The Hidden Assumptions We Carry About Ourselves

When we talk about assumptions, we often think about misunderstandings with other people.
But some of the most powerful—and most hidden—assumptions are the ones we carry about ourselves.

These assumptions can quietly shape our choices, our confidence, and even the dreams we allow ourselves to have.
They often show up as self-limiting beliefs.

How Our Internal Assumptions Form

Many of the beliefs we hold about ourselves were formed when we were very young.
We picked up these "stories" from the people around us—parents, teachers, friends—and from our early experiences.

Sometimes the messages were direct.
Other times, they were things we felt based on how others reacted to us.
Over time, they became part of our inner narrative:

• "I'm not creative."
  
  

• "I'm bad at math."
  
  

• "I'm too sensitive."
  
  

• "I'm not athletic."
  
  

Most of the time, we didn't question them.
They became like glasses we didn't know we were wearing—shaping everything we saw.

My Story: Learning I Was "Not Good" at Art

For most of my life, I believed I wasn't good at art.

When I was a young child, my mom would often talk about how she was artistic. When I struggled with drawing or crafts (as all young kids do), she would sometimes take over the project and do it herself.
I know know that her intentions were good, but at the time I interpreted this, in my child-mind, as:
"I'm not good at this. I'll never be good at this."

By the time I was in sixth grade, the belief was so strong that when a classmate asked if I wanted to help cut something out for a project, I said, "You probably don't want me to help. I'm not good at that."
I wasn't trying to be negative—I truly thought it was a fact.

And so, for decades, I carried that assumption quietly in my heart.

Challenging the Narrative

Fast forward many years later, when I became a mother.
I noticed that my daughters loved art, and I wanted to nurture their creativity.
I hired a wonderful art teacher who came to our home each week to work with all of them.

And one day, I decided:
"Why not sit down and try, too?"

At first, it was just to be part of the fun.
But what I discovered amazed me.
Art was fun.
And not only that, but I was not bad at it.

With the right techniques, encouragement, and patience, I found my own style.
Now, some of the artwork I created hangs on the walls of my home—a beautiful reminder that the old story was never really true.

Why Self-Limiting Beliefs Are Hard to Spot

The hardest thing about self-limiting beliefs is that they've been with us for so long, they feel invisible.
They feel like truths instead of what they really are: assumptions based on old, unchallenged narratives.

But the moment we begin to spot them—the moment we start to question them—something powerful happens.
We create space for a new story.
We open the door to growth, healing, and possibility.

A Simple Reflection Exercise

If you'd like to explore your own hidden assumptions, try this:
🌿 Sit quietly and take a few deep breaths.
🌿 Ask yourself:

• What things have I always believed about myself?
  
  

• Where did those beliefs come from?
  
  

• Are they truly facts—or are they stories I accepted without questioning?
  
  

You might be surprised at what you uncover.

Final Thought

You are not the limiting stories your mind once accepted.
You are capable of more, braver than you think, and more creative than you've been told.

Assumptions can hold us back—until we see them for what they are.
And then, they lose their power.