🤢 Have you ever been so successful that it literally makes you sick?

This condition has a name and it's called The Upper Limit problem.

How many of us reading this article right now have “being happy” as our end goal in life? As much as we continue to pursue ‘happiness’, each of us actually has a limited tolerance for being happy and feeling good.

When things start to get really great, in fact so great that they go beyond the “upper limit” that we set for ourselves, many of us start to unconsciously self-sabotage in order to pull us back to our comfort zone.

Source: buzzle.com

The hidden barriers

The term “Upper Limit Problem” was first coined by author and psychologist, Gay Hendricks, who broke it down thoroughly in his book titled The Big Leap.

Hendricks explained that when we hit our Upper Limit, aka when we achieve success, happiness or wealth, our ego tends to bring us back down. This is due to us naturally having an inner thermostat of success/happiness that dates back to our childhood.

But why does our mind play such tricks on us? And sometimes, even cause our body to physically get sick when faced with an amazing opportunity? The answer lies within these 4 common fears:

• Feeling fundamentally flawed

  We often hold ourselves back from fulfilling our ultimate potential because we believe we don't deserve success, and that we inherently don’t deserve it.

• Disloyalty and abandonment

  We pull back from greater success because we fear we’ll end up all alone, abandon our roots, and leave behind people whom we love or care for.

• More success = bigger burden

  A third fear is of being a burden; some people unconsciously believe that more success will bring greater burdens.

• Fear of outshining others

  This comes from a strong subliminal message we might have received from our families that if we shine too much, we’ll make others feel bad or look bad.

Unroll the Twitter thread summarizing Hendrick’s notion of Upper Limit Problem, written by Ampush Co-Founder, Jesse Pujji, down below.

Jesse Pujji @jspujji

Everyone has ONLY one problem. And it's the SAME problem. It's called: The Upper Limit Problem. Here is everything you need to understand and solve it 👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽

The symptoms

When you are faced with one of the hidden barriers above, your limiting behaviors will kick in. These behaviors sabotage your ability to proceed past your limit where you can experience a greater abundance of success and happiness.

According to Hendricks, some of the real-life manifestations of “Upper Limiting” behaviors include:

1. You’re overcome with feelings of guilt, even though they aren’t warranted.

2. Making yourself sick with negative thoughts due to the very powerful mind-body connection.

3. You believe that unprecedented wealth or success will “change you” for the worse.

4. You experience incessant negative self-talk and doubt.

5. You become overly anxious over outshining others and/or being abandoned due to your success.

If one or more of these behaviors arise whenever you’re faced with a growth opportunity, then you might be one of the many sufferers of the Upper Limit Problem.

The counterattacks

The Upper Limit symptoms that arise might just be a way of your mental consciousness and even physical body to keep you safe in your comfort zone.

But when you’re ready to cross the line and explore the opportunities outside of your Upper Limit, here are the ways you can get around it safely:

• Notice when the negative feelings arise.

  Utilize your self-awareness to notice your “Upper Limiting” behaviors.

  • Self-reflect on which thoughts are causing the negativity.

  • Unpack why you allow these thoughts to come in.

  • Question their validity: are they facts or just negative beliefs?

• Take the time to enforce positive beliefs.

  Surround yourself with positive affirmations, in your head and on your desk.

  • “By extending my ability to feel positive feelings, I expand my tolerance for things going well in my life.”

  • Visualization is a powerful tool when it comes to creating positive beliefs. Take the to map out your dream goals.

• Be gentle with yourself in the process.

  Growing pains are real, both physically and mentally. As you delve into negative thoughts and face these hidden Upper Limit barriers:

  • Your inner thermostat has been set and reinforced your whole life.

  • Be sure to include supportive and caring people in your journey of expanding this Upper Limit.

• Continue to live in your “Zone of Genius”.

  Just like reaching any huge goals, facing these hidden barriers will take perseverance. Keep choosing your “Zone of Genius” over your “Zone of Excellence.”

  • Zone of Genius: doing things you most love to do and the things that bring you most abundance and satisfaction per time spent.

  • Zone of Excellence: doing things you’re good at and that may bring success, but deplete your energy which is not sustainable.

  Read more about overcoming the Upper Limit problem in the article here, and learn more about it in Hendricks’ interview with Forbes Magazine here.

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Have you been living under an unrecognized Upper Limit? Solve the problems that might come with it by implementing the tips in this week’s Monday Mavens edition.

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Have an adventurous and safe week ahead, we’ll see you again next Monday!