Unlocking Your Full Potential: A Conversation with Megan Dalla-Camina on Breaking Free from Limiting Beliefs

In a world where we often find ourselves held back by invisible forces, it can feel overwhelming to push past the barriers that keep us from achieving our dreams. Whether it's societal pressures, internal doubts, or old narratives we've been told, these limitations are all too familiar.

That's why I was thrilled to sit down with Megan Dalla-Camina, a bestselling author and award-winning empowerment expert, for a recent episode of my podcast Your Dream Life.

Megan recently released her fourth book, Women Rising, a powerful guide that not only addresses these limiting forces but also offers tools to rise above them.

In our conversation, Megan shared her journey and the insights she's gathered from years of empowering women worldwide. We dove deep into the paradoxes of power that hold us back, the inner critic that keeps us stuck, and the essential steps we can take to build the life we truly desire.

Let’s explore five key takeaways from this powerful conversation that will help you break free from limitations and step into your power.

(1) The Paradoxes of Power That Hold Women Back

One of the most striking elements of Megan’s new book is her discussion of the Paradoxes of Power. These paradoxes are societal forces that disempower women, even when we are told to be empowered. Megan identifies six key paradoxes, each one highlighting a particular struggle many women face:

The Empowerment Paradox:

We are expected to feel empowered within systems that are inherently disempowering.

The Leadership Paradox:

Women are encouraged to lead, but are told not to lead in a way that challenges old, patriarchal models.

The Motherhood Paradox:

We’re told to work like we don’t have children and parent like we don’t have a job.

The Confidence Paradox:

We’re expected to be confident but not too confident.

The Success Paradox:

We must strive for success, but we’re also burdened by conflicting expectations about what that success should look like.

The Visibility Paradox:

Be visible, but not too visible, or risk being judged harshly.

 

By understanding these paradoxes, we can see that many of the barriers we face aren’t personal shortcomings—they’re external forces at work. The solution isn’t to internalize these struggles but to recognize them for what they are and find ways to rise above them.

(2) The Inner Critic: Recognizing and Overcoming Self-Doubt

Another major focus of Megan’s work is the inner critic. We all have that little voice inside our heads—the one that tells us we’re not good enough, smart enough, or capable enough.

For women, Megan explains, this voice is often the number one internal barrier to success.

During our conversation, Megan introduced us to her 13 archetypes of the inner critic, such as the perfectionist, the people pleaser, and the good girl.

Each of these archetypes has its own set of limiting beliefs, shaped by societal expectations. The perfectionist, for instance, may drive us to achieve high standards, but it can also lead to burnout and an inability to celebrate progress.

Megan’s advice for overcoming the inner critic is simple yet powerful.

First, catch the story that your inner critic is telling you. Write it down if you need to.

Then, challenge the story by asking, “Is this really true?”

Finally, reframe and take action.

Even if the story has some elements of truth, reframing it allows you to move forward instead of staying stuck in self-doubt.

(3) You Don’t Find Purpose, You Build It

One of the most powerful concepts Megan shared was her approach to purpose.

So many people believe that purpose is something you find—like a buried treasure. But Megan argues that purpose is something we build over time by following our interests, passions, and curiosities.

Megan see's that it’s not about waking up one day with a clear purpose; it’s about picking up breadcrumbs along the way and staying open to where those breadcrumbs lead.

This idea resonated deeply with me, and it’s something I’ve seen time and again in my Dream Life Coaching Program. Often, we get stuck thinking we need to know exactly what our purpose is before we take action.

But in reality, the journey of discovering purpose is more about exploring what excites us, experimenting with different paths, taking time to reflect and embracing the process of building something meaningful over time.

(4) Challenging Limiting Stories Through Journaling

A practical tool that Megan and I both swear by is journaling.

Writing down our thoughts and stories is a powerful way to get clarity, especially when it comes to limiting beliefs. Megan recommends using journaling as a way to “catch the story” that the inner critic is telling you and examine it more closely.

For example, if you’ve been holding yourself back from pursuing a big dream because you think you’re not qualified or ready, try journaling about that belief.

Ask yourself, “Is this true?” and challenge the narrative you’ve been holding onto.

Often, by simply getting these thoughts out on paper, we can start to see how distorted they are and how much they’re holding us back.

Tip: Find beautiful blank journals here...

(5) Small Steps Lead to Big Change

One of my favorite takeaways from this conversation was Megan’s reminder that big dreams are achieved through small, consistent steps.

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the enormity of our goals, but Megan encourages us to break them down into manageable actions.

Whether it’s quieting the inner critic, practicing self-care, or building your purpose, the key is to start small. As Megan shared, even just five minutes of meditation or a brief journaling session can shift your mindset and set you on the path toward achieving your dreams.

Over time, these small actions compound, creating good habits and leading to significant transformation.

Tip: Need some help? Join my Habit Club here...

Final Thoughts

Talking with Megan Dalla-Camina was inspiring, and I’m so excited for you to dive into her new book Women Rising.

It’s filled with practical tools, research-backed insights, and heartfelt advice on how to overcome the forces that limit us and create a life that’s truly on our terms.

Remember, breaking free from limiting beliefs is a journey, not a destination. But by understanding the paradoxes of power, challenging our inner critic, and building our purpose step by step, we can rise into our full potential.