Ep. 8 Negative Core Beliefs that Influence Our Lives

What if some of the biggest decisions in your life have been influenced by beliefs you didn't even realize you were carrying? In this episode of The Stories We Tell Ourselves, Dr. Scott Gornto takes a deeper look at core beliefs - the deeply held conclusions about ourselves, others, and the world that often form early in life and continue to influence our choices, relationships, careers, and behaviors. Dr. Scott explores where these beliefs come from, including family dynamics, trauma, bullying, rejection, and performance-based expectations. He explains how beliefs such as “I'm not good enough,” “I'm unlovable,” “I'm broken,” or “I have to be perfect to be accepted” can begin to feel like facts rather than beliefs. The episode also explores confirmation bias, the connection between traumatic experiences and negative beliefs, and how we can begin separating an event from the meaning we made of it. Dr. Scott offers practical ways to identify these underlying beliefs, trace where they came from, question whether they are actually true, and begin creating space for a different way of seeing yourself. Because sometimes the story we've believed about ourselves for years isn't the truth.