How to Stop Projecting Limiting Beliefs on Relationships

Monk Mindset for Living Well

Monk Mindset 2

Commit to Healthy Community: Community and Family

Reflection on the Monk Mindset & Quote

St. Therese of Liseux, a hidden cloistered Carmelite nun, died anonymously at the age of 24. Yet, within a few decades she became one of the most recognized spiritual figures in the world – her posthumously published autobiography Story of a Soul becoming one of the best selling spiritual works of the entire 20th century. 

Why? How? 

She inspired the world with her spiritual genius of the “Little Way” - doing the little things of life with great love. A Carmelite mentor of mine described her as a “spiritual Mozart" – a spiritual genius with remarkable insight into the spiritual life. 

Nonetheless, her genius was not only gift but also part of how her parents nurtured her. 

Ever since she was a child, her father would take her to daily Mass and they’d go for daddy-daughter walks during which he’d explain both worldly and spiritual things to her, often culminating with a visit to the church to pray. 

Her father could have presumed she was too young or immature to understand such deep spiritual things. But, instead, he treated her as mature enough to understand his beliefs and trusted that understanding would be given to her. 

And it was. 

For those of us gifted with faith, hope, love and a sense of God, we can often feel tempted to bottle this up – to not share it with family, loved ones, friends. I’ve done this many, many times. Sure, the time is not always right to share these things. But sometimes it is. 

So, if we rarely or never share our spiritual gifts with others, we actually project our limiting beliefs onto the other person’s growth and potential. We fail to invest in them as St. Therese’s father, Louis Martin, did in her. 

The beautiful thing is it’s never too late. We have more chances to believe in others – believe enough in them to share about faith, hope, love, God.  But always with encouragement, with a smile, not judgment or shame.

Put It Into Practice This Week

What is one relationship in your life -- family member, friend, co-worker – with whom you’ve held back from sharing your spiritual hopes and dreams? 

What is one concrete way – ideally this week – that you can lovingly and respectfully share your spirituality with them?

Follow Us