“I Am Flawed” — A Core Limiting Belief

Common Emotional Triggers:

• Feedback, criticism, or public correction

• Moments where you can’t control others' perception of you

• Failing or falling short in front of others

• Being emotionally messy or seen as "too much"

• Rejection or silence following emotional expression

What Therapy Does to Break the Cycle:

At ShiftGrit, we don’t just help you manage the symptoms of shame — we target its source code.

• Understand: What evidence first taught you that you were broken?

• Shift: What rule did your system adopt to avoid exposure?

• Recondition: Can your body feel safe in imperfection — and still be loved?

👉 Book a session today →

Related Belief Expressions:

• I’m too much

• I need to be fixed

• I always mess things up

• I have to try harder than everyone else

• I can’t let people see the real me

• If I’m not perfect, I’ll be abandoned

• I have to earn love

• I can’t trust myself

• I’m always the one who ruins things

• I have to keep proving I’m good enough

🧩 Belief Progression Loop:

"I Am Flawed" often forms in systems of chronic criticism, perfectionism, or conditional love.

Evidence Pile:

• You were frequently corrected, criticized, or shamed

• Affection was withdrawn after mistakes

• Being good meant being composed, quiet, or high-achieving

• There was little room for messiness, silliness, or experimentation

• You began to believe your flaws were defects, not human traits

The Loop:

• Limiting Belief: I Am Flawed

• Internal Rule: I must hide or fix the broken parts of me

• Protective Conclusion: If I’m perfect, I won’t be rejected

• Opt-Out Pattern: Perfectionism, emotional suppression, control, self-rejection

Emotional Regulation: The Key to Rewiring the Loop

You don’t need to prove your wholeness by performing flawlessness.

Therapy teaches your nervous system to experience unconditional safety — not through doing, but through being.

Related Content:

• Defectiveness/Shame Schema →

• Pattern Reconditioning Overview

• Emotional Dysregulation Therapy →

• Self-Esteem Therapy (Calgary)

• Self-Esteem Therapy(Edmonton)

Explore the Therapy Path for This Belief

Want to see how this belief shows up in real life — and how we treat it at ShiftGrit?

👉 View the Core Belief page →

Want to Break Free from “I Am Flawed”?

You were never meant to earn love by hiding. You don’t need to perform worthiness.

Let’s rewire that belief — and make room for your full self to stay.

Book a Therapy Session →