity, not a reprimand.
6. Communicate in All Directions
Communication shouldn’t just be top-down. Invite feedback, create open channels for suggestions, and genuinely listen to what your people have to say. Healthy upward communication closes gaps before they become conflicts.
7. Overcome Insecurities
Many leaders secretly fear being outshone by younger, more tech-savvy employees. Instead of resisting, embrace the chance to learn from them. Humility earns respect and helps the team innovate faster.
8. Invest in Coaching and Mentorship
True leaders grow other leaders. Provide mentorship, career guidance, and stretch opportunities so employees can develop new skills. Leadership is learned through experience, but guided experience is even more powerful.
9. Eliminate Favoritism
Avoid cliques and office politics. Decisions should be based on facts and fairness, not gossip. Objective, transparent decision-making builds credibility.
10. Recognize Efforts Promptly
Recognition often matters more than rewards. Publicly appreciate employees’ contributions and do so consistently and fairly. A timely “thank you” can be more motivating than a quarterly bonus.
11. Conduct Thoughtful Exit Interviews
When employees leave, treat it as an opportunity to learn. Keep interviews confidential and use the insights to improve management practices and culture.
12. Provide Leadership Development
Train managers to lead, not just supervise. Leadership development programs help shift mindsets from “command and control” to “coach and empower.” This transformation has a direct impact on morale and retention.
13. Adopt Soft Leadership Principles
Today’s workforce, largely millennials and Gen Z, value collaboration over hierarchy. Soft leadership focuses on partnership, mutual respect, and shared purpose, rather than rigid top-down control.
The Bigger Picture: HR’s Role
Mercer’s global research highlights five key priorities for organizations:
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Build diverse talent pipelines
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Embrace flexible work models
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Design compelling career paths
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Simplify HR processes
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Redefine the value HR brings
The challenge? Employers and employees often view these priorities differently. Bridging that perception gap is just as important as bridging the relational gap between leaders and staff.
Treat Employees Like Associates, Not Just Staff
When you treat employees like partners, they bring their best selves to work. HR leaders must develop strategies to keep talent engaged, empowered, and prepared for the future.
Organizational success starts with people, always. Build the relationship with your team first, and the results will follow.
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