Hey, welcome to Radio Headspace.
I'm Dora, and I'm really glad that you're here.
A few years back, my cousin was applying for college,
and she had one particular school on her vision board.
It was the dream.
She poured her heart into the application.
and even flew across the country for an in-person interview.
And then, unfortunately, the rejection letter arrived.
Days later, she casually said, I guess I'm just not smart enough.
And I said, you know, maybe that's just one story you're telling yourself right now.
It wasn't intended as a quick fix, just an invitation to consider another possibility.
We all tell stories, stories about who we are, what we deserve, what other people think of us.
Sometimes these stories are rooted in truth, and sometimes they're shaped by fear,
by disappointment, by the need to make meaning out of things that hurt.
When we feel uncertain, our minds try to protect us by filling in the blanks.
But just because a story feels familiar doesn't mean it's true.
When I was fresh out of high school, there was this one job I wanted more than anything.
It seemed perfect, exciting, meaningful, and aligned exactly with what I imagined myself doing.
I prepared meticulously, submitted a thoughtful application, and felt so sure it was meant to be.
But then I was rejected, and my heart sank.