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The Downward Arrow

Surface thoughts usually sit on top of a deeper belief about ourselves. The downward arrow follows a thought down, one step at a time, until you reach the root. Go gently — the bottom of the arrow can be tender.

Start at the top

The surface thought

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Follow it down

For each line, ask: 'If that were true, what would it mean — about me, my life, or the future?'

…then that would mean:
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…and if that were true, it would mean:
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…and that would mean:
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…the deepest version (a core belief about me):
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Meet the core belief

Where might I have first learned this? (often years of being misunderstood, masking, or criticized)

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A kinder, truer belief

If I could install a fairer core belief instead, it would be…

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Core beliefs are installed, not earned: Beliefs like 'I'm too much' or 'I'm broken' are usually put there by an unaccommodating world — not facts about who you are. They can be updated.

Go deeper

Ready for more? These lessons pick up where this worksheet leaves off.

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