I caught myself in a limiting belief last week. The sneaky part? It sounded completely logical. I was thinking about my Luna SMS launch and the thought felt protective: “It’ll probably grow slowly. That’s just realistic.” Except it wasn’t protective. It was a ceiling I’d built to avoid disappointment, and in trying to manage my expectations, I was actually limiting what was possible.
The beliefs that keep us stuck don’t usually sound dramatic. They sound like wisdom. They sound like common sense. And that’s exactly why they’re so effective at keeping us small.
When "Protecting Yourself" Becomes Limiting Yourself
There’s a difference between being grounded and building a cage. I thought I was being realistic about my launch timeline. What I was actually doing was pre-emptively lowering my expectations so I couldn’t be disappointed. The thought “slow growth is normal” felt reasonable, measured, and wise.
But here’s the thing: when you’re building something cyclical (like a moon-aligned text service), linear assumptions don’t apply. Growth doesn’t have to be steady. It can spike. It can happen in waves. The slow and stead framework I was using came from a world that assumes linear progress, and I was unconsciously applying it to something that works in cycles.
Protection that limits possibility isn’t protection. It’s a different kind of risk.
Linear Thinking in a Cyclical World
Most of us live in two realities at once. There’s the external world (bills, calendars, deadlines, expectations, etc.) which runs on linear time. Then there’s the internal world (energy, creativity, capacity, needs) which runs in cycles.
The conflict happens when we try to force cyclical rhythms into linear frameworks. We take advice that’s designed for machines and apply it to our bodies. We adopt beliefs that assume steady-state capacity, when our actual experience is anything but steady.
Have you ever heard these common wisdoms:
- Consistency is key
- Slow and steady wins the race
- You have to show up every day
- Growth takes time
- Set it and forget it doesn’t work
All true in a linear system. All potentially sabotaging in a cyclical one.
Three Common-Sense Beliefs That Break Cyclical Bodies
1. “I need to be consistent to see results.”
Linear translation: Do the same amount every day.
Cyclical reality: Some days you can do more. Some days you need to rest. The cycle itself is the consistency.
What it breaks: Your ability to rest without guilt. Your trust in natural rhythm. Your relationship with your actual capacity in the moment.
2. “If it’s easy, I’m probably not doing it right.”
Linear translation: Worthwhile things require constant effort.
Cyclical reality: Aligned action often feels easier because you’re working with your energy, not against it.
What it breaks: Your ability to recognize when systems are working. Your trust in automation. Your permission to let support actually support you.
3. “I need to lower my expectations to avoid disappointment.”
Linear translation: Protect yourself by assuming moderate, steady outcomes.
Cyclical reality: Possibility exists outside of linear projections. Waves happen. Spikes happen. Alignment can create momentum you didn’t predict.
What it breaks: Your capacity to receive unexpected growth. Your willingness to stay open. Your ability to grow or expand when the timing is right.
How to Recognize a Limiting Belief in Disguise
The beliefs that limit you the most will usually feel true. They’ll sound like wisdom. They’ll have that ring of “common sense” that makes them hard to question.
Here’s how to spot them:
- Check the source. Did this belief come from your own experience with cyclical living, or did it come from a world built for linear productivity?
- Notice the energy. Does this belief create spaciousness or contraction? Does it open possibility or close it? A grounded belief feels steady. A limiting belief feels like a lid.
- Test the assumption. What would happen if the opposite were true? If instead of “growth will be slow,” you considered “growth could spike when the timing aligns”? Does one create more room to breathe?
- Look for the protection. If you’re “being realistic,” ask what you’re protecting yourself from. Sometimes protection is wisdom. Sometimes it’s fear wearing a sensible outfit.
A limiting belief doesn’t announce itself. It blends in. It sounds reasonable. And that’s exactly why you need systems that work regardless of what you believe about your capacity in any given moment.
What to Do Instead: Systems Over Self-Protection
You don’t have to fix your thinking or monitor every belief for evidence of self-sabotage. What you need is a container that works whether you’re in an expansive phase or a contracted one.
This is where cyclical systems come in. Instead of relying on discipline (which assumes you always have the same capacity and energy), you build support that shows up regardless of your energy level.
For me, that’s Luna SMS. The texts come every day at 9am whether I remember to check the moon phase or not. The system holds the consistency so I don’t have to. And because the content itself is cyclical (matching moon phases and transits), it teaches me to trust my natural rhythm without requiring me to manage it.
The practice isn’t “believe better things.” The practice is “build systems that support you in any phase.”
When you stop relying on willpower and start relying on structure, limiting beliefs start to lose their power. You don’t have to believe in rapid growth for it to happen. You just have to build something that can hold it when it does.
So what's next?
If you’re tired of fighting your own rhythms, Luna SMS brings moon-aligned support directly to you. One text a day that matches the current lunar energy and your actual capacity. No tracking required. No willpower needed. The system holds the consistency so you can live cyclically.
Or start with the free email course: Living by the Moon: 4 Phase Framework →
