We have all heard about the idea of the self-fulfilling prophecy - the idea that if you keep telling yourself sometimes will happen, you will somehow cause it to happen. This idea has a mystical quality to it, but it is really quite simple and logical: if I continuously tell myself I can’t succeed at something, it would be quite pointless and a waste of energy for me to put any real effort at trying.
Narratives of what we can’t accomplish are not the only kinds of self-fulfilling stories we tell ourselves about ourselves: “This always happens to me,” “Nothing ever works out,” “No one really cares about me,” “It’s hopeless,” “I’m unlovable.” If these stories are always running in the background, we will be hyper-aware of any information that conforms to the narrative and will dismiss any information that contradicts it.
Together, we can help you become more aware of the harmful stories – the stories that get in your way - and how you are ignoring information that contradicts them. This may help you to get out of your way, and write a new story in which you are the hero.