“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• Affection was withdrawn after mistakes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 →

← Back to the Belief Library

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 →