The Doctor Is In
It’s Time to Rewrite Your Narrative We often live our lives according to a personal narrative—an internal script that dictates how we view our worth, our relationships and our potential. For many, this script is filled with self-doubt, patterns of all-or-nothing thinking or the heavy weight of emotional neglect. We tell ourselves, “This is just who I am,” or “I’ve always been this way.” But there is a profound truth we often overlook: If you didn’t talk yourself into your current mindset, you’re going to need help talking yourself out of it. Most of our deepest core beliefs were written long before we had the cognitive tools to edit them. They were drafted in childhood through DNA contributions from our gene pool, our upbringing and the lens of our environment, the reactions of our caregivers and the “invisible” experiences of what we lacked. You didn’t consciously choose to believe you were “too much” or “not enough”; those chapters were written for you by external circumstances. Because you aren’t the sole author of your origin story, it is incredibly difficult to change the plot alone. As we move into 2026, let this be the year you do something different. Attempting to change a narrative you don’t fully understand is like trying to fix a complex machine without a manual. You can’t edit a script if you don’t know where the dialogue came from. This is where professional help becomes the bridge to a new life. Getting help isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s a strategic move to mind the gap between your past perceptions and your future responses. We weren’t put on a planet of nearly 8 billion people to go it alone! A therapist or counselor acts as a co-editor, helping you identify the “red lights” and “green lights” that have been governing your behavior. Change requires more than just willpower; it requires a new set of tools. If you find yourself hitting the same walls in 2026, acknowledge that the script needs a
fresh set of eyes. You deserve to understand how your narrative was written so that you can finally take the pen and write the rest of the story yourself. You can find all sorts of resources (referrals, training, books, podcasts and more) at www.doctorbellingrodt. com. Feel free to drop me a message there if I can help you get started on this journey or answer any questions you may have.
Submitted by Dr. J. Paweleck-Bellingrodt, Psy.D.
Material is for informational purposes and not intended to be a substitute for evaluation or treatment by a licensed professional. Material is copyrighted and may only be reproduced with written permission of Dr. Bellingrodt.
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